Family find perfect property in St Albans
Ros Wilcox and Douglas Kintu only visited Highfields in search of an investment property – but instead they found their perfect family home at Taylor Wimpey’s beautifully located development of houses for sale in St Albans.
When St Albans pub landlords Ros Wilcox and Douglas Kintu took a look around Taylor Wimpey’s Highfields development of property for sale in St Albans, they were only considering purchasing an investment property.
But they were so impressed by these brand new properties to buy in St Albans and the outstanding semi-rural setting of Highfields, they decided to instead part-exchange their four-bedroom Victorian terrace for a beautiful family home at the development.
“We were just driving past and decided to pop in to look at the showhomes with a view to perhaps buying an investment property,” explains Ros, reflecting on the day she first took a look at Taylor Wimpey’s new houses in St Albans. “But we were really taken by the setting, and on seeing one particular new four-bedroom house on sale, we decided almost immediately that we wanted to live there ourselves!”
Having resolved that this stunning St Albans property their dream home, Ros and Douglas decided to use Taylor Wimpey’s Part-Exchange scheme, and with the security of Taylor Wimpey buying their existing property, they could get on with making a hassle-free move.
Just six weeks after first falling in love with their brand new property in St Albans, the family moved in, having also used Taylor Wimpey’s experienced solicitors and mortgage advisors to make sure everything went without a hitch.
“Our new home is surrounded by open fields and parkland, and from the upstairs windows all you can see is green fields, trees and open spaces,” adds Ros.
“Yet we’re still only a five minutes from the pub we run, the Farmer’s Boy pub in London Road, handy for St Albans’ shops and the train station, and within easy reach of the M25 and M1.
“Highfields is a wonderful place to wake up in the morning. It feels like we’re on holiday because it’s so peaceful and the air quality seems that much fresher. Our main through-traffic these days are foxes, which leave little footprints across the garden every now and then!”
Ros, who used to work in insurance claims, and Douglas, a former lawyer, have run the Farmer’s Boy for the past two-and-a-half years, and despite keeping busy behind the bar, serving tasty pub grub and holding their popular Thursday music nights, they’re finding plenty of time to enjoy their new home with daughter Bethany (6) and son Cameron (5).
“Moving to a new-build home hasn’t been too much of a change for us, because the home we chose at Highfields is designed in the style of a traditional farmhouse,” says Ros. “We have no regrets whatsoever about moving, and having just adopted a couple of kittens from the RSPCA called Iggy and Darcy, we’re all settling in very nicely to a new life in our brand new home!”
Similar to the home Ros and Douglas chose, the ‘Batchwood’ house at Highfields is a traditional and spacious detached design that is perfect for those thinking of part-exchanging their current home to move up the property ladder.
The ‘Batchwood’ features a fabulous kitchen with a family/breakfast area opening through French doors to the rear garden, a separate living room also with doors leading out to the garden, plus a dining room and a guest cloakroom off the central entrance hallway.
Upstairs, the landing leads to the magnificent master bedroom with en-suite, three further bedrooms and a main bathroom. The property, which is priced from £660,000, also benefits from a garage or car port, plus an allocated parking space.
A choice of three and four-bedroom houses is currently available at Highfields, starting from just £319,950 and including the superbly decorated ‘Oaklands’ showhome which comes complete with flooring and carpets.
Taylor Wimpey’s Part-Exchange incentive is available to qualifying customers who have a property to sell. With a guaranteed buyer and knowing that they are receiving the full market value*, they can continue to live in their current home until their new place is ready to move into, without the worry of their side of the property chain collapsing.
As alternatives to part-exchange, a further range of time and money-saving incentives is available on selected plots at Highfields, with information available from the Sales Executive.
Highfields is a stunning development of just 34 homes in a scenic location overlooking fields on the outskirts of St Albans. The city boasts a wealth of shops, bars and restaurants, schools for children of all ages and leisure facilities.
Commuters will appreciate that Highfields is situated just three miles from St Albans railway station with regular trains to London St Pancras in just 20 minutes.
As well as excellent rail links, the development is close to major roads such as the M1, M25 and the A1 – making any journey by car a simple one.
Famed for its cathedral and Roman history, St Albans has a thriving cultural life with numerous arts venues including The Alban Arena, Abbey Theatre and the Albans Art Theatre. The museum of everyday life in Roman Britain, the Verulamium Museum, features magnificent mosaics and recreated rooms.
The area offers a wealth of villages, good pubs, beautiful walks, historic churches and family attractions such as Shaw’s Corner and the de Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre nearby. A little further afield is Hatfield House, a stunning Jacobean house steeped in royal history, within an extensive park.
More information on the homes and incentives at Highfields in Highfield Lane, St Albans, is available by visiting the Sales Centre, open Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 5.30pm, and Monday from 10am to 2pm.
* Based on the average of independent professional valuations.
