A couple who bought a detached house in the Nottinghamshire village of Calverton have found it to be a home for all seasons.
Jon and Helen Marshall moved into Bellway’s Willow Rise development earlier this year, and after six months in their new home they love how it has worked for them – from summertime through to the colder darker months.
Jon, and Helen, who are both in their fifties, couldn’t be happier with their choice – a three-bedroom detached house, where every window has a stunning view of open countryside.
Through the sunny weather, they were in the open-plan kitchen/dining room much of the time, with the patio doors flung open to the garden.
Now, as winter approaches, they are enjoying the living room more.
“It’s probably my favourite room in the house as it’s comfortable and cosy with dual-aspect windows so it’s light and airy as well,” said Jon.
They have also noticed that the house is well insulated. “Even now the heating only comes on for an hour or two,” said Jon.
And the open-plan kitchen/dining room works much better for them than the galley kitchen in their previous house, as they can cook together without getting in each other’s way. “It’s a better layout, it suits us better and suits our lifestyle,” said Jon.
They love their new home. It cost £282,000, and there is no doubt in their minds that it was worth every penny.
“It is surrounded by views on both sides as we are on the back corner of the development and there are views from every window,” says Jon. In fact, the only window where you might catch a glimpse of another property is his office upstairs.
The beautiful outlooks are without question the feature of the house that Jon loves the most. It’s certainly what draws most comments from visitors, especially if they are there at sunset, as the house faces west.
Helen and Jon got married three years ago and Helen – who had been living in Calverton – moved to Jon’s home area in South Yorkshire.
But during the Covid lockdowns, the benefits and importance of being near to family were brought into sharp focus. And as Jon’s grown-up daughters had moved to Leicester and Lincoln for their studies, the couple decided they would move to Nottinghamshire, where Helen has family.
Going back to Helen’s former home village of Calverton worked well for them as they felt they got the best value for money there.
They settled on Willow Rise quickly and by acting fast they secured the plot they wanted.
Although they had considered some older properties during their house search and had gone to see some terraced cottages, once they looked at the homes at Willow Rise they began to realise the benefits of a new-build property.
Jon said: “Taking on a derelict property is fine if you are half our age, but for us there were many advantages to buying a new-build house. No remedial work, no decorating.”
Jon would recommend the development to others and said that Bellway’s sales and building teams were ‘absolutely fabulous.’ The couple were kept informed throughout the purchase process and any questions or issues were quickly dealt with.
They are enjoying the surroundings too as Calverton is a large village, with shops and restaurants and other services on hand. They like to visit the café at the nearby Patchings Art Centre, go for walks in the surrounding countryside or visit the pubs in the village or a little further afield.
Calverton is also home to two golf courses and keen golfer Jon has already made plans with a new neighbour to play a few rounds there in the future.
Until this move, Jon had only ever lived within a few miles of the place he was born, and never thought he would move outside of Yorkshire.
His home county is not too far away though. He visits there regularly to see his father and, as a committed ice hockey fan, to follow his team Sheffield Steelers. Despite living in Nottinghamshire, he will not be switching allegiance to Nottingham Panthers, he said.
Although he admits to ‘taking the mickey’ out of Helen and her family for their Nottinghamshire sayings, he is enjoying his new location. He said: “It really is a beautiful place to live.”
There’s currently a choice of three and four-bedroom houses available to reserve at Willow Rise, with prices starting from £284,950.
More information can be found online at https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/east-midlands/willow-rise or by calling the sales team on 0115 672 8586.
