Posted 3 September 2020 by
Keith OsborneA new housing development in Badshot Lea, Surrey ticks all the boxes for people keen to embrace home working and outdoor living after lockdown, says Greg Allsop, sales and marketing director for Bellway North London.
The recent findings from speaking to house-hunters reveal that having a garden, a parking space, a home office and being close to parks or green spaces were the new priorities, and there features and more at Bellway’s Little Acres development, a collection of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes off Badshot Lea Road in the village.
Allsop said: “The research confirms the trend which we have noticed since the lockdown began – namely that buyers’ priorities have changed. Having access to outdoor space, whether in the form of a private garden or public park, and being able to work from home are now much more important to people following their experiences of recent months.
“House-hunters searching for a home which delivers on these new priorities need look no further than Little Acres. All homes at the development have their own private gardens and come with allocated parking or a garage. In addition to this, a wide range of house types feature a dedicated study, ideal for those planning to continue working from home.
“As well as spacious gardens, buyers at Little Acres will benefit from having green open space on their doorstep. The development has its own public open space with a play area, the equestrian fields lie to the south, while Badshot Lea Recreation Ground is just north of the site.
“The village itself, while extremely well-connected by road to the nearby towns of Farnham and Aldershot, is surrounded by green fields, making it a great location for those wishing to put down roots in an attractive rural setting.
“If all this isn’t enough, Little Acres also has the additional benefit of being just moments from Squire’s Garden Centre, which is good news for the growing number of gardening enthusiasts keen to pursue their new favourite hobby after lockdown.”
Homes at Little Acres which feature a study include the two-bedroom 'Erica' house type, which is priced from £400,000 and is ideal for first-time buyers.
Meanwhile, the 'Nolana' house type is the perfect choice for growing families. It boasts a ground-floor study as well as four bedrooms on the first floor, and is priced at £630,000, with two more set to be released for sale by Bellway.
Case study: Ann and Mike
Ann and Mike Heslehust had been looking to move from their two-bedroom mid-terraced house in Farnham for over two years but couldn’t find a home that was right for them.
That all changed when they paid a visit to Squire’s Garden Centre in Badshot Lea – and noticed Bellway’s Little Acres development next door.
Ann said: “We’d been looking at homes on and off for a while and knew we wanted to stay around Farnham. We couldn’t find the perfect place until we decided to visit the view homes at Little Acres and fell in love with a rendered three-bedroom 'Forsythia'. We wanted to upsize as our present home had no room to accommodate visiting family and friends. Due to the location we also had to block pave our rear garden to create parking for our cars and we really missed having some outdoor space.”
The couple frequently work from home so appreciate the extra space they now have.
“The layout of our home means we have plenty of room to work in,” continued Ann. “We work in the kitchen/dining room and have managed to fit in a small relaxing space with a couple of comfy chairs so we can look out onto the garden whilst our dogs run around. The French doors allow in so much light and are great to have fully open when the weather warms up.”
Since moving in, the Heslehust family have been getting to know the neighbours and have already planned some community skills swaps.
Mike said: “One of our neighbours is an electrician and kindly offered to fit an alarm for us because we’d helped the family by clearing and re-planting their front garden. Having previously run my own landscaping business and re-designing the garden to our new home it was great to revisit my previous line of work.”
Bellway supported Ann and Mike even further by helping to sell their former property in Farnham.
Ann said: “We knew that the 'Forsythia' house type was popular, so we needed to act quickly. Bellway were quick to get the house valued and make an offer.
“We moved into our new home in March and we’ve been recommending the development to friends, some of whom are also looking to upsize and others who also want to stay in Farnham but want a change.
“Oliver the sales advisor has been so helpful from the first day we first visited the development. Every time we see him, he asks how we are and if there’s anything he can help us with. Before we moved in, he would let my husband come over and measure rooms for furniture and curtains and was always very accommodating.
“We can’t fault our experience and I’m so pleased that it was a Bellway home that turned our heads.”
The 'Forsythia' benefits from three bedrooms on the top floor including a main bedroom with adjoining en-suite, while downstairs an open-plan kitchen and dining room leads into a separate utility room, with the living room enjoying a large bay window.
Little Acres has a selection of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes available with some plots ready to move into straightaway. Prices currently start from £400,000.
Find out more about current developments from Bellway.
Find retirement homes developments in the South East
Find affordable homes developments in the South East
Find luxury homes developments in the South East