New homes in Leybourne offer a relaxed lifestyle

Taylor Wimpey’s Leybourne Chase development of new homes for sale in Leybourne, near West Malling, Kent, is the perfect antidote to hectic London life for homebuyers Chris and Victoria Wilkinson.

Chris and Victoria Wilkinson are enjoying the quiet life in their brand new home at Leybourne Chase, Taylor Wimpey’s sought-after new community of property for sale in Leybourne – thanks to a helping hand from the leading housebuilder.

The couple had been living with Chris’s parents in nearby Tonbridge while they saved a deposit, and they took advantage of one of the leading housebuilder’s fantastic incentives aimed at helping first-time buyers onto the property ladder at the Taylor Wimpey Leybourne development.

With their first baby due in March, they are over the moon at finally being settled in their very own place at Leybourne Chase, where the apartments and houses for sale in Leybourne are bordered by picturesque woodland with beautiful open countryside on the doorstep.

For Chris, who works as a lighting technician at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, their new Taylor Wimpey property in Leybourne is the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life.

“It’s the first home we’ve bought together and we’ve been saving up for about a year, so it’s fantastic to have finally moved in,” he says, reflecting on their move to their new Leybourne property.

“We love the fact we’re right out in the countryside, yet it’s convenient to get the train to work. It’s lovely when you work in London to come home and be able to get away from everything.”

Taylor Wimpey’s easystart shared equity initiative helped the Wilkinsons to secure their spacious two-bedroom ‘Malden’ apartment at the housebuilder’s flagship development near West Malling.

A similar incentive, the Government-backed FirstBuy scheme, is now available with selected properties at Leybourne Chase, giving first-time buyers the opportunity to secure their new home for 80% of its full purchase price – including a 5% deposit, subject to status.

“Because we were first-time buyers we were able to use Taylor Wimpey’s shared equity scheme, which helped us a lot,” explains Chris.

“Without it, buying our own place would have been an absolute squeeze, especially with the baby on the way. But thanks to the help we received, our mortgage payments are much more affordable.

“Taylor Wimpey also gave us a £3,000 voucher to put towards a whole range of interior Options, which meant the flat was fully fitted with a dishwasher, washer drier, fridge freezer and flooring when we moved in. All the staff at Leybourne Chase have been fantastic and really did a lot for us.”

Chris (27) and Victoria (24) moved in to their brand new home just before Christmas 2011 – and they’re already thrilled with their new life at Leybourne Chase.

“Our new home is lovely – all the rooms are good sizes, with a good flow between them, and the fact the flat is brand new means we don’t have to worry about repairs,” adds Chris.

“We also really like the facades of all the houses at Leybourne Chase – they’re quite in keeping with the countryside all around rather than looking really new. And, of course, it’s lovely to be able to go straight out for a walk and enjoy the countryside, too.”

Home-hunters in search of a peaceful retreat from city life – yet in a location which still offers great transport connections to the capital – can choose from a wide selection of high-quality properties at Leybourne Chase.

Stylish two-bedroom apartments similar to the one chosen by the Wilkinsons are priced from as little as £179,995, while spacious three-bedroom terraced houses are available from only £254,995 and four-bedroom properties from just £294,995.

Selected plots can be accessed by qualifying first-time buyers for 80% of their full purchase price under the FirstBuy scheme, through which Taylor Wimpey and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) provide a 20% joint loan, which is repayable at the end of the 25-year mortgage term or when the property is sold.

Full details of FirstBuy – and the range of other incentives on offer for first-time buyers and those with a property to sell – are available from the Sales Executive.

Enjoying a delightful, semi-rural location on the outskirts of Leybourne village, Leybourne Chase is a highly desirable new community comprising a superb selection of apartments and houses to suit a wide range of buyers.

The development forms part of the Hospital Sites Programme run by the HCA to bring 96 former hospital sites back into productive use. As well as working with Taylor Wimpey to develop the site, the HCA is providing funding to ensure new and affordable homes are available for the local community.

Nearly two-thirds of the development site – some 140 acres – are being preserved as green open space for recreation and leisure, including parks, recreation grounds, fields, children’s playgrounds, sports pitches, ‘trim trail’ footpaths, community allotments, a lake and an arboretum.

For commuters, West Malling railway station is just over a mile from the development and provides regular services to London Victoria. Maidstone is only seven miles away by road, while quick links to the M20 mean central London is within easy reach.

For further information, visit taylorwimpey.co.uk.