It’s 6am and Jonny Hollway has just woken up and is grappling with a decision. Is there enough wind today for kite surfing or is he better off catching some waves on the surfboard?
Only 12 months ago Jonny’s early mornings were spent enduring traffic on his daily commute from where he lived on the outskirts of Birmingham into the busy city centre. However, all that changed when he made the decision to make the move to The Links, Rest Bay swapping the city for coast.
He comments: ‘I grew up in Solihull, near Birmingham, and worked in the city, running a couple of businesses, Socks Smile, which I established five years ago, and HEXXEE, which I set up in 2019. I had been thinking of buying a home before the pandemic and had always presumed it would be in the city.
‘Then lockdown hit and it prompted me to re-think what was important. I remember walking around Birmingham and debating whether it was where I really wanted to be, and I quickly realised it wasn’t. I asked myself what would make me happy and the answer was to live as close to the beach as possible. And that was it – once I had decided to go for it – it made complete sense.’
Jonny learnt how to kite surf about ten years ago at Rest Bay in Porthcawl – recognised as one of the UK’s top surfing spots. He went on to hone his skills over in California and when he came back to the UK he returned to Rest Bay whenever he had the opportunity. It was there that he spotted The Links, a development of new-build and converted apartments overlooking the beach.
He continues: ‘The apartment ticked all the boxes; newly built, well finished, with great features such as underfloor heating and, most importantly, the most amazing views overlooking the sea. I was looking for work-life balance and could see that this development, in this location, would give me this opportunity, so I went for it.’
Jonny moved into his new apartment at The Links last August and nearly a year on he is happy that it was the best decision he could have made: ‘The move has been an absolute gamechanger. I spend three days a week in Birmingham and, while it’s an early start on that first day, it’s a small price to pay for that balance. Coming home to Rest Bay feels amazing, I can feel myself unwinding the closer I get to the beach. I have a great office set up at home, and the time and space allows me to focus.
‘I couldn’t ask for more from the location, I can catch the waves before or after work, grab the perfect little lunch from the new Rest Bay Café, also with amazing views. And if that wasn’t enough there is also one of the most prestige Golf Courses in the UK on my doorstep. The thing that really gets me the most is waking up minutes from the most incredible beach, and for this I feel extremely lucky.’
There are a limited number of 2 & 3 bedroom apartments remaining at The Links, starting from £425,000. For further information, please visit the Marketing Suite open daily 10am to 5pm or call the team on 016 5650 1110.
