Inheritance Allows Couple To Buy In Leighton Buzzard
Thanks to an inheritance, Joanna Howard, 54, and her husband Colin Howard, 56, bought a new home at Barratt Homes’ Clipstone Park development in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire earlier this year.
When Joanna Howard unexpectedly inherited from the sad passing away of both of her parents, it immediately meant a lifestyle change for her, her husband, and their dog, Freddie. Due to being caught in the rental trap for the majority of their lives, the couple had never been in a position to save for a deposit alongside soaring rental prices. This was until they inherited enough to put towards a three-bedroom detached home priced at £410,000 at the development.
Joanna comments: “Without such a large sum of inheritance from my parents, we would never have been able to afford to buy on the open market. Our position now means that we can avoid shelling out thousands of pounds on a home we will never own and paying someone else’s mortgage. The irony is, we are now spending less on our new mortgage which we have fixed for 10 years at approximately £800 a month, compared with our rent which was around £1,200 a month previously. It seems ludicrous to me that we are now saving money, with the benefit of contributing towards a mortgage and on our way to homeownership. Our life now seems a world apart from the stresses of renting, no section 21 notices, no unexpected rent hikes, and a place where we can put our own stamp on!”
However, mortgage payments are not the only way Joanna and her husband, a production manager, are saving money, with the average Barratt home up to 63% cheaper to run than the same sized older home with modern day improvements. Joanna says: “Before, we were renting a two-bedroom terraced cottage in Eaton Bray, about a 10-minute drive from the development, which had an EPC rating of an E where we were paying around £250 in energy bills a month, which was really tough last winter. We are now an EPC band B and are looking to pay approximately £105 a month in energy bills which is much more manageable and allows us to use more of our money on our hobbies which in turn is improving our quality of life.”
Not only is Joanna saving money on not having to pay out on energy bills and rental costs, she also made use of Barratt Homes Key Worker Deposit Contribution Scheme, which is available to those in professions such as teaching, NHS and the police force. As a thank you to the support provided to local communities, Barratt Homes offers £1,000 towards buyers’ deposits for every £20,000 spent on a property. For Joanna, this meant that her profession as a piano teacher meant there was an approximate £16,400 deposit contribution from the housebuilder.
Clipstone Park also stood out to both Joanna and Colin thanks to the sheer enormity of green space, with 75% of the development dedicated to green open spaces in the form of parks, play areas and allotments. “We had looked around other developments within the town, however as soon as we saw Barratt North Thames’ Clipstone Park, we knew this was the one we’d settle on. I am also impressed with the upkeep and maintenance of the wider development which presents really well. To honour my parents, in the summer we will be planting a memory garden at the front of our house to thank them, which will blend in nicely with our surroundings.”
Marc Woolfe, head of sales at Barratt North Thames comments: “As a sustainable housebuilder we try to create homes where nature and people can thrive together, but we also think sustainable in terms of energy efficiency for our clients. Our guaranteed EPC ratings of A or B at Clipstone Park means buyers can get a bit more for their money when buying a home as they will be saving on energy bills each month. We welcome all types of buyers at our developments and are especially glad when first-time buyers achieve their dreams of home ownership with us after renting for many years. We are glad to see buyers actively making use of our Key Workers Scheme too, and people like Joanna who give back to the community is exactly who it is designed for, who can continue to teach Leighton Buzzard’s budding pianists!”
Clipstone Park is only a 15-minute cycle from Leighton Buzzard Rail Station, from which London Euston can be reached in 30 minutes, whilst Luton is just a 25-minute car journey away. The A4146, A5 and M1 connect residents to other locations across the country. The development will also offer a range of facilities which will include a neighbourhood centre with local shops, new schools, and a doctor’s surgery. The wider consortium of developers at Clipstone Park all have a common goal to reduce their impact on the environment too. Wildlife is prioritised with over 200 trees planted and the introduction of wildflower meadows, hedgehog highways, bird boxes and the inclusion of native plants and hibernacula.
Currently available at Clipstone Park is a selection of three- and four-bedroom homes with prices starting at £385,000 for a three-bedroom house.
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