Downsizing couple find home with the ‘wow’ factor as they swap Dorset for the North Yorkshire coast
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Retired couple Doug and Polly Watson moved 340 miles north to the Yorkshire coast after finding a new home with the ‘wow’ factor.
The three-bedroom detached Penrith house at Mulgrave Properties’ Coast development in Burniston, near Scarborough, ticked all the boxes for the pair – who wanted to relocate from Dorset to be closer to friends and family.
They were searching for properties in the area when they spotted a sign for Coast and decided to pay it a visit, taking a look around the Penrith showhome.
“We were completely blown away,” said Doug, a 78-year-old former hospital manager. “The space, the style and the quality of the finish – and the specification of the appliances – were incredible.
“The three-bedroom house definitely had the wow factor and was so much better than any other properties we had looked at. We instantly knew that it was the house for us.”
Doug and Polly, a 75-year-old former administrative clerk, had been living in a four-bedroom home in Weymouth and were also keen to downsize.
“We had been thinking about moving back up north for a while but then decided we had to make the move before it was too late,” said Doug, who is originally from Redcar. “The distance between us and our oldest friends and family was just too much so we decided to take the plunge.
“Polly is from Burniston so we booked into one of the pubs in the village for four nights to scout the area for a new home. As we were walking in the village, we saw a sign for Coast so we popped along for a look.
“We chatted to the sales advisor Claire Docwra who was very knowledgeable and helpful and gave us a tour of the Penrith showhome. The house has incredible kerb appeal with its lovely sandstone colour and cottage-style look. We knew we had just stepped foot into our new home.”
The couple reserved a Penrith house on the development and sold their own home in less than a week, moving into the £340,000 property in October 2024.
“The old house was just too big for us,” Doug said. “The garden was too much to look after and we didn’t need all the space inside the house.
“Now we have three bedrooms which is ideal. Our bedroom is en suite, the second bedroom is for our guests and is next door to the family bathroom while the third bedroom is an office and a sewing room for Polly, who takes on jobs for family and friends.
“The gardens, to the front, side and back are smaller, easier to look after, well stocked and so beautifully done. With the house being a new build, I don’t have to lift a finger on the DIY front which gives us extra leisure time and saves money.
“Talking of saving money, we love the solar panels on the roof. Last month we had an electricity bill of £43 but had £38 worth of electricity generated by the panels, so we effectively had a bill of £5 for four weeks. This, coupled with the fact that the house is so well insulated and the appliances so energy efficient, means that our energy bills are so much cheaper.”
Doug and Polly are busy exploring the area and spending time with old friends, one of Polly’s sisters and one of her nieces who live in the Scarborough area.
“The development is ideally located for us as it is a 30-minute walk to the beach at Burniston Rocks,” said Doug. “We used to go to the beach at Weymouth at least twice a week and we try to do that here.
“The village is great as it has a Post Office and shop which sells fabulous home-cooked pies and pastries. There are two good pubs and a community centre with a lot going on. We go for the weekly coffee morning at the local church to have a good old natter and have made friends with regulars there.
“We can drive 10 minutes into Scarborough but are lucky as there is a bus stop just 100 metres from our house with a service which takes you into Whitby or Scarborough, where you can get a connection to a host of places including Filey, Bridlington, Malton and even York. It’s a greener way to travel, saves the hassle of parking and if we don’t use it we will lose it.
“Living here, we are seeing so much more of our family and old friends and that’s great. We would recommend Mulgrave Properties as the house is superb and the customer service has been excellent.
“Everyone who comes to the house loves it. All in all, we are very happy here and feel lucky to be in such a lovely place in such a fabulous new home.”
There’s currently a selection of two, three and four-bedroom homes available to reserve at Coast, with prices starting at £199,950. For more information, visit https://www.mulgraveproperties.co.uk/developments/coast/
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