New homes in Oldbury ideal for first-time buyers
Nurses Racheal Parkes and Sarah Craythorne were taken aback by the value for money on offer at Taylor Wimpey’s Cedar Drive development of new homes for sale in Oldbury, West Midlands.
When it comes to buying a first home, value for money is normally at the top of the list for most purchasers. So when friends West Midlands property-hunters Racheal Parkes and Sarah Craythorne started looking for a house within easy commuting distance of their workplaces, they were delighted to discover the incredible prices on offer at Cedar Drive, Taylor Wimpey’s sought-after development of houses for sale in Oldbury.
Racheal (32), a Senior Nurse in the A&E department at Birmingham City Hospital, and Sarah (37), a Clinical Nurse Practitioner at Sandwell General Hospital, had been searching on the internet for property for sale in Oldbury and new homes in Birmingham.
A mutual friend who already lives in a Taylor Wimpey home suggested they look at developments belonging to the leading housebuilder, and after investigating further they didn’t hesitate to reserve a spacious four-bedroom ‘Malvern’ property in Oldbury at Cedar Drive.
“We couldn’t believe the price when we first looked online, we thought it couldn’t be right as we’d been looking at similar-sized homes on the second-hand property market which were double the price of the ‘Malvern’,” says Sarah, reflecting on the search for new build homes in Oldbury.
“We visited Cedar Drive and were gobsmacked when Julie, the Sales Executive, confirmed the price to us. After looking around the showhome we knew we wanted to live there, and were delighted to know we could comfortably afford it too!”
Racheal adds: “Both of us had been living with our respective parents and felt it was time to purchase a property – and it made perfect financial sense to buy together.
“After viewing several houses, both old and new-builds, I wasn’t impressed with what I was seeing. Money is a massive factor for first-time buyers, and I felt we wouldn’t get value for money with the homes we’d looked at.
“That all changed when we visited Cedar Drive, and saw the size and layout of the ‘Malvern’. I knew straight away we’d found the perfect house.”
Racheal and Sarah were also impressed by the customer service they experienced when buying at Cedar Drive.
“As first-time buyers, we needed guidance through the whole process and Julie was brilliant in the way she dealt with us,” says Sarah. “Everything was explained to us, nothing was too much trouble for her, she was fantastic.
“We used a financial advisor and solicitor which were recommended to us by Taylor Wimpey and they were equally efficient and friendly. In fact, we managed to get our mortgage application put together and agreed within a day, which was incredible.
“We also struck up a good relationship with the Site Manager at Cedar Drive – he’s been so helpful, and it’s reassuring to know he’s on site and available to provide us with backup if we needed anything.
“In fact, when we moved in he took the time to go through how to work the cooker, the heating system, pretty much everything that you would normally have to plough through a manual for!”
First-time buyers like Racheal and Sarah can take their pick from a stylish selection of brand new homes at Cedar Drive, where prices for two-bedroom homes start from as little as £124,995, and three-bedroom houses are priced from just £145,550.
Cedar Drive is a thoughtfully designed new community less than a mile to the east of Oldbury town centre, in a sought-after and well-established residential location with excellent transport links to Birmingham and beyond.
The new homes at Cedar Drive will lie within beautifully landscaped grounds on the site of the former Sampson Works in Rood End Road and are ideally placed to take advantage of the region’s travel network.
Junctions 1 and 2 of the M5 are close by, linking with the M6 and M42, and a choice of railway stations within walking distance offers services into Birmingham city centre in around ten minutes. The Metro rail link from Wolverhampton to Birmingham makes the journey to work even easier.
A wealth of high street shops, pubs and eateries, day-to-day essentials such as doctors’ and dental surgeries, plus a good choice of schools for children of all ages are just a short walk away.
Historic West Smethwick Park is just a stone’s throw from the new homes, and boasts a children’s play area, allotments, a pavilion and changing rooms, youth games facilities and sports pitches.
The town’s historic canals are increasingly used for leisure and boating, while a major reclamation project has turned the picturesque Titford Pool into one of the area’s top beauty spots.
For further information, visit taylorwimpey.co.uk.
