First Class Service at Eastbank Court

AFTER a lifetime of running a family home, Margaret Tobyn is letting someone else do the hard work for her having moved to a brand new apartment at Eastbank Court in Worcester.

The 81-year-old has downsized from a three-bedroom house in Cambridgeshire to an Aspen Retirement Living apartment. The move means Margaret can retain her independence while benefitting from support services and having her family close by.

Margaret, who has arthritis and walks with the aid of a frame, says: “I was on my own and wanted to move nearer to my family, so my daughter who lives in Worcester visited Eastbank Court and thought it would be ideal for me. I was going to need help if I stayed in my old home, but here there’s someone available 24 hours a day and the staff are ever so helpful.”

Easy to manage and efficient to run, the apartments offer those in later years the chance to enjoy the good life, free from maintenance worries and rising energy bills.

There is a monthly service charge but home owners like Margaret have discovered that it can be surprisingly economical to live at Eastbank Court.

Margaret explains: “The service charge includes many of the things that I would have had to pay for in my old home anyway, such as buildings insurance and window cleaning. I was already paying for a gardener and had got to the point where I couldn’t clean the house myself.  Now I don’t need to worry about it because there’s someone who comes in and does it for me.

“Another advantage of moving here is that my fuel bills are a lot cheaper. My gas bill alone has dropped from £130 to £40 a month.”

Living at Eastbank Court can also provide a big boost to home owners’ social lives. The latest phase adds a conservatory style lounge, hobby room, library, hair salon and beauty treatment room to communal facilities that already include a licensed bar, where home owners can enjoy a drink with their friends and neighbours, and a restaurant so they can dine out while ‘staying in’.

Margaret adds: “As the first person to move in, I was here for 11 days on my own but now I’ve become quite friendly with the other home owners attending the coffee mornings and other get-togethers.”

She also recommends the meals in the restaurant, which she describes as “well presented and reasonably priced”.

And while the mother of four and grandmother of 10 lives in a one-bedroom apartment, it doesn’t prevent friends and family from staying overnight: “There’s a very nice guest suite which means I don’t have to worry about putting people up.”

A choice of one and two-bedroom apartments are available at Eastbank Court, priced from £192,000.

Located north of Worcester city centre, the development is in a quiet residential area with shops and a chemist within walking distance.

For details call 01905 455 182 or email sarahm@aspenretirement.co.uk