Kent has long been a popular choice as a place to live for its range of appeal, with coast, countryside and thriving towns, and its exceptional connectivity by road and public transport, always attracting many different types of buyer.
Some recent buyers share their personal reasons for purchasing at new homes developments across the county.
Jeyhan and Charlotte
Jeyhan D’jemal (36) and his fiancée Charlotte Tomkins (34) decided to make the move from their two-bedroom house in Ebbsfleet, which they has purchased a few years ago, to rural Staplehurst, to a band new four-bedroom family home at David Wilson Homes’ Dickens Gate development.
Jeyhan, who works as a group media director, commented: “While it was convenient living in Ebbsfleet, there was so much missing for us, particularly the outdoor space and tranquillity we wanted to raise a family. During the various lockdowns last year, we had a massive change of perspective and realised how desperately we wanted to be in the countryside. We went for drives through Kent to explore different rural areas – we stumbled across Staplehurst by chance and fell in love with it.
“We had a four- to five-year plan and knew we would move to the countryside eventually, but the pandemic accelerated this and we decided to just go for it. We were able to use Help to Buy and the Stamp Duty holiday which opened up opportunities for us to upsize into a really spacious home – without this combination we couldn’t have moved into a large home so soon. Now we have a future-proofed home that is suitable for children and can accommodate an office.”
Jeyhan added: “Living within an hour from London was essential for us. The world is still navigating things post-pandemic, but I’m confident that life will go back to normal in the future and travel into the capital will be essential for me, even if only on a part-time basis. Staplehurst is only around an hour from Charring Cross so it’s an ideal commute.
“The development is still a couple of years away from completion, but we can envision the final product and we’re really excited. There is a lot of green open space planned as well as play areas and allotments, which was a big factor in us deciding to move. Staplehurst itself is beautiful, and the local area really sold the dream to us. It has everything we need including shops, schools and the train station, but still feels very secluded.”
Currently available at Dickens Gate is a collection of three- and four-bedroom homes. Prices start from £382,995 for a three-bedroom semi-detached family home. Find out more from David Wilson Homes.
Laura and Matthew
Moving closer to family, Laura (52) and her landscape gardener husband Matthew May (49) decided to take the plunge and take on a new garden project when they purchased the final four-bedroom detached house at Barratt Homes’ Aylesham Village, near Canterbury, attracted by the property’s large lounge and kitchen, both of which have French double doors leading into the spacious walled garden.
Laura commented: “A big garden for us was an absolute must. Matthew is a landscape gardener and he couldn’t wait to get stuck in and create the perfect space for us ahead of the arrival of the warmer weather. A new build garden is a complete blank slate which meant that we had the opportunity to really make the space our own – now we have room to entertain and relax outside!”
Matthew has since installed a large Indian sandstone patio area, planting borders, a green house, and will be installing a spacious summer house in the garden. Having spent six months living with Matthew’s parents prior to moving in, the couple are looking forward to returning the favour and hosting both of their families as the weather begins to warm up.
Laura added: “We are both very family oriented and we wanted to make sure that there was enough space for our children to have their own rooms when they are able to come and stay. Matthew’s parents moved to Aylesham recently too, and now that restrictions have started to lift we’re able to get together more often and the garden is the perfect place to do that.”
Laura and Matthew have settled into life at Aylesham Village and are enjoying having access to the surrounding countryside, and often go cycling or out on walks. The couple are also looking to support local charity BeChange’s allotment project.
Laura adds: “There is so much green space here! Not only do we have our lovely garden, but the countryside is right on our doorstep, so we’re always out exploring. We were thinking about getting puppy which Matthew can take to work, and a friend lets us borrow their dog for walks which we absolutely love. It’s a great compromise as it means I can keep my brand new carpets free from muddy paw prints!”
The next phase at Aylesham Village will be released soon. Find out more about current Barratt Homes developments in Kent.
Alfonso and Marcela
Alfonso Enciso and Marcela Castro knew exactly what they wanted from their new home – a safe, quiet and spacious environment in which to raise their 22-month-old daughter Mariana. In the face of the pandemic, they chose to leave London and re-located to Fernham Homes’ Boughton Park development in historic Boughton Monchelsea.
“When we came to see the house for the first time, we liked the green spaces and the village itself and immediately fell in love with the surroundings,” recalled Alfonso, 42, who works as a web developer. He and Marcela, a 32-year-old graphic designer, were living in their first home in Lewisham, but with Mariana now toddling around and recent lockdowns highlighting the lack of space, they were keen to leave the city behind.
“Living in London has some advantages, but it is definitively noisy, and we wanted to move somewhere quiet and a little bit further from the centre of town,” explained Alfonso. With both successfully working remotely, looking further afield was straightforward, and with nearby Maidstone station offering services to London St Pancras in 51 minutes and London Victoria in just over an hour, commuting was still perfectly possible from a more rural location.
With a little financial help through the Stamp Duty holiday, the couple chose the five-bedroom, detached ‘Greenacres’ house type which comes with its own garage and two sets of French doors leading into the enclosed rear garden. “We needed a bigger place to raise our little one, and we liked the open plan spaces, kitchen, living room, bathrooms and garden. We liked pretty much everything!”
Afew weeks after moving in, the couple are delighted with their home and their new surroundings. “We like how it feels like a small community when entering the development,” said Alfonso. “There are some parks around we've been to which are great. We feel more relaxed now that we have more space.”
All homes at Boughton Park are now reserved, but there is still availability at Downsview development in nearby Westerham, with prices currently starting from £695,000. Find out more at www.fernham-homes.co.uk.
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