‘Join the Club’ – Karen and Susan Preston

‘We love our Willerby in our garden. Our friends and family can stay whenever they want!’

In our latest ‘Join the Club’ feature, we meet Willerby Owners Club members Karen and Susan Preston, who own a two-bedroom Willerby Pinehurst holiday lodge.

Their lodge is used for friends and family when they visit and is situated in the garden of Karen and Susan’s 27-acre farm, which is focused on the production of hay for the equine market, in West Suffolk.

Karen, a health and safety manager for a healthcare company, and Susan, an engineer for a telecommunications company, have lived on the farm since 2004 and own three Great Danes.

Q. Tell us about your Willerby and why you love it so much.

A. We fell in love with the Pinehurst because it’s exactly what we wanted – a nice size, layout and a good price. It offers us lots of flexibility with friends and family when they visit and we’ve installed a hot tub outside, so it’s a home from home. The décor is nice and neutral and the lodge is modern and contemporary. We wanted to encourage our nieces and nephews to spend more time with us and they can stay with us for free, which is great. Sometimes we stay in it and make the most of the hot tub and we’re planning to install decking. We like the wireless speakers and the variation in lighting, which you can change to suit yourselves.

Q. Why did you choose your specific model and how long have you been part of the Willerby family?

A. We bought our Willerby in 2021. We chose the model because it had all the furniture and appliances included, such as a washer dryer, fridge freezer, microwave, oven, Wi-Fi, and speakers. If we apply for planning permission, we could rent the lodge out. If we want to sell the farm when we retire, we can keep part of the garden with the lodge in and potentially live there.

Q. What are the best things about owning a holiday home?

A. The best thing is the flexibility it offers us for friends and family and for us in our retirement. Even though we’ve had the lodge for a couple of years, it still looks brand new. It gives you that break away from the day to day because Susan works from home. We can have a quiet, relaxing space and it’s nice to have that alternative.

Q. What would you say to other people thinking about buying a Willerby?

A. Go for it! We absolutely love it and haven’t looked back. Buying new is probably better value than second hand because by the time you work out all the transport costs and anything which needs fixing, it makes more sense to buy new and buy quality. Willerby was our preferred manufacturer when we went to look at various models. Everything went smoothly and the lodge is very well designed.

Q. What do you most value and enjoy from being a member of the Willerby Owners Club?

A. I like the stories other owners share in the newsletter, which is interesting and adds value. It’s a bit like being a nosey neighbour and keeping an eye out for new models coming out. Most people are on holiday parks but it’s good to see the diverse ways people are using their lodges and holiday homes.

For information on the Willerby Owners Club and the exclusive member benefits, and to sign up, click here: https://www.willerby.com/owners-club