'I love my home so much that I bought it twice'

A man loved his home so much that he bought it twice - even moving back to England from New Zealand to buy it after it was put back on the property market.

Brian Howlett, 88, who was born in Hull, joined the Navy at 15 and served as a radio operator across the world for 17 years. The Navy veteran met his wife, Janet, whilst working in Portsmouth when he was 17 and they got married four years later.

After having two children, the couple then bought their beloved house in Honiton, Devon in 1977. The couple lived in the home until 2002, before selling it after they retired to join their daughter and granddaughter in New Zealand.

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But before leaving, the pair asked the buyers of their family home to let them know if they ever planned to sell it. Four years later, Mr Howlett and his wife received a call to say the house was going up for sale - and so they returned to England to buy it again.

Since moving back in during 2007, Mr Howlett now lives in the property alone after his wife passed away, andhe now receives live-in care through The Good Care Group following a stroke.

"I have lived in my house for 40 plus years – although I did sell it and move away to New Zealand for a few years," Mr Howlett reminisced.

"I missed it so much I bought it again when I saw it was up for sale, I couldn’t not. It’s where my children grew up, where I lived with my wife and where I have pursued my hobby.

"I used to be an amateur radio operator and would talk to people all over the world in my radio room – I still have my Axminster radio all these years later and couldn’t bear to part with it."

Mr Howlett shared that the family initially lived in Portsmouth with daughter Debbie and son Gareth before relocating to Honiton in Devon. After leaving the Navy in 1969, he took up a role as a communications instructor with the Civil Service, subsequently working in Saudi Arabia while his family stayed in Devon.

Upon retiring at 69 in 2002, he and his wife Janet moved to Dunedin, New Zealand, to be nearer to their daughter. However, the pull of their cherished Devon home was too strong.

Mr Howlett reminisced about the house where their children grew up and where they entertained friends with numerous dinner parties. Following his wife's passing, Mr Howlett suffered a stroke, necessitating hospitalisation and temporary care.

For the last three years, he has been under the attentive care of Winter from The Good Care Group, who stays with him for six-week periods, alternating with another carer, Monica, for two-week intervals.

Darren Kennedy, managing director of The Good Care Group, highlighted the importance of enabling older individuals to receive care at home, emphasising its benefits for their wellbeing and the relief it provides to the healthcare system.

"Almost all of us have spent our entire lives living in just a handful of homes, bringing up families, being brought up by our parents and growing up with siblings along the way," Mr Kennedy said. "We are incredible at making attachments to things, whether that’s pets, the wallpaper, memorable objects or the view of the garden."

"Our homes are where we have spent thousands of hours, filling them with material things that are precious to us, as well as irreplaceable memories."