When Mike and his wife Shirley were looking to downsize from their four-bedroom property that they had lived in for over 40 years, they didn’t think twice about moving into a Churchill Retirement Living apartment at Laurel Lodge in Carshalton.
Falling in love with the independent and low-maintenance lifestyle the Lodge had to offer they also didn’t hesitate in recommending their new way of living to a friend. When their friend, also called Shirley, moved in just four months later, all three were able to enjoy a cheque for £7,500 split between them as part of Churchill Retirement Living’s Refer a Friend scheme.
When thinking about downsizing from their home in Carshalton, the couple were certain to remain in the area. “We have always loved where we live and knew that we would eventually end up moving somewhere like this,” explains Mike. “We have been going to the same doctors and local shops for the past 40 years, we’re happy with them so we thought why change that?”
He adds: “It was very important to us that we stayed within the local area of Carshalton, as it offers so much and with us looking to downsize, Churchill Retirement Living felt like the perfect option. Laurel Lodge ticks all the boxes and now finally we are able to live a lower maintenance life and have more time for socialising with friends and family.”
Laurel Lodge is a beautiful development of 56 one and two bedroom retirement apartments boasting mature gardens, located in a peaceful, tree-lined street, it is ideally positioned for the local shops and amenities. The brand-new apartments mean there are fewer maintenance worries, so retirees can sit back and relax with the peace of mind that any building repairs, gardening and external maintenance are taken care of all covered by the annual service charge.
After moving into Laurel Lodge in June 2022, Mike and Shirley invited their friend, Shirley, round for a visit. What they didn’t realise is that she would love it so much that she decided to call the Lodge home herself, and moved in just four months later. “When Shirley came to visit, she immediately fell in love with the apartments”, explains Mike. “At the time we didn’t know about the refer a friend scheme and Shirley simply loved the lifestyle and everything that the Lodge had to offer, it was a no brainer for her.”
Mike goes on to say, “The money from the refer a friend scheme was a complete surprise, a very nice one of course. Having recently sold our four-bedroom home we felt that we didn’t need the money. We have five grandsons all looking to one day get on the property ladder themselves, so we decided to give them £1,000 each towards that.”
Churchill’s Senior Regional Marketing Manager, Anne Scherrer, said: “We are delighted to learn that Mike and Shirley are enjoying Laurel Lodge and their new way of living. When buying a new home, you can never know what it’s truly like until you live there, however with Mike and Shirley sharing such a positive outlook on their new lifestyle they were able to recommend a friend and now Shirley is also able to live independently amongst close friends.”
Churchill Retirement Living’s Refer a Friend scheme at Laurel Lodge, Carshalton offers homeowners the chance to tell their friends just how much they love living there. Those who refer a friend a friend will receive a cheque for £5,000 to enjoy as they wish, plus their friend will also receive a cheque for £2,500.