Crest Nicholson : The big easy on the banks of the river

Finding a location that would make it easier for their children to visit was one of the main reasons why a Cornish-based couple made the move to Bath.

With their son living in Derbyshire and daughter in London, it now means Susan and Alistair Hay have slashed three hours off the journey time for their offspring when they pop down or perhaps want to make spontaneous visits.

Once they had chosen Bath as their new home, the next consideration was whether to buy classic Georgian, synonymous with the world heritage city, or to go for something a little more up-to-date and contemporary.

And as a retired architect, Alistair had an in depth knowledge on the pros and cons with regard to both old and new properties and knew what to look out for.

With friends already living in Bath the active couple knew the city relatively well and had heard about the redevelopment of the south banks of the River Avon.

Rather than rush in to buying and to give them time to look around, the couple decided to rent an apartment for six months at Bath Riverside. It was here that they then witnessed the rise of Royal View, the latest, ground-breaking phase at the multi-award winning development.

At the same time, Susan and Alistair were able to gauge what life was like on the banks of the river and whether they would want to make it something more permanent.

Fortunately the lifestyle it gave the couple, being so close to the city centre, resulted in them buying a two-bedroom, sixth-floor apartment with stunning views out across the river and overlooking Royal Crescent.

Susan said: 'To rent first really gave us a great idea of what it was like to live at Bath Riverside. To watch Royal View go up was interesting to see. We were also able to check out whether it was noisy or not but were soon struck by how peaceful it is here. We were never disturbed by any noise despite being so close to the city centre.

'We did contemplate and looked at a number of Georgian properties but those that had been converted into apartments just weren't right and not as sensitively refurbished as they could have been. In a way they had lost their sense of authenticity.

'With Royal View everything is new and current and we liked the look of the design. We also like the dimensions of the rooms which are generous when compared to what you would get in a reproduction Georgian property.

'We also didn't want stairs, landings and the upkeep of an older property.

'The location was also a big attraction - I can walk to the train station in less than ten minutes! I can also walk across Victoria Bridge and be in Victoria Park in a matter of minutes which is really handy as we've got a dog.

'It's really beautiful here and it's just all so easy with a lot of really good restaurants and cafes close by.

'Although we found the de-cluttering process a major job, we soon discovered that we didn't really need most of our possessions, so it has been quite liberating. Of course whether downsizing is the right thing to do depends on the individual but we would wholeheartedly recommend others do the same.'

For further information please call 01225 463517 or visit www.crestnicholson.com/bathriverside

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