Two young families used the government-backed Help to Buy equity loan scheme to secure their ideal new homes close to Southend-on-Sea.
Claire and Ricky, Great Wakering
A Southend family have found their perfect home amongst quiet, green surroundings thanks to Taylor Wimpey. Claire Davies and Ricky Tate were looking for a new house with plenty of space for their young children Henry and Iris, as well as their three dogs Coco, Romeo and Juliet.
Keen to stay close to Southend but also mindful of their budget, they found the ideal solution at Waters Edge in nearby Great Wakering. Using Help to Buy, they were able to secure a four-bedroom ‘Waysdale’ home with just a 5% deposit. They moved in late last year and are now settled into their peaceful new community.
Claire, an office manager, said: “We chose Water’s Edge because we liked the site and the location, and it was the best way that we could afford a house of this size. We did look at other new build sites but we favoured Taylor Wimpey because of their professionalism and the look of the site.
“It was near where we already lived and close enough for my mum to be able to get a bus to us, and it looked lovely. We felt right at home when we drove round and were very excited to look at the plots available.”
Buying a new home during a pandemic could have been very stressful, but the Taylor Wimpey team at Water’s Edge were able to work remotely and use video calls and virtual tours to help the process along. Claire said: “Even though the process was delayed by Covid-19, it was a dream from start to finish. Vanessa in the sales office was so professional and helpful. She was with us every step of the way and her knowledge was second to none. The builders were also amazing, they worked so hard.
“We chose the ‘Waysdale’ because we wanted four bedrooms and we liked the shape of it. We really love the plot that we picked. It’s a corner plot and it stands out. We really do have the best plot.
“Water’s Edge itself is very well spaced out. We love the fact we are next to a hedgehog trail, so we have lots of new trees planted near our house. We also have a big green swale outside our house. The houses are so pretty looking and the majority of the gardens kept really tidy.
“Our children attend local schools, we love the local farm shop and butchers, and the people are really friendly too. We are so grateful to Taylor Wimpey for providing us with our dream home.”
A range of three-, four- and five-bedroom houses are currently available at Water’s Edge, with prices starting from £354,000. The sales office is open on an appointment-only basis, with strict Covid-secure measures in place. Find out more at www.taylorwimpey.co.uk.
Amber and Darren, Rochford
Ashberry Homes’ Elizabeth Gardens in Rochford was the only development that Amber and Darren Shulver looked at when they decided they wanted to upsize from their two-bedroom home in Rayleigh to a more spacious property nearer to their families.
Amber, 29, a data analyst, and Darren, 47, a senior underwriter, fell in love with their new three-bedroom home after visiting Elizabeth Gardens – with both concluding that they did not need to view any others. The couple moved into their new home with their two-year-old daughter Lottie in November.
Amber said: “It was the only development we looked at. Even though the show home we saw was a different house type to what we have now, it was similar in size. It had given us a good idea of what the home would be like and the amount of space we would have.
With Help to Buy, the couple decided to purchase a three-bedroom ‘Hampton’ house type which features a spacious kitchen/dining room with separate utility room, a large living room and a downstairs cloakroom, with an en suite to the master bedroom upstairs.
Amber said: “We had decided that there were some key things that had to be in the property that were essentially make or break for us. The separate utility room to the kitchen was important as well as the generous garden space which is a big plus for us with having Lottie. The kitchen/diner is really spacious and there is plenty of room for us to cook and eat. It seems to be the room I am in all the time, especially working from home.”
The couple have benefitted in more ways than just obtaining more space and have found that the location of their new home has become more practical too. Amber said: “We are really close to Rochford railway station and it is only 10 minutes to walk there which is helpful for me and Darren as we work in central London. It is also a lot easier to get emergency childcare as we are now closer to our parents, in case we need them to look after Lottie at short notice.
“When we were looking for our new home, we had to plan for the future and in a few years Lottie will be starting school. It was a big factor for us and there is a good selection of schools that are local.
“Using the [Help to Buy] scheme was the difference between being able to buy the property and not and we now have a smaller mortgage which is really handy for us. It was a relief not to have to worry about having a big deposit and it has helped us get the home we wanted.”
Having now settled into the new community, the pair have become friends with other residents at the development through their Instagram home account – @ournewbuild_hampton – which has documented their journey from the day they moved in.
There’s currently a range of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom properties available to reserve at Elizabeth Gardens with prices starting from £334,995. Find out more at ashberryhomes.co.uk.
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