Lyn Pratt was able to move with certainty to her brand-new retirement apartment thanks to Silverbridge Properties’ Part Ex service.
“If it wasn’t for Silverbridge Properties’ Part Ex, we wouldn’t be here today at Audley Stanbridge Earls”, says Lyn Pratt.
“By buying our old home for cash, Silverbridge Properties provided us with the certainty that the move to our new retirement property would definitely go ahead, regardless of the turbulence in the housing market”, added Lyn.
The Pratts owned a large four-bedroom house in one of the smartest streets in Hastings. Having moved there in the 1970’s, they’d built up significant equity in the property. Early in 2023 they decided to downsize to something more manageable while they were still able. The couple recognised that many of their friends and neighbours had left this last-time move too late, and had become trapped in homes that were too large and inadequately designed for older living.
In March 2023, the couple earnestly began searching for a suitable retirement development. Having drawn a blank locally, their son, fortunately, introduced them to Audley Stanbridge Earls having stumbled across the development while out walking.
Set in 32 acres of grounds, Audley Stanbridge Earls has 155 cottages and apartments as well as a restaurant, fitness club, hair salon, swimming pool and sauna, bar-bistro and even a guest suite for visitors.
In April 2023, after an overnight stay in the guest suite, the couple were convinced that Stanbridge Earls would fit the bill and began the process of buying their new spacious 2-bed apartment.
Part Ex helps get a move on
They first needed to sell their existing home in Hastings, but had reservations about selling on the open market due to its current volatility and overall downturn. Instead, they were introduced by Audley to its Part Exchange partner, Silverbridge Properties.
With more than twenty years’ experience in the property market, Silverbridge Properties’ retirement-focused PX service offers their customers a guarantee cash sale, irrespective of property type, location or condition.
“Silverbridge Properties carefully and clearly explained the whole process right from the start, which we really appreciated”, says Lyn. “We knew that property prices had fallen from their peak and that, with Part Ex, we would not get the entire value of the property. Nevertheless, it would give us the certainty and simplicity that we needed which we would not have been possible otherwise,” added Lyn.
The time between agreeing the deal with Silverbridge Properties and completion then gave the couple time to get their affairs in order and begin the process of downsizing.
“We were also grateful that Silverbridge Properties took care of not only the financial side of sale, but also the legal,” says Lyn. “They were also brilliant at responding really very quickly to calls and emails,” she added.