Taylor Wimpey is one of Britain's largest housebuilders and offers a whole range of house types and apartments across the country, Three buyers speak of their delight at purchasing the right home at developments in Southam, Banbury and Stanway.
Robert and Olivia
Robert Hall and his fiancée Olivia Ballard had plenty to celebrate after moving into their new home at Taylor Wimpey’s Flying Fields development in Southam, Warwickshire. He made the day they moved into their new home even more special by proposing to Olivia.
Robert recalled: “Moving into our new home was such an exciting day and I wanted to make it a day we will remember.”
The couple moved into their new three-bedroom ‘Keydale’ house type in December 2020 after living with Olivia’s parents and are settling into their new surroundings whilst getting ready to welcome a new arrival later this year.
Discussing their move to Flying Fields, Olivia said: “As we both work local to Southam, location was a major factor when choosing to move. After our first visit to Flying Fields we instantly felt at home, so we knew it was where we wanted to start our life as new homeowners.”
Commenting on why they chose the ‘Keydale’ house type, Robert said: “We both wanted a large amount of space and a minimum of three bedrooms so when we saw the open plan kitchen/diner that the ‘Keydale’ offers we knew it was the home for us. The large living space suits both our current and future plans so it ticks all the boxes.”
Olivia added: “We were attracted to the idea that a Taylor Wimpey home is ready to move into with no big projects or renovations to worry about. As first-time buyers we wanted to have as smooth a move as possible. We are now expecting a baby later this year so we can’t wait to start family life here.”
Robert and Olivia used the government-backed Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme to help complete the purchase of their dream home. She said: “The team at Flying Fields have been great from the very beginning. As first time buyers we were brand new to the process, however they helped to guide us throughout.”
Robert added: “Taylor Wimpey has given us the best experience for our first home move and we have the sales team to thank for that. They made our move extremely easy and even helped with the proposal on our moving day!”
“We have settled into our new surroundings really nicely and we just want to thank the team for making our first home purchase hassle free and exciting.”
Paul and Julie
An Oxfordshire couple are celebrating the end of eight years of renting after getting back on the property ladder with Taylor Wimpey and Help to Buy.
Paul and Julie Haines, 55 and 50, had spent the best part of a decade in rented properties in Bicester, but were eager to find a home they could finally call their own. Although their budget was limited, they knew they could use the government-based Help to Buy equity loan scheme to secure a new build home with just a 5% deposit.
Paul and Julie explored a range of sites around Oxfordshire, and with help from the Taylor Wimpey team were able to move into a three-bedroom ‘Crofton G’ at the Bridleways development in Banbury before their rental contract ran out.
The couple got the keys to their new home earlier this year and are now settling in to their new community.
Paul, a service manager for a local car dealership, said: “We wanted to get back on the property ladder and couldn’t afford a property in Bicester at the size we wanted. When we visited Bridleways we were able to speak to an independent mortgage adviser, and the Taylor Wimpey sales team also gave us the option of an early bird reservation, which was a huge help.
“The entire experience with Taylor Wimpey was fantastic. The sales representative remembered us from a visit to another site, and the whole team was very professional and supportive. We had to be out of our rented property and our build was unfortunately put on hold during lockdown, but the Bridleways sales team acted quickly to offer us a different property that was already completed, so we were able to move in with no trouble.”
Help to Buy was vital for Paul and Julie. He said: “We could only get back onto the property ladder using Help to Buy. The cost of rent is so high that it made it impossible for us to save for the full deposit. We are so grateful that we were able to use it.”
The couple are now settled into their new home and enjoying the many benefits that homeownership brings – including having space to work.
Paul said: “Julie has been working from home since the beginning of lockdown and has found this quite a struggle, as many people have, but it’s been much easier to accept because we live in our own home. We’ve been able to furnish one of the bedrooms into an office space. If we had still been living in the rented property we may not have been able to do this so easily.
“We both enjoy our garden space, and this is particularly important to Julie, working from home. It’s so nice to be able to make plans for our garden, knowing that it’s our garden and not someone else's. We also have a dog, so it’s been lovely to be able to discover the local area, especially along the canal.
“We love our home, and we love that it is ours. It’s been a long time coming and we’re looking forward to the surrounding building work finishing so that we can start to feel part of a community.”
Bridleways is now sold out, but Taylor Wimpey has a wide range of plots available at nearby Castle Grange in Banbury, as well as Bampton Meadows in Bampton.
Amy and Gordon
A Colchester couple are making the most of more space both inside and out after moving from a rented city flat to a Taylor Wimpey home on the edge of the Essex countryside.
Amy and Gordon Raines were among the lucky customers to secure one of the 35 plots at Taylor Wimpey’s Stoneway Grange development in Stanway. The couple were renting a flat near the University of Essex’s Colchester campus and had been saving up to buy their first home. They wanted more indoor space and a garden, and were also keen to be closer to their family.
After seeing an advert for Stoneway Grange, a small development on the city’s outskirts, and finding a three-bedroom ‘Gosford’ housetype that was ready to move into, the decision couldn’t have been easier.
Amy, 28, said: “We chose a new build home as it meant we could afford a three-bedroom home rather than two. It also meant we didn’t need extra money for decorating and we could move in with everything brand new. It was a no-brainer really. We were really impressed with all the options included with a Taylor Wimpey home and the standard of build. We did our research and looked at other local developments, but nothing came close to what was included at Stoneway Grange.”
Amy and Gordon wanted to be on the Stanway side of Colchester, close enough to everything the city centre has to offer but far enough away to enjoy a quieter lifestyle.
Amy said: “For such a prime location, the area around Stoneway Grange is so quiet and there are lots of lovely places to walk nearby. The development felt very professional when we first looked around and we loved the fact there were only 35 houses on the whole development. You felt special to have a house there.
“Now that we have settled in we love how quiet the area is – and so does our new puppy, Rupert. He loves walking around the development and meeting the other Stoneway Grange puppies. Everyone here is so friendly and it’s so handy to be able to walk to a Post Office, a bakery and the local takeaway.”
Having chosen their plot due to the extra garden space and bigger driveway, Amy and Gordon are certain they made the right choice with the ‘Gosford’. Amy added: “We love how big, fresh and clean every room feels. All the finishes and designs match throughout and are very modern. Eating dinner in the kitchen and being able to look out to our lovely green grass is something that will never get old.”
Buying a new home during a pandemic could have been very stressful, but the Taylor Wimpey team at Stoneway Grange were able to work remotely and use video calls and virtual tours to help the process along. Amy said: “It was really easy and simple. I expected more stress to be honest. Taylor Wimpey worked very quickly and answered any queries we had. We were updated and given lots of support, especially during lockdown.
“We also got a lovely welcome box when we first moved into our house, which was a treat. We have had no issues since moving in, and as we were one of the first to move onto the development, the builders were very considerate and friendly when continuing their work.”
Stoneway Grange is now sold out, but Taylor Wimpey has a number of other developments in the Colchester area, including Whitmore Park at Kingswood Heath and Staunton Gardens in Alresford. Sales offices are open on an appointment-only basis, with strict Covid-secure measures in place.
Find out more about current Taylor Wimpey developments.