Barratt makes it easy for the Greenleaf family

With a two-year old toddler and a baby on the way, Craig and Rebecca Greenleaf wanted to buy their own home so that they could have more space. They were living with Craig’s parents in Slough and needed to sell the house they’d bought in Northampton for investment, in order to fund their move.

The worsening economic climate, however, made it impossible to sell their property, and they were getting increasingly desperate until Barratt offered them a solution with its popular Part Exchange arrangement.

Craig, who works as a bricklayer, comments: “We felt trapped, it was a nightmare. It was only by chance that we spotted a hording advertising Part Exchange outside Barratt’s College Green development in Cippenham, close to my parents’ home. We went in to have a word and Barratt offered us an amazing deal which gave us a great way out of a difficult situation.”

Barratt agreed to buy Craig and Rebecca’s house in Northampton and put the proceeds towards a brand new three-bedroom family house at College Green. “We were over the moon when we heard how Barratt could help,” comments Craig, “Barratt paid £157,500 for our old house and the new one cost us £265,000. They included all the curtains and carpets in the price, which saved us even more.”

It seemed that Craig and Rebecca’s problems were at an end, until they tried to get a mortgage for the balance of the cost. Craig says: “Lenders were tightening up and being self-employed I was seen as high risk, which made it virtually impossible for me to get a mortgage.”

Barratt stepped in again and put Craig and Rebecca in touch with a recommended independent financial advisor, New Homes Mortgage Helpline, the UK's leading mortgage specialist for the new homes industry, which scoured the market and found a suitable mortgage within a few weeks. The family’s luck began to look up, as Craig explains: “The day before our offer was finalised, the bank base rate fell and the mortgage company managed to get us an even better deal which saved us almost £100 a month.” Rebecca adds: “We can’t thank everyone enough. Barratt and the mortgage company were fantastic. They supported us every step of the way and never gave up.”

The family finally moved into their new home just before Christmas, with their toddler, Madison, and newly born son, Jake. They are enjoying the space in their new home and especially appreciate having a room for each of the children, which Craig and Rebecca feel is important.

Day to day living is easy, with an Asda supermarket within walking distance and the excellent facilities in the centre of Slough just two miles away.

Craig finds living in Cippenham very convenient for his work. He says: “I’ve worked as bricklayer for 11 years and travel to jobs within a 30-mile radius, including in and around the centre of London. The roads around Slough are excellent and it’s really easy to get around.”

Friends and family really like Craig and Rebecca’s new home. Craig adds: “All our friends love our new home and one couple who are friends were so impressed that they’ve bought a house opposite ours. We recommended them to College Green, and so Barratt gave us an extra £1,000 under their Recommend a Friend scheme, which is a huge bonus for us.”

College Green, which offers two, three and four-bedroom family homes, is located in an attractive residential area within easy reach of Slough. With large communal spaces for residents to enjoy, a network of footpaths and cycleways linking the homes to local schools and shops and excellent recreation and sports facilities on site, it is ideal for families.

Currently available at College Green are two-bedroom houses priced from £239,950, three-bedroom houses from £259,950 and four-bedroom houses priced from £350,000. To help people to buy, Barratt is offering a range of incentives including Part Exchange.

For more information, log on to Barratthomes.co.uk.