Downsizing to the right sized home in Reigate

We sat down and talked to Elana and David about their move to our Reigate housing development. Elana tells all here

Where it all started

“We have lived in Reigate since 1972 following a move from London for David’s career. We love the town and surrounding area and are lucky in that both our sons have stayed in Reigate; so we have plenty of opportunity to spend time with our family including our grandchildren

There is a point in life when the old family home becomes too much to manage. In our case we were only using a small part of the house; with our family living locally we had no need for five bedrooms and the large garden was becoming impractical.”

Searching for new builds in Reigate

“I knew the time was right to move, however I had to convince David. So, I started our property search in the hope of finding something to inspire him! I began by looking online using property portals which led me to Thakeham’s development in Reigate – Somers Gate. At the time I was really just browsing, our house was not on the market and David was still unsure.

I first visited on my own and was attracted to Somers Gate because of the space – an acre of landscaped grounds in addition to our own garden and two off road parking spaces. We had looked in the town centre, thinking it would be nice to walk into town but you quickly become aware of how overlooked you can be and how difficult it is to park. I went home and convinced a reluctant David that this Somers Gate an opportunity we should look at; funnily enough if you ask David today, he absolutely loves the house!”

Landing on Somers Gate

“We made several enquiries and visited the site on numerous occasions before deciding we wanted to be at Somers Gate

Times have changed since we last bought a house 17 years ago; frustratingly we weren’t able to reserve the home we wanted straight away as our current property wasn’t under offer. However, having already had our home valued, we were quickly on the market.

We were lucky enough to find a buyer for our house within weeks, allowing us to secure our preferred home at Somers Gate.”

The buying process

“We had bought a new home before so we knew what to expect, however I am delighted to say that our experience with Thakeham certainly exceeded expectations

The process was smooth and straightforward, we felt we were always in the picture and knew exactly what was going on with our sale. When an unexpected chain situation arose, Thakeham was supportive and patient which we really appreciated.

Our before and after care has been exceptional, we are really encouraged by the level of service we have received and recommend Thakeham if you are looking for a new home.”

Life in a Thakeham home

“There are just 12 houses at Somers Gate and we are looking forward to becoming part of a small community. What we love about our new home is the sense of space and light. We are delighted with the high specification finish, the attention to detail, the bathrooms are lovely and the kitchen is perfect. We love our bi-fold doors which open into our garden, where I can potter about and enjoy a coffee in our new summerhouse.”

Making a house a home 

“There is enough storage and slowly but surely we are making the house our own.

It is challenging leaving a big family home; with everything you have collected over the years it’s both a practical and emotional journey. Deciding what to keep, what needs to go, what will work in the new home and what won’t has not been easy but I am pleased to say we feel really settled, David especially!

If you are looking to downsize our advice is make sure you know the area well, talk to your family, and think about what you want to take on – DIY is not for us so a new build home has worked out perfectly.

If you are interested in a new home, make sure you understand the buying process and speak to local estate agents about the best time to market your own property.

You’ll be able to arrange to go on market at the right time to find a buyer, so when that perfect home becomes available, you are in a position to make an offer on it and not miss out. We have not looked back!”

Discover your dream property with Thakeham

We’re so pleased that Elana and David are happily settled in our Somers Gate development. Stories like this are why we do what we do.

If you’d like to find out more about any of the things Elana talked about, please view our Customer Care page, discover more reasons to choose Thakeham, or take a look at our new build homes for sale in the South East! You might just find your forever home.

To read more stories from our customers, head over to our Testimonial page.