First-Time Buyer Couple’s Snap Decision At Nottinghamshire Development

A Nottinghamshire couple defied their own expectations with an unexpected twist in their journey to homeownership at Barratt Homes’ Stonebridge Fields in Market Warsop.

Stephen Hinde (35) and Sarah Horne (34) initially planned to purchase a home by the summer of 2025, but transformed their criteria to buy a property much sooner than anticipated.

Their initial criteria, including a preference for an older home, a detached house, and hesitancy about settling in Market Warsop, took a complete 180-degree turn. Contrary to their original intentions, the couple opted for a new semi-detached property at the Stonebridge Fields development on Stonebridge Lane, and embraced the spontaneity of their homebuying journey.

Stephen said: “It was a complete surprise to get on the property ladder so soon, as my wife and I were renting a three-bedroom property just half-a-mile away and weren't ready to buy our first home yet. After exploring show homes at different developments for fun, when we looked around a show home at Stonebridge Fields, we fell in love with the properties by Barratt Homes.”

The couple's choice was significantly influenced by Barratt Homes’ ability to present them with the three-bedroom ‘Kingsville’ style home that aligned with their evolving preferences.

“The sales adviser at the development, Tom, listened to our needs and said he had the perfect house for us, which we assumed to be sales patter. How wrong we were! Tom literally had the perfect home for us.

“After taking a short drive to a nearby development to see the recommended house as a show home, despite telling Tom we wouldn't be doing this, we reserved as quickly as we could. Tom explained that while we thought buying right now was not possible, it could be possible, and put us in touch with one of Barratt Homes’ recommended mortgage advisers – this all resulted in a mortgage offer!”

The financial aspect played a crucial role for the couple, as they had initially planned to put down at least 10% as a down payment but only had 5% saved at the time of visiting the Stonebridge Fields sales centre. Barratt Homes facilitated the couple’s homeownership dream with a deposit contribution offer – a lifeline that bridged the gap between their savings and the desired deposit. The financial package included a 5% deposit contribution from Barratt Homes, coupled with the couple’s savings, which comprised of a Lifetime ISA.

Stephen added: “Our rent payments were low considering what we had, so we were able to match our rental payments with a contribution to our Lifetime ISAs. Being able to pay rent and the same amount in savings meant we weren’t too scared when we looked at mortgage illustrations because we knew we could afford it.”

As for the benefits of their new house, the couple have expressed nothing but admiration for the conversion into a brand new home, despite their original plan.

Stephen said: “We love the fact that we’ve got a completely blank canvas to use when we start decorating – and in the meantime the whitewash walls are fine. We don’t have to live in a space decorated to the tastes of previous owners. Everything about the insulation is so much better than where we were before – even the windows. We also now have an en suite bathroom, which we love. We weren’t too far on foot from countryside and woodland before, but here we’re even closer. The internet set up is fantastic because it comes to one central point in the home and can be distributed to ports in other rooms, which is brilliant.”

The three-storey layout to the home has also proven to be very convenient for the homeowners. Stephen added: “Although we technically have a three-bedroom home, we have the option to create four bedrooms as there are two living rooms – one on the ground floor and one on the first floor. I work in home-based marketing role, and seeing that Barratt Homes consider homeworkers made us feel more attached to the company as a developer. The office space at the front of the property is perfect!”

As for Market Warsop itself, the couple are happy with their decision to remain in the area.

Stephen said: “Our neighbours are lovely. There’s a good mix of people from couples to families with children of different ages, and we’ve even spotted a few other dogs on the development too! Market Warsop itself is a friendly place, to the extent of it being unusual if someone doesn’t say hello in passing – not like other areas we’ve lived where everyone keeps their heads down.”

Find out more about Stonebridge Fields from Barratt Homes.

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