Martyn Stewart and Emma Harrison were able to keep a close eye on their brand new Redrow home in Fulwood, because they lived across the road from it.
Martyn says: “When we reserved our property at Tabley Green we were also looking for a rental property, and a house became available directly opposite. We could see when it was being worked on and it was nice to watch and see how it progressed – we didn’t need to rely on Redrow for updates! I turned into a nosey neighbour.”
But while the house they were living in temporarily was only a few feet away from their Redrow home at the award-winning development, Martyn adds: “It was a world away. The rented house was a cold, two-bedroom terrace from the 1870s, so leaving that after 12 months for a four-bedroom detached with a double garage was quite a change – and much more preferable!”
After meeting at high school, the couple went on to have other marriages and homes before reuniting and, although they have had rented homes in the past, this is the first house they have bought together. They wanted a property on the outskirts of Preston but with an easy commute into the city centre, along with an open plan design and plenty of external, as well as internal, space.
Martyn, 40, who works in IT for the aerospace industry, has previously opted for older houses and barn conversions which have needed work along the way, but the couple decided to ‘skip the steps and go for the end product’ with a house that fitted how they wanted to live now.
Martyn and Emma, 38, who’s in supply chain logistics for a pathology company, looked at a number of new build developments before friends who’d purchased at Tabley Green invited them to visit, and from the moment they stepped onto the development and into the show homes, they were sold.
Martyn continues: “We’d known Redrow as a builder with a reputation for quality, and there were things we were looking for that we didn’t find elsewhere, like a double garage and a more open plan design.”
Emma adds: “We are on the second phase of Tabley Green with our own access and it feels really private. The houses aren’t on top of one another and there is lots of greenery and a turfed area which makes the development lovely and homely.”
The couple chose the Henley style because of the impressive and welcoming hallway. Emma has already installed a stunning feature pendant light reaching down from the galleried landing of the home they moved into in December. And because, as people who like to entertain, the stunning 36-foot kitchen, hallway and family area that spans the entire width at the rear, was exactly what they wanted.
Martyn says: “We moved in on December 14, and 10 days later we were hosting family for Christmas. We loved the openness of the Henley and the extra space it gave us. We have the separate lounge downstairs, and yet also this kitchen, dining and family area, three spaces that flow together; we liked the scope that gave us. It already feels like home and we move around the house depending on how we are feeling. If we are in a lounging mood and want to sit and watch football we’ll sit in the back in the family area of that open plan space, but if we want to watch TV and relax we’ll go into the lounge.”
The Henley has four generously-designed bedrooms, two with en-suite, as well as a family bathroom. Emma and Martyn have the main front bedroom with the bay window that lets light flood in, and bedroom two is a guest room. The third and fourth bedrooms provide a home office each, although Martyn explains: “We are looking to extend our family so having a four-bedroomed house is future-proofing ourselves so we wouldn’t need to move.”
Among the many advantages of their new home is its energy efficiency. Emma adds: “The house we were renting was so cold and draughty, but this house is so warm and when we have to put the heating on, we can feel it kicking in in about 10 minutes, and it retains the heat.”
The house was fitted with solar panels which the couple can’t wait to take advantage of. Martin continues: “It came with an electric vehicle charging point as standard which has definitely opened up that avenue to us, and the chance to be more environmentally-friendly. Although we had access through our windows before we moved in, the My Redrow online website was really helpful in keeping us up to date with what stage of build we were at, as well as helping us to view and choose upgrades and options, and plan our spend. You know exactly where you are and it’s a great one-stop shop.”
Tabley Green has the benefit of being just four miles from the bustling city centre of Preston with all the bars, restaurants, and amenities that that offers, while also enjoying a supermarket, Post Office and other essentials closer to home.
It has easy access to major road and rail networks, as well as the great outdoors, and Brockholes Nature Reserve is just over 10 minutes away.
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