Moving from London to the Welsh coast: a new build buying journey
A spur of the moment visit to our Awel Afan development in Port Talbot convinced Geoff and Thea that a brand new apartment with a stunning sea view was perfect for them.
We spoke to Geoff and Thea Harrison about their decision to reserve a home at Awel Afan, and how their buying journey has gone so far.
Dreaming of a coastal home
Aberavon Beach has always been a special place for us, particularly for Thea whose family for many generations have spent their childhood enjoying large parts of the summer on the magnificent beach.
I was born in Cardiff, but I also fell in love with the place when Thea first introduced me to the area and whilst we have been living in and around London for a number of years. we had often talked about buying a property in the area. With our children now a little older, we had now reached the stage where we could potentially turn that dream into a reality.
Love at first sight
It was a Sunday in early February, and we were in the area viewing another property when we saw how the Awel Afan development had come on since our last visit and decided to pop into the sales office.
The office was busy with a number of prospective buyers, and as we were only in the area for a few more hours we turned up without an appointment. Poppi, at the time a trainee sales adviser, said not to worry and agreed to show us around the two available apartments – nothing was too much trouble.
“We were totally blown away by the view over the beach”
We had not really considered buying a new build property but as we walked in through the door, we were both immediately taken by how attractive the unit was and what it might be like to own it. We were also totally blown away by the view over the beach.
We shared brief glances and it was clear that we were both thinking the same thing - that if we could make the numbers work, we wanted to buy this little piece of heaven.
We were impressed by the build quality and the attraction of not having to worry too much about maintenance issues for a number of years – we also wanted somewhere that was simple to lock-up-and-leave and not worry about a garden, so a flat was a perfect choice.
A smooth sales journey
Poppi was able to answer most of our questions on the spot but where she needed to check, she took them away and quickly got back to us. We returned home, spoke to the sales office when it reopened on the Thursday and arranged a further viewing the following weekend. We also discussed some finishings that we would like to be included.
We drove back to Aberavon with a sense of excitement, and the second viewing just reinforced our initial feelings. We returned to the sales office for a fairly lengthy discussion with Allison, Hanah and Poppi who all helped guide us through the process. Before the afternoon was over, we had reserved the flat.
“The sales team were amazing at helping us make sure the purchase kept progressing”
We were keen to move forward quickly and our target was to complete before Easter – just 6 weeks later. The sales team were amazing at helping us to make sure that the purchase kept progressing, and Persimmon’s legal team were also very responsive.
Everyone pulled together and we managed to complete on the Thursday before Easter. We spent Easter very happily with a mattress on the floor and two camping chairs - thank heavens for a fully fitted kitchen!
Happy in our new home
Since then we have managed to fully furnish the flat, get blinds fitted and are now really loving our little place by the sea. Even the weather has been (mostly) kind to us and I know that we will never get tired of that amazing view! We also love the backdrop of the industrial grandeur of the Port Talbot steel works and old port.
We all know the phrase ‘location, location, location’ and this was the key factor in our decision to buy, but once that decision had been taken, Persimmon did make the process trouble-free. This was our first new build purchase and we would certainly consider going that route again.
The final touches
The decisions we needed to make with regards to finishes, flooring, sockets etc. were dictated by the stage of the build. Even though our flat was just about complete, there was still a lot to consider. The Persimmon sales team are great at guiding you through the process, but the more you can consider your requirements ahead of the meeting, the easier the process will be.
As the flat was effectively complete when we saw it, our snagging list was very short with most items addressed ahead of completion. To resolve the few outstanding matters, the site team, with the support of the sales office, have been great.
Buying a property is a major decision but we have no regrets in buying from Persimmon and as the development nears completion, we look forward to meeting more of our neighbours over the coming months.
We wish Geoff and Thea all the best in their beautiful new home by the sea.
Click here to read another customer testimonial from Awel Afan.
And for more information about our Awel Afan development in Port Talbot, click here.