Family Gets Back On The Property Ladder In Saffron Walden

A couple believe that destiny played a part in helping them buy their dream home after they suffered a series of setbacks.

David and Stephanie Bovis, who are married with three children, had found their ‘perfect property’ at Vistry Group’s Saffron View location in Saffron Walden after five difficult years which included the death of David’s mum.

But the pair thought they had lost the chance to purchase the three-bedroom ‘Elmdon’ at the development, where Vistry is building under its Linden Homes brand, after they couldn’t quite find the finances to secure the deal. However, out of their sadness came joy as the sale of David’s mum’s house gave them the deposit they needed to secure the new home for their family.

David, a 52-year-old founder of the consulting company Duxinaroe, said: “It was horrendous to lose mum after the years of hell we had gone through. The family decided to sell her house and the money from that proved to be our salvation.”

“I can’t think of a better way to use the money from the sale of her house than to use it to help us buy a new family home. We thought we had lost the ‘Elmdon’ forever then we were unable to secure it. Hearing it was back on the market the day after Mum’s money arrived, made it feel like it was really meant to be. I know mum would approve of it all.”

The couple had battled back after David lost his job five days before Christmas in 2017 and spent a year without work. The situation forced the sale their three-bedroom home in Haverhill in Suffolk and move into rented accommodation in Saffron Walden. Over the years they got some savings together and in 2021 looked to buy a new home.

“We went along to the Linden Homes development at Saffron View and liked what we saw,” said David. “The location was great because the children are all at school in Saffron Walden and it was very important that we did not have to move them again.

“We saw the ‘Elmdon’ and fell in love with it. The three storeys provided the perfect use of space for us. We set our heart on it but the deal fell through because we couldn’t secure a mortgage, having only been back in work for a short time. Not long after that we heard that the house had gone to another buyer.”

After David’s mum’s house was sold, Steph emailed the sales team at Saffron View.

“I didn’t know she had done that, but she got on really well with Sharon in the sales team and just contacted her on the very slim chance of good news,” said David. “The next day, we got an email saying that the ‘Elmdon’ was back on the market. It was amazing news. We went to the site the next day and reserved the house within a week. It really seemed like we were meant to get that house.”

David, Steph, 44, and their children Mia, 17, Alyssa, 16, and Luca, five, moved into their new home in June this year.

“This house layout is ideal for us. The open-plan kitchen/dining/living space downstairs works brilliantly. It helps us spend time together, despite our different and very busy schedules. There are two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor and the girls have made that their very own zone. On the top floor, there is a huge bedroom, with an en-suite, which fills the whole width and length of the house. Luca has a bed in the room at the moment but we are going to put in a partition wall so he can have his own room. When Mia goes to university he will have her room and his room will become a dressing room for Steph.

“My favourite part of the house is the huge garage. It’s a dream come true for me. I’m an engineer and have been able to put in a work bench to allow me to work on my motorbikes, and still have ample space.”   

The couple said they would recommend Linden Homes to family and friends. “I can’t speak highly enough of the team at Saffron View,” said David. “They have been superb from the moment we walked onto the site looking for a new home. Sharon and Hope in the sales team were brilliant and helped us along every step of the buying process and Justin, the site manager, has been excellent. Nothing has been too much trouble for them and the customer service experience has been second to none.

“Thanks to my mum’s determination to leave something to me and my siblings, and the efforts of the Linden Homes team, we have finally found and secured our dream home. We couldn’t be happier.”

There is currently a selection of four- and five-bedroom homes available to reserve at Saffron View, with prices starting from £609,995. Find out more at lindenhomes.co.uk.

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