Most retired couples are content to swap their family home for somewhere smaller once their children have flown the nest - but not Sue and Kevin Robson.

The Kent couple, having paid off the mortgage on their three bedroom semi, moved to a four bedroom detached house at Taylor Wimpey's Great Easthall development in Sittingbourne.

Now settling in to their dream home in a peaceful location close to picturesque open countryside, Sue and Kevin are delighted with their move.

"Normally, people tend to downsize when they get to retirement but we were looking for the opposite," says Kevin, 57, a retired foods manager for Marks & Spencer.

"We have a close family and wanted to be able to have them to stay whenever they liked. Now we have plenty of space for everyone and we've even got a bedroom for our four-year-old grandson, Josh."

Sue and Kevin, who have three grown-up sons, were keen to move to a quieter area than their former home in Rochester and wanted the peace of mind afforded by a brand new, maintenance-free property.

After searching online for new-build houses in the area, they discovered Great Easthall and fell in love with the place after just one visit.

The couple have now returned to the town where they first set up home as newlyweds 36 years ago, having lived in various locations around the South East during their married life.

"It was important to us to find somewhere peaceful because we don't mind admitting we're both getting on!" says Sue, 54, who works part-time as a sales development advisor for Kraft.

"Great Easthall is in a perfect location and it's really close to the countryside, but we've still got everything we need nearby.

"We also knew that our previous place needed some major renovation work. With the guarantees that come with a new Taylor Wimpey home, that's something we won't have to worry about in the years to come."

Sue and Kevin moved into their new four-bedroom Westbourne detached house in May.

Homes available at Great Easthall include two bedroom apartments from £94,995, three bedroom houses from £152,495 and four bedroom houses from £164,995. Each comes with a garage and/or allocated parking.

All homes at the development have a two-year Taylor Wimpey warranty plus a 10-year guarantee from the National House-Building Council (NHBC).

Taylor Wimpey offers a range of time and money-saving incentives to make choosing a new home at Great Easthall even more appealing, including help with deposits and legal fees for first-time purchasers and assistance with finding a buyer for those with a property to sell.

Incentives can be tailored to customers' individual requirements and are subject to availability, with further information available from the sales executive.

Great Easthall, in the popular market town of Sittingbourne, is home to a good selection of high street stores, pubs and restaurants.

Nearby Faversham, Chatham, Gillingham, Rochester and Maidstone widen the choice of shopping, sporting and leisure attractions.

The area is home to a good choice of schools, is easily accessible to the A2, M2 and M20 and offers regular rail services from Sittingbourne station - just a short walk away - to both London Victoria and Gatwick airport.

The sales centre, off Easthall Lane, Sittingbourne, is open Thursday to Monday from 9.30am to 5pm, or call 0845 676 2499 for more information.