8th October 2019
Ronald and Sally Breeden have lived in many exotic places all over the world, from Australia to Malaysia, but it wasn’t until they moved half way across the world from Tasmania to Taunton that they were able to find their dream home. The couple are now settled in to McCarthy Stone’s Lock House Retirement Living development in Taunton, and haven’t looked back since.
UK-born Ronald, 90, and 78-year-old Sally, who is originally from Malaysia, met when Sally was a Personnel and Welfare Manager managing more than 500 employees for a department store in Kuala Lumpur, and Ronald was working as a consultant in the oil industry. The rest, as they say, is history, as shortly after the pair met, they got married in Kuala Lumpur – 35 years ago.
As part of his job within the oil industry, Ronald travelled the world to a variety of places including Norway, France, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia to name but a few. And in 1995, Ronald and Sally decided they wanted to settle down for a while, and moved to Perth for the Australian lifestyle, where Ronald was working for the Western Australia Government. But they hadn’t quite finished travelling around the world yet, so after returning to Ronald’s roots and living in Birmingham, UK, for a few years, they went back to sunnier climes in Queensland in 2006, and then to Tasmania in 2009.
However, they always knew they wanted to return back to the UK. They had loved visiting Somerset during the time they had lived in Birmingham, so they eventually decided to relocate to Taunton, moving in to a three bedroom property in 2012. After being unable to maintain the upkeep of their house, Ronald and Sally wanted more freedom so made the decision to downsize, and conducted an extensive internet search for retirement developments in their local area, which unearthed Lock House – they then moved into their new apartment during the summer of this year.
Sally and Ronald have already become key members of the community in the short time they have lived at Lock House. The couple have been busy meeting new friends and making the most of the range of social events and activities on offer for the homeowners at the development. Sally is also a keen member of the games club, and is a leading group representative at the development of the popular Chinese game, Mahjong.
Sally says: “We are thrilled with our decision to move to Lock House. Everyone is so friendly and helpful, they have made us feel right at home. There is also so much to do here, so we really do feel like part of a community.”
The Breeden’s believe the dedicated house manager is a fantastic bonus at Lock House, helping new homeowners to settle in and ensuring that the community is supported in every way possible. Sally continues: “The house manager here has been great. She is someone we can turn to in an emergency and is a main source of information. She has helped us with a number of things already and is very friendly and approachable at all times.”
The location of Lock House was also a deciding factor when Sally and Ronald were looking to move.
Sally adds: “We were keen to find a place where we knew we would be safe, and could also access the support and help we require in our later retirement years. Lock House’s convenient location is fantastic as the amenities we need are on our doorstep, while the nearby train links mean we can travel to see family and friends without undue stress. We have definitely made the right decision to move to Lock House.”
Ciara Hilley, Divisional Marketing Manager for McCarthy Stone, said: “It’s really rewarding to see people like Ronald and Sally enjoying the safe and supportive retirement community we have built at Lock House. We aim to make the purchase and moving process as easy as possible for our new homeowners. Once they have moved in, our dedicated staff are on hand to help them make the most of the amenities and activities we put on, as well as take care of all the maintenance tasks so that Ronald and Sally can sit back, relax and enjoy their retirement years.”
Ronald’s advice for other would-be retirement living homeowners considering whether to downsize or not is simple. “Just do it!”
Situated close to Taunton town centre, Lock House comprises a selection of 45 one and two bedroom Retirement Living apartments. The development has its own gym and a communal rooftop terrace which provides stunning panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. It also features a shared lounge and ground floor terrace, and homeowners can make the most of the landscaped gardens knowing all the maintenance is taken care of.
More than nine out of ten customers would recommend McCarthy Stone to a friend, ensuring it has received the full Five Star award for customer satisfaction from the Home Builders Federation for 14 years’ running. McCarthy Stone is the only UK house builder of any size or type to achieve this accolade for 14 years, which is every year the awards have been run.
For more information about Retirement Living in Taunton, call 0800 201 4811.
