Cottages
Although there are a number of properties with a third bedroom or office, the 2 bedroom cottage is the traditional English Courtyard Association hall mark. The decision to make it so was decided when, visiting an elderly resident at the beautiful Elizabethan almshouses at Froxfield, she vehemently insisted that she would always go upstairs to bed , if it took the last breath in her body to do so - The cottage concept was born.
The ECA Cottage was designed to offer sufficient space for most couples needs – bearing in mind
that residents have effectively a third bedroom: the use of a comfortable, self contained guest suite, where friends and family are welcome to stay for up to five days at a time – at a minimal cost.
The cottage is about flexibility - about early retirement onwards – about good size rooms. It consists of two proper double bedrooms, an en suite bathroom and an airing cupboard upstairs, above which there is a loft, with substantial storage space, reached by a loft ladder. Downstairs there is – an entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, kitchen, cloakroom with shower (or bath) and a patio garden (many cottages also have sun rooms or conservatories)
The cottage takes into account that a young retired couple may enjoy a life of travel – or visits to family and friends - knowing that their property is secure and without the worries of looking after a garden, or the maintenance of their home, whilst they are away.
It is also designed to take into account a resident’s dignity and the problems that can occur with advancing age. The stairs are straight and a stair lift can be easily installed. A full wheel chair lift can also be installed from the rear corner of the sitting room to the rear bedroom. Sockets are placed at a convenient height. Lever taps take into account the threat of arthritis. A cupboard at the back of the bath doubles as a potentially useful seat The walls of the bathroom have strong points where grab rails and bath hoists may be installed if required: every attempt has been made to ensure easy access to cupboards, drawers and cooking units - and the whole ground floor can be transformed with ease into a self contained flat, with a bedroom, sitting room, shower room, kitchen and patio garden, - whilst the up stairs rooms could, if necessary, be used for living in staff.