Work/life balance is perfect for Little Hollows' first residents

Rebecca’s new property purchase will be the first completion on award-winning developer, Countryside’s Little Hollows development near the village of Chignall Smealy, Chelmsford. Looking to upsize from a one-bedroom apartment, also in Chelmsford, Rebecca and her husband Sam used the government’s Help to Buy scheme to purchase a big enough space allowing them to work from home and keep their work and home life separate.

Rebecca, 28, is an account manager at a lighting design company, and her working week consists of client visits primarily, whilst working from home on occasion. Not wanting to leave Chelmsford, Rebecca had originally looked at Countryside’s nearby Beaulieu development, but heard from a family friend that work had begun at Little Hollows, which was in an area better suited to herself and Sam. Impressed with the quality of the finish, specification and the help of the Countryside team, Rebecca and Sam purchased a four-bedroom semi-detached home at Little Hollows. 

Rebecca comments: “We were so pleased once we discovered that the same specification at Beaulieu was going to be used at Little Hollows – that was a big factor when we decided to buy our property. Chignall Smealy is the perfect location for us, my commuting time hasn’t changed much but I can avoid going through the traffic in the city to get to the train station on those occasions I do travel into London. The specification, great location and plenty of space were exactly what we were looking for.

Rebecca continues: “We have just outgrown our one-bedroom apartment and it will be really nice to have a good work space in our home, as Sam also works from home full time. We never would have looked at four-bedroom properties if it wasn’t for the government’s Help to Buy scheme which gave us an unmissable opportunity to buy the home of our dreams. It was a very easy, smooth process.  We worked with the fantastic team at Countryside and their recommended broker was so helpful that we didn’t have to do much at all.”

Little Hollows is an exclusive new development of 39 traditional four- and five-bedroom family houses. These outstanding homes have been thoughtfully designed and carefully crafted with traditional Essex-style architectural design, including black weather boarding, a first-class specification and the latest trends in modern-day living to suit many buyers and lifestyles. The homes are nestled in the beautiful countryside, less than two and a half miles from Chelmsford city centre.

Help to Buy provides buyers with an opportunity to purchase a property with just a 5% deposit which is then supplemented by up to a 20% equity loan from the government, interest free for the first five years.

Rebecca continues: “There are so many things we’re looking forward to once we move in. Going from a small space to a much larger one gives us so much freedom when it comes to decorating ideas and furniture choices. From a practical point of view, the social element of a spacious home is great, we’d love to have people round for dinner and entertain on a regular basis and now we can with all that space! We’ll be able to have a separate study and can close the door after a working day and enjoy our home life without being surrounded by the same work space.”

Perfect for families, Chignall Smealy, with its own pub, cricket pitch and church, combines quaint village charm with good amenities and first-class transport links. Little Hollows is also conveniently located near Chelmsford, which, given city status in 2012, is the county town of Essex and its historic centre offers excellent shopping and a vibrant nightlife. Its shopping centres and bustling high street offer all the big name brands, along with a wide choice of pubs, restaurants and wine bars, while the city is also renowned for its excellent schools, including its two top performing grammar schools. From Chelmsford station there are direct services to London Liverpool Street in as little as 34 minutes.         

The brand new sales and marketing suite is open daily at Little Hollows from 10am to 5pm where prospective purchasers can explore the beautiful new show home and view homes. Prices range from £495,000 for The Peregrine, £685,000 for The Chelmer, from £689,995 for the five-bedroom Tamar and £699,995 for the Ravensbourne house design. Help to Buy and Part Exchange are available on selected properties. For more information, call 07714 690 970 or visit www.countryside-properties.com.