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“Willow Walk offers a new close-knit community in the heart of Wandsworth” Miles
We really wanted to take our first steps onto the property ladder
Following the end of his rental contract, Miles, Head of Technology, moved back in with his parents in Peterborough as he prepared to secure a property of his own. Discussing his ambitions with colleague, Katya, the pair decided to switch Cambridgeshire for life in the capital and purchase a 25% share together at Peabody New Homes’ Willow Walk development in Wandsworth. Miles comments: “We really wanted to take our first steps onto the property ladder and with the cost-of-living crisis a reality we could not ignore, it raised the question of how achievable it is to buy on your own in London.
With the IT company we work for expanding, and a large number of our clients now based in the South West, moving to London and being able to enjoy the unrivalled transport connections means that we now have better opportunities to provide them with on-site services.”
The area around Willow Walk just felt like home, right from the first visit
“We are located right between Wandsworth and Putney, so the area is lovely. During my free time, I enjoy popping into Wandsworth because it is more of an old town with a nice high street that goes up towards the station. There are independent coffee shops and friendly, local bakeries, which is a nice change from all the chain stores back in Peterborough. During my lunch breaks, I often wander down to Wandsworth Park which is right on the river. There are lots of rail links nearby, which also means that I can easily get into the centre of London if I want more to explore.”
The Willow Walk one and two-bedroom homes cater for a wide range of buyers with a pet policy that welcomes four-legged friends. Discussing his new home, Miles comments: “We’ve got two bedrooms and are using another area as a home office for ourselves, it is the perfect space that allows us to work from home. The living area is a big open-plan space with a nice view out from our windows and the balcony. Our cat, Goose, loves pottering about the place and enjoys looking out on the balcony and watching the birds. We’ve only just got our kitchen table and it is lovely to be able to look out of the window while we are having meals.”
Sustainability was definitely a consideration for us when we were looking
Miles continues, “All the details have been carefully considered, for example, we have an integrated larder in the kitchen, perfect for storing all our spices, oils and salts; it is nice to have a clutter-free space! We also have a utility room, which hosts the washing machine as well as lots of storage and built-in shelving. When I’ve rented previously, space to store things out of sight is always one of those things that you seem to forget about, but it is really handy to have. Sustainability was definitely a consideration for us when we were looking, and it’s clear that the insulation here is really good because we haven’t had to have the heating on, even when it’s been freezing outside!”
Miles and Katya were able to purchase at Willow Walk through the use of the Shared Ownership scheme. He says, “We had inherited a bit of money for a deposit, but I always knew that we were going to need to use some sort of homebuying scheme. Shared Ownership had come up a few times when I had been searching back in Peterborough, and when I searched for Shared Ownership homes in London, Peabody New Homes kept coming up.
Peabody New Homes recommended mortgage advisors that specialise in Shared Ownership
We went through the process with a few different developers and Peabody New Homes’ communication and explanation seemed to be the clearest. They made the process seem really straightforward and even recommended solicitors and mortgage advisors that specialise in Shared Ownership.” Miles continues “When I compared estimated outgoings to that of my friends who rent in London, it worked out more economical for us to buy rather than rent.”
Reflecting on the buying experience, Miles comments: “The Peabody New Homes sales team was very helpful. Our main contact, Ilona, was very friendly and we always felt that she was on our side and trying to help us get things over the line. We wanted to see the place before it was finished and Ilona was more than accommodating. Since buying at Willow Walk, I have already recommended Shared Ownership and Peabody New Homes to a colleague whose son was looking to buy their first home.”
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