Bella Brodie reports on an Omar home owner’s journey to a blissful lodge lifestyle at Tallington Lakes

When Maria Puskas decided to search for a lodge, like many buyers she was open-minded in terms of both the location and lodge, and wanted to be able to spend more time closer to her children and grandchildren.

Her work for the NHS was in the high-octane environment of operating theatres in Lancashire, a job she naturally describes as ‘full on’ over the past few years and through the pandemic. So, she needed a place where she could really relax, further east.

She found her perfect park pretty quickly at Tallington Lakes on the borders of Lincolnshire, Leicestershire and Cambridgeshire. She didn’t actually look at many others as she clearly fell in love with the location immediately on visiting, saying: “On the practical side, it was easy access, and as soon as I came off the motorway and into the countryside, I started to love the feel of the area. When I drove into park it felt right straight away – it was absolutely fantastic! It was gated and secure and there were several lodge options to choose from – the lakes were so beautiful.”

That was back in April 2023, and after initially choosing one lodge, with a little more time in hand she switched tack slightly to have an Omar Contemporary built, with a couple of adaptations to bespoke it to her own requirements with the addition of an office and utility room. She loved the Contemporary’s blue colour theme as it had a waterside feel, so didn’t want to change that. After a bit of unavoidable delay at her end, she finally took occupation of her lodge the week before Christmas in 2024, although she commented that there was no pressure from the park and Omar, and she found that a major plus point. She’s never looked back since and is obviously a keen advocate of the lodge lifestyle.

A VERY HAPPY OMAR CUSTOMER
She was so pleased with her lodge that she felt compelled to write a lovely review for them, saying: “Omar are by far one of, if not the best in the industry. If you decide to purchase an Omar home, you will not be disappointed. Build quality, customer service and the after sales team including the delightful engineers who carry out the site visits are professional in every way. On a more individual level I would like to mention Konrad and Ryan, the Customer Care Engineers, and I can’t leave out the lovely Amelia too, the Customer Care Coodinator. Just as an add on to that, everyone I have spoken to who also owns an Omar has only the best to say about the team.

“Everyone I have spoken to who also owns an Omar has only the best to say about the team.”

This was definitely a major lifestyle change, as she explained “I think covid changed quite a lot of people – after getting through that you realise that you can’t take your money with you, and many of us have had stressful jobs and personal challenges that take their toll on health. My job made me acutely aware of that, though. That’s why I wanted to be somewhere which would help me unwind completely, and took the plunge. I could see that Tallington Lakes would help me unwind and enjoy a more relaxing lifestyle where I could walk watch the watersports and wildlife, and could even fish from my own jetty, which is now under construction! The staff and other owners here are lovely too, and Mark and Simon in the sales office have been helpful throughout the buying process – it’s a wonderful community.”

Maria’s Maincoon cat Cassius Boots is also a fan, and enjoys the lodge life as much as she does. With a 40-year licence she knows she can enjoy her lodge as long as she wants to into the future, giving her peace of mind that she can continue to enjoy her lodge indefinitely.

SETTLEMENT AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
With every lodge or park home there are always settlement issues, but as Maria said; “It’s the way they are dealt with that matters. Omar were brilliant – I couldn’t recommend their team enough, the first snagging items have been dealt with, and the communication has been good. They’ll come back at around 11 months as not everything settles straight away, and I have every confidence that their service will be just as good again. Kevin and the site tea at Tallington Lakes have been outstanding too, they keep the park in pristine condition, and have done a fabulous job on the external works on my plot; decking, fences and getting ready for the forthcoming jetty!

A STUNNING LOCATION
Summing up how she feels about life in her lodge, Maria said: “There’s a lovely leisurely feel here and I’m really enjoying my lodge. We have swans, ducks, ducklings at this time of year and the occasional otters. As lodge owners we can enjoy watching the wildlife families and the boating activity on the lake.

“There’s a channel joining the lake up where the water skiers go, and it reminds me of my childhood seeing that. I quite often step out to the front and get distracted by the views, and I love it – the sunrises and sunsets are amazing, and I now have binoculars and a book to help me identify the birds. I’ve also enjoyed shopping for things to go in my lodge, that’s been great fun! I have now had air conditioning added, and my family and friends love it here, too. My overall experience so far has been great, both with Omar as my lodge manufacturer, and the park. This is a place where dreams are made of – a little slice of paradise. When you think of it, you couldn’t afford to buy a property with a position and views like this without it costing millions unless it was a lodge or park home – it’s perfect.“

Simon Buchanan, Sales & Marketing Director said: “Tallington Lakes is located centrally between the towns of Peterborough, Stamford, Bourne and Spalding, meaning you don’t have to travel far in order to get away from it all, and to discover a little bit of heaven by the water. This fantastic park is set in over 300 acres, with over 200 acres forming our lakes, meaning the vast majority of our stunning homes enjoy year-round lakeside views. We offer a wide range of luxury lodges with prices to suit all budgets with Omar definitely our preferred lodge supplier. Their homes are quite simply stunning with a terrific attention to detail, but more importantly their after sales care for new owners is second to none.”

Speaking on behalf of the Omar Group, Sales Manager Sophie Ronson said: “Within our range there’s a perfect lodge for every location, and we are always happy to bespoke them according to buyer’s needs. The Contemporary is a beautiful lodge, perfect for a waterside spot, and we’re thrilled Maria is enjoying it so much.

“As manufacturers, hearing feedback that buyers are so happy is really rewarding.”

Info point
For information about Omar, please visit: www.omar.co.uk

About the park
If you’re curious about what Tallington Lakes has to offer and what lodge life would be like, why not give the team a call on 0800 564 2266 or email info@goodlifelodge.com and book your exclusive viewing tour of the park and the lodges. For those looking further afield they also have three other parks to choose from; Thorney Lakes Golf Club in Cambridgeshire, Great Hadham Country Club in Hertfordshire and Tanner Farm Park in Kent. Visit the website at www.goodlifelodge.com for further information.

Read more about Omar and see more great home and park pics in the June issue of Park Home & Holiday Living – out now!