This week we got to catch up with the first resident who has moved into Rosehill Place, Kathryn! A trailblazer, being the first to move into the development, she is now chatting to other people who come to look around, we might hire her ourselves as she’s turning into such a Heather & Lay advocate. Our Marketing Manager Jess was very taken by the gorgeous dachshunds that greeted her at the door and she got to spend an hour having a tour of the property followed by a cuppa and a catch up in the garden. Here is what Kathryn had to say…
Tell us a bit about you and your house buying journey?
I’m a prolific mover! I knew I needed to move from my previous house as my mum lives in Mylor and I wanted to be closer. To begin with I was planning dual generation living with her but when it came down to the build, it was clear it would be quite a big job and a lot of upheaval so we decided to move close by instead. My daughters are at a stage in their lives where one has just finished her GCSE’s and the other is starting university so downsizing felt sensible and I truly believe less is more. Falmouth is such a young vibrant place to live, with a beach, town, and most importantly for me, a train station. For the girls, it offers the nightlife and the lifestyle they will enjoy. Not to mention it made sense economically – reducing our costs, outgoings and space, a more compact living solution for the phase of life we are in.
Why did you choose a property at Rosehill Place?
I had a brief in my mind. Being walking distance to a train station was my primary prerequisite. We initially were looking at The Treehouse but by the time I had sold our property I had missed them. I visited a property in Cusgarne which was lovely but was quite a job. When I added it all together – It was Grade Two listed, the heating costs etc - it was winter and I was aware of how much it would cost even to heat it. My agent I was selling with at the time said to me “it matters where you live, you have to manage with less to get more out of where you’re living” and something in that sentence just clicked for me. I realised maybe I don’t need a massive garden and so much space. I would love to move back to Spain one day but I realised that now wasn’t the right time. In that moment it all made sense to me – that we can live small. To get it out of our minds that we have to live a certain way and have everything we had previously.
Usually, I don’t like a new build, I like to do things up. However I told Barnaby at Heather & Lay that I would look at everything. When I viewed Rosehill Place, I initially thought I would opt for the detached house, but I actually ended up preferring one of the semi-detached homes. I had a good chat with George the foreman. I could tell immediately the properties were high quality. George said this one was his favourite so I went with it. It's vastly different from what we had before – a 4 bedroom town house in Truro that I bought in covid, I did it all up so it was beautiful. It sold to a woman who had recently divorced and been receiving cancer treatment with 4 children. Isn’t she amazing? Women make stuff happen! She was driven and I was driven – between us we got things moving to make the sale happen.
And why this property?
I love the design of the property and landscaping is important to me. I wanted to make sure the garden had potential for transformation so I had a landscape gardener around. I’m going to astro turf and have planning and a living wall as well – it’s going to be completely transformed. My landscape gardener Peter has worked with me on all my gardens. Originally with his father (who has now died) and I have loved every project we have done. From my home in Mylor where my garden was quite the project to Truro and now here. Inside is all about interiors. I love soft furnishings so it’s all about choosing fabrics and colours and having bespoke inbuilt furniture made to maximise the living space (at this point Kathryn shows our Marketing Manager Jess her mood boards and inspiration and we have to say it looks fabulous and full of colour which when you meet Kathryn is exactly what you would expect!)
Landscaping is quite a big thing. I’ve had a landscape gardener around. Astro turf and planting, a living wall. Transform it. Peter Hanford. I lived in Mylor to begin with and the garden was my project. Him and his dad (now died) and I loved them. They have done all my gardens. Inside is all about interiors. Cotton Mills. Jess. Reuse the old curtains to turn into roman blinds with pink trim. I love soft furnishings.
What was your experience of buying with Heather & Lay?
Barnaby was brilliant. A conscientious, well spoken, well informed and extremely personable chap who during stressful tense moments approached it with calm. I felt like we were a couple for at least a week! He was very knowledgeable and professional. I have worked with many agents including overseas and I used to work in estate agency myself, and I was very impressed with Barnaby and Heather & Lay. I had communication with him all the time, and I believe communication is key. I now recommend Heather & Lay as relationship is so important. It's so important to have a good relationship with your agent, whether buying or selling. My friend in Falmouth was selling her property and I told her I am buying through Heather & Lay and I would 100% sell through them and now she is with you as well. As an agent you need to know your stuff. I do my homework – I want to know square footage and all of the finer details. Barnaby didn’t miss a beat which was really quite something!
What is your favourite thing about the Rosehill Place development?
Location! It’s all about location. They’ve done it very nicely. There is even an Air source heat pump which I’m new to. It’s not a cheap development, you can see it’s quality craftmanship, solid oak floors and beautiful interiors. You can have a finish and then you can have a finish!
Well, we do agree with that! Quality is always our priority at Heather & Lay, that’s why we always say we don’t take the most properties, but we sell the most – we would rather have a curated, high-quality selection of properties. After all, the proof is in the portfolio! It has been so wonderful to interview Kathryn and have a nosy around these beautiful new build properties (with a side order bonus of sausage dog cuddles) Thank you Kathryn and see you soon!
