Family ties see Pauline 'up sticks' to new Barrow home
‘Happily retired’ Pauline Whittle had lived in Rochdale for 52 years, but there was something missing… her family.
“I made the move from Rochdale to Barrow to be closer to my family,” said Pauline, who has recently moved into a new home at Redrow’s Oak Leigh Gardens development in the Lancashire village.
“My daughter Jane, her husband and two boys moved to Clitheroe in 2021 as they had always loved the area.
“Jane kept asking why didn’t I move nearer to them, so I decided to make the move. The benefits of lovely villages and places to eat in a rural setting was also hard to resist!”
Pauline, who had lived in a small, detached house for the past 15 years, started her search for a new home initially looking for a single-storey property.
“I looked at a bungalow on my daughter’s estate, but it was snapped up for cash,” she said.
“Then I looked at another bungalow which would have been a money pit, as it needed a lot of work doing to it.
“So, I started to think about a new build as there would be nothing to worry about at my stage in life. All the appliances in the kitchen would be new, as would the boiler and the roof and everything else.”
On her search for a new build, Pauline visited Redrow’s Oak Leigh Gardens development in Barrow and viewed a bungalow as well as a three-bedroom semi-detached property called The Pine.
Oak Leigh Gardens, off Whalley Road, enjoys a ‘best of both worlds’ location. The village of Barrow is nestled between Pendle Hill and the Forest of Bowland. Its rural location has attracted commuters and young families, who want to be close to the countryside but also well connected.
“I had viewed a number of other housebuilder’s developments in the area, but I much preferred the Redrow style of house, and it was within my price bracket,” said Pauline.
“People talk about “the feeling” when they view a house and I definitely got that from The Pine.
“I loved every part of the property, but it was the size and layout of the kitchen/diner which really won me over. Plus, the good size garden area.
“I enjoy gardening so that was also another tick in the box,” she added.
The Pine boasts an open plan kitchen / dining area, separate lounge and cloakroom. While the Pine has now sold out, Redrow has three homes remaining for sale at Oak Leigh Gardens – a Stratford, a Cambridge and a Harrogate. Starting from £394,995 the Stratford boasts an open-plan kitchen / dining / family room to the rear with a separate lounge featuring a beautiful bay window to the front. Upstairs are four generous bedrooms, including main bedroom with en-suite and a family bathroom.
“The team at Redrow were fantastic from start to finish,” said Pauline.
“Dawn Morters in the sales office wasn’t pushy in any way and gave me confidence that Redrow would be right for me. She supported me through a nightmare sale in Rochdale and liaised with solicitors on all sides.
“The site team are exceptional, there were a few snags which were soon attended to, and all the team are polite and respectful.
“Nothing has been too much trouble and the standard of the build is second to none, with finishing touches over and above expectations.
“You hear horror stories about not being able to resolve faults on new build estates but not with Redrow. The tradespeople have been excellent, and Martin and his team are a credit to Redrow.”
Since moving into her new home in August, Pauline has happily played host to a number of friends from Rochdale as well as her two grandsons Finley, 11 and Reuben, 4.
“My daughter is a nurse, so I am able to help her with childcare now,” said Pauline.
“The boys have their own rooms. Reuben in the smallest room but there is still plenty of room, I even have room in there for my own desk!
“I have had lots of visitors. I am very happy to show off my new house and garden, which I’ve spent a lot of time on.”
Situated just off the main A59 Preston Road, the homes are within easy reach of the M6 and M65; Clitheroe is less than three miles away and places like Blackburn, Burnley, Preston and even Manchester are all easily reached. Trains from nearby Whalley station connect to Blackburn in 15 minutes and direct to Manchester in just over an hour.
The sales centre at Oak Leigh Gardens is open from Thursday to Monday from 10am-5.30pm. Visit www.redrow.co.uk/oakleigh for more information or call 01254 865167.
