28/06/21Making the Right Move
Buying your first home for your young family has to be a memorable experience, so naturally you want to get it right first time by making the right move.
Craig and Laura Robbins had been looking to get onto the first rung of the property ladder for a while, taking their time to make sure their first move was the right move for them and their two young sons, Aston and Nate.
“We decided a new build home would be a good option for us for many reasons, but mainly time,” says Laura. “Craig has a new small business so he works long hours which means doing up an old house just wasn’t an option. A new build means we could just move in and enjoy your new home. Which is exactly what we’ve done!”
When Craig was working on a project in the village of Bosham on the south coast, he regularly passed the Seaward Homes development of Priors Orchard in Southbourne.
Craig adds, “We were initially looking in the same area that we were living in (Waterlooville) but after lockdown we realised we wanted somewhere a little bit more rural and closer to the sea. Southbourne ticks both those boxes. My first impressions were that it was lovely and quiet. We came to have a look around and we both loved the central green that gives it that ‘village green’ feel and there’s plenty of space for Aston and Nate to run around.”
The couple chose a 3 bedroom house in The Duncton design which features an open plan kitchen, dining room and living space which opens out to the garden. There’s also an ensuite to the main bedroom as well as a family bathroom for the two further bedrooms.
At Priors Orchard, the kitchens are fitted by local kitchen design studio, Sylvarna, with appliances by Neff and the bathrooms are fitted with Porcelanosa tiling. All flooring is included throughout and the garden is turfed so new owners are ready to enjoy their new home from the day they get the keys.
“The kitchen appliances are all NEFF, both bathrooms are of a really good quality and the best part is that none of the features were upgrades. Everything is included as part of the price unlike other developers, one of which we worked out would have cost us over £10k in extras and still wouldn’t have this spec.”
Unusually, it was the landing area of ‘The Duncton’ house design which caught the attention of Craig and Laura. “We liked the overall design but when we saw a completed house, we were both won over the landing area which felt really spacious and grand. We also love the open plan layout,” says Craig.
“From the living room or the kitchen we can still see the boys playing in the garden which is brilliant. The home we settled on has a west-facing garden which is perfect as we both love the evening sun. And everyone comments on what a good size the garden is for a new build, as most developers seem to give you a postage stamp but we have over 100m2 to enjoy.”
Craig and Laura found the whole buying process relatively painless. “Caroline in the sales office was amazing and really helpful all the way through the buying process which was surprisingly straightforward,” he continues. “Reservation was simple and completion day was brilliant – as first time buyers we completed early and were given the keys at 10am which made the whole process so easy.”
Priors Orchard is just a few minutes walk from the seafront and there’s lots of nearby countryside to enjoy. Education is well provided for from the youngest through to secondary school. Transport is easy with bus routes directly into Chichester which is just 7 miles away and closer to home there are local shops and amenities serving the local community including a popular farm shop, local chemist, doctors’ surgery and Southbourne station offers a direct service to Chichester in just 7 minutes or to London Victoria in an hour and three quarters.
“We love the proximity to the sea and as a family we’ve already been for so many walks and bike rides along the costal paths. The whole dynamic is working brilliantly for us in terms of our lovely new home and the sense of community we’ve found here at Priors Orchard”
We are absolutely over the moon with our new house, literally everything is brilliant.
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