Out With the Old, in With the New: Couple Makes the Jump From Seaside Town to Kentish Country Living, and From Period Home to Character New Build
With their hearts set on a period property, couple Suzanne and Owen, decided to swap the seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea for the Kentish countryside, choosing the county to be closer to Suzanne’s family in Tunbridge Wells, as well as for quicker and easier links to Owen’s family in London.
With the relocation plans underway and getting started on their property search, there was just one key criteria on their list: not a new build home.
Suzanne comments: “When we first started our search, we were clear that new build homes were out of the running – we even designed our Rightmove criteria to exclude them. Instead, we wanted something with character so focused solely on period properties, looking in and around Cranbrook , as well as a little further afield, to get a feel for what we could get for our money.”
Having looked around a variety of in-need-of-some-love Listed properties, Suzanne and Owen decided to rule out anything Listed, concerned about the level of maintenance in the short and long term. Turning their attention to period properties, they found the ones they liked, albeit in the countryside, were all located on A-roads – and not as private or quiet as they wanted.
“As we continued to rule out older period homes, we realised that what we really needed was a newer, lower maintenance home – but we still wanted a property with a bit of character. When we finally expanded our Rightmove search to include new build homes, up popped Farmstead, and the style of homes, development layout and landscaping caught our eyes. It met all our remaining requirements!”
Located on the outskirts of the picturesque village of Cranbrook, Farmstead is a boutique gated development by Berkeley, comprising just 28 three and four-bedroom homes. Homes are set amongst beautiful landscaping and designed with a wide variety of property styles curated to ensure the neighbourhood feels established over time, rather than brand new. The couple were drawn to the small scale of the development, the privacy afforded by the clever layout of the houses and the traditional Kentish-inspired architecture.
“The first time we visited Farmstead, it took Owen (who at this stage was still sceptical of new builds!) very much by surprise. It made such a great first impression, with the characterful period-style look, but with quality and design that works for modern life.”
Taken with the prospect of a home that didn’t require work, in a great location close to all the areas the couple like visiting, Suzanne and Owen purchased a detached barn-style home with a south-facing garden, and moved in in December 2023, just in time for Christmas.
“When we first started our search, Owen said to me, ‘what I want is a detached home with character, white walls, a gravel drive and gates. And he’s got it! Farmstead ticks all the boxes. Our barn-style home has all the character of an old property, just without the unwanted drama or maintenance surprises.”
Find out more about Farmstead today.
With the relocation plans underway and getting started on their property search, there was just one key criteria on their list: not a new build home.
Suzanne comments: “When we first started our search, we were clear that new build homes were out of the running – we even designed our Rightmove criteria to exclude them. Instead, we wanted something with character so focused solely on period properties, looking in and around Cranbrook , as well as a little further afield, to get a feel for what we could get for our money.”
Having looked around a variety of in-need-of-some-love Listed properties, Suzanne and Owen decided to rule out anything Listed, concerned about the level of maintenance in the short and long term. Turning their attention to period properties, they found the ones they liked, albeit in the countryside, were all located on A-roads – and not as private or quiet as they wanted.
“As we continued to rule out older period homes, we realised that what we really needed was a newer, lower maintenance home – but we still wanted a property with a bit of character. When we finally expanded our Rightmove search to include new build homes, up popped Farmstead, and the style of homes, development layout and landscaping caught our eyes. It met all our remaining requirements!”
Located on the outskirts of the picturesque village of Cranbrook, Farmstead is a boutique gated development by Berkeley, comprising just 28 three and four-bedroom homes. Homes are set amongst beautiful landscaping and designed with a wide variety of property styles curated to ensure the neighbourhood feels established over time, rather than brand new. The couple were drawn to the small scale of the development, the privacy afforded by the clever layout of the houses and the traditional Kentish-inspired architecture.
“The first time we visited Farmstead, it took Owen (who at this stage was still sceptical of new builds!) very much by surprise. It made such a great first impression, with the characterful period-style look, but with quality and design that works for modern life.”
Taken with the prospect of a home that didn’t require work, in a great location close to all the areas the couple like visiting, Suzanne and Owen purchased a detached barn-style home with a south-facing garden, and moved in in December 2023, just in time for Christmas.
“When we first started our search, Owen said to me, ‘what I want is a detached home with character, white walls, a gravel drive and gates. And he’s got it! Farmstead ticks all the boxes. Our barn-style home has all the character of an old property, just without the unwanted drama or maintenance surprises.”
Find out more about Farmstead today.
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