From family bungalow to stunning penthouse apartment 

The brand new Abbey Gardens development has been cleverly designed and built on the site of a family bungalow - and the former owners are so pleased with the result they are moving back in.

Jun Kim Tan and Yvonne Suk Wan Tan have owned their family home and previous bungalow on London Road since the early 1990s. Over the years, they have been approached by many developers but decided to go with CALA Homes in 2014. Planning permission was agreed in February 2015 for the attractive Arts and Crafts inspired building housing 11 apartments.

Yok Siew Tan, their eldest son, has overseen the process and is delighted with the results: “The bungalow has been our family home for over 20 years. Before that we lived in a much smaller three bed house on the other side of St Albans, but when my maternal grandfather became ill overseas we moved to a bigger home so we would be able to look after him and our grandmother. It’s an integral part of Chinese culture to look after your elders and loved ones.

“My mother and father had been approached many times to sell the land for development but had never taken the plunge. After a major illness within the family, my parents decided to look seriously at the various offers they had accrued over the years. Thankfully, due to my business background and experience in property development, I was able to help my mother and father navigate through the process and have really enjoyed working with CALA Homes.

“The result is an absolute triumph. The Abbey Gardens apartment building really suits the London Road position and fits in well with the existing architecture. I am really pleased to have chosen CALA Homes – so pleased in fact that we have purchased two properties in the Abbey Gardens development. I have an apartment, but as my mum is the matriarch of the family, of course she deserves the penthouse!”

Abbey Gardens is a spectacular development comprising 11 luxury two-bedroom apartments located just over a mile from the desirable city centre of St Albans. Ranging from 858 – 2,135 sq ft, the exclusive homes each benefit from a light, contemporary open plan living space as well as a private outside space in the form of a patio or terrace.

St Albans is an historic city with a bustling and vibrant centre offering a great selection of restaurants, shops and cafes. Situated just 19 miles outside the capital, it is also a prime, commuter-belt location. St Albans City station is a mile away from the development providing regular trains to London St Pancras International in around 17 minutes and London Blackfriars in around 29 minutes. The M25, M1 and A1 are all nearby, and for global getaways, London Luton Airport is under 12 miles and Heathrow just over 26 miles away.

Find out more about Abbey Gardens from CALA Homes