Couple Find City/Countryside Combination In Enfield

When buying a home, couples and families can often have very different views of what is most important. Used to living in the country, Alex favoured a countryside setting while the priority for his partner, Claire, was excellent public transport links to travel to work in central London and meet up with family and friends.

Luckily, Alex and Claire, both 26, did not have to compromise when they bought an apartment at Trent Park in Enfield, north London, which delivers on both counts. This flagship development by Berkeley enjoys an amazing parkland setting, with more than 400 acres of beautiful woodland, lakes and water gardens, yet it is close to two underground stations and less than half an hour by Tube to central London.

Alex, who works in recruitment, commented: “I’ve always lived in the country while Claire and her family come from Southgate and she’s used to city living. Trent Park brings the two lifestyles together brilliantly, so we can enjoy the best of both. It’s very rare to find a development on the outskirts of London with so much open space and yet so accessible to central London.”

Alex and Claire first became aware of Trent Park two years ago, when they drove past the advertising hoardings. When they started house-hunting, they were happy to discover that London Help to Buy was available on some of the apartments, bringing them within their financial reach. Visiting Trent Park after the first lockdown lifted in June 2020, they reserved a one-bedroom apartment with a balcony.

Alex added: “We looked at another development in Hertfordshire, but it didn’t compare to Trent Park. Using Help to Buy made a big difference and made the apartment affordable for us. We paid the 5% deposit from savings, applied for the government’s 40% equity loan and took out a mortgage for the balance.”

Claire commented: “We’d been living apart during lockdown – Alex was with his family in Hertfordshire, while I was with my parents in Southgate, studying for a Master’s at UCL. This made buying our first home, and moving in together, even more special.”

Alex and Claire’s apartment is on the first floor of the four-storey Highfield House. From their home, there are lovely views across a daffodil lawn and beyond to a magnificent Grade II listed mansion, which is being restored to its former glory externally and converted into apartments.

Now moved in and settled, they are very impressed with the quality of their home. Alex says: “The finish is brilliant. There are big heavy internal doors and high ceilings which makes it feel even more spacious; everything is finished perfectly. We looked at other new builds, but the quality of the finish was nowhere near as good as ours.”

Alex works in Cockfosters and walks through the park to his office. Claire is an executive assistant for an environmental NGO in central London, although she currently works from home.

For trips into central London, the couple can catch the residents’ shuttle bus to Oakwood Underground station, less than a mile away, and be in King’s Cross in less than 30 minutes. Oakwood station is on the Piccadilly line and the 24-hour service at weekends means that they can stay out late without the expense of a taxi to get home.

The couple plan to take full advantage of their beautiful surroundings. Claire commented: “It’s great to be able to get outside during the day while I’m working from home. We both enjoy going for walks and with so much nature around us there are masses of areas to explore at weekends.”

In their spare time, Claire and Alex can use the exclusive residents’ leisure facilities at Trent Park, including an open-air heated swimming pool, state-of-the art gym and outdoor tennis courts. “It’s handy to have these facilities on site, so we can work out in the gym or take a quick dip in the pool before or after work, without travelling far,” added Alex.

Claire concluded: “Trent Park is really special. I can’t believe how lucky we are to own a home here. We can enjoy the hustle and bustle of London living and have peaceful surroundings to go home to – it’s perfect for us.”

Prices at Trent Park start from £565,000 for a one-bedroom apartment in Lyon House, with Help to Buy available. Find out more from Berkeley.

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