Nicholas Clarke and his wife Pen had set their sights on a new life in Italy after selling their old stone cottage in Rilla Mill, Cornwall, where they had lived for 11 years.
However, a month-long stay at their daughter Amelia’s new home on Wain Homes’s Charter Walk development in Liskeard led them to a change in direction.
Nicholas explains: “We were looking to move out to Italy, near Verona where one of our daughters lives and after selling our cottage we went to stay for four weeks with Amelia in her Charter Walk home, where she was one of the first people to move in.
“Whilst there, we had a look around three or four new Wain homes and realised the three-bedroom Brancaster property would suit our needs perfectly and in November 2023 we jokingly asked the Wain Homes sales executive if there would be any way we could be in a new home before Christmas.
“Thinking the process would realistically take months, we were amazed when the Wain team managed to help us exchange and complete our purchase in just two weeks and we were in our new home at the start of December.
“The Wain Homes sales executive, Francesca, was fantastic from the outset, keeping us well informed and progressing our sale efficiently and since we moved in, the site team have also been great, promptly attending to any enquiries we had.”
Now settled into the new home which they share with their two Chihuahua dogs and three cats, the couple are happy they made the right decision.
“We were very pleased with the excellent condition of our new home which had been finished to a very high standard” says Nicholas. “The property is spacious enough to welcome visiting family members and there is also a good sized back garden and great views across the valley.
“It is a lovely location for dog walks and for cycling and now that the development is fairly well established, there is a lovely sense of community here. Having our daughter live here, we have watched the development grow and found everybody to be friendly and proud of their new estate.”
A carpenter by trade, Nicholas is also happy the couple moved into a new home which didn’t require any time-consuming work. “It was wonderful to move into a modern, energy-efficient home knowing nothing needed doing. This home is much warmer and more comfortable than our previous older property and we like the open plan kitchen diner and there’s also an elegant space from which we can run our business without it impeding in our home life.”
With their Mediterranean plans now on hold, Nicholas and Pen are being charmed by their new Cornish town: “We love the food and the relaxed way of life in Italy but Liskeard has quickly grown on us. Whilst the climate in Italy is certainly different to South East Cornwall, we’re really happy to be here, both in Charter Walk and Liskeard itself.”