The properties at Cala Homes' Beaulieu are situated on land which once formed part of the grand New Hall estate. Lived in by several royals, the stately home was bought and re-named the Palace of Beaulieu, French for “beautiful place”, by Henry VIII, when he was 25.
Today, Cala’s 145 properties on the wider 604-acre development offer a choice of 72 one- and two-bedroom apartments and 73 three- and four-bedroom homes, ranging in size from 547 sq. ft to 2,317 sq. ft.
In addition to Beaulieu’s beautiful surroundings, the new district will boast its very own train station. Expected to open in 2025/26, Beaulieu Park Station will be the first to be built on the Great Eastern main line for over 100 years, connecting homes into London in just 40 minutes and beyond.
Ellyanne and Russell believe this could make their decision to move to Beaulieu a savvy one. With estimates showing house prices can increase by up to 10% for properties near a train station, the couple believe the ease of access into London will prove fruitful in just a few years.
The couple also longed for a change to greener surroundings after feeling cooped up in their old property during successive lockdowns and wanted to upsize to accommodate their growing family.
Ellyanne says: “We moved onto the development in January from our old village, about 15 minutes from Beaulieu. When we bought our last house seven years ago, it was just us and our son. However, within a few years, we also had the arrival of our daughter, and we hoped to move out into a bigger home to accommodate our growing family. As with most people, Covid got in the way of our five-year plan. Working from home during Covid with the kids, we were longing for space; somewhere where we could live comfortably and work from home, without feeling constricted. So, we ‘leapfrogged’ our initial plans for that middle property, and moved from a small three-bed terrace to a spacious four-bedroom home.”
The couple purchased Cala’s four-bedroom Langford, a three-storey end-terrace home with dedicated study and drive-through carport.
Ellyanne continues: “We wanted to be out in the sticks, and had plans to move to Saffron Walden, but the waiting list for schools was a nightmare. Even the Essex schooling officer warned us to steer clear. As the children will soon be approaching secondary school age, we heard good things about the schools in Beaulieu’s catchment, so we decided to investigate further.
“When we walked into Cala’s sales office at Beaulieu, James and Louise, on the sales team, were incredibly supportive from the start. I work in purchasing, and we're both usually quite sceptical when it comes to sales offices, but they were excellent. Everything was a discussion, and nothing was off the table. Other developers we saw at the time were incredibly inflexible and we felt like a burden, but nothing was out of the question for Cala’s team.”
Russell adds: “We put our house on the market in October, but we were shocked that it sold within a fortnight, so we were frantically looking for a place. We visited Beaulieu in early November and really fell for the development. The property we’re in now actually became available quite unexpectedly. James flagged it with us immediately and we just had to snap it up. A week before Christmas, Cala’s sales director stepped in to help speed up the process and bought our old house through Part Exchange and then sold it onto our prospective buyers. Cala even granted a license for us to stay in the house over Christmas, which meant we didn’t have the stress of moving over the festive period.”
Ellyanne continues: “By using Part Exchange, we avoided being stuck in a lengthy chain in the sale process, which can often become a huge problem should a buyer pull out along the chain. Buying new also removed the headache of competing on bids – we've seen several homes on the second-hand market go to bidders well over the asking price. The benefit of buying new is you know what you’re getting, when you’re getting it, and at a fixed price.”
Russell concludes: “We both work from home regularly, so it’s been excellent to have the extra space and the dedicated study. We really did fall in love with the additional space - everyone says our family room is the heart of the home. We‘ve got an eight-seater table under the sky light to entertain guests and to enjoy family mealtimes and we’ve got a sofa in there for the kids to chill on after school when we’re cooking. Outside, Beaulieu really is self-contained as a development, with a good range of shops and eateries. Channels Bar & Brasserie is a particular favourite of ours, as it’s a lovely walk there and the food is superb.
“The kids love the outside space, too - it’s scattered with parks throughout for them to enjoy. We’re all looking forward to spending a good deal of time outside walking, playing and enjoying the green spaces as spring and summer approach this year.”
Although set within beautiful countryside surroundings, Beaulieu is situated close to Chelmsford city centre’s amenities, shops, services and schools.
Beaulieu is a complete community in its own right, which includes the neighbourhood centre with local shops, a dentist, vet, coffee shop, food outlets, health services, a day nursery, education and community centres. The location makes it ideal for those starting out on the property ladder, looking for great schools and a greener environment for a growing family, or searching for the ideal base for commuting.
Prices for three-bedroom homes start at £599,950, and four-bedroom homes from £664,950. The soon-to-be released one- and two-bedroom apartments will start at £299,950.
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