Debbie Robinson and her partner Karina Worcester had been living in Leicestershire for eight years. Debbie’s job means she can live anywhere, but the day came when Karina needed to be near the company’s headquarters in Reading.
The couple knew they were going to move, but finding the right place initially proved fraught with difficulties. To start with, the first house they found fell through. When they had got over the disappointment, it happened again. By this time Karina was living in a hotel during the week and returning home at weekends. It wasn’t ideal.
It was just after Christmas when Debbie was once again scanning the web for potential homes. She came across a development in Aldermaston – a beautiful Berkshire village just 10 miles south west of Reading.
Debbie followed the link to the Linden Homes’ website and realised that, The Willows had a feeling of exclusivity whilst still being located right at the heart of the village.
“Ideally we’d wanted a village location. We also needed to be near to Reading. The Willows ticked the right boxes so I registered our interest on the Linden Homes’ website – and I called the sales and marketing suite too, to find out more about what plots were available and when they would be ready to move into.”
While Debbie was on the phone, she booked an appointment to visit The Willows and the couple arrived on site to look around during the launch weekend:
“By the time we arrived three plots were already reserved, but luckily they weren’t the ones that had caught our eye. Initially, we looked at a few; all detached four bedroom homes. What we were really impressed with was the fact that each house we saw was different and had its own character. The kitchens were open plan and spacious and we loved the walk in shower and the smart guest bathroom.”
Debbie and Karina were sufficiently impressed by the homes to reserve one on the same day. But Debbie remembers they had to narrow their choice down:
“We asked the sales executives to just give us an hour to think it over and went to the pub for lunch. We discussed the pros and cons of each house and assessed the relative merits of each one – did we need a utility room? What about the resale value? What was the parking like? By the time we’d finished lunch we knew which house we were going to choose.”
From that point on Debbie says the process of buying a Linden Home went very smoothly:
“We’d sold our home in Leicestershire and, because of the property chain up there, we moved out about ten days before our new home was finished. We put our stuff in storage, put the kittens into a cattery and then spent ten days in a hotel. But during that time Linden Homes pulled out all the stops to ensure our house was ready for us to move into on time.
“We found that buying a new home was just a very hassle free way to move house. You have the security of knowing that there is no chain to break and your purchase won’t fall through. You know where your costs lie when you buy a new build home.
“I also have to say that John, the site manager at The Willows, has been fantastic. Whenever we’ve had queries, or any little snagging issues, he’s been excellent and everything has been sorted out very quickly.”
Debbie says she’s really enjoying living in the village: “The Willows is right at the centre of Aldermaston – right next to the village shop. We love the area and have been really enjoying life here – running and cycling along the canal.”
The new Help to Buy* Government-backed equity scheme is available on this development too. This initiative enables buyers to purchase a new home with just 5% deposit and a 20% Government equity loan – a loan that can be repaid at any time within the first 25 years. An equity loan is effectively a second mortgage in the form of a lump sum.
So, you provide the 5% deposit, your mortgage company lends you 75% of the value of the house, leaving 20%, which is the portion that the Government will lend to you - interest free - for five years.
The Help to Buy scheme is available at all Linden Homes’ developments and applies to any of their homes that are valued at £600,000 or less.
For more information on The Willows at Aldermaston, please call 0118 9713 120.
-ENDS-
For further information, contact Emma Cox, Claire McCowan or Tracy Mannion at Remarkable Public Relations on 01962 893 893 or emma.cox@remarkablegroup.co.uk
