A First Home For London Couple Thanks To Help to Buy

Adrian Christian (30) and Shali Motichande (28) moved into their one-bedroom home at Berkeley’s The Green Quarter in Southall earlier this year, having bought their home for £370,000 using the Help to Buy scheme.

Shali works in sales and lettings, and Adrian is employed at River Island’s head office. The couple were both first-time buyers and were initially nervous about purchasing their home.

“Previously we had rented and then we went to live in Shali’s parents’ house to save some money,” explained Adrian. “I must admit I was quite daunted by the sums of money being mentioned and the idea of mortgages – I thought it would be really complex and serious.”

“We weren’t that impressed with the first development we visited, but then we saw The Green Quarter and were blown away,” said Shali. “Working in property I was familiar with Berkeley, of course. I know it stands for quality, big investment and all the bells and whistles, but I was also struck by how friendly and supportive the sales team were.”

“The customer service was worlds apart to the other developers we met,” adds Adrian. “It genuinely felt like we were speaking to a family member. We could, and still can, call them whenever we had a question and I trusted them completely. It really helped me get excited about moving and it made everything very smooth. It was so great that we actually bought the sales team a box of cupcakes as a thank you.”

Shali says that “compared to other developers it was all a lot less pressured – in fact we’re still getting messages from some of the ones we first went to. Berkeley gave us some space and time to think, which was really important to me because I didn’t want to be pushed.”

The couple grew up in west London and have close family in the area. “Transport connections were a big thing for us,” said Adrian. “Not just because we wanted to have an easy route to both of our jobs in Wembley; we also have family nearby and want to be able to see them easily. Southall station is only a few minutes’ walk away and with the new Elizabeth line about to open, it’ll be a really quick journey to Ealing Broadway, where both of our parents live. The links are absolutely perfect.”

The transport connections weren’t the only aspects that impressed the couple; they were also immediately drawn to the quality of the homes. “I work in property,” said Shali, “and have seen all sorts of apartments and houses – when we went to view the show apartment I was amazed at the high standard. They had impressive brands such as Roca and were really well designed. The attention to detail is amazing and we’re constantly finding new perks and gadgets in our home. For instance, there’s a lock that keeps the balcony door open, when otherwise it might close on windy days. I know other new homes don’t have little touches like that.”

Adrian and Shali’s one-bedroom home looks out over a courtyard at the development. “It’s a nice view and it’s actually really peaceful,” said Adrian. “It also seems very secure and secluded,” adds Shali, “almost like a city within a city”.

Easy access to green space was a must have for Shali and Adrian – The Green Quarter’s first park Central Gardens, which will be 4.5 acres once completed, opened in summer 2021. “It’s amazing, the first thing you see when you go into the Berkeley marketing suite is the model of the development. It really gives you a feel for what the place will be.”

“It was great to see so much greenery,” said Adrian. “I’ve always had a space to kick a football outside with friends which is something that is really important to me and could have been a problem moving from a house to a flat. But because there is so much green space, it wasn’t an issue at all.”

“In the back of our minds was: what if there’s another pandemic?” said Shali. “We need to have a park where we can walk and be active. Green space has certainly become more important for us and I’m looking forward to the other new parks and wetlands that will be coming to the development.”

“There are some great bike routes along the Grand Union Canal nearby. Those and the resident amenities, like the gym and swimming pool, were a big selling point for us as well,” commented Adrian. “They sound amazing and on a really big scale also – I can’t wait for them to open.”

The first resident amenities at The Green Quarter are scheduled to be launched in early 2022.

“We’ve already met a few of the neighbours and everyone is really friendly,” said Shali. “When we were looking at other developments during our property search, we were really keen that we join a new community that is also connected to the outside world. There’s already a really positive vibe at The Green Quarter and I can’t wait to get to know more of our neighbours at the summer events Berkeley has planned.”

Homes at The Green Quarter are available from £297,500 for a studio and from £462,500 for a two-bedroom apartment – both can be purchased using the Help to Buy scheme. Three-bedroom apartments are available from £642,500. Find out more from Berkeley Homes.

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