Downsizing to a home by the seaside
When Tony and Sharon decided they wanted to downsize, a seaside home at Persimmon's Awel Afan development gave them everything they were looking for - and they were able to save some money using the Home Change scheme.
Finding the perfect home for downsizing
We first decided to downsize from our previous four-bedroom house in the summer of 2023. My main concern was fitting everything we wanted into a smaller home, and our priority was location as we wanted to be near the beach.
At first, we did not consider the new Persimmon homes at Awel Afan, Port Talbot, but after many weeks of watching the housing market and still not finding anything suitable, we called into the sales office just to enquire.
We were shown the site layout and the many different style houses available, and the Lockwood Corner seemed to be exactly what we were looking for and ticked all our boxes. It had an open-plan kitchen/diner, large living area, cloakroom and utility, large master bedroom with an en-suite and two other good-sized bedrooms. Oh – and the site was a just stone’s throw from Aberavon Beach!
As the development did not have a show home of the style of house we wanted to view, we took a trip to see a similar show home at the Persimmon development in Ebbw Vale. We loved it, and within the next week our house was on the market with the Persimmon Home Change scheme, which ended up saving us a nice chunk of money.
By mid-autumn our house had been sold and we were able to reserve our chosen plot.
"the Lockwood Corner seemed to be exactly what we were looking for and ticked all our boxes"
A great buying journey
We were invited by the Sales office to review the house and site plans in great detail, and we were advised of a date the house was expected to be completed by. They even gave us some advice on what to do next in preparation, and provided us with a list of recommended solicitors for our area.
The sales advisor was very helpful and patient when we were asked to choose from the many different options available for kitchen cupboards, worktops, tiles and flooring. We were even able to add some extras to the build, which were costed at a very fair price.
The sales office kept us updated on the progress of the build and we were given a tour a few weeks before by the Site Manager – just to get a feel of the house! A week before moving we were shown around the house again, by the very informative Site Manager, who demonstrated the things we would need to know, like how to use the appliances and boiler, before we moved in.
Moving in day was hectic and exciting. We were met at our new front door by the sales advisor who handed over the keys. We were given a book with all the details of our new home (internet, appliances, useful telephone numbers and our 10-year NHBC Certificate) and were encouraged to complete a snagging list if needed.
We had a couple of very minor snagging items, which were resolved extremely quickly. Our Welcome Pack was also an unexpected, lovely, and very useful surprise.
"The house is shiny and new, and we have nothing to do but hang a few pictures. Everything is perfect for us"
Settling into coastal life
We have been in our new home for 2 months now, and we honestly could not be happier with it. Before we moved, I was fretting about the space: would it be big enough, or would our furniture look too big? But wow, the rooms are all so spacious and well-planned out. The house is shiny and new, and we have nothing to do but hang a few pictures. Everything is perfect for us.
The location on Aberavon Beach is simply beautiful. With 5km of golden sand and numerous places to eat and drink, we feel like we’re on vacation every day.
Thank you, Persimmon team, for our fabulous new home and this opportunity for a change of lifestyle.
