Couple rightsize in style to West Horsley, Surrey

A couple has rightsized in style to a new energy efficient home at Manorwood in West Horsley, Surrey. After 18 months of careful research, it was worth the wait.

Jonathan and Sara had outgrown their family home in Epsom, so started the hunt for a new property.

Talking about his previous home, which was a large 1930s four-bedroom detached house, Jonathan said; “We lived there for thirty-four years and raised our three children in that home, but it was creaking at the seams! We didn’t feel we could leave the house for any length of time without fear of something going wrong, such as a pipe bursting or the roof leaking. We decided to change the habit of a lifetime and find a new build home we could live in and give us peace of mind.

“As a specialist residential conveyancer, I’ve been in the industry for years and know a lot of people in the trade. A plumbing contractor friend of mine recommended Thakeham to me so we did our research.”

Jonathan and Sara did their research! Over the course of 18 months, they visited several of our developments to examine the build quality, the design of the homes and the specifications of the bathrooms and kitchens. The shrewd pair also visited a completed scheme to check how the homes had matured and to inspect the general upkeep of the development.

Jonathan said: “I was really impressed by the build quality and so I knew that a Thakeham home was the one for us, we just needed to wait and find a development in the right location.

“I volunteer as a film tour guide at West Horsley Place Trust, so when I learned about the new community at Manorwood on the edge of the village, I knew it would tick all our boxes. It was close to shops and the train station for my occasional commute to London, yet it had all the benefits of a quiet rural community. Plus, it is only a short drive to West Horsley Place, which I absolutely love as I’m fascinated by its history.

“We reserved early so that we could secure one of the first homes completed right on the edge of the development. We now look out of our bedroom window each morning to views of meadowland and the Surrey Hills in the distance. It’s beautiful, and we’ve really surprised ourselves just how quickly we’ve settled in and how happy we are. We thought it would be a difficult transition to leave our family home for so many years, but it really hasn’t been! 

“We love the location of Manorwood and being surrounded by greenery. There are some lovely independent shops in the village including a butchers, bakers and deli. We also enjoy our wine and have discovered an Aladdin’s Cave of a wine shop, all within walking distance from our front door. The more we come across, the more we love it.

“Our house has a separate garage, which was a must for us, and to have parking spaces for three or four cars on our driveway is a huge bonus.

“When I do consultancy work in London, I walk home from the station via a country lane with fields full of sheep. It’s so much nicer – no more thundering traffic! I breathe in the fresh air as I get off the train. It’s bliss.

“I’ve had a lot of dealings with many estate agents during my career, and it has been very refreshing to work with Thakeham. Our move has been simple and their customer service team is very quick to respond to any of my queries.”

Jonathan and Sara live in a three-bedroom Petworth home with a separate garage. All properties at Manorwood feature solar PV panels, electric car charging points, energy-efficient lights and high-quality insulation as standard.

A selection of two-, three-, and four-bedroom homes is now available and ready to move into, with a range of incentives offered throughout the development. Prices start from £595,000.

Discover new homes at Manorwood