When moving to a smaller home works perfectly

“From the moment I walked in, I thought, ‘oh, heaven’.”

They were the words of Lesley Roberts, who, along with her husband William were one of the first couples to move in as tenants to Plas Leiod flats in Caernarfon at the end of last year.

William, who is from Caernarfon and worked as an ambulance driver, and Lesley who is originally from Llandudno and worked as a nurse at Ysbyty Eryri, decided a few years ago that downsizing was the right choice for them.

“We came to have a look, and when I saw it, I said, ‘definitely’.” said Leslie about her first look at the flats.

They had lived in Bro Helen in Caernarfon for 37 years, ‘a really nice cul-de-sac’ as they both described.

“Our Deian was 6 months old when we moved there” recalls Leslie.

But about three years ago, when both of their health started to deteriorate, they started thinking of moving to a more suitable home. Originally, they had applied for a bungalow, since Wiliam had stated that ‘having to go up and down the stairs to go to the bathroom was starting to become a hassle’, but then their local councillor, Dawn Lynne Jones, suggested that they take a look at Plas Leiod.

Within the first week of moving in they started noticing the difference.

“Things like the shower, they’re perfect for me. I couldn’t even climb into the bath to have a shower back at the house, and we have an elevator, so no more stairs” says Wiliam.

Back at their previous home they had a garden that both we’re really proud of and spent a lot of time tending to, but by the end had become a bit of a struggle.

“I loved the garden, but it got a bit too much in the end, it was a bit of a battle” says Wiliam.

Now, they share a communal garden where they, and the other tenants have brought garden ornaments with them from their previous homes to decorate.

Lesley loves being part of the community at Plas Leiod: “Everybody here is so friendly, and Wiliam knows everybody from his work as an ambulance man, so if there’s anything on in here, we try to take part.”