One couple chose ‘rent to buy’ & found their perfect home with Explore Living

Great explorers
Kay and Norman Rose are not your average British couple. The location of their home has been determined by Mrs Rose’s profession. When, in January 2011, Kay’s teaching job was to take the couple from Suffolk to Brighton, the pair decided to rent first, buy later, to acquaint themselves with their new location. They chose Explore Living’s newly restored 1930s Art Deco development in Saltdean as their first foray into the Brighton market and within six months decided they had found their dream Sussex home.

Having not moved for a while and this potentially being their last such venture, the Roses felt under no obligation to buy before they relocated. “We had lived in Suffolk for almost 20 years,” said Mr Rose. “We had never been based in Brighton, but my job in Government Relations has meant a two week stay in this cosmopolitan city for many years during the annual party political conferences and so I know the centre well, but our unfamiliarity with the surrounding area meant we weren’t prepared to rush our buying decision.

“Explore Living offered the ideal solution and it took us less than six months to agree that Grand Ocean offered us the life we wanted to live.”

“We are delighted the Roses chose Grand Ocean as their home,” said John Inglis, sales and marketing director for Explore Living. “The couple rented a property first and loved the development so much that they decided to buy. Purchasing a home is such an important and expensive undertaking and ‘getting it wrong’ can cause untold heartache; Kay and Norman now have a property that they can genuinely call home.”

“We have the best of all worlds: living on the outskirts of a city, but on the borders of the countryside, in a stunning location, that is convenient for both our jobs,” Mr Rose continued. “We have the amenities of Saltdean, while only being 15 minutes from the centre of Brighton, with terrific transport links to the shops and restaurants, and there are some beautiful walks. Most important for us though has been Grand Ocean itself. We have spacious grounds, an extremely well kitted out and professionally run gym and the interior standards of the building are of an exceptional standard. The building has been restored to its former glory and we don’t hear a peep from our neighbours, which we have attributed to the standard of the workmanship.”

Asked whether they had made the right decision to buy at Grand Ocean, Mr Rose was emphatic. “It would have been extremely difficult, if not impossible, to get a deal that suited us more. The buying process was pleasant and productive and the company was extremely fair. We have always lived in a detached property, so moving to an apartment was a leap of faith for us, but we couldn’t be happier.”

Grand Ocean is a collection of 180 one- and two-bedroom apartments, located on the doorstep of the rolling Sussex Downs, with breathtaking views of the South East Coast. Explore Living has completed the restoration of the original hotel building, as well as the construction of four new wings, the final two of which are now released for sale, providing an ideal coastal retreat, perfect for couples, downsizers and first time buyers alike.

Each home offers the very best in modern living with under-floor heating, a video-entry system, pre-wiring for Sky+ and provision for wall-mounted TVs. The stylish kitchens benefit from a thoughtful, ergonomic design that maximises storage space and integrated appliances including: oven, hob and extractor, dishwasher, fridge/freezer and freestanding washer/dryer.

These exceptional apartments are priced from £179,995. For more information please call Explore Living on 0845 873 9054, email grandocean@exploreliving.co.uk or visit www.exploreliving.co.uk