Natalia is full of praise for the new development at Marazion and says moving into one of the new homes has transformed her family’s lives.
Natalia, 40, has been privately renting in Townshend with her mother and her five-year-old daughter Fleur, for the past seven years.
But her persistence to find a new home for her and her family paid dividends when she secured one of our affordable rental homes.
Natalia said: “We were renting privately and it was very expensive.
“I was logging on to the Cornwall housing system every week bidding for homes as we desperately needed more space.
“Then these beautiful new homes in Marazion came up and we were really excited. When we found out that we had been accepted for one, the emotion was one of pure joy.
“It was absolutely perfect for us as my daughter has been going to Marazion School for the last three years.
“It is brand new, has three bedrooms, a huge living room and a big garden. It really is amazing
“It is also fantastic for saving money on energy. In our previous house I was spending £6 a day for heating and cooking and here we don’t even reach £4 a day.
“It is nice and warm, and we often have to turn the thermostat down. It just shows how energy efficient it really is.
“Everything is perfectly designed and the location is great as we are just on front of St Michael’s Mount.
“We were given a shed as a gift which was great as it is somewhere to put our bikes. There is plenty of room for everyone and everything.
“It has changed everything for us.”
Natalia was an English teacher at a school in Moldova before moving to England in 2012 so that she could improve her grasp of the language.
She immediately got a job as a night porter at the Godolphin Hotel in the town and immersed her and her family into the local Cornish culture.
Despite currently being on furlough, Natalia cannot wait to return to work as the Cornish tourism season gears up for a surge in trade as the nation prepares to ease out of lockdown.
Natalia said: “I had always wanted to live in England and it is an amazing country. It has helped me to improve my English and we love the people.
“We feel very lucky to live in Cornwall, it is a beautiful place. To be by the sea is amazing and it is a great place to bring up my daughter.
“We call Moldova a sandwich country as it is between Romania and Ukraine and doesn’t have any sea. It is a land locked country.
“So to come here and see much sea has been a dream come true.
“There are so many nice places to go for a walk and experience nature.
“It is a beautiful little village, not just the new homes, all of the people are great. We all know each other.
“The children go to the same schools, we work at the same places and we see each other in the local shops. Everyone knows everyone.
“It’s very similar to where I lived in Moldova, everyone says hello and acknowledges you which is nice.
“I have been working at the Godolphin Hotel for the past seven years and I love it. We are all looking forward to welcoming guests back very soon.”
Natalia thanks LiveWest for supporting her through the process of securing her first home since securing British citizenship.
She added: “LiveWest has been very good with me, starting with Blake (Lettings adviser). From the first moment when I was offered this opportunity on the day of the viewing, everything was explained clearly and everything was made safe from a coronavirus point of view.
“Everyone kept their distance and I was informed in advance what to wear because it was still a construction site.
“Fiona (Housing Officer) explained to me about the rules and responsibilities. What to report, where to go, what to do, how often to pay, what to pay, when and where. Everything was explained very well and I was never confused at any stage.
“It is my first home since becoming a British citizen and I am very happy.”