Publication Date: 02-09-2025 09:00
Retired couple move from Luton to new home in Shortstown so they can help with their grandchildren
A retired couple who regularly made hour-long round trips across Bedfordshire twice a day to drop off and pick up their grandchildren from school have moved to be closer to them.
Carol and Terry Willis have now settled into their new home at Ashberry Homes’ New Cardington Gate development in Shortstown, near Bedford, around 10 minutes away from the grandchildren.
“It’s a much more relaxed lifestyle,” said Carol.
Carol, 68, and Terry, 66, lived in their previous property in Luton for more than 40 years but came to the decision that they wanted to be nearer to their son and daughters who live in Shortstown, Shefford and Biggleswade.
Their son, in Shortstown, has two children, aged eight and four, while their elder daughter in Shefford has two girls, aged 10 and six.
“The time was right,” said Carol. “We thought either we are going to have to put a lot of money into the house to spend our retirement there or we are going to move to be close to the kids.”
Initially they considered older properties, but Carol said: “We were looking at all these houses and I wasn’t happy with what I was seeing. I thought all these houses will need doing up, whereas with a new build you don’t have to think about that and it’s all much easier and simpler.”
So, they paid a visit to the Ashberry Homes development. The Orchid house style they chose is a three-bedroom semi-detached house. It has an open-plan kitchen/dining room across the back with French doors leading to the garden and a living room at the front – a similar layout to their previous home, which they liked.
“We felt very comfortable and at home when we saw it for the first time, and it wasn’t even finished then,” said Carol. “It just flows nicely.”
When they reserved the property, it was yet to be fitted out internally and the couple appreciated being shown inside during the build period and seeing where the pipes and electrics were fitted.
Reserving at an early stage also meant they were able to choose fixtures and finishes for their kitchen, bathroom, en suite shower room and downstairs cloakroom. Carol said there was plenty of choice and they went with a marble look for features in all those rooms so that the décor would be coherent throughout.
They sold their previous property, which had no mortgage on it, for £332,000 and bought their new home for £375,000 receiving an £8,000 cash incentive from the homebuilder towards the cost.
They appreciated the help from the sales advisors who kept them well informed about the build and the purchasing process and said the construction team were also very friendly.
Terry and Carol moved into their new house last summer and are enjoying living there and being so much nearer to family.
They appreciate features such as USB points around the house. The peace and quiet is also a benefit. Terry said: “The back garden is a sun trap, it’s beautiful out there. We laid more of a patio out there and it’s nice to be able to sit out without hearing traffic.”
They also appreciate the energy efficiency of the house, and they say they hardly have the heating on at all.
Terry said: “In our old house, although we insulated it, the last winter living there we had the heating on most of the time, whereas last winter here, we probably had it on for a month to a month and a half. This house really holds the heat.”
There’s currently a choice of two, three and four-bedroom houses available to reserve at New Cardington Gate, with prices starting from £300,000.
To find out more visit https://www.ashberryhomes.co.uk/new-homes/northern-home-counties/new-cardington-gate or call the sales team on 01234 923212.
