New Parents Becky and Jack Feel the Benefits of a New Home in Lockdown

Being in a brand-new house has made life in lockdown much easier to bear for new parents Becky Chappell and Jack Armond, whose first child was born just two weeks after the shutdown was imposed.

With a baby on the way, the couple decided last year that it was time to leave their old two-bedroom house in Great Barford, near Bedford, and move to a bigger home.

After looking in various village locations in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire, they found the perfect property at Linden Homes’ Brampton Park development in Brampton, near Huntingdon, and moved into their new three-storey, four-bedroom, semi-detached house in December.

Although they didn’t realise it then, the timing of the move would prove to be ideal in more ways than one, as it meant the couple were already settled in their new – and much more spacious – home when the country went into lockdown. And with one extra member of the family to accommodate – daughter Penelope was born on 5 April at Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon – the extra space has been a godsend for the couple, especially with Jack working from home because of the lockdown restrictions.

Becky said: “The lockdown has been tough as we haven’t been able to see our families but it has meant we’ve been able to spend more time together enjoying our new home and being with our baby. Having the extra space has made a massive difference. Storage was a big factor when we were deciding what to buy and we have more than double what we had before. It would have been a bit tight if we were still in our old place. Jack would probably have had to work from the kitchen-diner which wouldn’t have been ideal. Having four bedrooms means we’ve been able to turn one of them into an office so that’s worked out really well.”

Modern design and convenience were two of the main reasons why Becky, 28, and Jack, 33, wanted a new home and they said Brampton Park had everything they were looking for.

Becky said: “We were always going to buy a new-build because we like the design of them and we wanted to live on a new estate which is family-friendly. Plus, we didn’t want to move into a home that needed renovating.

“Brampton Park gave off a really good vibe. It has nearby park areas giving the development a lovely family feel, which was very important to us with a baby on the way. We’d heard about the development as it’s the old converted RAF Brampton Wyton Henlow base, so we decided one day to drive by and take a look. We loved the look of the homes at the site, so we booked an appointment to see the house type we wanted.

“There is lots of open space and well-preserved trees - it’s a really pretty place. After doing some research, we found out the schools in the area were really good too.”

Excellent road links were also a factor in the couple’s decision to buy at Brampton Park. The development is just minutes away from the A1, making it ideal for commuting – when not in lockdown, Becky works in e-commerce in St Neots and Jack works in London for a renewable energy company. It’s also handy for visiting family – Becky’s parents live 20 miles up the A1 in Peterborough, while Jack’s are a 30-minute drive south in Sandy.

The couple chose the three-storey, four-bedroom ‘Pilsgate’ house type, which has an open-plan kitchen, dining and family area on the ground floor, a separate living room and master bedroom with en suite on the first floor, and three bedrooms plus a family bathroom on the second floor.

Becky said: “We love our new home. Our favourite room is the open-plan kitchen and family room as it’s very spacious and nicely decorated.

“We’ve had a great experience buying with Linden Homes and would definitely recommend them to a friend.”

Linden Homes, which is part of the newly formed Vistry Group, currently has a range of four and five-bedroom homes for sale at Brampton Park, with prices starting from £395,000.

Find out more at lindenhomes.co.uk.

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