Downsizers Bid Adieu to France for Manningtree, Essex

For homebuyers reaching retirement age, the allure of moving overseas has proven a significant pull – with Google searches on retiring to France seeing a year on year increase of 23%. Data from INSEE reveals that over a third of British immigrants living in France were retired, and a growing proportion were at the end of their career.

Expats Rob (70) and Kerry (61) Usher have turned the trend on its head, however, selling up after six years in France to return to the UK for their retirement. The couple purchased an three-bedroom house at City & Country’s Manningtree Park development in Manningtree, Essex.

“When we left, we thought we’d never move back to England,” says Rob. “We actually sold up our home in South Essex, which we’d previously let out, because we were so sure that we wouldn’t be coming back.” The couple were living in Limousin, a hilly region of France three hours south of Paris, before they decided to swap their French home with a pool for a new-build home at City & Country’s development in the coastal town of Manningtree.

Kerry adds: “The main draw for us was to be closer to our family again, including our children and grandchildren, Rob’s sister and husband, and especially Rob’s son and the grandchildren who live in Manningtree. So we knew the area reasonably well, but we were looking all the way along the Essex and Suffolk border. In the end, we just kept coming back to Manningtree. The real sell was the Manningtree Park development which feels like a little country village all by itself – there’s even a resident flock of sheep! Where Limousin was very rural to the point of feeling too quiet and isolated, Manningtree Park feels like a close-knit community, but it’s still possible to walk into town.”

Rob and Kerry were able to purchase their new home outright for £350,000, having sold their French property for £140,000. They knew from the outset that they wanted a new build home for an easy move. Rob continues: “A hassle-free move was very important to us. We left all our furniture in France, so we’re slowly refurnishing our new home as we go – that’s plenty of hard work for us! We had no desire to do any renovation work ourselves as part of the move, so a new build home ticked all the boxes.

“The one thing we really can’t get over is having proper heating and insulation in our home - we were using a woodburner to heat the house in France because the cost of electric was so high!”

Shelley West, Group Director of Sales and Marketing at City & Country, comments: “Manningtree Park has proven especially popular with retirement age homebuyers, seeking a retreat to a rural idyll without compromising on access to travel links, major amenities, and urban hubs. The development itself is designed to feel like a modern day village, with traditionally designed homes, green spaces including dedicated dog walking areas, a flock of heritage sheep and a village square with commercial spaces. For buyers seeking a ready-made community with high-quality homes in one of Essex’s most desirable beauty spots, there is no need to look any further.”

Since moving to Manningtree, Rob and Kerry have joined a local bowls club and volunteer locally, and crucially a chance to be more present in their family’s lives.