Help to Buy

Engaged couple move to Chinnor with Help to Buy–and hail garden and larger space!

- 16 Mar 20

View our video: An engaged couple in Chinnor, who plan to marry in South Oxfordshire next year, are loving life in their new-build home after using the Government’s Help to Buy scheme – particularly their new garden!

Mark James and Allanah Protheroe have moved into a two-bedroom, semi-detached house at Bovis Homes’ Chiltern View location, in Chinnor, and say having their own garden is the best part.

Mark, a retail manager at Sainsbury’s and teacher Allanah, met when they both worked at the supermarket – Allanah in the bakery section. They lived in a one-bedroom flat in High Wycombe for 12 years, before making the move – and one of the biggest fans of their decision is Allanah’s parents’ St Bernard, George, who adores the outside space!

Keen sports fan Mark, 36, said: "Our favourite part of our new house is the garden, we love sitting out in the evening, listening to wildlife. Having lived in a one-bedroom flat, we also love having two bedrooms and the open-plan living space, downstairs.

“We felt that a new-build provided us with a better option financially and it meant we could move in and not have to consider improvements to make on the property. Having the opportunity to choose the internal features meant we could customise our home to our tastes. This meant that we could move in straight away and live in our new property without making home improvements.”

Mark and Allanah, who continues to bake in her spare time, were full of praise for Bovis Homes – part of the newly-formed Vistry Group – and the housebuilder’s sales advisor, Mila. They both adore village life and are already considering buying a larger Bovis Homes property in the future.

“We first looked at Chiltern View based on its location, we wanted a house outside High Wycombe – we found the development to be of the highest quality with a very friendly sales team,” Mark added.

“Allanah and I were attracted to the quality of Bovis Homes due to the overall finish of the houses that were complete. We felt the properties were of the highest standard and continue to admire the look of all the houses. After looking at the homes available at the location, we both agreed that the properties were well-designed and the layout inside was perfect for us.

“We love Chiltern’s countryside and enjoy waking up to this view every morning. The area is perfect and we knew this would be an amazing opportunity for us to raise a family here in the future. Having moved from a busy town to a village, it seemed very daunting, however the community is fantastic where everyone is so friendly and helpful. We are lucky enough to move to a village with many amenities close by. In time, we would love to buy a brand-new three or four-bedroom house on a Bovis Homes development.

“We could not have done this without the help of Mila - we are so grateful for all the support from Bovis Homes and how quick they are at getting you into your new home. Upon deciding to get a new-build, we knew we needed some help to do so, therefore we chose to use the Help to Buy scheme to help fund our dream of buying the house we wanted.

“I would highly recommend the scheme – my advice is to be well informed and read all the documents about the scheme, this helped us understand the process and how to apply for the initiative.”

Outside of work, Mark enjoys sport and has a passion for football, golf and Formula 1. A life-long supporter of Watford FC, he has recently started training to become a football coach.

Allanah regularly makes cakes and sweet treats for her colleagues and family. The 30-year-old now bakes more due to her large, open-plan kitchen. She also enjoys reading and uses the second bedroom as a space to read in.