A flying start for first time buyers in Crawley

When David Kerr and Andy Pearce set out to buy their first home, location was their first priority. The challenge was to find somewhere which suited them both: David needed to be close to Gatwick Airport, where he works as cabin crew, and Andy, who travels extensively as a regional retail manager, was looking for somewhere within easy reach of the M25.

At Barratt’s Woodfield Lodge, a small development of one and two-bedroom apartments about a mile from Crawley town centre, they found the ideal location – and a great deal more!

David and Andy had been renting an apartment in Thornton Heath, between Croydon and Norbury. After looking at the description of Woodfield Lodge on Barratt’s website, they decided it was worth a closer look. David comments: “We were worried at first that the apartment might be too small, but when we saw the show home we were very impressed with the amount of space and the quality of the fixtures and fittings.”

Its location, near the town centre, around five miles from Gatwick airport and less than two miles from the M23, tipped the balance and David and Andy didn’t take much time to decide to buy the apartment. The icing on the cake was when they won a scooter in Barratt’s prize draw at the Open Day!

Buying a home for the first time is often daunting, but with plenty of help David and Andy sailed through the process. Andy says: “The sales team couldn’t have given us more help, far beyond what we were expecting. Everyone at Barratt was lovely, really genuine.” David adds: “Our parents are very impressed that we’ve managed to get on the property ladder in the south of England. It’s no mean feat!”

Their new home is a two-bedroom apartment with a large open-plan living/dining area that has plenty of room for entertaining and opens on to a balcony. The apartment has two bath/shower rooms, one of which adjoins the master bedroom. The smart kitchen is fitted with a stainless steel oven, gas hob and extractor hood and also has a free-standing washer/dryer. “We’re really excited about our new home. We particularly love the large open-plan living space and balcony, and having two bathrooms means we both have plenty of space,” says Andy.

Although they have only lived in their new home for a few weeks, David and Andy find that it’s already changing their life. Andy comments: “We’ve lived in London and the suburbs for some time and it’s great to move to an area that’s close to the countryside and surrounded by green, yet it’s still near to London and Brighton is only about 20 minutes away. It’s a really positive life change for us.”

David in particular finds that the move has made his working life easier: “I’m often on standby for a flight and living just five miles away from the airport makes a huge difference to me,” he says.

Day-to-day living at Woodfield Lodge is very easy. There is a large Sainsbury’s close to the development and for a casual night out, there is a leisure park with a cinema and bowling nearby.

In the town centre is the County Mall, one of south east England’s best shopping centres, a host of bars, cafes and restaurants, as well as a multiplex cinema and the popular Hawth Theatre. If David and Andy want to visit London, without the worry of parking, trains from nearby Crawley station take less than an hour.

Only 15 two-bedroom apartments remain at Woodfield Lodge with prices starting at £194,995 for a one-bedroom apartment and from £231,995 for a two-bedroom apartment. Special incentives are available for first-time buyers.

For further information, visit Barratthomes.co.uk.