Couple move from Cyprus back to West Midlands to be close to family and friends

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Patricia and David Bryan have discovered that home is where the heart is after moving back to the UK following 12 years in sunny Cyprus.

The couple have moved into a three-bedroom home on Bellway’s Astley Fields development in Bedworth, after selling up to be close to family and friends.

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The pair, both 68, moved to the sunshine isle more than a decade ago after retiring from the kitchen fitting company that they ran together.

“We had a great time out there,” said Patricia. “But we really missed the people back home and as grandchildren arrived, the pull to return to England grew stronger.

Pat and David Bryan in their new home at Bellway’s Astley Fields development in BedfordPat and David Bryan in their new home at Bellway’s Astley Fields development in Bedford
Pat and David Bryan in their new home at Bellway’s Astley Fields development in Bedford

“It was lovely because we had bought a plot of land out there and had a three-bedroom house built to our own design. We had a swimming pool which made us very popular with family and friends. Everyone loved coming out to see us but we missed them more and more when they went home.”

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Patricia and David had moved out to Cyprus from the village of Maxstoke and wanted to move back to that part of Warwickshire.

“We searched online but also came back to have a look around for a likely spot. On one of our visits back to England we drove past the sign for Astley Fields and liked the location.

“We went along to speak to the sales team and liked the look of the Sawyer house style. They did not have a Sawyer show home there, so we went to a Bellway development in Coventry to have a look inside.

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“As soon as we walked into the property, we fell in love with the place. It was perfect in every way. The layout suited our lifestyle to a tee and ticked all the boxes for us. It had three bedrooms and was detached – exactly what we wanted.

“The big open-plan kitchen/family/dining room right across the back of the house is a terrific place to entertain in without being on top of each other and it has doors out to the nice-sized back garden. There’s also a separate living room to offer a place to escape and a downstairs cloakroom for added convenience.

“The main bedroom is en suite and the other two bedrooms share a lovely modern bathroom. David has fitted wardrobes in all the bedrooms and we have made the second bedroom into a dressing room for us, while keeping the third one spare for guests who stay over. The rest of the property really works for us too as there is an integrated garage and parking space on the drive.”

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The couple reserved their home off plan and were able to choose all the fixtures and fittings and flooring throughout the house.

Patricia said: “This was exciting and enabled us to reflect some of our own personality in the look of the house without having to bother with any DIY or the hassle of ordering and chasing supplies. It is a very well-built house and it was lovely to be able to just walk in and hang our hats, so to speak.”

The pair said they have recommended Bellway to their family and friends.

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“We had a fabulous house-buying experience with Bellway,” said Patricia. “Right from the moment we met the sales advisor Shirley, nothing was too much trouble. She kept us fully informed at every step of the way and whenever we had a question she always got back to us really quickly with an answer.”

The couple moved in back in August and are now enjoying a mortgage-free life.

Patricia said: “Both of us are quite keen gardeners and it is good to have a garage where we can store the gardening equipment without having to take up space with a shed. We have extended the patio area in the garden and have created a slabbed area for a pergola. Our plans also include a bricked border and plenty of colourful flowers.

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“When we are not in the garden, we often like to pop over to visit one of our sons, Paul, who runs the Dog Inn pub in the village of Nether Whitacre, which is a 20-minute drive away. I help out with some waitressing while David does DIY jobs around the place.

“It is a lot of fun. Not only do we get to help out when we can but we also get to run the pub quiz, which we organise once a month. To be honest, we do sometimes miss the sunshine and the pool in the garden back in Cyprus but being close to our loved ones beats that any day of the week.”

There is currently a selection of two, three and four-bedroom new homes available to reserve at Astley Fields, with prices starting at £257,000.

For more information about the development, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/west-midlands/astley-fields or call the sales team on 024 7728 2066.