When Sheila Hull first spotted Kellen Homes were building a housing development on the old Vernon Works mill site off Radcliffe Street Royton, she couldn’t get on the phone quickly enough.
Sheila, aged 70, and her husband Ray, 73, had been considering downsizing for some time because their old family home was costly to run, and the maintenance was taking up too much of their time. The new Kellen homes ticked all their boxes, offering the energy efficiency of a new home, high speed fibre optic internet, a high-quality specification and even a planted garden. So, they called into the sales office, chose their perfect plot off plan and following a smooth purchase process were moving into their new, forever home.
Sheila takes up the story: “We love Royton, we have lived here 50 years. It’s a fabulous town and all our friends and family are here so we knew we didn’t want to leave, but our family home wasn’t right for us anymore. Some of the rooms were cold and it was expensive to heat. I spotted Vernon Gardens online, saw the lovely homes and the plans and I knew straight away it was the place for us.”
Sheila, a former NHS worker, and Ray, a retired structural engineer, chose The Acacia, a spacious three-bedroomed home on the development and moved in after selling their own home in just four weeks.
The pair are now settling into their new home and looking forward to creating space for their hobbies of sewing, jigsaw puzzles as well as their outdoor activities they both love.
Ray said: “Everyone has been wonderful and the whole process has been easy. Karen, the sales advisor, has been incredible. Nothing is too much trouble and Kellen Homes have been great throughout the process. They told us when it would be ready, and they were bang on time and the finish is excellent.”
Sheila, excited to tell us more about her new home, added: “Friends have been round to see our new home and have laughed at us because we had said we were downsizing, but the house is a long way from that. It’s really spacious but I’ve already noticed how much cheaper it is to run because it’s so much more energy efficient. We are really close to town and we love the design – we even have a utility store.”
Ray said he is planning to add a shed to the garden and the pair are looking forward to picking out new plants to create an outdoor haven.
Kellen Homes Head of Sales and Marketing, Mollie Tomlinson, said: “Ray and Sheila were keen to buy from the moment we announced Vernon Gardens and one of the first people to move into the new development. It’s great to see them so happy with their new home and settling in well.
“Vernon Gardens is in a lovely, local community and so close to all the Royton amenities and easily accessible to Oldham and the motorway network. It’s proved to be incredibly popular with the first phases of homes already sold.”
The next release of homes at Vernon Gardens is now on sale. It includes a mix of two and three bedroomed homes and prices start from £242,995.
