Sarah and Rod Anderson have lived in Heads Nook for 40 years, buying their semi from new and bringing up their two children there, in common with their neighbours, the majority of whom are still there.

“The first house in 30 years changed hands last year,” Sarah said. “People just haven’t moved, that’s the way it is here, it’s a lovely community.”

A combination of factors led the Andersons to buy their home in Heads Nook. At the time they lived in London, where Sarah hails from, but Cumbrian Rod wanted to come home.

House-hunting at a distance put them at a disadvantage and this, coupled with the fact that, in 1978, the mortgage interest rate was 15%, meant they were getting dispirited.

“We came to look at an older property in Heads Nook which we decided was beyond our reach in price and when we were turning around in the car, we saw this development of new houses being built, decided to take a look and by the next day had put a deposit down,” Sarah said.

“We were tired of missing out on houses and being gazumped, which was one of the reasons for buying this property, also the affordability and the location. We have views out the back which are uninterrupted all the way to the Pennines, it’s the most beautiful location.”

When their son and daughter were born, the Andersons thought about moving but realised that all they really needed to do was upgrade their existing home.

“The village at that time had a thriving shop, the String of Horses was up the road, the Coach House was doing well and it was a very thriving village full of young families.

“We looked at other things and came back here and said, ‘We can’t do better than this’ so because we had a lot of space, we decided to extend.”

Since then the couple – particularly Rod – have lavished love and care on their home.

“The original semis were two bedrooms, a box room and a lounge diner. We put on a whole new lounge, a dining room and utility room downstairs and upstairs an additional double bedroom with big en-suite and extended the box room sideways over the top of the garage,” Sarah said.

“We doubled the size of the house which now has four good-sized bedrooms.

“Three years ago we knocked through the kitchen into the old dining area to make what is now the kitchen-diner and had a new kitchen put in.

“Rod actually project-managed and built the whole extension himself, apart from the work he couldn’t do. He’s done a brilliant job as it wasn’t his trade – he has just retired from being a driving instructor, having taught generations of families.

“The garden is amazing because of the views and I love to look out from the new living room at the back of the house where we have patio doors.” Rod has also turned his creative eye and capacity for graft on to the garden, putting in shrubs and perennials and building raised vegetable beds and a shed.

He was also responsible for the raised decking area at the back of the garden where Sarah loves to sit and soak up the sunsets.

“We’re downsizing to be nearer to family in our retirement but we will miss this place hugely,” she said.

“We love the house and we’re not moving for any other reason that we are ageing.

“Rod has put so much of himself into the property that I think he will be heartbroken. It will be very hard to leave but we don’t need all this space any more.

“We treasure this home but would love to see it go to a family who will love what we’ve done to it.”

25 Cairn Wood, Heads Nook, is for sale at £285,000 from H&H King Estate Agents. Find out more here .