New build Hill home at Ninewells delights Staples family

Having always owned older properties, the Staples were sceptical about new build at first but immediately fell in love with the 21st century design; they especially loved the insulation – which not only keeps in the heat but sound proofs the house from their two teenage children!

The Staples family’s move from their 1850s period house in the village of Willingham was a difficult decision, but one which would improve their quality of life. Being closer to the children’s schools and also reducing their commuting time to work were the main drivers for Chris and Nicola.

However, with stiff competition for family homes and house prices in Cambridge often equalling those of London, the family’s search was turning into a nightmare, until they came across Hill’s Ninewells development on Cambridge’s southern fringe.

Chris Staples, 40, a software consultant originally from London, said: “Having lived in our previous house for 12 years we were reluctant to move, but we really needed to create more of a work/life balance. Our children, Isabella and George, are now 14 and 13 so they really need to be close to the city centre amenities and we also wanted them to be near to their schools. We looked at a number of options but were priced out of a lot of properties in the locations we wanted, so we were really struggling to find anything that ticked all the boxes.

“Having always lived in older properties, we had never considered a newly built home, but we were really impressed with what we saw – it was a total surprise from what we expected.”

The Staples bought a three storey, four bedroom mews house at Ninewells, with a studio above the garage, and moved in earlier this year.

Chris continues, “The main difference I have noticed between this house and our older property is the insulation. We’ve never had the heating on and the noise doesn’t travel at all, which is amazing considering how open plan it is - and much needed when you have two teenagers! The development itself is surrounded by countryside, so it really reminds us of the village we moved from, but the children have a lot more freedom here and are able to cycle to school.

“The whole family loves the open plan kitchen/living area, especially my wife Nicola who is a chef. It is where we spend all of our time and has become the hub of the house. The kids also love the studio, we had intended for it to become a guest room for visitors, but they have taken it over and are already hosting sleepovers and after school get-togethers.”

Hill, the award-winning top 15 UK housebuilder, has created the new community of 270 homes with Bushmead Homes. Ninewells comprises one, two and three bedroom apartments and four and five bedroom town and detached houses.

The development is designed to reflect the surrounding Gog Magog Downs, with natural landscaping and also innovative public art across the site. Located within a 12 minute cycle from the city centre and Cambridge train station, Ninewells offers balance for those with a busy professional or commuter lifestyle