We caught up with Peter and Cathy about their experience of returning to live in Cumbria after nearly 30 years and buying a brand-new Genesis Home at Sanders Brow in Armathwaite.
How did you end up buying a new build in Armathwaite?
We first lived in Armathwaite between 1982 and 1991 as I’d been working near Carlisle and, quite by accident, stumbled across the village when looking for an easy drive into Carlisle and/or Penrith.
We quickly felt part of the community. With three children (two of which were born in the village), we quickly became involved in the school, even helping to organise the annual August sports day! It was with some regret that my company transferred us abroad, and then London, as my career progressed.
Fortunately however, over the next 30 years, I occasionally had business to attend to in Cumbria and we always tried to stay in Armathwaite, either with friends, or in one of the two lovely village pubs – we never seriously imagined we would be able to come back here to live.
What attracted you to buy new build at Sanders Brow?
Eventually we retired from full time work and assumed we would remain in London suburbia…….. but then out of the blue, we heard about the planned Genesis Homes ‘Sanders Brow’ development near the station and said “WHY NOT?”
We were interested immediately, our biggest problem was whether to go for the 3-bed Tay bungalow or the 5-bed, 3-storey Whillan; the former was smaller but would have been fine for just the two of us, but we were mindful of our ever increasing family and friends who would (under normal circumstances!) want to stay with us. In particular, we felt that the ‘guest suite’ on the second floor would be ideal for entertaining and we could accommodate several ‘bubbles’ at once!
What is your house like?
The Whillan is a roomy, 5-bed detached house with detached double garage and it’s got three floors. The ground floor has a large kitchen/diner with separate utility room and cloak room, and a lounge with bay window. The first floor has 4 bedrooms (one with an en-suite) and family bathroom. The top floor ‘guest suite’ has a large bedroom, en-suite and another room that could be used as a study, dressing room or even a nursery, so lots of options.
What do you like most about your home?
The biggest factor in our decision to buy was the incredible views we have over open countryside – with 4 Velux roof windows sitting high above the normal roof line, we can get an amazing 300 degree view of the North Pennines and surrounding countryside.
How was the buying process?
We had not bought new before but found the experience relatively straight forward, with a ‘can do’ attitude from all the sales and technical staff we encountered. We had a few minor building snags but all seemed to be progressed professionally despite the COVID limitations. Moving into a new build estate at times of national crisis has also been very rewarding; all of our neighbours have gone the extra mile to get to know each other (whilst respecting social distancing!) and the future looks bright for this little mixed community.