We sat down with new home buyers Nicky Wilmhurst and Rhyan Thwaites to find out more about their journey to home ownership and to discover how they found the whole process.
What made you decide to look at buying a new build home and what prompted your move in the first place?
We wanted to buy a new home as neither of us are really into DIY and home improvements; we both work and like to spend our weekends with friends and family – we love our kitchen dining room and the French doors to our garden so we can’t wait to invite everyone round. Coming from a one bedroom flat, to have all this space is fantastic.
We wanted to find a place that would be home for many years to come, an investment in our future together. Our wish list was long, our budget modest. We wanted to be part of a community, to live on a small development where we could get to know our neighbours. We wanted to be near family and friends, with good transport links and access to a town centre. Coming from a small one bed flat, we craved space, light and storage.
What helped you to decide to buy your new home?
Valeside Keep impressed us from the start; even from the outside the houses looked well-constructed, they had character and not a uPVC front door in sight! Nicky is a designer and has a keen eye for detail!
When we walked into the showhome, we loved the fact that we would not want to change a thing; and to learn that two doors down was another three bedroom home available with the same internal specification – we knew we had found our dream home. We are incredibly impressed by the quality, the attention to the detail, the fact that everything was included – no hidden costs for flooring, loft ladders, turf in the garden – we even got a garden shed! Having the confidence that there were no hidden extras meant we could use our savings for the luxuries that allow us to put our stamp on our new home, like new sofas and blinds.
We had not heard of Thakeham before but as we talked to friends and family, it transpired that a friend’s brother had bought a Thakeham house at Somers Gate, Reigate. We spoke to him and were delighted when he sang Thakeham’s praises, confirming our thoughts that we would be buying a high quality new home from a well-regarded local developer who delivered on their promise.
Did you have any issues along the way?
There was just one catch, it was out of our price range. We had found our dream home at Thakeham’s Valeside Keep but we thought it was out of reach.
We had heard about Help to Buy but we didn’t think it would be available for us as Nicky had bought before; we thought it was only for first time buyers. However, as we looked at ways of buying our dream home, we found out more about Help to Buy and the potential it offered us. With Thakeham’s sales team’s time and support, we were able to use the scheme to buy at Valeside Keep. Their constant reassurance calmed even Nicky’s tendency to worry!
Was there anything made the whole process easier for you both?
We were both really impressed by Thakeham’s sales team approach – we didn’t feel like we were being sold to; the sales consultant (Mark) let the property sell itself, allowing us to take our time and experience the house and the development. Mark was particularly personable and extremely helpful from day one and was really accommodating with arranging site walks and follow-up viewings. Once we’d reserved, the team proved to be reassuring throughout what was quite a stressful few weeks. Rhyan particularly appreciated the time taken to help him understand the various stages of the buying/legal process; it was new to him and he had a million and one questions!
It’s easy to describe the Valeside Keep sales team – they are friendly, supportive, honest, helpful, patient and knowledgeable. They went the extra mile for us ensuring we could move in before Christmas. The team supported us through what is quite likely the biggest purchase of our lives, they helped us make our decision with confidence. To have a direct line of contact with Nick, the Area Sales Manager made a real difference.
And finally, how are you finding life in your new home?
We feel incredibly lucky to have bought a Thakeham house at Valeside Keep, Burgess Hill. It really is everything we wanted and so much more, we cannot believe our luck. Thanks to Thakeham we were in for Christmas, the best present ever!
We’re really enjoying life at Valeside Keep and our new house already feels like a home – we can’t recommend purchasing a home with Thakeham enough, in fact we have already recommended Thakeham to several friends and family.