House Hunter

The HOUSE HUNTER

This month FTB goes on the hunt with Lucy and Glenn Hawkins who are after a family home with two or more bedrooms in the south east of England east of England

PROFILE

Names Lucy Hawkins, 35, and Glenn Hawkins, 40 Occupations Information Scientist, Campaigns Manager Maximum budget £375,000 Requirements A two or more bedroom home in the South East of England, with outdoor space, a town or high street close by and commuting times to London of under an hour

What they wanted…

It’s all change for us − we have our rst child due at the beginning of next year and have decided to relocate from the North West back to the South East, where we are both from originally. Glenn and I have called Liverpool our home for the past 10 years − but with a little one on the way, we want to settle in a place of our own closer to our families. Glenn is originally from Kent, while my family mostly live in south east London, Surrey and Sussex. We’d like to look at homes in these areas and make a decision based on what we can nd. We need at least two bedrooms and some outdoor space – a garden ideally. We like the countryside and are more than happy to be away from busy areas, but we would like shops and places to go to be easily accessible. We’ll both be working exibly, with just a few visits to Liverpool or London needed for us both every month, so a reasonable commute to the capital would be great for us. Our budget is around £375,000.”

What we found…

THE HISTORIC TOWN THE BEST OF BOTH

Lillybank Battle, East Sussex

FROM £345,000

Close to the medieval town of Battle, this collection of family homes has the Sussex countryside on the doorstep. The properties range from two to ve bedrooms and have been created in a variety of styles to blend seamlessly into the beautiful surrounds. This is a rural location that bene ts from great access to all the amenities needed for modern life, with supermarkets, cafes and pubs within easy reach. Trains into London take around 80 minutes, while the seaside town of Hastings can be reached in less than 20 minutes by car. Water Meadows at Broadacres, Southwater, West Sussex

FROM £380,000

Water Meadows is the latest phase of the wider Broadacres development. The collection of two, three, four and ve bedroom homes take its inspiration from the pretty Sussex location, which offers residents a mix of rural and town lifestyles. Inside, homes are beautifully nished, with exible living spaces, tted kitchens, en suites from the master bedrooms and living areas that open to private rear gardens. Southwater and its amenities lies within walking distance, while the large commuter town of Horsham can be reached in 10 minutes by car.

millwooddesignerhomes.co.uk berkeleygroup.co.uk

What they thought…

This location is so different to the busy city life we are used to now − Battle is a quaint Sussex town with the beautiful seaside close by. We love the history in the area and the beauty of the South Downs, and with the coast so close, it would be a wonderful place for us to settle down as a family. It’s a little further south east than we’d originally thought of − but that doesn’t rule it out. We are really impressed with the properties, they’re very thoughtfully designed.” I have family quite close to this area, and have visited Horsham many times. It’s a lovely area with a great deal to offer families. We are really impressed with the general design of the houses and it’s clear that the development has been designed in keeping with the local area. Southwater looks pretty, and it’s only a short walk, which would be great with the baby. And getting to London for work and general visiting takes less than an hour, which is ideal.”

THE LANDMARK DEVELOPMENT THE CITY CONNECTION

Castle Rise, Ebbs eet Garden City, Kent

FROM

The Scene £80,500* New Cross, south east New Cross, south east London

FROM £117,000*

The nal phase of affordable homes has launched at this landmark development in Ebbs eet Garden City. The homes boast superb transport links, with green space, shopping and facilities well within reach. As well as the existing countryside, there will be seven new parks in the area, along with lakes, ideal for days out. The one and two bedroom apartments and two and three bedroom houses have been designed beautifully, with open-plan living areas, integrated kitchens, and balconies and gardens for enjoying the fresh air. Lewisham − the London Borough of Culture 2022 – is home to this new collection, which ranges from one bedroom apartments to four bedroom townhouses, with many available through shared ownership. The properties feature open-plan living areas, stylish design and plenty of natural light. The homes lie within walking and cycling distance of some of the capital’s most popular areas including Deptford, Greenwich and Camberwell, while trains run to London Bridge in under 10 minutes. Travel to Kent, Surrey and Sussex is simple by car or train.

castlerise.co.uk

*Based on a 35% share of the full market value of £230,000 peabodysales.co.uk

*Based on a 30% share of the full market value of £390,000

We know a family who have bought a home at Unity Gardens and they really like it there. This is a great area to combine commuting with a lovely, laid-back lifestyle. There’s so much green space in the area, and also so many young families moving into the development, which would good for making new connections. The new garden city − and the fact that a stretch of the Thames is essentially being transformed − is really interesting to us and we like the idea of spending time close to the river.” We think the homes here look amazing. New Cross and the surrounding areas are so very cool and really fun to be in. It’s great that there’s a range of houses and apartments here; appealing to both families and young professionals is sure to create a great community feel. What we really love is that there’s so much to do on the doorstep − and London is so close − but getting to Kent and beyond is really easy, too. It’s de nitely a great location for both exploring and escaping city life.” What a fantastic development this is! We totally adore the idea of a riverside home − and the houses are so stylish and bright − the ultimate in modern family living. We really like the location and are super impressed with the travel links into London. Rochester is in quite a good spot for seeing all of our relatives. We currently have to travel hours for visiting, but from here we can get to Sussex, Surrey and London pretty quickly by car or train, which will make such a difference to us. I love the idea of walking along the riverside and having beautiful open spaces right on the doorstep. The historic sites will also be fun for the family to visit.”

First choice!

THE WATERSIDE WONDER

Rochester Riverside, Rochester, Kent

FROM £307,500

With riverside and castle views, great commuter links and a range of properties, this landmark development in Kent is proving very popular indeed. The site, which will eventually comprise 1,400 new homes, will also include a 2.5km river walkway and 10 acres of open space, including play areas and landscaping. Homes here will range from apartments to two, three, four and ve bedroom family houses. Properties are designed with modern living in mind, with open-plan living spaces, optimal natural light and private outdoor spaces. Trains into London St Pancras take just 37 minutes. countrysideproperties.com

THE NEXT STEP

“We have planned a week-long stay with relatives in the South East. That way we can visit Rochester a lot and really get a feel for the area. We have a mortgage in principle already, and want to proceed as quickly as we can so we can try to get moving before the baby arrives!”