NEW CHAPTER
Home w ar d bou n d “It felt like coming home to a place I’d never been before”, says Rachel Rist, a lockdown buyer making a blind move from Buckinghamshire to Northumberland. Elysia Fryer finds out more...
I’m catching up with Rachel Rist in the height of the lockdown. With so much uncertainty in the world, it’s oh-so refreshing to speak to someone so sure of their future. Rachel, 63, has recently retired from 40 years in the education sector and has had her sights set on ‘winding down’ for some
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time now. Buckinghamshire is home, but she’s been in search of something completely new as she settles down for her next chapter. There’s no fun in comfort zones, right? “I’m so thrilled my next chapter makes a story for you,” Rachel smiles. “For me, it’s just what I had to do, but I guess - particularly in the strange
times we find ourselves in - it is quite an unusual thing.” In the new virtual world we’re living in, Rachel and I joke about the ‘ultimate online shopping experience’ - and we agree that this one tops the list. A chance online meeting at the beginning of lockdown brought West Chevington Farm to the attention of house-hunting Rachel. West Chevington Farm is a Platinum Homes development, merging country life with contemporary living - right beside the seaside. A total box-ticker for Rachel. The 21 luxury homes are built on a National Heritage Listed Georgian farm, close to the pretty-as-a-picture Druridge Bay in Northumberland, near Morpeth. It’s a place worlds away from Rachel’s Buckinghamshire home; but somehow, paths were crossed and she’s now counting down the days until she calls her beautiful barn-style house a home. “I live in an estate house in Buckinghamshire. I put it on the market on 13 March and sold it four days later just before the lockdown,” Rachel explains. “Which I was obviously delighted about, but when lockdown hit, I was concerned about finding my forever home. “My original plan was to retire in Devon or Cornwall. I knew I wanted to live by the beach - I’m my best me by the sea. “I was looking online for something a little different - something special for me and my dogs. Having lived for most of my life in an estate house, I knew I wanted something special. I wanted a house that wasn’t a box. “I just didn’t feel a connection with any of the homes I was looking at in Devon and Cornwall, so I started expanding the search. At this point, West Chevington popped up, I clicked on the website and thought, ‘oh, this looks a bit special’.” With an adult son who has left home and a very open mind - Rachel was in the enviable position to be totally flexible. Location wasn’t such an issue, as long as it felt right. “I liked the West Chevington development because, first of all, it was near the sea, and secondly, I loved the design and the flair of the houses,” Rachel smiles. “I liked the idea of a community starting together,” she adds. “I’m starting a whole new life in my
retirement. I love the idea of starting something completely new from the beginning, with some other likeminded people around.” Bungalows and barn-conversions were top of Rachel’s search criteria. Throw in vaulted ceilings, oak beams, an open-plan kitchen and the sound of crashing waves and we’re on to a winner. “I looked at the specification for The Byreman and I thought, ‘wow, this is exactly what I had in mind’. “I’m all about contemporary interiors. I’m a huge fan of Grand Designs, and watching a lot of it over the years, I realised I love really simple design - lots of glass, lots of oak, lots of space. So I liked the idea of something that was, to me, my very own ‘Grand Design’.” So, with the house ticking all the boxes, it was time for Rachel to do a bit of research into the local area. “I’ve got family in Scotland. My brother lives just south of Edinburgh. I said to him, ‘I’ve looked at this house in Northumberland and I really like it’... and he said, ‘you are going to love the area - it’s beautiful’. “But I’m ashamed to say, I knew hardly anything about the North East. I really didn’t. “I fired up Google Maps - toured the area with ‘street view’ and chatted to my family. I very quickly learnt that it had two things: beautiful beaches and plenty of space. For me and my dogs, there’s nothing more we could wish for. “The idea of walking the dogs on the beach really appealed. “So that, paired with the beautiful homes at West Chevington, just made me feel so excited about the prospects of upping sticks and moving to Northumberland,” Rachel says, with a huge smile. “I looked at the specification, I looked at the floorplan, and I just thought, ‘I don’t even need to go there!’ “I just had this feeling. The only way I can describe it is, it felt like coming home to a place I’d never been before.” A homeowner’s fairytale if there ever was one. You hear about these moments on the TV, but until you see the beaming face (albeit over Zoom) of a person so sure of their next move, you won’t believe it. A very excited Rachel called the Platinum
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