Family escape London for better life in the country

- 28 Sep 21

A couple looking to escape London in search of a better place to raise their family found their perfect place at Bovis Homes’ Stortford Fields development. Charles Staines and his wife Cisem have swapped the busy streets of Wood Green in the capital for the quiet suburban setting of Bishop’s Stortford. The couple and their four-year-old son Myon, have moved out of Charles’s parents’ house to their own new three-bedroom property at Stortford Fields. Bovis Homes, which is part of the Vistry Group, is building a range of two, three and four-bedroom homes at the development, off Hadham Road. “We have waved goodbye to noisy North London and said hello to the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside,” said Charles, a 36-year-old security manager. “I have always wanted to own my own house and knew that I did not want to bring children up in London. We have made a positive decision and chosen to search for the good life in the countryside.” The couple made the decision to move to Stortford Fields after visiting Charles’ twin brother Robert, who had bought a home at the development. “We had decided it was time to buy a house together and to move out of London for the sake of us as a family,” said Charles. “Robert was living in Bishop’s Stortford and we went to see him and discussed our intentions to move. “We realised that the solution was staring us in the face. His house was lovely, the development was nice and peaceful, and Bishop’s Stortford was a quiet town with lots to offer. “We had been into the surrounding countryside for trips out and were won over by the feeling of freedom and space and our son loved seeing his cousins.” Charles and Cisem contacted Bovis Homes and bought a semi-detached Beech home at Stortford Fields for £432,000 and now have a joint monthly mortgage of £1,182. “I had been living rent free at my parents’ house for years so I was able to save up a reasonable deposit to help make our dream come true. There’s no way we could have bought a similar sized three-bedroom semi-detached home in a nice part of London for the same price. “It’s a massive change to go from paying nothing to more than £1,000 a month on a mortgage but we can cope and it is so worth it. This house is our home but also an investment for this family and the feeling when we got the keys to our own property was priceless. “We were sort of on top of each other at my parents’ house and I just can’t get enough of the extra room and space we have here. “Our bedroom stretches out over the whole of the top floor and that is our favourite room. It has its own en suite and is our very own escape room where we can relax and chill out together. Cisem is pregnant again so appreciates the peace and quiet when she can get it. “Our son loves the living room and I think that is because it is where the 55-inch TV is!” The travel to work time for Cisem, a 26-year-old teaching assistant, is five minutes shorter than before. Charlie’s daily commute has increased from half an hour to 80 minutes, but he insists it is well worth it. “It’s a small price to pay to be able to come home to such a lovely place where I know my family will be safe. My commute is not too bad as there is a train straight into central London from Bishop’s Stortford. “Cisem has managed to get job at a local school so that’s great too. Another reason we moved here was because all the local schools are really good – both primary and secondary.” Charles and his twin brother are Tottenham Hotspur fans and can now go to the games together. “We have been Spurs fans since our parents bought us season tickets at the age of eight,” he said. “Robert has been living in Bishop Stortford for eight years now and although it’s further for me to travel I love it because we can go to the matches together. His next-door neighbour is a fan and he comes with us too.” The couple said they have sung the praises of the development to friends and family and would recommend Bovis Homes. “Ben in the sales team was our main man and was always there for us no matter what we wanted,” said Charles. “Peter, the site manager, went above and beyond for us and no snagging job was too small. “One day I mentioned to him that I needed to order a skip to throw old furniture into and 20 minutes later there was a skip outside our house. It’s those little things that mean so much. “The customer care was superb. “All in all, we can’t think of a better place to live. We are so glad we got out of London.” A selection of two, three and four-bedroom homes are currently available at Stortford Fields, with prices starting from £359,995. For more information, call 01279 933004 or visit bovishomes.co.uk.