Home improvements made easy

When Trevor and Gloria Atkins looked at adding a downstairs cloakroom to their old home in Hatch Warren, Basingstoke, the cost of the work put them off. A visit to the new Marnel Park development in Basingstoke showed the couple that for only a little bit more than the price of one home improvement, they could move to a brand new, bigger house – complete with a cloakroom, en-suite and an extra bedroom!

“We went to look around George Wimpey’s showhome just out of interest,” explains Trevor. “Our younger son, Garry and his family had already bought a place at the development, and so we popped in with them.

“Seeing the prices of the four-bedroom homes, we realised we could sell our old three-bedroom house and have a brand new place with the cloakroom we wanted without spending much more money.”

Trevor and Gloria, both 65, chose a detached ‘Sapphire’ design featuring a kitchen/breakfast room with adjoining utility room, a separate dining room with French doors to the rear garden, a spacious living room with bay window and the all-important cloakroom, just off the entrance hallway.

Upstairs, the landing of their home leads to two double bedrooms – one with an en-suite – two further bedrooms for their visiting grandchildren, and a main bathroom.

Like all new homes at the development, the Atkins’ ‘Sapphire’ was finished to a high standard specification, including central heating, double glazing and a fully fitted kitchen with oven, hob and hood.

“The extra rooms come in very handy when Lucy, who is 10, and her eight-year-old brother Bradley come up from Portsmouth to stay with us,” says Trevor, a former tool-maker who also spent seven years as an NVQ assessor at Basingstoke College of Technology before retiring last March. “Our other two grandchildren, Megan (12) and Chloe (10), live just around the corner and come here after school three times a week – and when their mum and dad need a babysitter – so we often have a full house.”

During quieter moments in the Atkins’ new home, Trevor and Gloria are looking forward to indulging their hobbies, including Trevor’s interest in gardening. “The new garden is larger than the one at our old house, and I’m already planning to add flowerbeds and lay decking alongside the lawn when the weather improves,” he explains.

“We love our new home and having settled in very well for our retirement, we’re not planning to move again.”

House-hunters can currently choose from a range of three-bedroom homes at Marnel Park starting from just £264,995, and four-bedroom designs from only £269,995. One and two-bedroom houses and apartments are also available, from £131,995.

To help its customers make a quick and hassle-free move, George Wimpey offers a wide range of incentives for first-time buyers, while its easymover scheme includes assistance with marketing an existing home, estate agent’s fees paid and a free removals service.

Incentives can be tailored to homebuyers’ circumstances subject to availability and further details are available from the Sales Executive.

Ideally located on the northern edge of Basingstoke, Marnel Park offers the best of town and country living.

The town centre and the impressive Festival Place shopping centre are just 10 minutes from the development by road and blend historical influences with bustling modern shops, cafes, bars and exciting leisure pursuits.

Basingstoke is also home to top notch music venues, a choice of multi-screen cinemas, tennis courts, a leisure park, sports clubs, an ice rink, a swimming pool and bowling alleys. The open countryside is also just a stone’s throw away, offering nature trails and opportunities for woodland walks and cycling.

Marnel infant and junior schools are within easy walking distance of the new homes, while commuters will appreciate the M3 is just three miles away, and London Waterloo just 45 minutes by rail.

To see the showhome and find out more about the incentives available for all types of buyers, Marnel Park Sales Information Centre is located off Carpenters Down, Popley in Basingstoke and open seven days a week from 10.30am to 5.30pm.

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