Debbie and Mark

“Being close to Gloucester Quays and the town’s amenities, while also being on the edge of the Cotswolds, gives us the best of both worlds.”

A couple in their sixties have turned the traditional retirement dream on its head, swapping a bungalow in rural South Wales for city living in Gloucester, courtesy of Lioncourt Homes.

Debbie Allan and her husband Mark, both 64, recently moved into a three-bedroom detached home at the award-winning homebuilder’s Priory Meadows development in Hempsted, along with their two French Bulldogs, Groot and Rocket.

The couple had moved to Ammanford, Carmarthenshire in November 2021, to look after ageing parents, and when they sadly passed away, Debbie and Mark decided their next chapter should be somewhere with a social life on the doorstep and everything they needed within walking distance.

While many dream of retiring to the countryside or coast, Debbie and Mark are part of a growing movement in the opposite direction, with research by Retirement Villages Group suggesting more than four million retirees are likely to swap rural areas for towns and cities in the future.[1]

The move also solved a family dilemma, with Gloucester sitting suitably equidistant from each of the couple’s two sons, with one living in Swansea and the other in Towcester.

Debbie said: “It feels great. It’s the ideal location for our requirements. We wanted to move somewhere that had more of a social life nearby and was within walking distance.

“We’re just a mile from the town centre, so we can walk into town and enjoy all the bars and restaurants. We’re very sociable, and Gloucester Quays offers lots of options for a good social life.”

Mark, originally from Wales, and Debbie, who was born in Zimbabwe, had not bought with Lioncourt Homes before, but knew the development was right for them as soon as they saw it.

Debbie added: “We liked the look of the brick houses and their design, and there are lots of trees within the estate and plenty of green open space.

“For us, choosing this estate came down to location, location, location.

“Being close to Gloucester Quays and the town’s amenities, while also being on the edge of the Cotswolds, gives us the best of both worlds.”

Having previously owned a new-build bungalow, the couple were keen to enjoy the benefits of a brand-new property once again, and settled on The Laurel, a detached three-bedroom home with a garage, two en-suites and a good-sized garden.

Debbie explained: “We wanted three bedrooms, en-suites and a garage, and this home ticked every box. We love everything about it – the look, the kerb appeal, the good-sized garden. It’s a very spacious home, and the two en-suites were a bonus.

“We’ve lived in older properties before, so a new build means less maintenance in our older years.”

The couple have joined a growing number of buyers choosing Lioncourt Homes, thanks to the homebuilder’s commitment to meeting the highest standards on quality, location, cost, and customer service.

Earlier this year, Lioncourt Homes was once again awarded a five-star customer satisfaction rating from the Home Builders’ Federation (HBF) for the 12th consecutive year.

Debbie concluded: “The sales team were great, and the site management were very accommodating, helpful and friendly. We would easily recommend Lioncourt Homes.”

Priory Meadows is located just minutes from the M5 motorway and Gloucester Railway Station, making Bristol, Cheltenham, the Midlands, South West and Wales easily accessible, while Gloucester city centre and Gloucester Quays are just a mile from the development.

There are a number of new homes available at Priory Meadows, for more information please visit https://www.lioncourthomes.com/housing-developments/gloucestershire/priory-meadows/ or call the sales team on 01452 203628.

 

[1] https://www.retirementvillages.co.uk/thrive-life/retirement-planning/planning/the-surprising-retirement-living-trend-that-could-transform-our-towns-and-cities/