A family from Sussex are living the quiet life after swapping the sound of police sirens for birdsong in the morning.
Nina and Mark Buckell are enjoying the more gentle sounds of nature after relocating from a house on a busy main road to a new home in a peaceful village.
The couple, and their 31-year-old daughter Alana, have moved into a detached four-bedroom property on the Linden Homes Avisford Grange location in Walberton, near Arundel.
Nina, 53, a human resources business partner, said: “We had been living in a four-bedroom bungalow right on London Road in East Grinstead and it was an incredibly busy and noisy road.
“There were sirens from police cars, ambulances and fire engines at all times and we were often woken by them early in the morning. At the new house we wake every morning to the sound of birdsong. It is marvellous.
Nina, and Mark, a 52-year-old installation manager, decided it was time to relocate after their 29-year-old son Josh and his partner and two children moved out.
“It made us reassess things and we thought that in the 23 years we had lived there we had done as much as we could to the place after extending and creating a fourth bedroom and putting a new bathroom in.
“The garden was very big and took a lot of looking after, the house needed maintaining as well and it had become something of an endless money pit. All things considered, including the fact that the road was so smelly and noisy and busy, we decided we wanted to leave all that behind.
“We have friends and family in Bognor Regis and Chichester, so we started looking in the area and came across the Linden Homes development in Walberton. We already knew that part of the world quite well and as soon as we went to visit Avisford Grange we knew it was where we wanted to live. The development is very green and the houses are high quality and are very well spaced out.”
The couple sold their bungalow and put a deposit down on a £485,000 Leverton style of home.
“As soon as we saw the house we knew it was the one for us,” said Nina. “It was only half-built but we loved the look of it and the internal layout plans we saw looked perfect. We were so happy about the new house that we visited the site about 10 times before it was finished just to check on progress and to enjoy the excitement of what was to come.
“The kitchen had already been ordered for the house but it was exactly the one that I would have chosen so we took that as a good omen. I got to choose the carpets and flooring so I have been able to put a bit of my stamp on how the house would look once completed.”
The family and their three cats, Sassi, Bella and Buddie, moved into their new home on 29 June.
“We have never lived in a new-build house before and were so excited on the day that we got the keys and moved in. It was a lovely feeling to be able to walk in and know that all we had to do was unpack.
“It is so much nicer to have our space on different levels because I love being able to go up to bed at night. We can already see just how energy efficient this property is compared to the bungalow and that makes a big difference with the price of electricity and gas these days.
“My favourite room is the very spacious kitchen/dining area which spans the whole width of the house and backs onto the garden. At the bungalow there was not enough room to have table and chairs in the kitchen but here there’s acres of space.
“We love to entertain at home and have already had lots of get togethers. The space is light and bright and huge and everyone can be in there at the same time without it feeling cramped. It’s great fun.”
The Buckells said they would recommend both Linden Homes and Avisford Grange to family and friends.
“In fact, we already have,” said Nina. “We have had the family around and Mark’s brother and my mother are looking at possibly moving to this estate. They are all very impressed with the space in the house and the quality of the finish.
“The sales advisors Debbie and Sandra and the site team were absolutely amazing. Nothing was too much trouble for them. They were very professional and patient and helped us on every step of our housebuying journey.
“Thanks to them, we could not be happier and are living our best life in a fantastic new house we love to call home.”
Avisford Grange is a development of three and four-bedroom homes being built by Vistry Group under its Linden Homes brand.
A selection of three and four-bedroom properties are currently available, with prices starting at £380,000 and £475,000 respectively.
