Renaissance Crowthorne was the best next move for one Berkshire family

Colin Bousher’s parents Brenda (83) and Alan (86) had lived in their much-loved family home in Old Windsor, where Colin grew up, since 1966, so the decision to finally sell and move was never going to be an easy one. When Alan suffered the same stroke three months ago as Brenda had suffered three years earlier, they finally realised that they would have to downsize and move to a more manageable home particularly as they were no longer able to drive.

Brenda and Alan moved into their two-bedroom ground floor home at Renaissance Crowthorne at the end of August 2021 and could not be happier with their decision. As Alan said to his son, Colin: “I wish we’d done this years ago”.

Colin picks up the story: “When I first mentioned later living communities to my parents, they weren’t ready for the idea, but ill health and my father’s stroke changed things almost overnight. When he came round in his hospital bed, the first thing he said to me was we need to sell the house, so I knew we needed to move quickly.

 “I had watched Renaissance Crowthorne being built so, whilst I had seen other later living communities in the area, that was our preferred choice. As there were only two ground floor apartments left, Mum and I organised a viewing straight away. Lynne, the sales advisor, was fantastic, she left us alone to look at the apartment without pressure, there was no hard sell and once we’d had a chat, we were able to choose the Rent to Buy option as the quickest and easiest way to secure the ground floor apartment. Rent to Buy meant we didn’t risk missing out, if we had to wait to get a buyer for their house. We were able to sign a rental contract there and then, with a view to purchasing the home within six months.”  

Lifestory’s Rent to Buy option allowed Brenda and Alan to secure their preferred apartment and move in within weeks without the worry of when their family home might sell. In the end the sale of their home completed a week after they moved into their wonderful new home. Their son Colin believes the whole experience would have been a lot harder without Rent to Buy: 

 “I can’t praise Renaissance enough. The whole process was pain free, made all the more so by Lynne and Heather who gave us all the assistance and help we wanted. From start to finish, I can’t fault the whole package, including the Lifestory Homemoves service which was a god send when it came to actually moving. We briefed the removals company and everything my parents were taking with them was packed up without fuss with the rest taken to charity, which my mother was very happy about. When my parents moved in the handyman also hung all the pictures for them and fixed grab rails to the shower and bath.”

Colin and his parents were touched by how Lynne and her team went out of their way to turn what could have been an upsetting and emotional experience for Brenda and Alan into a stress free, positive and happy one that has created an amazing new lease of life for them:

“On the day they moved in there was a lovely Marks and Spencer’s hamper and a set of induction pots and pans left on the hob as a welcome gift. Those little touches made them feel welcomed and at home straight away and made such a difference to the fact that they had just left a much-loved family home of 55 years. Testament to that was returning to our old home with my mother for the last time, I really thought she would shed some tears when we left, but they are so happy in their new home that it’s alleviated the sadness they felt at leaving it.

“My mother had always yearned to move to a brand new, modern home with new appliances, kitchen and bathrooms, and she finally has her wish so she’s delighted and the transformation in my father, who is a social person, is incredible. His memory which was affected by the stroke has improved, which I put down to him now being in such a social and supportive environment and he can enjoy daily interaction with the other homeowners. They are so looking forward to meeting new people and having company.

One of the factors that also impressed Colin and his parents was the high-quality finish of the apartment and the top of the range appliances. With two bedrooms, Colin’s mother has turned one of them into a dining room which she is delighted with and all they have to do now, other than enjoy their fantastic new lifestyle, is wait for the new furniture to arrive:

“My mum has everything she ever wanted in a home here. She is very pleased with the quality and the finish and loves having a lounge which opens onto their patio. They both adore their new home, and I couldn’t be happier for them and for added peace of mind that when it comes to selling the apartment it can be done through Lifestory and there are no exit fees. For my parents this has been their best next move ever.”

For more information about Crowthorne or to book an appointment, contact the team on 01344 238215 or email [email protected]. Prices start from £300,000 or to rent from £1,789pcm.