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Many people like to leave the hustle and bustle of city life behind and move to quieter coastal or rural areas during their retirement, but for 75-year-old Joe Carlin, a move in the opposite direction has transformed his life.
Joe bought a two-bedroom apartment at Bellway’s Copperhouse Green development in Dartford having moved from a rural Norfolk village not far from the coast.
“I have absolutely no regrets about moving to this area,” he says. Joe completed his purchase in July so that he could be nearer to his daughter, who lives a 10-minute walk away from his modern new apartment.
Joe retired to Ingoldisthorpe, near Hunstanton in Norfolk with his wife Grace more than 20 years ago. However, Grace passed away in October 2022, and following a second winter there without her he made the decision to move to Dartford, to be near his daughter.
It’s very different from life in rural Norfolk, but he loves it. “My life is transformed; it’s turned upside down and I’m over the moon,” he says.
A self-proclaimed ‘city slicker’, Joe grew up in Glasgow and spent all his working life living in London, moving out to Norfolk with Grace following his retirement, though they had owned the property for many years before that, using it as a holiday home.
The couple enjoyed a busy life there in their 1930s three-bedroom detached bungalow with a beautiful large garden that Grace enjoyed tending to. They had friends and hobbies and loved to travel, and if his wife had not passed away, Joe would not have thought of living anywhere else.
Nevertheless, he explained that while Norfolk still feels like home when he visits there, coming back to the city also felt like something of a homecoming.
On a trip to Covent Garden with a friend earlier this year, before his purchase was complete, he noticed how much he enjoyed being in the city. “You walk around London and the hustle and bustle makes you feel good. The amount of people around you is uplifting,” he says.
The hustle and bustle makes you feel good. The amount of people around you is uplifting.”
Joe moved into the apartment gradually, and bought furniture that better suits his new modern home, while staying with his daughter.
The apartment has a main bedroom with an en suite shower room, a spare bedroom and a main bathroom for guests to use. Moreover, as it overlooks Dartford Central Park and has a large balcony, he has great views from his open-plan living, dining, and kitchen space.
Joe says: “I set my sights on Copperhouse Green because it’s so handy for the shops. It’s within five minutes of the high street, and the supermarkets – you’ve got Iceland, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, and Aldi all nearby. There’s a thriving market on Thursdays and Saturdays, it’s the length of the high street, and on market days it’s heaving. There are so many restaurants and places to have a coffee.”
"It’s unbelievable; you can’t imagine the transformation for me... Everything you want is right here."– Joe
Now, Joe can meet friends, keep up with his swimming at the local leisure centre, visit his daughter, and be on hand to look after her miniature schnauzer when needed. He says: “It’s unbelievable, you can’t imagine the transformation for me. It’s the hustle and bustle. Everything you want is right here and everything else is not far away.”
The ease of access to public transport has also been a benefit as Joe no longer drives. “Bluewater is only 10 minutes on the bus and you’re not that far from the train station which is just a 10-minute walk away."
Joe is loving life in his new apartment, and is convinced he made the right move.
“I have absolutely no regrets about moving to this area and especially moving to Copperhouse Green. There’s not enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do, which is the opposite of how it was where I was living before where time did sometimes drag. But here, it feels good.”
Bellway properties benefit from incredibly well-thought-out layouts which suit the needs of the modern family."
Everyone we’ve spoken to has always been helpful... It’s been a great journey, and I really felt like they cared."
We absolutely love our new home... It is like living in the lap of luxury at a five-star hotel."
The customer service throughout our house-buying journey was brilliant."
We stepped inside the property and loved it. It was perfect for us as it had everything we wanted."
This house is perfect for us because it is future proofed... We know we made the right decision."
We had a great experience with Bellway and their customer service was excellent."
I’m in a lovely ground floor apartment... I’m very happy here."
We feel very lucky to have found this home but also each other. Life could not be any better."
The site team have been brilliant... They will always respond quickly and are on the ball with any queries."
Everything was seamless and transparent and there were no surprises, and the aftercare was phenomenal."
The Scrivener was perfect for us... It will be everything we ever dreamed of."
It’s a dream come true; we come in and feel at home."
I would definitely recommend Bellway to anybody who is looking for a new home."
Bellway’s customer service has been excellent."
Since I’ve moved in, I’ve already recommended Bellway to work colleagues."
Our decision to buy new just felt like the most secure route to take."
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Bellway – in fact I have already done so!"
I would certainly recommend Bellway to anybody."
Katie and I are over the moon with our new home."
I would highly recommend Bellway to anyone."
There is a real sense of community and a friendly feel to the development too."
Bellway completely exceeded our expectations. The aftercare so far has been amazing."
I would definitely recommend buying with Bellway, as my experience overall has been amazing."
I’m very satisfied with my new home and I had a great experience, especially with the Bellway staff."
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