Are you downsizing? Tamara Greener of Savills Norwich residential development sales team, offers some top tips.
We've just launched a fabulous conversion on Bracondale in Norwich. The large 19th century family house has been beautifully and sympathetically transformed into three new homes by Vello Limited, each with its own front door and parking.
As the building work got underway at the end of last year, we sensed the result would be very tempting for buyers seeking to downsize as it ticked so many boxes.
It is in a great location close to the city centre with a modern specification, good sized rooms yet, overall, manageable both inside and out.
And our prediction is proving to be right – one of the two apartments and the third property, a townhouse, are currently for sale and have already sparked lots of interest from local downsizers.
Anyone considering downsizing inevitably has a great deal to think about.
For a start, there's usually the emotional upheaval of selling a much loved family home and so it's all the more important to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible.
It's worth restating advice we've given before – even if you know you want to scale back, don't underestimate how much space you'll actually need. If children have flown the nest you probably won't need as many bedrooms, but you may well still want to entertain, in which case spacious living and dining areas will be very important.
Experience tells us that although there may be a popular belief that city dwellers decamp to the countryside once they reach a certain age, actually central Norwich is a big draw for downsizers.
It's not hard to see why – shops, restaurants, the theatre, cinema and bars are all close at hand. Meanwhile, the river and public open spaces offer a great alternative if you are giving up a large garden of your own.
While the Bracondale example does offer two off-street parking spaces per property, city parking is not always that easy so it's also worth thinking about how much you are likely to need your car and whether it might be a good idea to swap large models for something smaller.
Whether you are looking to downsize or scale up, for more information about the Norfolk new homes market contact Tamara Greener at Savills Norwich 01603 229 222 or visit www.savills.co.uk
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