One man's tale of investment

Opening a newspaper or watching the news without being bombarded with housing market horror stories is difficult these days, but you shouldn't believe the hype. That's the view of new home buyer Rob Prince. As the proud owner of a series of new properties in Ashford, Kent, Rob is keen to explode what he feels are some housing market myths.

Rob, 39, said: "At a time when the media is alive with scare stories surrounding home buying and a supposed crash there has never been a better time to buy! For some time it has been a sellers' market and incentives have been thin on the ground. But the tide has changed now and, if you shop around, there are some great deals to be had by the way of discounts and incentives."

Rob has followed a wave of shrewd home hunters by snapping up brand new properties at Redrow Homes' The Paddocks @ De Montford Park development, in the Singleton Hill area of Ashford. Working for an international commercial property company that invests in large business parks for Chinese occupation, Rob is not short of knowledge on quality property.

Asked about his motivation for buying several of Redrow's homes, Rob explained: "Whether it's the house I live in or the houses I rent out, I want the minimum of maintenance. My tenants enjoy a show home new finish having moved in from new and I enjoy a peaceful life.

"It's been really easy for me to find tenants for my buy-to-let properties. The longest it has taken has been eight days from completion! The others were the same day."

He continued: "Redrow offers the complete living solution at a price that is more attractive than any other developer in the area. They offer realistic prices, meaning your investment is a safe one."

For Rob, the mark of a quality home is reflected by its location. Situated within easy reach of shops, schools and even central London where Rob has regular meetings, The Paddocks' location is second to none.

"I travel by car mainly but we do have weekly meetings in central London," explains Rob. "This is easily accessible from Ashford by train, being just over an hour to Charring Cross. And this time is due to drop to 37 minutes when the high speed rail link opens next year - even more of an incentive to invest in the area."

Rob's purchase was made easier by the top class sales service he received from Redrow. He said: "I have always found the service to be excellent. But more important is their commitment to after-sales. For some people a new home is the biggest purchase they will ever make and they want the reassurance of knowing that the after-sales is in place to support them once they have completed their purchase."

The Paddocks @ De Montford Park, where Rob has focused his investments and chosen to make his own home, currently features a choice of competitively priced new homes.

Three-bedroom end terrace houses start from £200,000 and include a garage. And, with an en-suite to master bedroom, as well as a main bathroom and downstairs cloakroom, they provide ideal extra space and privacy for families and professionals sharing.

Larger houses include the four-bedroom detached ‘Tamar', from £285,000, an ideal family home.

The Paddocks @ De Montford Park is located off Tithe Barn Lane, Singleton Hill - just minutes from Ashford. For more information visit the development, open daily from 10am to 5.30pm or log onto Redrow.co.uk.