Homeowners on the move to Platinum Skies during second lockdown

THERE have been many restrictions during the second lockdown, but as house moves are able to continue, it has been great to welcome new homeowners to our retirement communities.

Following the Government’s announcement to cut stamp duty from July until March 2021, the Platinum Skies team have seen huge interest from the over-55s community looking to bring forward their plans to move into one of our luxury retirement homes.

We are really proud to help people to make the transition from the current home that no longer suits their individual needs, into a luxury home with a dedicated onsite Lifestyle Manager, nearby amenities and a fantastic community spirit to make them feel at home.

Research shows that 10 per-cent of people surveyed by Nationwide were in the process of moving as a result of the pandemic, with a further 18 per-cent considering moving for the same reason.

It also shows that the UK saw a slight pickup in annual price growth between July and September, with the South West being the strongest performing region, with annual price growth rising from 2.3 per-cent to 5.5 per-cent year on year.

Sue moved into her new home at Esprit in Poole town centre during the first week of the second national lockdown, meaning that she’s settled in before Christmas.

Sue says that she first heard about Platinum Skies after noticing our bright, colourful billboards which focus on the benefits of our part-buy, part rental scheme through the part-exchange of her flat.

Esprit was an easy choice, she says, as it has a bus stop located directly outside the entrance which enables her to get out and about for shopping or to see a friend.

She said: “It was the location, as I don’t have a car, but there are several bus routes and I use the buses quite a bit, over to Kinson and north Bournemouth, Bournemouth town centre, and Westbourne.

She added: “As soon as I walked in the entrance, I thought ‘I’d love to live here.’ It was helped by the part-buy, part-rent option, otherwise I wouldn’t be able to afford to live here.

“I wasn’t happy living in my flat. It was cold and when I opened my front door, it was dark with no natural light. But here I open the front door and it’s nice and bright, and it’s warm.”

Sue says that she is looking forward to enjoying the host of activities that homeowners enjoy at Esprit.

“There is always something going on when lockdown isn’t happening. I’m looking forward to the events they have planned. I’ve met quite a few of the other homeowners here and they’re really friendly. There’s a nice community here. I’m looking forward getting together in the communal lounge and having coffee and chatting with the others. 

“I suppose moving out of my flat during the lockdown could be a bit stressful, but it went very well. Since I got here, Louise, the Lifestyle Manager, is brilliant. She’s really good at explaining things and she’s going to come back to me in a couple of days to see how I’m getting on because she knows that it’s a lot of information to take in at once.

“I’d been thinking about moving from my flat for a couple of years before and I was thinking about buying a mobile home. I did look around one mobile home park, but the thing is that they’re not bricks and mortar. A friend said to me that it would be much better to live in a flat and it’s much warmer here.

“I didn’t have any concerns at all before I moved in. As soon as I walked in to have a look, I knew it was absolutely perfect. If you’d seen the flat I was living in before, it was grotty, cold, dark, damp, and there was mildew. It’s like living in paradise here so I didn’t have any concerns.”

Appointments are available to view all Platinum Skies properties with enhanced Covid-measures in place for the safety of visitors, homeowners and the team.

For more information, call 01202 088051.