Retiree "over the moon" with new Dartford apartment
Many people like to leave the hustle and bustle of city life behind and move to quieter coastal or rural areas during their retirement, but for 75-year-old Joe Carlin, a move in the opposite direction has transformed his life.
"My life is transformed"
Joe bought a two-bedroom apartment at Bellway London’s Copperhouse Green development in Dartford having moved from a rural Norfolk village not far from the coast.
“I have absolutely no regrets about moving to this area,” he says. Joe completed his purchase in July so that he could be nearer to his daughter, who lives a 10-minute walk away from his modern new apartment.
Joe retired to Ingoldisthorpe, near Hunstanton in Norfolk with his wife Grace more than 20 years ago. However, Grace passed away in October 2022, and following a second winter there without her he made the decision to move to Dartford, to be near his daughter.
It’s very different from life in rural Norfolk, but he loves it. “My life is transformed; it’s turned upside down and I’m over the moon,” he says.
Moved in: 2024
Loving the bustle of urban life
A self-proclaimed ‘city slicker’, Joe grew up in Glasgow and spent all his working life living in London, moving out to Norfolk with Grace following his retirement, though they had owned the property for many years before that, using it as a holiday home.
The couple enjoyed a busy life there in their 1930s three-bedroom detached bungalow with a beautiful large garden that Grace enjoyed tending to. They had friends and hobbies and loved to travel, and if his wife had not passed away, Joe would not have thought of living anywhere else.
Nevertheless, he explained that while Norfolk still feels like home when he visits there, coming back to the city also felt like something of a homecoming.
On a trip to Covent Garden with a friend earlier this year, before his purchase was complete, he noticed how much he enjoyed being in the city. “You walk around London and the hustle and bustle makes you feel good. The amount of people around you is uplifting,” he says.
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“The hustle and bustle makes you feel good. The amount of people around you is uplifting.”
A dream home
Joe moved into the apartment gradually, and bought furniture that better suits his new modern home, while staying with his daughter.
The apartment has a main bedroom with an en suite shower room, a spare bedroom and a main bathroom for guests to use. Moreover, as it overlooks Dartford Central Park and has a large balcony, he has great views from his open-plan living, dining, and kitchen space.
Joe says: “I set my sights on Copperhouse Green because it’s so handy for the shops. It’s within five minutes of the high street, and the supermarkets – you’ve got Iceland, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, and Aldi all nearby. There’s a thriving market on Thursdays and Saturdays, it’s the length of the high street, and on market days it’s heaving. There are so many restaurants and places to have a coffee.”
It’s unbelievable; you can’t imagine the transformation for me... Everything you want is right here.”
The perfect location
Now, Joe can meet friends, keep up with his swimming at the local leisure centre, visit his daughter, and be on hand to look after her miniature schnauzer when needed.
He says: “It’s unbelievable, you can’t imagine the transformation for me. It’s the hustle and bustle. Everything you want is right here and everything else is not far away.”
The ease of access to public transport has also been a benefit as Joe no longer drives.
“Bluewater is only 10 minutes on the bus and you’re not that far from the train station which is just a 10-minute walk away.
No regrets
Joe is loving life in his new apartment, and is convinced he made the right move.
“I have absolutely no regrets about moving to this area and especially moving to Copperhouse Green. There’s not enough time in the day to do all the things I want to do, which is the opposite of how it was where I was living before where time did sometimes drag. But here, it feels good.”
Copperhouse Green
Welcome to Copperhouse Green, An attractive development located in Dartford town centre, close to its shops, restaurants and theatre, and offering views of the 26-acre Central Park.
With a high-quality specification and concierge service, these homes offer an ideal investor opportunity, designed to appeal to families, first-time buyers, and commuters travelling to central London and the city.