With bungalows few and far between in the Thirsk area, Julia Graham jumped at the chance to bid on a brand new bungalow from Karbon. Now all settled in, she’s really happy in her new home and feeling positive about the future.
67-year-old Julia, who has lived in and around Thirsk for most of her life, recalled ‘nearly dropping the phone’ on hearing the news she’d secured a two-bed bungalow on the new Karbon development off Back Lane in Sowerby.
She said: “It’s unusual to see bungalows being built on new developments, especially ones available for affordable rent.
“Because they’re so hard to come by, when I saw that Karbon Homes were building some in Sowerby I knew I needed to try and get one while I can.
“Getting the call that my bid had been successful, I nearly dropped the phone. I couldn’t believe it, I was so excited.”
The 64 homes on the site have been designed with traditional architectural styles and local detailing, ensuring that the development complements the character of the nearby Sowerby conservation area.
Green spaces and retained hedgerows have preserved the site's natural beauty and play an important role in supporting local wildlife.
Julia said: “The community here is great, there’s a really nice mix of young families and others a similar age to me. Everyone’s so friendly and it’s lovely and quiet.
“And the location is ideal. Sowerby is a beautiful village and makes for a lovely place to walk my two dogs. It’s also really easy to get into Thirsk centre. I can walk into town or catch the bus from the stop at the top of the street.
“I think there’s always uncertainty locally when developments like this first start, on the impact they’re going to have and who is going to move in. But I’ve met various people who live in the village and they’re all really welcoming and positive.”
The scheme consists of a mix of bungalows and two, three and four bed family homes. The homes are available for both rent and affordable home ownership schemes Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy.
Julia added: “For the first time in a long time I have complete peace of mind when it comes to my home and the future. Your home is everything after all and I’m really happy, it’s wonderful.
“The builders were really nice and helpful, and answered all my questions. Seeing it for the first time, I was so surprised, I felt like I was walking into a show home.
“The workmanship is first class and the finish is extremely good. I feel really lucky to be living in a home so well built. The beautifully fitted kitchen is my definite highlight, there’s so much room and the layout is great.”
Back Lane development forms part of Karbon’s strategic partnership with the Government’s housing delivery agency, Homes England, which set out to deliver 2,324 new affordable homes in communities across the North East and Yorkshire.
The long-term management of the homes is being looked after by 54North Homes, a Yorkshire-based subsidiary of the Karbon Group.
Julia concluded: “I know I want to live my life out here and the bungalow is set up perfectly for that. Small things like the wet room and the fact it’s fully accessible make that possible.
“And the fact it’s social housing with a landlord like Karbon Homes, gives me security that it really is mine for as long as I can stay here. What Karbon has done for the older generation in the area is amazing.”
With bungalows few and far between in the Thirsk area, Julia Graham jumped at the chance to bid on a brand new bungalow from Karbon. Now all settled in, she’s really happy in her new home and feeling positive about the future.
67-year-old Julia, who has lived in and around Thirsk for most of her life, recalled ‘nearly dropping the phone’ on hearing the news she’d secured a two-bed bungalow on the new Karbon development off Back Lane in Sowerby.
She said: “It’s unusual to see bungalows being built on new developments, especially ones available for affordable rent.
“Because they’re so hard to come by, when I saw that Karbon Homes were building some in Sowerby I knew I needed to try and get one while I can.
“Getting the call that my bid had been successful, I nearly dropped the phone. I couldn’t believe it, I was so excited.”
The 64 homes on the site have been designed with traditional architectural styles and local detailing, ensuring that the development complements the character of the nearby Sowerby conservation area.
Green spaces and retained hedgerows have preserved the site's natural beauty and play an important role in supporting local wildlife.
Julia said: “The community here is great, there’s a really nice mix of young families and others a similar age to me. Everyone’s so friendly and it’s lovely and quiet.
“And the location is ideal. Sowerby is a beautiful village and makes for a lovely place to walk my two dogs. It’s also really easy to get into Thirsk centre. I can walk into town or catch the bus from the stop at the top of the street.
“I think there’s always uncertainty locally when developments like this first start, on the impact they’re going to have and who is going to move in. But I’ve met various people who live in the village and they’re all really welcoming and positive.”
The scheme consists of a mix of bungalows and two, three and four bed family homes. The homes are available for both rent and affordable home ownership schemes Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy.
Julia added: “For the first time in a long time I have complete peace of mind when it comes to my home and the future. Your home is everything after all and I’m really happy, it’s wonderful.
“The builders were really nice and helpful, and answered all my questions. Seeing it for the first time, I was so surprised, I felt like I was walking into a show home.
“The workmanship is first class and the finish is extremely good. I feel really lucky to be living in a home so well built. The beautifully fitted kitchen is my definite highlight, there’s so much room and the layout is great.”
Back Lane development forms part of Karbon’s strategic partnership with the Government’s housing delivery agency, Homes England, which set out to deliver 2,324 new affordable homes in communities across the North East and Yorkshire.
The long-term management of the homes is being looked after by 54North Homes, a Yorkshire-based subsidiary of the Karbon Group.
Julia concluded: “I know I want to live my life out here and the bungalow is set up perfectly for that. Small things like the wet room and the fact it’s fully accessible make that possible.
“And the fact it’s social housing with a landlord like Karbon Homes, gives me security that it really is mine for as long as I can stay here. What Karbon has done for the older generation in the area is amazing.”
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