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DOWNSIZING IS UPSIZING AT PIERMONT HOUSE Shanly Homes highlights: according to Rightmove, downsizing is the main reason for UK buyers to move house in 9 out of 10 regions in England and Wales, with 40% of buyers looking to buy a smaller home. Perfect for this market, the nine exclusive two and three bedroom apartments and duplexes at Piermont House in Beckenham, Kent by Shanly Homes offer all the benefits of downsizing to a new home, including equity release, less maintenance and lower energy bills. Due to their central location, spacious design, external living space and high specification they also ensure buyers are upsizing their lives to ensure an exciting fresh new start. Karen Tibbs, Head of Sales and Marketing at Shanly Homes comments: “Downsizing offers homeowners the opportunity to release money to fund holidays and trips abroad or assist children with buying their own home. Many also take advantage of de-cluttering their lifestyle and getting rid of unwanted household items, leaving them feeling they ‘should have done it sooner’ once they have made the often emotive decision to move.” Piermont House offers ideal apartments for downsizers with spacious rooms, wide entrance halls and stunning fully fitted kitchens to ensure couples have plenty of independent space during retirement. Each property also has a patio, balcony or roof terrace to enjoy the outdoors and even some gardening if desired. In addition, the three duplex apartments have a spiral staircase leading to a study and private roof terrace, which could be used as a hobbies room, guest bedroom or playroom for the grandchildren. The apartments have been stylishly designed with fully fitted kitchens complete with stone work tops and integrated appliances including a wine cooler. All bedrooms include fitted wardrobes to ensure plenty of storage space and the spacious master bedroom enjoys en-suite facilities, many of which include a separate bath and shower. There is also an additional family bathroom. Each property has an audio visual entry system, as well as wiring for a security alarm. There are allocated parking spaces, carports, and cycle storage is set behind electric entrance gates. Located on Overbury Avenue, a wide tree lined road within walking distance of the town centre, which has a distinct village atmosphere, the development is near a great selection of cafes, bars and restaurants. There is also an excellent range of leisure facilities nearby, to ensure older people can enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle, which according to academics at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute can add six years to your life expectancy. These include The Spa at Beckenham, a David Lloyd fitness centre, tennis club, golf facilities at Langley Park and Beckenham Place. Beckenham has more parks and open space than the rest of the Bromley borough, including Kelsey Park which is located just around the corner from Piermont House. Boasting boasts lakes and rich wildlife, it is an ideal setting to take the grandchildren for the afternoon. For downsizers with a love of the arts, theatre and all the activities on offer in London, Beckenham has eight railway stations offering fast and easy access across the capital. This includes Beckenham Junction with services to London Victoria in just 23 minutes, London Bridge in 35 minutes and St Pancras Eurostar Terminal in 37 minutes. By road, Junction 4 of the M25 is only 8.5 miles away, whilst the town is also one of the termini of the Croydon tram link. The apartments at Piermont House are available from £499,950. For further sales information, please call 020 8658 4274 or visit www.shanlyhomes.com.

 

St George’s Park highlights: according to a study by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute being active and living a healthy lifestyle into your seventies can add up to six years onto your life expectancy. Taken from a study of 1,810 people aged over 75 and reported in the British Medical Journal, the findings said that men with the healthiest lifestyles live six years longer and women five years. The report showed that swimming, walking and gymnastics increased life expectancy by around two years and those with a rich social life lived a year and a half longer than those without. In addition, even after the age of 85, low risk lifestyles prolonged life by four years. Figures from the Office of National Statistics showed men in the UK could expect to live until the age of 78 and women until 82.
 

Perfect for people looking to enjoy an active and healthy lifestyle, including all the activities recommended in the study, St George’s Park in Ditchling, East Sussex is ideal for the over 60’s. Boasting a vast array of social and leisure facilities including a gymnasium, 250 acres of parkland and landscaped gardens for walking, an active Residents Association, restaurant and café, residents can enjoy their later years having fun and keeping fit. A leisure centre with swimming pool and spa, and tennis courts will also be available in the last phase of the development. Phillip Smith, Sales and Marketing Director of St George’s Park comments: “As can be seen from the Swedish study, leading a healthy and active lifestyle can make a significant different to people’s life expectancy. At St George’s Park we encourage residents to enjoy the excellent range of social and leisure facilities available to ensure they make the most of their later years and lead long, happy lives.” The sports and leisure facilities are both indoor and outdoor, thereby ensuring activities are available all year around. Enabling residents to enjoy lots of fresh air, outdoor pursuits include fishing in the lake, golf, bowling, croquet and even an allotment club. Alternatively indoor activities include table tennis, snooker, line dancing, short tennis and short mat bowls.




The Resident’s Association also organises a packed timetable of activities to keep everyone busy. These include art club, local history, scrabble, book clubs and friendly bridge club and the ever popular ‘knit and natter’ club. To further enrich their social life, residents can enjoy a healthy meal with friends and visiting guests in the café or restaurant or take a trip into the local towns with friends on the mini bus service or make use of the pool car service. They can also visit the hairdressers, enjoy a book in the library or enjoy one of the many activities that take part in the original concert hall. This makes an ideal place for special occasions, communal gatherings and other events including plays, guest speakers, film nights or concerts. Apartments throughout the village are generously proportioned, well planned, light and finished to a very high specification. All are fully accessible for wheelchair users and residents with mobility impairments, while offering attractive, contemporary interiors. For peace of mind St George’s Park has ensured that all apartments come with monitored security, video entry and fire alarm systems. St George’s Park is within 3 miles of Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill both of which offer good local shopping including major supermarkets and excellent rail links to Brighton, Gatwick Airport and London Victoria. Prices for currently available properties at St Georges Park start at £345,000 for a two bedroom apartment. For further information contact the sales office on 01444 259732 or visit www.stgeorgespark.co.uk

Retirement village St George’s Park in Ditchling, East Sussex highlights; research from retirement income specialist MGM Advantage reveals that the average retired person spends 256 hours a year looking after grandchildren and other members of their family. It estimates that if families had to pay for this level of care from third parties, it would cost them each around £1,313 per year or collectively over £14 billion. The findings also reveal that there are some 224,584 retired people spending over 20 hours a week looking after just grandchildren, and a further 533,400 spending between 11 and 20 hours doing this. On average, a typical retired person spends two hours a week looking after grandchildren, 43 minutes taking care of their parents and two hours caring for other members of their family. Residents at St George’s Park welcome visits from their grandchildren and relatives, who can get involved in the many leisure activities on offer at the development as Phil Smith, Sales and Marketing Director explains: “At St George’s Park, many of the residents look after their grandchildren on a regular basis and they love it here. With so many activities to choose from, the whole family can come together with a game of short tennis, croquet, bowls or even a spot of fishing on the lake!” “After all that, if the children are still raring to go, there is an onsite farm with alpacas and buffalos plus acres of land to go for long walks in the Sussex countryside. Then, having worked up an appetite, the whole family can enjoy lunch, dinner and even breakfast at the on-site restaurant located in the spacious community centre named Maes Court.” Catering for a rainy day meanwhile is also not a problem as a games room and library can also be found at Maes Court. Plus each apartment at St George’s Park has broadband and satellite facilities so a day spent curled up watching the latest cartoons and films is also catered for. St Georges Park is set in 250 acres of parkland and landscaped grounds, which has been developed by the St Augustine Order to provide a retirement village which caters for residents’ every need. Situated within 3 miles of Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill, the development is well located to take advantage of good local shopping including major supermarkets and excellent rail links to Brighton, Gatwick Airport and London Victoria. Prices for currently available properties at St Georges Park start at £345,000 for a two bedroom apartment. For further information contact the sales office on 01444 259732 or visit www.stgeorgespark.co.uk

Future residents at St George’s Park in Ditchling, East Sussex recently celebrated their impending move into the successful retirement development by attending the planting of a tree at Chestnut View, the newest phase of apartments. 

The apartments have already proved a hit among prospective purchasers with many looking forward to moving into their new home. Mr Smith who is purchasing a two bedroom apartment at Chestnut View commented: “My wife and I are delighted to be here to celebrate the occasion and are really looking forward to moving into our new apartment and enjoying the wide range of facilities here at St George’s Park.”

Eileen Perrin, Sales Manager at St George’s Park commented: “We are delighted to see so many proud future residents here to celebrate the occasion. The tree not only signifies the completion of Chestnut View but also represents the new residents coming together to join our thriving community.” St George’s Park offers a lot more than an attractive setting and quality apartments, it provides a sense of community for the over 60s which is another reason the development has continued to prove so popular. Residents can enjoy an active social life by getting involved with the Resident’s Association, who organise table tennis, snooker, line dancing, short tennis, croquet and short mat bowls to name a few. Other facilities include a gymnasium, restaurant, café bar, hairdressers, convenience shop, games room and library that are located in the spacious and well used community centre, Maes Court. This centre also includes a multi-purpose function room and a treatment room that provides excellent amenities for visiting therapists. The original concert hall, with its ornate ceiling, is also available to residents and makes an ideal place for special occasions, communal gatherings and other events including plays, guest speakers, film nights or concerts. For residents that prefer the outdoors, there is a well-stocked lake for fishing, a footpath network across the 250 acres of grounds, woodland and lakes, and even an allotment club.
 

St George’s Park is superbly located for the beautiful countryside of the South Downs, a mix of rural villages and towns including Brighton, which all have numerous places to explore, shops and restaurants to try.

There is also horse racing at both Brighton and Lingfield racecourses, and further afield Goodwood, which is also a venue for motor racing and other internationally acclaimed events. The development is within 3 miles of Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill both of which offer good local shopping including major supermarkets and excellent rail links to Brighton, Gatwick Airport and London Victoria.

Prices for currently available properties at St Georges Park start at £345,000 for a two bedroom apartment. For further information contact the sales office on 01444 259732 or visit www.stgeorgespark.co.uk