Properties of the week

whisky, as well as happy memories of big family parties, the kids growing up, flying kites and the friendly community of their village, Preston Deanery. But, as Catherine points out, ‘for a long time I think we both realised that there would be a risk staying in this large place at our age. Neither of us would be able to manage the complications of the gardens and the woods and so on.’ They admit that they embraced the challenge 15 years ago, but now time has caught up with them.

They are, however, excited about their new home, which is smaller and in a village nearby. ‘We are most looking forward to the manageability of the new home, to taking some of the stress out of our lives,’ says Nick. ‘The move can be an emotional time for clients,’ agrees Simon Roberts, head of the south and east regional agency at Strutt & Parker. ‘This doesn’t mean that it needs to be a negative experience, though, and it’s often about reframing the experience. Downsizing should be seen as an exciting next step—whether you’re upping sticks to a new area, moving closer to your grandchildren or freeing up equity so you can travel more.’

Moving to a smaller home is still moving and, as such, requires a not insignificant amount of planning. Of course, it’s important to find the right agent to help you through the process. The sale of Park Farm is being handled by Michael Graham, who, according to Nick ‘sent what was effectively the cast of Madame Butterfly for the first meeting, there was about 10 of them!’. Most agents have a helpful ‘to do’ checklist on their websites, with Strutt & Parker’s containing tips such as ‘visualise your new lifestyle’, ‘get your new home buyer ready’ and ‘leave yourself time’. Time is a key one, with Nick and Catherine admitting that they were ‘amazed at the amount of planning that goes into it’. They also add that ‘you’ve got to be mentally quite strong, as it’s a hard process. It’s a long journey and it’s tough emotionally and physically. You’re saying goodbye to things.’

Finding a new place to downsize to is also key, and where buying agents such as Mr Winter and Ms Hendrie can be of great help. Now is as good a time as any, they say, with Mr Winter confessing that ‘half of what I’m doing at the moment is downsizing. Most of the people I sold to when they were 45 are now 65–70 and are keen to downsize.’ When it comes to buying and selling, Ms Hendrie also suggests aiming for a quick exchange and a delayed completion, which gives ‘vendors the comfort of knowing they have time to find something’. It’s also worth exploring a ‘rent back’ scheme, where vendors can sell their home and stay a little longer until they find exactly what they are looking for. Mr Winter also adds that although lots of people are currently looking to downsize, the market is still a bit tricky. It’s vital to list ‘at the right guide price’, he says. However, according to Mr Roberts, a cooler market has brought a lot more downsizers forward, who didn’t want to be involved with the ‘frenzy’ of 2021 and wanted more time to ‘consider their next steps’. ‘It’s therefore no surprise that we’ve seen an increase in downsizers coming to the cooler market in recent months as it feels like a more approachable space,’ he concludes.

Throughout our chat, it’s clear that with every laugh about Park Farm, there is a moment of sadness at moving on. ‘I’ll miss the space, it was fantastic, amazing,’ says Nick. ‘And also the privacy and the beauty of it. You can stand there and go “how bloody lucky are we?”.’ But it’s clear that they are both thrilled at the prospect of a simpler life and more time with family. ‘This is what we’re doing. Simplifying life and clearing the brain of the hundreds of things that have to be managed at the moment.’ That certainly sounds like something to look forward to.