Meet Paul and Sandra, the latest interviewees in our series of homeowner Q&As, who tell us what brought them to North Yorkshire and why they chose our residential park after returning to the UK from abroad.
Tell us about yourself
Hello, we are Paul and Sandra, and Harry our cat. We retired to Corfu island in Greece 16 years ago. After selling our villa on Corfu have now returned to the UK and moved to Gateforth Park in August 2026.
What is your park home like?
We purchased a 50ft x 20ft Omar Ikon model. We just changed the decor colours from the original and had a wrap decking installed.
Why did you choose to move to a residential park?
We visited North Yorkshire to view bungalows in the area but found that they were very small and we were used to an open plan living. A friend of ours was looking at downsizing to a lodge in a different part of the country, so we looked at what was available in residential lodges in Yorkshire, as that is where Paul is from.
What attracted you to Gateforth Park?
We found Gateforth Park online and visited soon after, on our last visit to the UK in October 2025. We just fell in love with the site on that first visit. We loved the way it was set out and all the gardens and lakes were kept so beautifully. It was so quiet and felt very friendly. Helen showed us a couple of show homes and we were so impressed how roomy they were. We returned to Corfu and it did not take us long to put a deposit on a Lakeside plot.
How did you find the process of moving here?
As you can imagine it was a very stressful time for us, selling our Corfu home and moving countries. But we sold within a short time, visited again in April time and went to the Omar factory to pick our bespoke design. We returned to the UK after our sale was completed and rented for three months before moving into our new home. It took us nearly a year but it was so worth the wait.
How about the Gateforth Park team?
Helen has been amazing and so helpful throughout the process. We had so many questions but nothing was too much trouble at all. She was always there to guide us through with a smile.
What do you like so far about your new home and living here?
We have now been in our new home for only a few weeks but we already feel so settled and everyone has been so welcoming. We love the openness and the size of the Ikon and the lovely view of the lake; it changes every day and we love watching all the wildlife. We are not fishing people but it's lovely to watch the others.
What's great about the location?
We picked Gateforth as it was so handy to visit our children but also benefits from being close to Leeds, York and also the coast - and it's all accessible by train.
How are you finding the Gateforth Park community?
Just fantastic - like-minded people of all types, and they are all so friendly and willing to help. All our neighbours have been amazing. Thank you all! We feel so much at home already and are looking forward to joining in some of the activities and meeting more people.
What would you say to people considering a move to Gateforth Park?
Just visit and do it!