Brimming with fantastic memories, a British couple with a growing family have called it a day on their life in New Zealand and followed their hearts back to the UK to be closer to family.
Jordan and Kristy Fraser, age 31 and 35 respectively, spent seven years enjoying the warm climate and adventurous lifestyle of New Zealand and even started a family there – their first two children, Kacey (five) and Cash (two) were born down under. But with a third on the way, the couple decided to move back home, so their children could grow up enjoying time with their grandparents and extended family. After purchasing a brand new four-bedroom home in Harworth & Bircotes, a former mining town near Doncaster, the Frasers were ready to welcome child number three, Kit, born on 1st June 2023!
“We wanted to move back home so that all three kids could grow up closer to the grandparents,” said Jordan. “Kristy and
I are both Doncaster locals ourselves so, as much as we love New Zealand, this is very much home for the two of us.”
As a project manager responsible for overseeing the construction of housing developments, Jordan has industry expertise that helped him single out Harworth, located on the Nottinghamshire-South Yorkshire border, as an up-and-coming area.
He continued: “My own work involves extensive research into determining which areas are receiving investment and set to be upgraded. Harworth is one such area – already there are numerous high-quality amenities located close to the development. This to me is a sign of an area that’s going to blossom over the next few years. My priority was to find a wonderful home in an area with a bright future for the kids, where they could grow up close to family. Combined with the great countryside location and convenient commuter links, it was a no-brainer for us.”
After visiting a variety of new housing developments, the Frasers fell in love with theirs, called Simpson Park, and were especially impressed by the design quality. Options there include two, three, four and five-bedroom homes with prices starting from £269,995 (July 2023).
“We opted for ours because the properties are very high spec and really stand out – there was nothing like it at the other housebuilders we’d visited,” said Jordan. “We like a newly built home as it allows you to settle straight in. What with having
a baby on the way, we didn’t want to have to do lots of DIY and refurb work when we moved in. Our home at Simpson Park was perfect because it came fully finished.”
While Jordan and the Frasers are enjoying the finished quality of their new home, there is one slice of New Zealand life Jordan’s brought back with him.
“I’m having the garden renovated,” he said. “The plan is to construct a patio and create a courtyard. We’ve become pretty expert at using the barbecue from our time in New Zealand, so come rain or shine we’ll be entertaining our friends and families out there once it’s all completed!”
Named in memory of cycling legend Tom Simpson and home to Harworth Colliery Football Club, the Harworth & Bircotes area has plenty to offer families, with the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Clumber Park and Doncaster, the UK’s newest city, just 15 minutes’ drive. Worksop is a similar distance to the south.
