A couple put on hard hats and hi vis to take a look around their new property while it is still under construction – a house they see as their ‘forever home’.
Tom Cunnington and Jodie Smith are buying a four-bedroom detached house at Bellway’s Willow Rise development in Calverton and expect to move there in May.
The property, in the Guilder design, has been constructed as a
‘Lifetime Home’, which means that Bellway has included extra touches that would make life easier for residents with mobility difficulties, with the idea that it futureproofs a home for people as they get older just in case those measures are needed one day.
These include wider doorways that can accommodate a wheelchair, and a downstairs cloakroom that is designed with the space and layout that would make a conversion to a wet room possible in future years.
While Tom, 39, and Jodie, 43, were not seeking out those measures when they began their hunt for a new home, Jodie said that they did know that they wanted this to be their ‘forever home’.
So, since no-one knows what the future holds, these design elements were a bonus that meant the house worked with their plans. Jodie said: “It was just an extra, and it’s nice to know that you’ve got that.”
The layout and design of the property was a major attraction, with an open-plan kitchen/dining space and separate living room – both with French doors leading out to the garden.
The couple, who met in 2022 and are set to get married in July next year, have four sons between them – Jodie’s boys Maddox, 11, and Frazer, nine, and Tom’s boys Hudson, eight, and Dalton, five.
It was important to find a home design that worked for everyone both now and in the future, with living space that is flexible. There is a separate dining room in the house, but the couple think this will work better for their family if they use it as a games room or snug.
It will be the start of a new life for the couple as it is their first home together.
With a wedding on the horizon to plan and pay for the couple were keen to purchase a new-build home because it would be a known cost with no unexpected extras. “That’s why we chose new build. We thought we will have so much to save up for and this way it’s all done and all paid and that’s one less thing to worry about.”
Buying new also meant the couple could choose their fixtures and finishes for the bathroom and kitchen and flooring.
“I liked picking the options” said Jodie. “I’d never done it before, and Bellway has really good choices. That’s great because you have an idea in your head of what you would like, and when we went to choose, everything that we wanted was there.
“And moving into a new build means everything is all fresh and brand new and energy efficient.”
The couple liked the village location of Willow Rise. Jodie said: “There is a lot of open space and there are some cafes in the village, and we won’t be far from it either. It will be a nice little community.”