Peterborough Couple Secure Dream House With Home Exchange

After suffering the heartache of losing out on their dream home once before – when their buyer pulled out at the last minute – Amy and Jonny Abbott were determined not to let it happen for a second time.

Which is why, after falling in love with the four-bedroom detached ‘Aspen’ house type at Bovis Homes’ Hampton Water development in Peterborough, the married couple opted to use the housebuilder’s Home Exchange scheme to guarantee the sale of their old property.

So, instead of having to find a buyer for their three-bedroom home on the other side of the city – and praying that their chain wouldn’t break down – Amy, 30, and Jonny, 38, were able to move into their new house after accepting an offer from Bovis for their old one. Under the scheme, the housebuilder, which is part of Vistry Group, offers customers a fair price based on three independent valuations. By using Home Exchange, buyers can stay in their existing home until their new one is ready, and they don’t have to worry about paying estate agent fees.

Amy, a self-employed consultant conveyancer, said: “We had suffered a lot of heartache struggling to sell our old home. Opting for Home Exchange was a fantastic, stress-free alternative that enabled us to secure our dream house quickly and efficiently.”

After the sale of their home fell through in early 2019, the couple decided to stop actively searching for a new place and took the property off the market, but then in July 2020 Jonny, an area manager for Lifetime Training, spotted a four-bedroom house for sale at Hampton Water while browsing the web.

Amy said: “We had heard great things about the development and the ‘Aspen’ house type ticked every box, so we instantly got excited. We booked an appointment to view the ‘Aspen’ showhome the next day and we immediately fell in love with the house.”

Within three days, the couple had reserved their very own ‘Aspen’ house, priced at £374,995.

“Knowing that we could use Home Exchange to quickly secure this house and, on top of that, save thousands of pounds due to the stamp duty holiday, everything just fell into place”, said Amy.

Having both always lived in and around Peterborough, Amy and Jonny were looking to stay in the area but settle down somewhere quieter. Hampton Water, which is a part of new residential neighbourhood situated between two lakes around five miles south of the city centre, fitted the bill perfectly.

Amy said: “Living at Hampton Water is a whole other ball game; it is beautifully tranquil compared to the busy road we used to live on in Gunthorpe. We take a walk around the lakes most days and are in easy reach of lots of shops, restaurants and a gym, which are all just down the road.”

Since their move in December, Amy and Jonny have been enjoying the additional space which the ‘Aspen’ affords.

Amy said: “Jonny and I are both working from home at the minute, so having the extra space has been really beneficial. In our last home, Jonny had to work in the kitchen, but here we both get our own study rooms.

“My favourite part of the house has to be the kitchen. It really is the dream: open-plan, south-facing, spacious, and even has bi-folding doors. I also love the huge garden. Hopefully in the summer we can put it to great use and have all our friends and family over to enjoy it.

“We think this home was originally reserved but then came back on the market, so we feel very lucky to have secured it. When I look back almost two years to the heartache of losing the house we made an offer on, it was all a blessing in hindsight. We know now that it wasn’t really our dream home after all!”

There is currently a selection of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes for sale at Hampton Water, with prices starting from £184,995.

Find out more about current Bovis Homes developments.

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