To date, I’ve bought and lived in 3 houses throughout my thirty-something lifetime. Each has been an older, second hand property – a bad admission for a house builder, but not one of them new build. However, buying a second hand property has not necessarily been deliberate. I’ve never been the type to say ‘oh I don’t like new build’ or ‘I only like character properties’, quite the contrary as I’ve always stated to anyone who voices those opinions about the huge benefits of new build and to dispel the myths that are too often mentioned surrounding new build properties. But as the owner and Managing Director of a new build development company, I’ve felt it goes against the grain a little! So I decided to do something about it…. Last month I moved into a shiny new build….and wow…and such ‘wow’ that I felt the need to write about it. I don’t think that people who live in second hand properties quite appreciate what it is like to walk into, and live, in a new build house. I say that as I sit and ponder what to do with my life this Saturday morning…should I go to the gym…. should I read a book in a coffee shop, or go walking in the rain? (even a shiny new build can’t help with the weather!) So many choices, but why do I feel such time and freedom….and then I realised: it’s the house! No longer do I sit with my weekend morning coffee and think ‘oh, I must replace that broken roof tile today/reseal bathrooms/repaint a room/reseal the draughty window seals’, or any other imaginable house chore. They’ve disappeared…gone…vamoose! The other thing I don’t think I actually appreciated, even though I was the ambassador for new build in the conversations I mentioned earlier, quite how true the myths of new build actually are. For years I’d dismissed comments about sound insulation and stud walls, comments that suggested that thermal qualities couldn’t be as good because how can they be with that thin blockwork? But quite how right those statements have been have even surprised me. The plasterboard in my home is so dense that sound from room to room and floor to floor is non-existent; thermal tightness so blatant that the moment the wind blows the insulation reacts with warmth. Put it this way, when I listened to the radio on the way to work at the end of August and the presenters had reached to put their heating on, I laughed as that used to be me…but not now. It’s funny too, I always thought I liked the quirks of my old properties. The quirks of random room shapes and sizes, and making something useful out of a cubby hole that then offered some sort of storage. And I’m sure I did like them at the time. But as I sit in my new build, with every room layout designed to exact dimensions and storage provided, I realise how life should be. I now know I’ll never look back and consider buying period or older properties again. Low maintenance, and what will definitely be much cheaper running costs (my team tell me that a new home could save you £1,410 p.a. compared to energy costs of £2,460 for a Victorian 4-bedroom detached with some modern improvements)….will be the order of the day. Enjoy new build folks, it’s the future!

The UK has previously been branded as a country famous for drinking tea, however in the last decade it seems like we have transitioned from avid tea sippers who enjoy an occasional cup of coffee to a nation of seasoned coffee connoisseurs. The trend for coffee in the UK shows no sign of slowing down with its vast amount of international coffee chains, intermingled with a considerable amount of independent coffee shops, offering so many choices. I have grown a passion in recent years for coffee, and I am always on the lookout for exceptional coffee spots in the area. In this blog I have outlined five of my favourite coffee places in Cumbria (in no particular order). First up there is The New Bookshop in Cockermouth, which is nestled in the back of the local bookshop. This really is a hidden gem with a lovely warming ambience, great coffee and a chocolate cake infused with Jennings beer, so moist, it’s to die for! Secondly, the beautifully designed Chalet Tearooms in Portinscale, Keswick offers a stylish and contemporary social space with its wooden open plan alpine style – it’s almost cosmopolitan due to the changing faces of tourists that flock there. Along with excellent coffee, The Chalet offers quality rustic food and you can’t leave without trying one of their delicious homemade scones with jam and clotted cream. The perfect stop for a well-earned break. The Forest Side Hotel in Grasmere might not be your typical go-to place for a coffee and it does come with a heftier price tag. However, if you want a coffee experience that you will never forget, I highly recommend visiting this opulent Victorian Mansion and grounds, that date back to the 1800’s. Personally, I like nothing more than dropping by the hotel lounge for a coffee in the bay window. Served with today’s fresh shortbread and a selection of newspapers. Peace. The fourth place on my list is Chester’s by the River at Skelwith Bridge in Ambleside, which is certainly a family favourite for us. This is a café that has got every element right – it has amazing breads, salads and most of all its coffee. Chester’s perfect location by the river, and short pushchair friendly walk to the nearby waterfall, makes it a regular family outing that we could never get tired of. Last but not least we have Treeby and Bolton in the picturesque market town of Keswick. Being local to the area, Keswick is somewhere we’d usually stay away from due to its relentless tourist bustle. However, having two kids under 3 years old means Keswick has become a frequently visited place for us due to its superb walk through the charming town centre as well as its pushchair friendly walks through vibrant Fitz Park and down to the lakeside. After trying all their coffee’s several times over (I became obsessed with coffee immediately after having our first child and those long sleepless nights!), Treeby and Bolton Café soon became one of our favourites. Although often busy, it’s tucked nicely away, and if you get a spare few minutes, the gallery upstairs is certainly worth checking out too. The Forest Side, Grasmere... coffee, amaretto, and turkish delight.... what better!