A new beginning in an old town

84-year old Dorothy Lewis has lived in Rayleigh for 50 years; she has many friends locally and one of her daughters owns the Courts florist shop in the town. So when Dorothy decided that the upkeep of her three-bedroom bungalow and garden had become too much for her, she didn't even consider looking beyond this delightful market town for her new home.

An advertisement in the local paper first alerted her to Kings Gate, Barratt's new development close to the high street. Visiting Barratt's marketing suite with her daughter, Dorothy quickly decided that one of the spacious two-bedroom apartments would suit her perfectly. She comments: "The homes weren't yet built, but I liked what I saw in the brochure and the plans. I wasn't planning to move for a while, but I decided to snap up a flat straight away so I could get the one I wanted."

Although finding her perfect home was easy, selling her bungalow proved much harder for Dorothy. After six months, three chains had fallen through and it was still on the market. Barratt came to her rescue by buying the property at the bottom of the chain, so that Dorothy's purchaser could proceed. Dorothy says:

"I had no idea that Barratt could do so much to help me move." Even more amazing to Dorothy was the deal that Barratt offered her. By paying Dorothy's agency fees, Home Information Pack and even including carpets within the price, "I can't believe I saved almost £17,000," says Dorothy.

Dorothy no longer drives and Kings Gate's great location, within easy walking distance of the high street, was an important factor in her decision to buy. There is also a bus stop close by, which Dorothy could use for visiting the local hospital or for trips to Southend. Although Dorothy rarely uses the train, the station is a short walk away if she decides to travel further afield.

As a widow living alone, Dorothy wanted the development she chose to have a warm atmosphere. She comments: "What I love about Kings Gate is that it isn't too big - there are only 22 homes - which is just the right size to build a nice friendly community. There's a wide mix of people of different ages buying here, which I really like."

Dorothy will move into her new home at the end of September. Ground floor apartments at Kings Gate have their own front door, giving Dorothy a level of privacy similar to that she enjoyed at her bungalow. Her apartment has a modern open-plan arrangement, which creates a great feeling of space, and with two bedrooms and one bathroom, there's plenty of room for friends and family to stay. First to visit will be one of her four daughters, who lives in Ohio and plans to visit at Christmas.

Rayleigh is a lively market town with plenty of shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants. Residents of King's Gate can keep fit at the state of the art Virgin Active leisure centre, less than a mile away, although Dorothy will prefer to visit her friends at the nearby bowls club, where she worked for 40 years as their secretary.

Two-bedroom apartments at Kings Gate are priced from £199,950 and Barratt has plenty of incentives to help make it easy for people to move, including paying the five per cent deposit or Stamp Duty. For people with a home to sell, Barratt can help market the home through its Agency Sales scheme saving the expense of estate agent fees and the Home Information Pack.

For more information, log on to Barratthomes.co.uk.