Dream Home In Winchester For First-Time Buyer

Signalling the start of a new chapter in her life, Selin Kaya, 24, an executive assistant, moved into her dream first-floor apartment at Knights Quarter, a luxury development in Winchester by Berkeley at the end of October. 

Selin says: “Since I went straight into work at 18, I never got to experience living on my own like my siblings did when they went to university. Though I have loved living at home with my family, there really isn’t much to do in the town I lived in the New Forest so I was definitely ready for a change – especially after lockdown which did make me go a bit stir-crazy. However, saying that, I was lucky enough to be able to work from home throughout the pandemic, so as I wasn’t spending money on going out with my friends, holidays, or anything fun, I started to save like I never have been able to before.

“At 24 I never imagined I would be in a position to buy my own home. When I started saving, I assumed I would put the money towards a new car or something similar, but after years of hard work, and a generous bonus from my company, a deposit for an apartment suddenly became very feasible.”

Managing to put down an impressive £120,000 deposit on a stunning one-bedroom apartment at Knights Quarter from WhatHouse? Award-winning developer Berkeley, Selin now lives minutes from the heart of bustling Winchester which makes her commute to work a breeze, working for a project management business in the town. 

She continues: “One of the main reasons I decided that I had to move was due to my lengthy commute to work. When I was living with my parents it took me over an hour each way on the train, so I felt like I couldn’t enjoy my evenings. I was either rushing to get the last train home after socialising with my work friends, or I was exhausted after commuting back to the New Forest and too tired to enjoy going out with my friends back at home - not to mention that commuting has become extraordinarily expensive as train fares have risen and seem to continue to do so. It was actually one of my colleagues at work who recommended Knights Quarter as she had recently moved into an apartment in the Shared Ownership section of the development, and couldn’t recommend it highly enough. The fact that it was only a five-minute walk to work was an incentive enough to make me go view one of the show homes.”

“The show home was delightful - I would go so far as to say it was love at first sight. The layout and specifications were exactly as advertised in the brochures, and I could immediately imagine myself living there. With floor-to-ceiling windows and a Juliet balcony overlooking the communal garden area, the apartment I chose was light and airy, whilst also feeling cosy; it was not too small, or too big - it was just the perfect size for me. One of the things I have enjoyed most about my new place is the access to the gym on the floor below me - it is definitely an incentive for me to go more as it is so close! Since most of my furniture has now arrived, I can’t wait to invite more of my friends and family around to show off my amazing new place – it is a dream come true.”

Speaking about her buying experience, Selin comments: “As a first-time buyer, I was quite panicky going into the whole process of purchasing an apartment as it is very easy to become overwhelmed with all the different aspects that needed to happen. However, all the staff at Berkeley were so helpful and very patiently explained every step in great detail and responded to every email I sent, which must have been hundreds! They made a daunting process very easy and smooth which I am so grateful for. Since parts of the development were still being built when I went on my first visit, I knew that it would be a bit of a wait until I was able to move in, which I knew would be hard as I was so excited. Putting in my application in March, I was told it would be December for moving in, but I had a lovely surprise when I got the email saying this had been brought forward to the end of October! If you are looking for a beautiful new home that is fully equipped to move into, I can’t recommend buying with Berkeley enough.”

Knights Quarter currently has a collection of two-bedroom apartments, and four- and five-bedroom townhouses. Prices for the two-bedroom apartments start from £425,000.

View more developments currently available from Berkeley

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