We got a call from Shar and Norm when they decided it was time to sell their house and downsize to a townhome community when they didn’t want to have to take care of the lawn, shovel snow or worry about exterior maintenance any more. Read about their journey in their own words below…
After living in our house for 40 years we realized house and garden maintenance was becoming a challenge and we decided it was time to move to a townhouse.
We called Sharlene and John Hensrud to begin the process. And what a process it was. However, Sharlene and John really helped make it easier. After doing the priority assessment they gave us, the factors that meant the most to us were: room size and configuration, deck/patio, walkability, and proximity to nature. It was also hoped that we would be able to do some gardening. After a couple months of looking we found very few places that met our criteria. We decided to go to an open house at the Windsor Green townhouse complex. Although the unit we looked at wasn’t exactly what we wanted, we met a neighbor there who offered to show us their place, which turned out to be closer to what we hoped to find. We also ran into residents who were eager to share their experiences living there. For instance, a woman who was working on one of the many community gardens explained to us that she was a resident who volunteers on the garden committee. She invited us to join if we were to move there.
Although Windsor Green is an older complex than the places we had been looking at, we were impressed with the all green space and ponds with intertwining sidewalks throughout. An extra bonus was that Silverwood Park is just west of Windsor Green and accessible on foot. Being avid birdwatchers, the surrounding environment was a real plus.
Fortunately for us, we had friends who lived at Windsor Green and invited us to see their place to get a sense of a different size and interior layout. We quickly realized that there were townhouses in the complex that could work for us. After that every other place we looked at was compared to what we hoped to get at Windsor Green. Although we continued looking elsewhere, within a few months a place opened up at WG that had what we wanted.
Yes, the place has needed some TLC but that has given us the ability to make it feel like our place. We have been here two months now and every week we have found more reasons we love being here. We have met so many friendly people, our neighbors, residents walking the grounds, the maintenance crews, and the staff. There are two more parks, a farmers’ market, a library, community center, post office and city hall all within about 5-10 minutes. The whole area is like a small community.
In summary, we love it here and look forward to settling in.
A big part of what sets Windsor Green apart is the sense of community. It is the oldest in the Twin Cities, as it was the first owner occupied Minnesota townhome community. But that means it also has roots, with multiple generations of the same families and friends living in Windsor Green over the years. That speaks volumes.
As Sharla and Norm were moving in, they kept talking about the neighbors they met and the sense of welcoming they felt. It was about much more than the physical space. Over the years we have worked with dozens of people buying and selling in Windsor Green, and have grown to appreciate the uniqueness of this first Minnesota townhome community more and more.
Read about what other Windsor Green residents have to say about it…
- What we love about Windsor Green… from someone who lives there
- Finding Community in Windsor Green
- We Like Windsor Green!
Think you might like living in Windsor Green? Or do you have a vision of downsizing to a newer community? Let me know… wherever you dream of making your new home, we can help…
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – Email – Downsizing Realtor
