Michael and Rachel
15 December 2020This year hasn’t been easy for house hunters, but the Coronavirus pandemic wasn’t going to ruin one young couple’s plans to move into their first home together.
Michael Broome, 28, and his partner Rachel, 22, visited Devonshire Homes’ popular Crediton site, Tarka View, at the start of 2020. They were on the hunt for their dream home as they sought to reach the next milestone in their relationship.
“I was a homeowner already living in Crediton and Rachel lived with her parents in Okehampton” said Michael. “We were keen to purchase a home together in Crediton as we both work in Exeter, so Tarka View offers us an easy commute. When we first started house hunting, we were considering a second-hand property but the new build homes at Tarka View caught our eyes. The site isn’t like other new build developments where every house looks the same, a bit like Lego Land! Each property has character, and the streets look attractive.”
Michael and Rachel moved into their four bedroom Newton house style in October 2020, and it was the pandemic that actually pointed them towards the home they live in now.
“Being completely honest, we didn’t actually consider the Newton house style at first” said Michael. “We were going to put an offer in on a Barnstaple house style back in March, but the Coronavirus pandemic delayed the sale of my existing property. By the time we were in a position to put in an offer on the Barnstaple, the completion date for that particular property had been pushed back to June 2021 which would mean we couldn’t use the Help to Buy Equity Loan scheme or take advantage of the Stamp Duty holiday.
“The pandemic made the Barnstaple house style a no go for us, but all was not lost. We viewed the Newton house style and were pleasantly surprised. We didn’t think we were going to like it as much as the Barnstaple, but we really loved it when we stepped through the front door.”
The four bedroom Newton house style is a popular home for second-time buyers looking for extra space. It boasts features that you may not typically find in other new build homes such as a dedicated garden store, a large garden and an abundance of storage space.
“We love the open plan kitchen / dining area in our new Devonshire home” said Michael. “It makes a great entertaining space. For a new build, the garden size is also really big which will be perfect in the summer. We purchased the view home so benefitted from the furniture being included which was an added bonus. I think the biggest benefit for us though was that the home was already carpeted and tiled throughout. It was ready for us to move into as soon as we put the offer in, so it was all super easy and stress-free.”
Throughout Michael and Rachel’s house buying journey, the Devonshire Homes team were available to help every step of the way.
“Our experience with the team at Tarka View was really good” said Michael. “Everyone was helpful, approachable and nothing was too much trouble. We liaised with Sales Executive Debbie the most but also spoke to Sales Executive Stephen and Site Manager Andy. Despite not being able to purchase our first choice of home, we are so happy with our Newton home and are quickly making it our own. The house was ready for occupation before we put our offer in so that really helped move things along quickly and everything just fell into place.”
Having enjoyed their first few weeks in their new home at Tarka View, Michael and Rachel wouldn’t hesitate in recommending the local independent house builder to other house hunters.
“I would definitely recommend Devonshire Homes to others looking for a high-quality new build property” said Michael. “It’s the little things that really make Devonshire Homes stand-out as an approachable house builder. For example, when we were moving in our big pieces of furniture, the walls got slightly scuffed but Andy the Site Manager was really helpful. He said that if we brought some empty jam jars along to the Marketing Suite, he would fill them up with the same paint so we could touch up the walls. Nothing is too much trouble and it’s the little things like that which go such a long way.”
Tarka View currently has three and four bedroom homes available starting from £272,950. For more information, please book an appointment to visit the Marketing Suite, off Wellparks Hill, Tarka Way, Crediton, EX17 3PJ. The Marketing Suite is open daily between 10am and 5pm for appointments only. To book, call 01363 688363 or email tarkaview@devonshirehomes.co.uk.