Good friends make good neighbours in Stotfold

When Donna Lodge fell in love with the sumptuous showhome at George Wimpey’s Greenacres development in Bedfordshire, she made a great recommendation – that her friend of 28 years, Susan Marquiss, would also find an ideal home at the Stotfold location.

Now Donna, Deputy Head teacher at Hitchin Girls’ School, and Susan, in charge of Data Management for a firm in Hoddesdon, have both settled into their spacious new homes – and having first met in halls of residence at the University of Warwick, they are enjoying being neighbours once again.

Says Donna (46), whose children Emma (19) and Beth (18) are now at university themselves: “When I came to look at the four-bedroom ‘Stafford’ showhome I immediately fell in love with it and so I invited Susan to take a look too. Fortunately she also recognised the development’s instant appeal.

“We both find Greenacres to be peaceful, with a good community feel. It benefits from an excellent road network and my drive to work of 7 minutes is a real bonus!”

Susan (46), who chose the four-bedroom ‘Eaglesham’ townhouse for herself and children, Victoria (13) and Christopher (11), adds: “The style of the ‘Eaglesham’ – and the proximity of the development to the children’s schools in Hitchin and Letchworth – really suits our lifestyle.

“They like to have their own space, and with the choice of the kitchen and a living room on the ground floor, and the extra lounge on the middle floor, they can keep their distance from each other when they want to!

“I also felt we were getting really good value for money for the extra space this style of house offers.”

Donna and Susan agree that their new houses immediately ‘felt like home’ – helped, of course, by having a neighbour who shares their good taste.

“We can just about see each other’s houses,” says Susan, “and so if one of us waves with a bottle of wine and that’s our invitation to pop round!”

Donna used George Wimpey’s part-exchange scheme to help make her move hassle-free. The leading house-builder offered to purchase her old property from her, to ensure she was free to move to her new home. An additional perk was the fact that Geoge Wimpey offer £2,000 as a gift for 'Recommending a Friend'. Donna and Susan plan to spend this on a pamper weekend in Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Susan took advantage of an alternative homebuyer incentive called Easymover, through which George Wimpey helped arrange the sale of her old property and paid the estate agent’s fees.

While the ‘Stafford’ housetype is currently sold out at Greenacres, quick-off-the-mark movers can choose the ‘Eaglesham’ design, priced from £254,995.

The three-storey ‘Eaglesham’ features a large family/living room and a thoughtfully designed kitchen/dining room, with a utility room and cloakroom completing the ground floor accommodation.

Upstairs, the landing leads to a spacious lounge, a double bedroom, a family bathroom and a bedroom/home office, while the top floor comprises the master bedroom with en-suite and a fourth bedroom.

Full details of the homes available and incentives for first-time buyers and those with a property to sell are available from the Sales Executive. Current incentives can be tailored to homebuyers’ circumstances and are subject to availability.

With shops and businesses catering for everyday needs, including a small supermarket, a newsagents, a bakery, a pharmacy, a library, a church, a hairdresser and a garage, Stotfold is well-equipped for everyday life.

The town has a choice of schools for catering for younger children while provision for older children can be found in neighbouring Arlesey and Clifton. A selection of pre-school groups are also available within Stotfold, and an adult education centre is based at Clifton.

Letchworth, a 10 minute drive from the development, offers a wider choice of high street and independent stores, as well as a vibrant leisure scene including sports facilities, cinemas, cafes, fashionable bars and restaurants.

Greenacres Sales Centre, located off Hitchin Road in Stotfold, is open daily from 11am to 5pm.

For more information, visit georgewimpey.co.uk.