The desire for a new beginning and a fresh start following the death of her late husband led Jill Woodbury, one of Millbrook Village’s newest residents, to search for her perfect home in Devon.
“The really nice thing is that I don’t have to worry about mowing the lawns as the gardens are kept up to a really high standard. I don’t even need to worry about cleaning the windows or general maintenance; this is all done for me. It makes it so much easier to really enjoy your home and your retirement.”
Life at Millbrook Village is just what I was looking for, says Jill Inspired by an article on Esther Rantzen, who downsized following the loss of her husband, Jill began her search for a new home where she could start afresh too.
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or her the thought of living alone in her large Buckinghamshire home with all its memories was just too much. Instead, she moved in with her daughter and together they looked for the perfect retirement retreat where Jill could live an active life in a safe community with likeminded people. “I really wanted my own independence,” says Jill. “I knew I didn’t want to live in a retirement home and so I wanted somewhere that offered much more.” Soon she discovered Millbrook Village in Exeter, which for her seemed a perfect match, not only because she was brought up in Devon, but also because her son lives nearby. Jill was so taken by Millbrook Village that after just one visit she decided to buy one of the attractive threebedroom Charlotte style cottages on site. These cottages offer an abundance of living space with a generous lounge, separate dining room and large kitchen.
“I really wanted my own independence,” says Jill. “I knew I didn’t want to live in a retirement home and so I wanted somewhere that offered much more.” Two of the double bedrooms feature en-suites and the ground floor study can be used as a third bedroom, with the added convenience of a fully fitted wet room in close proximity. “Exeter is so lovely and the
public transport directly from the village meant it was perfect for me,” she says. “I’d planned to give up driving, and so having a good bus service into the city was just what I’d been looking for.” Jill’s only challenge was selling her existing property, which had been on the market for some time. The solution was Renaissance Villages’ partexchange scheme, which the Company offers in partnership with experts, Silverbridge Properties. ‘It was so easy,” said Mrs Woodbury. “There was no chain, and no stress. I didn’t have to worry about losing the house I really wanted because I couldn’t sell my own home. It meant I could start my new life
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without any hassle, and I could concentrate on making my new home my own. For Jill it was the size of the properties at Millbrook Village that was a real draw. Jill comments: “Family are very important to me and I wanted them to be able to come and stay over. I have seven grandchildren and if they want to come I have enough room for them. One of the rooms is a study, but I have a sofa-bed in it, and that gives plenty of room for guests.” The finish of the house was also very important for Jill: “The fittings and fixtures are superb,” she says. “You can’t fault them at all. I have everything I need. I’ve more storage space in this kitchen than I had in my last house. I’ve even got empty cupboards!” Starting afresh meant exactly that for Jill: “The only things that I bought with me were a lounge suite and two single beds,” she says. “Everything else was new – the dining room, the bedroom furniture, everything. With my daughter’s help we’ve made the perfect house. I’m so pleased with it.” Before moving to Millbrook Village Jill used to have a very large garden. The realisation
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that she couldn’t manage it on her own contributed to her decision to move. But, despite this she still has a continued love of gardening and has transformed her patio into her own gardener’s retreat. “It’s so lovely”, she says. “I have several pot plants including Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Fascias and Petunias. I have a table and chairs and lovely views. I spend a lot of time there.” She adds: “The really nice thing is that I don’t have to worry about mowing the lawns as the gardens are kept up to a really high standard. I don’t even need to worry about cleaning the windows or general maintenance; this is all done for me. It makes it so much easier to really enjoy your home and your retirement.” For Jill one of the other
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attractions of Millbrook Village is the opportunity to socialise with other people: “I have a really good set of close friends already”, she says. “The people here are great and you’re never alone. That’s the nice thing; we go out regularly, we catch the bus from the village into Exeter and we go for lunch. “This part of the world is so appealing,” she adds. “Exeter is a lovely, lovely city with pretty shops and alleyways. It has something for everybody, and is a real draw for visitors. My daughter can be with me in two and a half hours from Buckingham, and she’ll be down again for a week this summer.” One of Jill’s loves is travel: “I’ve already been to Exmouth and intend to do a lot more exploring in the summer months. I’ll be going down to
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Brixham, to Penzance and St Ives with my son, and I’ll spend the odd weekend away. “That’s the nice thing about Millbrook Village,” Jill adds. “You feel so secure. You haven’t got any worries. If you want to go away you know your house is safe and that’s very important, especially when you’re on your own.” “That’s why Millbrook Village is perfect for me,” adds Jill. “You have total freedom and it’s very convenient from a transport perspective. The busses are so frequent and you can get to anywhere you need to by train or plane. The staff here are delightful, helpful and always looking out for you. You just know that you’re not alone, and that’s lovely. I’d recommend the Millbrook Village life to anyone.” Milbrook Village is Exeter’s first retirement village – a development of luxury cottages and apartments centred around a prestigious clubhouse exclusively for the over 55s. Prices: start from £340,000 Tel: 01392 275335 or visit www.millbrookvillage.co.uk Sales suite: Open every day from 10am to 5pm
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For more information about any of our developments visit www.renaissancevillages.co.uk