Banker turned house-dad swaps 350 year old cottage for new home

Who says that bankers are predictable? Stepping in to disprove this theory is Mark Curry who, in his early forties, not only gave up his job as a bank manager to become a full-time house-husband but also moved home from a creaking but characterful 350-year cottage to a sparkling new-build home at Bellway’s The Chase in Lindford.

Mark Curry (42) and his wife, Michelle Curry (39), were quick to make their decision to move to The Chase, near Farnham. Michelle works in banking and is employed by Lloyds TSB, where Mark worked for 23 years as a Branch Manager. They had already taken the decision to move as they had outgrown their delightful old ‘two up, two down’ cottage now that daughter Georgina (nearly 3) needed more space and a safer environment.

“Our old home was delightful and we’d spent twelve happy years there,” says Mark. “But it was on a busy main road, with no parking and it just wasn’t the best place for a family. Our new home is ideal. My mother mentioned the development and we dropped in one Saturday on our way to the shops in Portsmouth. We returned a few times during the course of the following ten days and that was it. We made our decision and moved on 2 April.”

The process was, according to Mark, eased by Bellway’s Part Exchange scheme. Although the previous home was already on the market and there was strong interest from a buyer, being able to instruct Bellway to deal with the sale was an enormous help. “We did look at one other development,” says Mark, “But frankly it was the combination of liking the house and the superbly warm, helpful response we had from the Bellway sales negotiator which swung the decision”.

The Curry family bought an end-of-terrace townhouse for a little over £330,000, having been made what Mark describes as a ‘very fair offer’ for their previous home. “The Part Exchange also meant that, although I think we would have sold our old home without too much difficulty, we didn’t have the estate agents’ fees, or the hassle of negotiating and coping with a chain to deal with”.

There are some practical advantages too. “We were right on a main road which was a worry once Georgina started running around. We had a magnificent 100 foot garden but it was to the side of the house which meant that if our daughter was playing outside we had to be with her in the garden. Now, although our garden is small, we can watch her from the kitchen. Also, the arrangement of the house, with it first floor lounge, means that Georgina has her bedroom on the same level which means we can keep an eye on her when she is playing with her toys.

“It’s also lovely to have larger rooms, more space and air and be without the constant DIY needs that an old property entails. Sometimes, it felt like painting the Forth Bridge as every time one repair was completed there was more maintenance to do elsewhere. Now we have far more real leisure time to concentrate on Georgina”.

Some homes remain for sale at The Chase. The location is ideally suited for those who like having village life on the doorstep plus the convenience of city-living close by. London Waterloo is just over an hour away from nearby Liphook station and the A3 and M3 are within reach.

Palvinder Calliste, Sales Director for Bellway South East, said: “This development provides an appealing blend of exterior architectural styles employing an attractive mix of stone, brick and rendering to provide visually appealing street scenes which will make for a great place to live. The scheme has been designed to appeal to purchasers across the home-buying spectrum, and both for families and for first time buyers.”

Homes at The Chase include 2-bedroom apartments through to four bedroom terraced properties. All apartments have an allocated parking space and houses have drive-way parking spaces or garages. Prices range from £195,000 for a two bedroom apartment to £360,000 for a four bedroom house.

For further information log on to Bellway.co.uk.