Couple Swap Traffic Noise For Sound Of Birdsong

Tom and Catherine Pratt have swapped the noise of traffic for the sound of birdsong after moving to a new house in Hartshorne, Derbyshire.

The couple found their dream home at Bellway’s Woodland Rise development in the village after deciding to leave their old house in Burton-on-Trent for the quiet life.

“We had been living in a new build three-storey, four-bedroom house but it just did not work for us,” said Tom, a 35-year-old operations manager for Boots. “One of the worst things about living there was the constant noise of the traffic on the A38.

“Now, one of the nicest things about our home is that we live in a cul de sac and it is so quiet that all you can hear most of the time is the sound of the birds. The only passing traffic is the occasional neighbour popping off to the supermarket. It is a world away from our old house and we love it.”

Once Tom and Catherine, a 35-year-old pharmacy technician, decided to move they wanted it all to happen as quickly as possible so they used Bellway’s Express Mover scheme. Under the Express Mover initiative, Bellway liaises with a local estate agent to agree a valuation for the customer’s existing home and find a buyer quickly. Bellway pays the agent’s fees and works with them until the sale is completed.

“We spoke to Julie in the sales team at the development and she was amazing,” said Tom. “She recommended that we should use the Express Mover scheme to speed up the sale of our house so that we could secure the new house at Woodland Rise. By that time, we had seen a ‘Goldsmith’ house – a four-bedroom detached house – and we had set our hearts on that. Having Julie on our side and Bellway chasing the estate agents we knew we were doing as much as we could to get the house of our dreams – and we did.

“The Express Mover scheme was a simple process made simpler by Julie and her dedication and professionalism.”

Tom and Catherine and their pet cat Bandit moved into their new home in June.

“Because Bellway paid the estate agent’s fees we saved about £3,500 and we have used more than half of that to get two new patios laid in our back garden so we have areas where we can sit in the sun and relax,” said Tom. “The garden catches the sun for most of the day and we have had a couple of summer parties already and everyone loves the large outdoor space we have got.

“But our favourite part of the house – and the one that most of our friends and family compliment us on – is the huge kitchen/diner which encompasses the whole of the width of the back of the house. We adore it because it is where everyone gets together to sit and chat. It’s true that the kitchen is the real heart of the house.”

Tom is still commuting to work from their new home, but Catherine is now working from home.

“Catherine now works from home in an office in one of the back bedrooms and she is delighted to be able do so”, said Tom. “I drive home every day with a smile on my face. I can’t wait to get home to chat to Catherine in our gorgeous kitchen.

“We are constantly pinching ourselves because we can’t believe this lovely house is actually our home. We have a private joke between us that it is all a dream and one day Julie will come along and say: ‘Come on guys, the joke’s over. This is not your house, it’s time to move out’. But it really is ours. The house ticks every single box – large kitchen/diner, separate lounge, separate garage, large garden, large bedrooms - and to cap it all, we are closer to family and friends.”

The couple purchased the four-bedroom house for £345,000 with a £70,000 deposit, leaving them with monthly mortgage repayments of £1,100.

Tom and Catherine said they had nothing but praise for the Bellway team.

 “Julie was incredible,” said Tom. “She put us at ease, kept us informed every step of the way and nothing was too much trouble for her. Now that we have moved in we see her on the site and we still chat.”

There’s currently a selection of three- and four-bedroom homes available at Woodland Rise with prices starting at £247,500. Find out more at bellway.co.uk.

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