Posted 14 September 2022 by
Helen ChristieAfter several years of casual searching and struggling to decide on their ideal location, 22-year-old legal secretary Georgia Clark and her partner, 25-year-old Adnan Ako, a construction site manager, eventually found their perfect first home at Countryside’s award-winning development Rochester Riverside in Kent.
The pair had visited Rochester Riverside a couple of years prior and were very impressed with the development and the amenities already delivered and planned, but decided they weren’t in a position to move at that point. When they finally felt the time was right, they didn’t think twice about booking a follow-up visit. Rochester Riverside seemed like the perfect middle ground for both Georgia and Adnan, currently living with their families in Hoo in Rochester and Dagenham in Essex, respectively.
Being within easy reach of London where both Georgia and Adnan work, Rochester seemed like an excellent option for the couple, while being sufficiently close to their respective families’ homes.
Georgia explains: “When we finally came to Rochester the second time round, I don’t think we could find anything we weren’t completely happy with. We were really impressed with how much the development had progressed since our previous visit”.
During the follow-up visit, Georgia and Adnan initially looked at houses on offer, but the spacious layout of the apartments at Rochester Riverside led them to change their mind. “We were originally looking at houses, but the show apartment at Rochester Riverside felt so spacious yet also homely, which made us realise that we didn’t actually need a house. I don’t feel like we have made a compromise on the size by choosing an apartment.”
Having witnessed the quality and speed of Countryside’s work first-hand, the couple decided to buy an apartment off-plan. “We knew from previous experience that new build properties are often snatched up quickly, so we decided that reserving off-plan would be the best decision for us”, said Georgia.
“Rochester Riverside had come a long way since our first visit just a couple of years ago, so we were confident when buying off-plan with Countryside. It was a great experience, as we were able to reserve our home ahead of the rush”.
Buying off-plan has a range of benefits – with new homes in the UK getting snapped up in an instant, buyers are able to get ahead of the queue and avoid disappointment in a highly competitive and fast-moving market. Reserving a home off-plan means purchasers get to choose from a wider range of properties, with the floorplan and view to suit their individual needs and taste, and in some cases, they can even choose their preferred finishes. “Buying our apartment off-plan has allowed us some time to save some more, and also meant we could buy things over several months rather than having to do everything all at once”, explains Georgia.
The couple were thrilled to realise that the Help to Buy scheme was available on a number of homes at Rochester Riverside, and, like many first-time buyers, they needed some guidance on the scheme. Luckily, Countryside’s sales team came to the rescue: “They have been great throughout the whole process, always on hand to answer any queries and very efficient which made such a difference for us”.
The couple have purchased a two-bedroom ground floor apartment with a terrace, surrounded by plenty of local amenities, including shops, restaurants, cafes, and just a three-minute walk from Rochester train station, running frequent train services into London St Pancras.
With Georgia’s office in central London, and Adnan being based in and around the capital, convenient transport links into the capital were a top consideration for the pair, so Rochester fitted the bill perfectly, with trains into London taking just under 40 minutes.
Georgia adds: “What really did it for us was that it has great transport links into London as well as plenty of interesting things to do locally. The surrounding towns of Strood and Chatham are both lovely and there’s loads to do there too. The development is lovely and usually being that close to a train station, you have to compromise on the noise, but we found that Rochester Riverside is very well insulated.”
Georgia and Adnan are now counting down the days until they move into their new apartment in September and start life in their first home together. “Because we knew we had a little while until we move in, the buying process was a lot less stressful. Buying off-plan is definitely worth it if you’re not in a rush, and Countryside has been good at giving updates throughout the build process”, adds Georgia. “We have friends and family living close by, and we can’t wait to be able to host them for drinks and dinners – our new home is the perfect space to do so.”
Prices at Rochester Riverside’s new phase Parkside Quarter start from £250,000 for a one-bedroom apartment with Help to Buy available.
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