Pontypool couple in a spin after winning new home

Pontypool couple Neil and Linda Hearne are celebrating after winning a brand new home – the only dilemma now is which of their five children will get to live in it!

Neil, 48, was the winner of a month-long competition, which culminated in Redrow Homes giving away one of its award winning Debut apartments in either Merthyr Tydfil or North Cornelly.

He was one of 20 finalists who drew a key at random to see if it fitted the door to a brand new apartment worth more than £75,000.

A jubilant Neil and tearful Linda could not believe it when they discovered they had the winning key. The couple, who married 13 years ago and have five children between them, aged 27 to 15, must now decide on the location for their prize.

Neil, who works for a recycling company in Ebbw Vale, said afterwards:
“I’m still in shock, I can’t believe it, but it’s brilliant, as I know that my children have something for the future. At least one of them can make a step onto the property ladder and live mortgage free, the difficulty is choosing which one, but they’ll all get a share in it eventually.”

His wife Linda, 43, a food operative at Burtons Foods in Llantarnam, added: “I’m absolutely gob-smacked. It means we can help one of the children and what makes them happy makes us happy.”

Like many parents, Neil and Linda have worried how their grown-up children will ever get onto the property ladder with average house prices way out of reach of most young people. Of their five children, only the eldest owns a place of his own, with two others living in rented accommodation.

Debut by Redrow was introduced precisely to tackle the problems faced by first time buyers and provides quality built, brand new homes from as little as £60,000. Customers get the option to defer 10% of the initial purchase price for up to 10 years, as a further saving, and there is a single monthly service charge to cover all external maintenance, gas, water and electricity bills, even the window cleaning; designed to make it easy for first time home owners to manage their monthly finances.

Neil and Linda have won a one-bedroom ‘D2’ apartment with open plan living space and fitted kitchen, a separate bedroom area with room for a double bed and a spacious, modern shower room. It’s theirs ‘for keeps’ and they’ll also get their ground rent and monthly service charge paid for the first 12 months.

Lorraine Kendrick, sales director for Redrow Homes (South Wales), said:
“We’re delighted for Neil and Linda and the fact that it will help them give at least one of their children such a great start on the property ladder.

“The number of first time buyers entering the property ladder is now said to be at its lowest since 1980 and we’re pleased that our award winning Debut product has been doing its bit to bring home ownership within reach of at least some of them.”

The competition was run in conjunction with Real Radio Wales and Neil and Linda are believed to have walked away with the biggest every prize offered on Welsh radio. The 19 runners-up did not leave empty handed – each got a goodie bag containing concert tickets, a bottle of champagne, a t-shirt and a voucher worth £1,000 if they purchase a Debut by Redrow home in future.

For those not lucky enough to have won a brand new home, Redrow does have Debut properties available for purchase at both Gelli Dawel in Merthyr Tydfil and Dôl Gorwel, at North Cornelly.

Debut homes at Gelli Dawel can be purchased for an initial outlay of just £53,995* for a one-bedroom ‘D1’ studio, up to £96,295* for a two-storey ‘D4’ apartment with two double bedrooms and an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area above.

At Dôl Gorwel, the choice currently extends from £70,650** for a one-bed ‘D2’ studio, like that won by Neil, up to £104,395** for a ‘D5’ which includes an extra work space as well as the two double bedrooms, shower room and open plan living, dining and kitchen area.

For further information – including video walkthroughs of some of the property designs – go to Debutbyredrow.co.uk.

General information about Redrow and its properties available at Redrow.co.uk.

* Prices include Redrow ‘Easi-buy’ assistance. Full purchase prices at Gelli Dawel £59,995 to £106,995
** Prices include Redrow ‘Easi-buy’ assistance. Full purchase prices at Dôl Gorwel £78,500 to £115,995