Construction work on the first phase of Linden Homes properties at Willow Woods in Ely is now nearing the halfway milestone.
The housebuilder has finished 27 of the of the 54 private properties it is building in the initial phase of construction at the development, off Lynn Road, in Ely. So far 26 of these new homes have been sold and 19 residents have moved in.
Happy homebuyers at Willow Woods have given the site a 100 per cent satisfaction rating in questionnaires from the National Housebuilding Council (NHBC).
The team at the Ely development is led by site manager Mike Rose, who this year won a coveted Pride in the Job Quality Award from the National House Building Council (NHBC) in recognition of his work at the location.
Mike said: “Everyone is very happy on site and we are building a nice homely community. The feedback from the residents has been extremely positive and we still hold our 100 per cent survey for satisfaction with the new homes.
“It’s nice to be able to go to any of the newly occupied properties to catch up with a friendly conversation over a cup of tea, when time permits. We as a site team are very proud of what we are producing and this is definitely reflected in the responses back from our customers.
“I have always strived to have happy customers. A house is probably the biggest purchase in most people’s lives, so it needs to be right for when they move in. But the follow-up care needs to be in place for any potential unforeseen circumstances. We have an exceptional aftercare service on our site, which I am sure all the residents would agree with.”
First-time buyers Rowan Dunbabin and Kimberley Wood have moved into one of the completed homes and are loving their new life at Willow Woods, where they are paying less a month in mortgage payments than their rent would have been at their old flat in Ely.
“We absolutely love our new home,” said Rowan and Kimberley, who moved into their new property with their two Ragdoll house cats – Ferdinand and Kakashi – in January.
“The kitchen is exactly how we wanted it and the living room is wonderful. Because this house is a new build, we will save on the energy bills because it is cheaper to heat and keep warm. Another saving we will make is that we won’t have to try to tackle any DIY or renovation jobs or pay for someone else to carry out any improvements.”
Linden Homes is building a total of 258 new properties at Willow Woods. The development will feature 212 two, three, four and five-bedroom homes for private sale and 46 affordable homes available for local people through low-cost rent or shared ownership.
The development will form part of the wider Orchards Green scheme, which is set to bring 1,200 new homes and a range of community facilities to North Ely over the coming years.
Laura Thomas, sales manager for Willow Woods, said: “Construction is moving on apace and we have finished building nearly half of the new homes being delivered in the first phase here at Willow Woods. The keys have been handed over to 19 of the completed properties here and it’s great to see a new community beginning to take shape.
“The wide range of homes here has attracted a real mix of buyers from the local area but also from much further afield. We have sold a four-bedroom house to a lovely family of three from the United States, who have already moved in and are settling in nicely.
“We have seen first-time buyers from Ely and investors snap up some of the two-bedroom homes, while two families, one from the area and one from Norfolk have upsized to the five-bedroom homes.
“Meanwhile, the three-bedroom properties have been very popular and have been bought by both local first-time buyers and people from London. Buyers from London have realised that they can buy a property here in the gorgeous Cambridgeshire countryside and pay less a month in mortgage payments than they pay for renting in the capital.
“Some of these buyers work from home but others who still have to go to the office in London love the fact that they can walk or drive to the train station in Ely and catch a train that gets them into King’s Cross in less than an hour and 15 minutes.”
Dina Pittore, marketing manager for Linden Homes, said: “Willow Woods is hosting a ‘Move in for Christmas’ event on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October, between 10 am and 5 pm. This event will discuss special offers, including Linden Homes’ ‘Christmas Package’.
“Visitors who attend the event and reserve on the same day will be provided with a Christmas Winter Warmers hamper, Christmas tree, 4K Smart TV, Sonos Bean Compact Smart Soundbar, £150 M&S e-voucher, and much more.
“This will help to take some of the pressure off at Christmas, knowing that your Christmas dinner and many gifts are already sorted.”
