Development updates

Four becomes five for Fairford family

- 29 Mar 17

Looking for a new home in Fairford, the Hawkins family found just what they were looking for - and more - at Bovis Homes' Keble Fields location.

Warren and Rhona Hawkins were looking to move from Swindon to be closer to their 14-year-old son Alex's secondary school, which daughter, Isobel, 10, will also be attending in September.

Initially looking at the second-hand property market, the family discovered that Fairford had few homes to offer in the right size within their price range.

"We were looking for a four-bedroom home, but found that properties of this size in this location within budget were in short supply," says Rhona, a Freelance IT Manager. "We decided to take a look at the new-build homes in the area, which offered us a lot more choice."

Rhona and husband Warren, an IT Software Sales Director, had a look around Keble Fields, off London Road, and were impressed with the layout of the development, which offers three, four and five bedroom homes.

"We were initially searching for a four-bedroom home, but we looked at the five-bed Ansell house type and realised it would give us a lot more space," says Rhona. "We really liked the layout, especially the open-plan dining area, which really suits our lifestyle, and all the bedrooms are a decent size too."

The Ansell has a spacious open-plan kitchen and dining room which is light and open with two sets of French doors leading out into the garden. In addition, the separate lounge includes French doors, bringing in further light and there is also a study. Upstairs, two of the five bedrooms have an en suite and the master room includes a built-in wardrobe.

"We selected a home on the edge of the development, with playing fields on one side and a public open space at the front, so we've got plenty of space around us," says Rhona.

"The location was one of the most important things for us, and it's just perfect here. As a freelancer I often travel to London. We're only 20 minutes away from the train station and when I get to Swindon, trains run every 15 minutes to the capital, so it's really easy to travel there for work."

First-time buyers were due to buy Rhona and Warren's old property, but three weeks before the move date, they pulled out. The couple then took advantage of the Home Exchange scheme, which involves Bovis Homes buying the purchasers' existing home, to ensure they could continue with the sale.

Home Exchange eases the stress of selling-up, as buyers do not need to deal with frustrating house chains and costly estate agent fees.

"The site and sales team could not have been more helpful," says Rhona. "When we highlighted any of the small snagging issues, the site manager was around straight away. Their attitude has been superb."