Member Article

Couple delighted to move into their new home

A South Yorkshire couple are celebrating after moving into a brand new home on a Sheffield housing development.

Ashley Wardley and James Pashley are one of the first buyers to move into a brand new home at Sheffield Housing Company’s Brearley Forge development in the Parson’s Cross area of the city.

Sheffield Housing Company (SHC) is a partnership comprising the city council, housing regeneration specialist Keepmoat – which is building the new homes – and Great Places Housing Group.

The couple had been renting a three-bed terraced home in nearby Hunters Bar, Ecclesall for the last five years and decided to buy a new home at Brearley Forge after a recommendation from one of their friends.

Not only is the development closer to where they both work but their mortgage payments are cheaper than renting and they are set to save hundreds of pounds per year on utility bills.

Hair stylist James, 27, said: “This is the best thing we have ever done. Not only have we moved into a brand new home but we are saving money. We are also living closer to my mum who is suffering from cancer so it is easier to visit her.

“We have only been living here for three weeks and it feels like we are stopping in someone else’s house at the moment, everything is so clean and we find we rush home just to be here.”

The couple bought a three bedroom Loxley home and accessed the government’s Help to Buy scheme, which helps first time buyers to get a foot onto the property ladder.

Secondary school teacher Ashley, 27, said: “There were many advantages of buying a new home at this development but the main attraction was how spacious these homes are. The entrance hall and bedrooms are very spacious and as it is sustainable, we can see ourselves living here for a very long time.

“The house design from the outside is really quirky and the inside is carefully planned out to give you space in every room and includes storage space, which we found most other new build homes lacked.

“As first time buyers, we found the Help to Buy scheme really useful. In this current climate, we would never have been able to save a 20% deposit but with savings and a little help from our parents, we found we were able to get onto the property ladder.”

The Help to Buy scheme offers buyers who have saved a 5% deposit the chance to take advantage of a five-year interest free loan covering 20% of the value of the property. The remaining 75% of the property’s value will be funded through a mortgage, with Keepmoat referring customers to a nominated mortgage advisor who will arrange the finance needed.

All homes at Brearley Forge are built to meet demand for adaptable homes. The 142 two, three and four bedroom Lifetime Homes boast spacious rooms suitable for wheelchair users, the ability to incorporate a lift if homeowners require it in the future and walls that can easily be removed to create new spaces and doorways. Each of the energy efficient homes has been architecturally designed to the highest standard, are light and spacious, with private gardens and parking.

House prices at Brearley Forge range from £83,196 on the Help to Buy scheme for a two bedroom home to £124,796, also on the Help to Buy scheme, for a four bedroom home, both of which are Lifetime Homes.

Vanessa Burling, Keepmoat New Build Sales Director in Yorkshire, said: “Brearley Forge offers modern living at an affordable price and with so many different styles of homes available, it is sure to appeal to many buyers.

“These homes are ideal for families and first time buyers such as Ashley and James. By accessing the Help to Buy scheme, they have moved from renting a three bedroom terraced home into a brand new three bedroom home where they can plan their future together and I wish them every success and hope they enjoy living here.”

Tom Fenton, Project Director with the Sheffield Housing Company, said: “We are delighted to welcome our new residents to Brearley Forge and are pleased that the price, size, adaptability and sustainability of the home were key features in the purchase. No other builder is developing to the exacting standards that we are anywhere else in the city.”

Brearley Forge is SHC’s first ever development and is currently in the first phase. With plans to build 2,300 new homes across the city over the next 15 years, work has also started on the development of 116 homes at Cutler’s View on the Norfolk Park site, off Park Spring Drive, and 47 properties at Shirecliffe.

For more information or to make an advanced reservation on your dream home, please visit Keepmoat’s sales office at Brearley Forge, Falstaff Crescent, Sheffield, S5 8DD between 10.00am and 5.00pm Thursday to Monday. Alternatively, please call Keepmoat’s home sales executive on 0114 299 6125 or visit www.keepmoat.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Craig Downs .