Animal lovers Rob and Su swap city life for scenic strolls by the coast
An animal loving couple and their pets have swapped the busy streets of Newcastle for a slower pace of life on the Northumberland coast.
Rob Dooley, 48, and his wife Su Fitton, 51, decided it was time to move out of their three-bedroom terraced house in the west end of the city and began searching for a place with more space, a bigger garden and access to scenic walks.
After looking at various properties on both sides of the Tyne, the pair finally found exactly what they were looking for at Bellway’s Woodgreen development in Blyth.
The couple, along with their cat Zorro and dog Dexter, moved into their new four-bedroom detached house at the site off Plessey Road on 28 October 2021.
Rob, a senior information analyst in the health sector, said: “We started looking for a new home when we got our dog over a year ago. We knew we wanted a place with a bigger garden, and we also wanted to move out of Newcastle to a place where the roads are quieter and safer for animals.
“We looked at a mixture of new builds and pre-owned properties but none of them fitted the bill – until we saw this place.”
Although Rob, originally from Kingston-Upon Thames, and Su, originally from Bradford, have spent most of their adult lives in the North East, they had never been to Blyth before. But after finding the Woodgreen development online, they decided to pay a visit.
Su, a test manager in the technology industry, said: “As soon as we turned onto the development we got a good feel about the place and as soon as we went into the Lorimer showhome we knew we’d found the house.”
Rob added: “As soon as we walked in the door, we looked at each other and nodded. We knew we’d found the right one. It checked all the boxes – there was more space and the place felt airier. There was a sense of adventure here – we were doing something completely different.”
Woodgreen’s attractive setting, with golf courses on two sides of the development, was a big draw for the couple.
Su said: “We had outgrown the city and the space and airy feel to Woodgreen was something which really sold the development to us when we first visited. We liked the space you get between the houses on the development and how the roads are spaced out.”
Rob added: “We are close enough to the shops that we can walk there, so it’s not completely rural but it has that feel to it. We are only a mile and a half away from the seaside which is great for my morning runs as well as taking the dog for a walk. Neither of us have ever lived so close to the coast before and the Northumberland coast is fantastic.
“Blyth is a small town but it seems to be the centre point to the rest of Northumberland. We are able to travel further afield on the weekends and there are so many places to take the dog and explore.”
The couple had a very specific set of criteria when they began their search for a new home – all of which Bellway’s Lorimer house type met.
Rob said: “We knew we wanted a four-bed with good sized rooms, a big garden and an external door at the back of the house so we could have a cat flap.
“We looked around a lot of similar-sized properties, but they had small gardens which really put us off. We are very much outdoor people, and we wanted to have a garden with a lot of space that was a lot bigger than the one at our old house.
“Moving is such a big thing, so we wanted to find a place that ticked all our boxes and the Lorimer certainly did that!”
Su and Rob used Bellway’s Part Exchange scheme to secure a quick and hassle-free move to their new home at Woodgreen.
Under the scheme, Bellway offers customers a fair price for their existing home – determined by at least two independent valuations – meaning they don’t have to worry about finding a buyer themselves. Buyers also benefit from having no estate agent fees to pay.
Rob said; “Using Bellway’s Part Exchange scheme took a lot of the pressure off. As it was the first time buying a new-build home we didn’t know what to expect so the scheme made everything run really smoothly.
“Bellway were very accommodating in facilitating the move. We wanted a house big enough for both of our pets and didn’t want to run the risk of temporarily being homeless whilst we waited for our new home to be ready. Part Exchange really took the worry out of the process. It was the easiest move I’ve ever had.”
Rob continued: “We’ve had good customer service all round really. The communication has been good, they’ve all made themselves very available whenever we needed anything, and everyone is really friendly.”
Having only bought pre-owned houses previously, Rob and Su are appreciating the many benefits that new-build homes have to offer.
Su said: “We liked how you could see the layout of the home from the plan, as well as being able to enhance the features by choosing the furnishings and finishes.”
Rob added: “What you see is what you get. There are no surprises or uncertainties – the house is ready to go with no need for any work doing on it. We also found that on a new-build estate everyone is in the same boat. It’s a bit of an adventure for everybody and it’s nice to be able to share that with other people.”
For more information about the homes available at Bellway’s Woodgreen development, call the sales office on 01670 751795 or visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/north-east/woodgreen.
Captions:
- Rob Dooley and Su Fitton walking dog Dexter outside their new home at Woodgreen in Blyth
