Pictured: Nina, Alan and Louie Donovan relax into their new
home
A smooth move up the property ladder from an apartment to a
three-bedroom family home may seem like a dream in the current
climate; however for one Birmingham couple, finding and moving into
their new family home at Miller Homes' Northcote development in
Erdington was virtually stress-free.
Just around the corner from their old apartment, Northcote was
on Alan and Nina Donovan's radar from day one when they decided to
look for a property with more space and a garden for their son
Louie. The couple were attracted to the development's location near
to Brookvale Park and boating lake and its convenient proximity to
Louie's school.
Alan Donovan, assistant manager for a sports centre in Acocks
Green, recalls the decision to buy with Miller Homes. Alan
says: "We really liked the style of houses on offer at Northcote -
they are all really spacious and this was a top priority for us
having lived in a small apartment since we met.
"As locals we were aware that Miller Homes was building in the
area so we were keen to take a look at the development. As well as
being close to Louie's school, the development's location is ideal
for Nina's commute into the City - with just a five minute walk to
Erdington station, then fifteen minutes on the train to New Street
Station."
After browsing the range of homes at Northcote, Alan and Nina
had their heart set on The Sheldon, a three bedroom terrace mews
home. The Sheldon is one of Miller Homes' most spacious homes with
a large and welcoming hallway that sets the tone for the rest of
the house.
With its innovative pentagonal design, the lounge is open and
inviting - it is unsurprising that this is Alan's favourite room in
the house where he comes to relax after a long day at work. The
large kitchen is Nina's favourite room and great for family meal
times with space for a full dining table.
Upstairs the open plan theme is continued, with a generously
sized L-shape landing leading to the bedrooms.
After a stress free move, Alan, Nina and Louie are now settled
in to their new home and couldn't be happier, Alan continued:
"Moving into a new build, the house felt like our home straight
away. We couldn't afford to spend time and money doing up the house
and fixing problems once we were in, and with a new build that
isn't an issue. It also relieved a lot of the hassle with no chain
of sale to go through, which is something we experienced problems
with when selling the apartment - this delayed our move slightly
but Lynn, our sales adviser, was really helpful and understanding
of the situation."
Far from being stressful, Alan speaks positively about their
experience of home buying, "The customer care was brilliant from
our first visit to the development. We were in constant contact
with Lynn through email and often popped back to visit and talk
though our options for buying. Following the move we've had calls
from the after sales team to check that we're happy and that there
aren't any problems with the house.
"With a young child, we wanted to cause as little disruption as
possible during the move and fortunately it all went really
smoothly."
Ann Crick, Sales Director for Miller Homes' West Midlands region
added, "Moving home should be exciting and enjoyable, but as we all
know there are financial and logistical issues that can make moving
a very stressful time for families. At Miller Homes we understand
the issues that cause homebuyers anxiety and hassle, and we try our
best to alleviate them.
"Northcote is a very popular development with young families
wanting to stay close to the City whilst being able to enjoy the
ambience of a rural setting. The picturesque Brookvale Park is just
a stone's throw away from the development perfect for a family
stroll in the evening or at weekends."
Situated on George Road, Erdington, Northcote comprises a mix of
one, two and three bedroom homes with prices starting at just
£85,950 for an ultra-stylish one bedroom apartment.
For more information on the Northcote development call 0800 840
8701 or visit daily from 10am until 5pm (Mondays 1-5pm).