Family life in a Persimmon Hadleigh
After saving hard to get a foot on the property ladder in her twenties, Naomi found herself in a great position to take the next step five years later. We find out why her dream home was always going to be a new build, and how she’s used her design flair to create a stunning and stylish home for her family.
Moving up the ladder
Hi, I’m Naomi, and I’ve lived in my Persimmon Hadleigh now for nearly four and a half years.
In my early twenties I understood the importance of getting on the property ladder as quickly as possible, which I know is so hard for a lot of people. I was lucky to find an affordable two-bedroom apartment, and after saving up hard over a few years and with a bit of family support, I was able to purchase my first home.
Taking on such a huge financial commitment wasn’t going to be easy, but my best friend was looking for a room at the time too, so it was the perfect opportunity for her to move in with me. It was a fantastic decision, not only living with my best friend and all the fun we had, but also getting the financial support to help me pay the mortgage each month.
Five years later, and the capital from that apartment gave me the opportunity to take a step up on the property ladder. At this stage, in my late twenties, after getting married, we wanted to look at purchasing a larger home that had the potential for us to expand our family in the future.
“I've always been passionate about fashion, design and styling, so I wanted a blank canvas to create a home exactly the way I wanted it, for our family.”
Finding the perfect place
I was absolutely set on buying a new build because I wanted it to be a place where we were the first people to live in it and put our stamp on our home. I know there’s lots of different opinions on new builds, with some people seeing them as just a box with no character, but I saw this in a completely different way. I saw a new build as a blank canvass. I’ve always been passionate about fashion, design and styling, so I wanted a blank canvas to create a home exactly the way I wanted it, for our family.
The Persimmon development we found was absolutely perfect. On the outskirts of a large village with all the amenities you need, it also had a feel of space about it and being quiet, peaceful and in the countryside.
I didn’t have a preference at the time for one particular housebuilder, but the first-class experience I had the Persimmon sales rep in the marketing suite on our development was second to none.
The biggest decision then was which house to choose. Should we go for a four-bedroom Burnham, or the five-bedroom Hadleigh/Corfe? There wasn’t much difference in price or floor space, but we decided on the Hadleigh for that extra bedroom, as well as the size of the kitchen/dining/family room, which we felt would be ideal for entertaining and be the hub of the home.
In no time at all, we reserved our plot and then had about eight months to start thinking about exactly what I wanted to do with this blank canvas. I was in my element!
“Over the last four and a half years, we’ve been able to transform the house into the home of our dreams.”
Making it a home
Throughout this process, the Persimmon team were fab in arranging appointments for us to come in and start choosing our options. We were able to specify the flooring we wanted and what the kitchen would look like. We added a few upgrades too, like fitted wardrobes in two of the bedrooms, quartz kitchen surfaces, an additional over-bath shower in the main bathroom, and upgrading the fixtures and fittings to chrome. It was starting to become the home that we had envisioned.
Over the last four and a half years, we’ve been able to transform the house into the home of our dreams. We’ve added a feature media wall and fireplace in the lounge that adds depth and warmth to the room. We’ve also added panelling to a number of rooms, including the master bedroom, spare bedroom, lounge and dining room – it really adds character and texture.
My favourite space within the Hadleigh is the kitchen/dining and family room. It’s literally the centre of the home, and a brilliant size to enjoy, whether this is cooking a meal for yourself or entertaining family and friends. So much so, I ‘ve taken to saying “the kitchen is closed” to wrap up the fun before we retire to our beautiful lounge!
The good news is that whilst we didn’t ever need a five-bedroom house from the outset, it’s now getting fuller as the family has grown. First, we got the most gorgeous cocker spaniel called Benji, and then we were lucky enough to have a baby boy, all of our dreams had come true.
That next chapter was amazing. Designing and creating the nursery and changing the dining space into a playroom eclipsed my love of the kitchen space. We’re obsessed with our child’s bedroom! The neutral, cosy colours and natural accessories create such a calm and soothing space, but some jungle animal stickers on the walls bring it to life…another gorgeous room ticked off the list!
Take the plunge
For anyone thinking of buying a new build home, our advice would be to go for it! Our experience with Persimmon was fab, not just before we moved in, but also how the site teamed helped fix any snags really quickly once we were in.
Not only that, but a new build home gives you a blank space that allows you to customise your home exactly the way you want it. You get modern features and technology combined with having a home that is really energy efficient, saving you money too.
