Showhome at Staverton Lodge persuades couple of benefits of three-storey living

First time buyers Connor and Adam Perry were set on buying a four-bedroom house when they arrived at the launch of the four-bedroom Scrivener and three-bedroom Spinner showhomes – but when they stepped inside they realised the three-storey townhouse design of the Spinner worked so much better for the way they live, even though it had one less bedroom.

Connor said: “We were waiting for this development to become available, and we felt sure we wanted a four-bed – we were dead set on it – but when we went around the Spinner showhome we thought ‘actually, this works better for us.’”

In fact, they were so keen on what they saw at the launch event that even though they were ‘only looking’ and had not planned to reserve a property that day, they went ahead and did just that.

“When you know, you just know,” said Connor.

They spent the whole day at the development speaking to the sales advisor as well as the mortgage advisor who was there as part of the event, and by the end of it they had started the house buying process.

Six weeks later – in July this year – they moved in.

And they were very pleased with the customer service they received along the way from sales advisor Lynne Muxlow, the site manager Joe O’Toole, and assistant site manager Glenn Randall.

Connor said: “They would come around and check everything is ok, and any snags were dealt with quickly. They made sure everything was ready for when our first guest was coming to stay. And Lynne has been second-to-none, she is a dream. Nothing is too much trouble.”

The couple, who were previously renting, were keen to buy a new-build house because they did not want to take on decorating or refurbishments as soon as they moved in. They were also interested in the energy efficiency a modern house would bring. “We have come from a house that didn’t retain heat well. And the internet signal was rubbish. We wanted a new-build that would be more modern and more us.”

Although they liked other home styles on the development and thought their layouts and the number of bedrooms would have been wonderful on occasions such as Christmas, Connor said: “We kept thinking ‘what do we want all year round?’”

The Spinner has two double bedrooms on the first floor with an en suite shower room in one and direct access to the main bathroom in the other. The main bedroom is on its own at the top of the house and features a dressing area and an en suite shower room.

On the ground floor the dining, kitchen and living spaces all flow through from one to the other.

Connor, 30, mostly works from home in his role as head of marketing for a Milton Keynes tech company and Adam, 36, who works in purchase and admin for a water company in Daventry, commutes in to work.

The three-storey set-up works well for them because it means they can have offices and gaming space in each of the guest bedrooms and all that is on a different floor to their own bedroom and the general living space.

Connor said: “I wanted to be able to shut off from work and with my workspace on the first floor there is true separation.”

It means that during the working day he has dedicated space, but when work finishes, he can shut the door, walk away and be in a different part of the house.

And the new property works well not just for them, but for their dog Dylan, who is very happy with his new home. Connor said: “He loves it. We have the back door open all day and he can run in and out as he wants, and he can roam free. And when we go out all the builders love him, and he loves them!”

Work on their property was well advanced when they reserved it, so they did not have the opportunity to choose all the fixtures and fittings, but Connor said: “They were probably what we would have chosen anyway. It worked for us and worked for the furniture we had ordered.”

They find their new place relaxing and peaceful and friends and family who have visited especially love the flow of the downstairs areas.

And both being keen cooks they like the fact that there is plenty of storage space for all their cooking and baking appliances and equipment, which in their previous home did not all fit into the kitchen.

Being homeowners for the first time is something they are still getting used to, but they love the fact that the house is theirs and they don’t have to ask anyone else’s permission for anything they want to change. Connor said: “It’s also nice knowing that when you pay the mortgage, it’s for us.”

Prices at Staverton Lodge currently start at £285,000 and there are three and four-bedroom properties for sale.

To find out more about the development, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/northern-home-counties/staverton-lodge or call the sales team on 01327 530197.