The journey to a new family home in Rothwell, Northamptonshire
Kitty and Tyler share their experience of buying a home at our Woodland Valley development, and what makes their Blakesley home ideal for their young family.
Hi Kitty! Could you tell us a little about your family?
We are a family of 4, including 2 toddler boys, 2 springer spaniels, 4 cats and a ton of fish! We previously lived in Warwickshire, in a three-bedroom, three-storey semi-detached house.
We decided to move to be closer to family as both our families live nearby. Our eldest will be starting nursery this year and we knew that it would be better to move now before he was settled elsewhere. Also, being so close to family means free childcare! We felt like we were outgrowing our old home and needed more space.
"You have the comfort of knowing that if anything does need sorting, you have a point of contact who can sort things out "
Why did you choose to buy a new build?
We decided on a new build because it’s a blank canvas, you can put your own stamp on each room. You know you can move in without the hassle of worrying whether your house is falling apart or needs major work doing. You also have the comfort of knowing that if anything does need sorting, you have a point of contact who can sort things out so you don’t have to phone up tradespeople.
Another reason was the guarantees that come with the house. For example, the 10-year NHBC warranty on certain aspects of the home.
What led you to choosing your development and house type?
As we’ve said, we wanted to be closer to family. There were loads of sites in our area of interest, however Woodland Valley in Rothwell had so much greenery compared to other developments. It has walks and a children’s park, giving a country, family vibe which is what our family wants.
The house type we have is a Blakesley, which is the show home on the development and that basically sold it for us. The show home is beautiful, and it really made us see what we could do to our blank canvas to make it feel like home. All the bedrooms have at least room for a double bed, wardrobe and drawers, which a lot of homes by other developers didn’t have the space for. We knew that our boys would have enough room to grow into their late teens and still have space.
Could you tell us about your experience of finding and buying your Persimmon home?
From start to finish, Persimmon have been great. When it came to choosing our home, it was a toss-up between the Kielder and the Blakesley. We saw them online first and fell in love with both. We decided to go and view show homes in both styles but ultimately, we decided that we wanted to keep living a three-storey life, so we ended up with our Blakesley.
We put our old house up for sale through Persimmon’s brilliant Part Exchange scheme. Our old house was taking a while to sell - we had many people view it and a handful of offers, but nothing stuck. In the end we Part Exchanged and it was the biggest relief because it meant that WE GOT OUR HOME!
We were kept in the loop from start to finish, and the communication was so good. We used Persimmon’s recommended solicitors who made the whole process as smooth as it could be.
"Living in Rothwell has been life-changing. Considering this is a new build site, with ongoing phases being built, it’s so peaceful"
How did the sales team on your development help you along the way?
The staff were the best. Jeni and Billy at the marketing suite were our main points of contact. Both were lovely and so friendly. They weren’t the typical pushy salespeople, and made you feel comfortable and at ease straight away.
Even when we were moved in, we had weekly calls with Troy from customer care who checked that everything was okay and in working order. Ben and Terry, who are site agents, were so friendly too. They would always say hello and go above and beyond for any needs we had.
What’s life at Woodland Valley been like so far?
Living in Rothwell has been life-changing. Considering this is a new build site, with ongoing phases being built, it’s so peaceful. The walks are beautiful, dog friendly and the wildlife is insane. There are kites (the birds) flying around all the time. The development is a short walk into the town, which has lovely eateries and lots of small independent shops. It really does make you feel like you’re in a community.
As a family, we are always out and about discovering new places. It’s only a short drive to Market Harborough, Northampton and Leicester. There’s even Westlodge Farm down the road, which we would highly recommend as there are indoor and outdoor activities, a nursery attached and a lovely farm.
"We don’t have just one thing we love about our new home - we love everything about it!"
Sounds perfect! So, what’s your favourite thing about your new home?
We don’t have just one thing we love about our new home - we love everything about it! From the layout, to the size of our garden, to the size of the rooms. My favourite room though, has to be the kitchen. It’s so spacious and has plenty of cupboards. It’s cliché, but it really is the heart of our home. It also came with a dishwasher, so that was a huge bonus.
With the stone cladding on our home, it also has an older feel and obviously we think it’s beautiful.
Finally, do you have advice for anyone considering buying a Persimmon new build?
Just do it! Speak to the sales advisors because they will tell you everything you need to know. They will do their best to get you exactly what you want. They’ll go above and beyond. It honestly is the best choice we made for us and our family.
We wish Kitty and Tyler all the best in their beautiful new home at Woodland Valley in Rothwell.
You can follow their home journey on Instagram @therichards_blakesley.
To find out more about our homes available at Woodland Valley, click here.
