While embarking on their new journey of empty nesting, they found a smaller home that would fit their new family dynamic at Cameron Hall Homes’ flagship development, Stoney Wood in Wynyard, County Durham.
Sarah and Chris’ family home was a large four-bedroom detached property in Ingleby Barwick, 12 miles from the Wynyard Estate, where they lived for 15 years. As their children Abigail (26) and Benjamin (22) grew older and naturally moved out, the couple took the decision to downsize.
Sarah said: “We loved our home in Ingleby Barwick; everything about living there worked for us as a family as our children grew up. As they moved out and made their own lives, we made the difficult decision to sell our family home and relocate somewhere slightly smaller.
"We’d always loved Wynyard; we had looked at moving there 15 years ago when we bought our previous home, but it didn’t work out. When we started to think again about moving, we knew the first place we wanted to look was Wynyard.”
She added: “The Wynyard Estate is so beautiful, and it’s even better when you can call it home! The grounds are very well laid out and maintained, and there’s such a diverse range of housing. It isn’t too far away from our children, family and friends back in Ingleby Barwick and it isn’t much further for my husband and I to commute, which was important.”
Sarah works as Director of Operations for a London-based charity, with the need to commute into the city office once a month. She said: “It was crucial that our new home facilitated our jobs. Luckily, my commute to London is still easy from Wynyard.
"I can pick up the train at Darlington and get to Kings Cross in around 2 hours and 20 minutes. Chris is the Group Finance Director of a global automotive parts company based in North Yorkshire, so he can drive to work in under an hour from here.”
Sarah and Chris purchased a smaller four-bedroom detached house at Stoney Wood. Said Sarah: “For us, we needed to get this home right, as it is going to be our final home. We took a lot of time to look at our options and didn’t make any rash decisions, as it had to be perfect. Our new home really does have it all.
"We still have the bedroom availability for our children to come and stay with us when they want to, but it feels much more manageable than our previous home, being smaller and a low-maintenance new build. We know we won’t have to make many alterations to the property as we get older, which was a significant factor for us when we were house-hunting.”
She continues: “We had a wish list for features we wanted in our new home, and this property ticked so many boxes. We enjoy inviting friends and family over, so we wanted a home that gave us an open-plan living space and meant we could cook and entertain at the same time. One of my favourite parts of this house is the kitchen; it’s not huge but it still has the ‘wow’ factor, and the attention to detail is incredible. The quality definitely stands out from other developers in this area.
"Another item ticked off the wish list was the inglenook fireplace in the living room; I’ve always wanted a log burner, and it is a gorgeous feature that doesn’t appear in many new properties.”
Sarah comments: “In the past, we have owned both new build and established properties, but there is nothing better than buying a new build and knowing you are the first person to use the home. Stoney Wood is beautifully appointed with a real mix of housing, so it creates the perfect new community.
"As well as being stunning inside, all of the homes are beautiful to look at externally too. Our house is at the head of the close, so every time I drive into the close and see our home I pinch myself, it’s a special feeling owning a home here.”
Stoney Wood is set amongst woodland in the luxury, private Wynyard Estate. Sarah says of the local area: “Wynyard offers so much in terms of the surrounding countryside. Chris and I are both keen runners and there are some beautiful running routes here which we are yet to explore. We also have a border terrier, Bonnie, so we’re enjoying taking her for walks around the estate. Wynyard Woodland Park is one of our favourite spots for walking. We love the fact that we don’t have to get in our car, there’s so much we can do within walking distance whilst our car is still parked on the drive!”
Speaking of buying with Cameron Hall Homes, Sarah says: “If I could sum up our buying journey in one word, it would be exceptional. From start to finish, the team were incredibly supportive and made us feel like we weren’t just a number, we were people.
"As a family we were going through a lot of change, especially with both of our children flying the nest, but the team were caring, trustworthy and reassuring, offering advice and guidance throughout the process. We couldn’t have asked for more.”
Stoney Wood is a collection of 76 aspirational homes ranging from three to five bedrooms, set in the grounds of the iconic Wynyard Estate. Prices currently start from £627,995. For further information, please visit www.cameronhallhomes.co.uk