FROM CHURCH PARISH TO CHURCH FARM: RETIRED VICAR BUYS FIRST HOME AT AGE 66

The average age for first-time buyers is 37 – however, for retired vicar Andrew and his wife Sarah, buying their first home has been a lifelong ambition they were able to achieve in their 60s. Andrew and Sarah found their perfect home at Church Farm – a sustainable development by Pye Homes in Radley, Oxfordshire. The couple used their life savings to purchase the four-bedroom detached house outright.

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Until retiring at 66, Andrew and Sarah lived in a 13th century vicarage, which they described as wonderful but very cold and dark – so an energy efficient, light and warm home is what attracted them to Church Farm. Solar panels and air source heat pumps were also a deciding factor, knowing they needed to keep energy costs as low as possible.

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Andrew said: “Being a vicar isn’t just a job, but a way of life. You are on call for people in need at any hour of the day, seven days a week. Retiring and buying our own home after 40 years means our life has changed massively, and we are thoroughly enjoying the freedom of our new lifestyle.”

For more info please visit: blenheimestate.com/property/