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COUPLE FIND COMMUNITY SPIRIT IS ALIVE AND WELL AT THE CROFT

When Dennis and Phyllis Pinnock first thought about downsizing two years ago in order to make life easier for themselves, they were determined not to compromise on the style or setting of their new home.

After looking at numerous new developments, as well as second-hand homes, Mr and Mrs Pinnock discovered The Croft (www.thecroftbourne.co.uk) – an age-exclusive development for the over 55s by Larkfleet Homes and Keystone Developments. It features a stylish collection of one and two-bedroom bungalows and two and three-bedroom chalet style bungalows in the heart of Bourne, Lincolnshire.

The Pinnocks were impressed by the showhome and by the development’s setting and decided to buy one of the Rawnsley two-bedroom chalet style bungalows.

Dennis, who works part-time as an administrative assistant in Peterborough, said: “We had known for a while that we would need to downsize, as our old home was becoming too much for us to manage and we wanted to move to an area with more of a community spirit. Despite looking at a lot of properties, we struggled to find somewhere that met our criteria.

“The Croft was different. It offered us the chance to buy a traditional style house – we wanted our own front and back door – with the flexible and spacious layout we were looking for, whilst at the same time being set in lovely surroundings, with a real sense of community.”

Once the Pinnocks had decided to buy they were moved in within six weeks, thanks to the ‘assisted move’ scheme available at The Croft.

Dennis said: “When the company took over the selling of our old house, it was sold within a week and before we knew it we were leaving our home of 21 years and settling into The Croft. The scheme was really simple and helped to make a stressful time a little easier, although the quick move kept us on our toes!”

The Croft is built in the grounds of a former manor house, which has been fully restored and is now the hub of the development. The manor provides a community facility for residents, where they can relax or take part in the events and activities which are held there.

There is also a well-decorated guest suite on the first floor of the manor house, comprising a twin bedded bedroom and a large modern bathroom, which residents can hire for their overnight guests.

Dennis continued: “One of the things that really appealed to us about The Croft was that it has been specifically designed as a community. We were feeling quite isolated in Peterborough, as the area we were living in had changed a lot since we moved there 20 years ago and it had lost its sense of community spirit.

“Having the manor house facility really enables you to get to know your neighbours. It’s great that you can dip in and out of the social activities as you want to and the fact that the manor has been beautifully decorated as well really makes it a place you want to use.

“For us this move has not only given us a lovely new home but has given us the chance to live somewhere that suits our lifestyle. There is a really good mix of people here and everyone we have met so far has been really friendly and will stop and say hello, which we certainly noticed no longer happened when we lived in the city.”

The Croft is managed by an estate management team which looks after the exterior of every property and all the grounds. An estate manager is on hand Monday to Friday to help with any queries or problems residents might have.

Dennis added: “In no way does this feel like a retirement home facility and if it did we wouldn’t have moved here. We are both very active and I still work five days a week.

“For us The Croft is a development for people of a certain age who want to live in a community of like-minded people in an attractive setting. I would definitely encourage people to come and have a look around and see it for themselves. When we showed our family around they were so impressed with the house and the whole development they all wanted to move in and they’re not even old enough to live here!”

The popularity of the development means that there are only a few properties now remaining in phase two priced from £189,950. The final phase is now under construction and expected to be released for viewing in spring 2014, with prices expected to start at approximately £140,000.

A range of incentive packages is offered at the Croft, including shared equity and part exchange options, which can be tailor-made to suit the needs of individual buyers.

For further information on current available properties, visit the site on North Road in Bourne or contact the sales team at The Croft on 01778 426995 or visit the website www.thecroftbourne.co.uk.