The couple, who have been together for three years, have bought their first home together at Bellway’s Elder Brook development in the village of Alwalton on the outskirts of Peterborough.
And as if that momentous life-changing event was not enough, the pair now also have a wedding to plan for after Joe proposed to Mia on their move-in day.
While many of their friends chose to fly the nest at an earlier age and start renting, Mia and Joe were determined to get on the property ladder as soon as they could and so they both decided to stay living with their parents – Mia in Fletton and Joe in Hampton – so they could save up enough for a deposit on a new house.
And that patience was rewarded when Mia, a nursing associate, and Joe, a cable jointer, picked up the keys to their new three-bedroom semi-detached property at Elder Brook earlier this year.
Mia said: “We absolutely love having our own place. It felt a bit surreal when we walked in after picking up the keys and thinking this was ours. Don’t get me wrong, I loved living with my parents, but I was more than ready to move out and have some more independence.
“A couple of my friends are homeowners but the majority are renting and wish they could buy. They wanted to move out younger while I was happy to stay at home so I did have the opportunity to save a bit more towards buying a house and Joe was on the same page. We never wanted to rent. We always wanted to own our own place so we would be paying off our own mortgage instead of someone else’s.”
While owning their own place had always been the long-term plan, the couple’s search began in earnest about a year ago.
“We knew we wanted a three-bed so we could be comfortable staying there for a long time, and we knew we wanted to stay in and around Peterborough, but we weren’t sure of the exact location,” said Mia.
The couple viewed some second-hand properties but quickly decided that the convenience and affordability offered by new-build homes represented the best option. They looked at a few developments in the area but Bellway’s Elder Brook, which they first visited in spring last year, stood out.
“The other developments we looked at were quite big and most of them were in a busy part of Peterborough. Elder Brook is a smaller development and it’s tucked away and more peaceful. Also, the houses are beautiful and the rooms are well-proportioned compared to the other developments we saw.”
After visiting the sales office at Elder Brook, the couple narrowed their choice down to two house types and went to view the relevant showhomes at Bellway developments near Cambridge and Bedford. It was at the latter where they settled on the Chandler, a spacious three-bedroom property with a kitchen/dining area and separate living room.
Mia said: “The Chandler was slightly bigger in terms of layout than the other house type, and I liked how the kitchen is separate from the living room. It feels more traditional.”
Having decided on their preferred house type and identified their chosen plot, there was now just the small matter of saving up a large enough deposit – which they managed with the help of a deposit contribution from Bellway, reserving the property in November last year. “It was amazing,” said Mia. “A bit scary, but amazing.”
The couple purchased the £300,000 home with a 10 per cent deposit.
Mia said: “Bellway gave us an incentive of £10,000 and we put some towards the deposit which helped to make our mortgage payments slightly smaller and put the rest towards upgrades. We also got the flooring included.”
The sales team kept Mia and Joe updated as work continued on their new home and the couple visited the site several times to check on progress.
Mia said: “I felt the sales team were very easy to talk to and very easy to get hold of. The whole process was easier than I was expecting.
“We went just after we reserved to meet the builder and look at the plot and came back for our pre-plaster visit so we got to walk round the house and then we had our home demo. As well as the official visits we came down once or twice a week to see how the build was progressing. It was very exciting.”
And the day the couple moved in is one that Mia will never forget – for more reasons than one.
“The solicitors called us around 12 o’clock to say everything had gone through and then at one o’clock we got the call to come and collect the keys at half past one. We were both so excited and got there at dead on half one!
“We got the keys, had a walk round the house and then Joe told me to stay in the kitchen. He went out to his van and brought in some flowers and got down on one knee. At that point, I was just overwhelmed with emotion. We had just got the keys to our new home and the next thing Joe was proposing. Of course, I said yes. We are both so happy.”
The couple are now enjoying the extra space that having their own place provides. They both like spending time in the kitchen – Mia says she is “on a mission” to teach Joe to cook – and enjoy relaxing in the living room, playing computer games, watching TV and listening to Mia’s vinyl record collection. They are also looking forward to spending more time in the garden and are thinking of investing in some garden furniture.
They have already met all their neighbours, many of whom are young couples like themselves. “They are all lovely,” said Mia.
The couple also love the location. “There’s a lovely pub in the village which is less than a five-minute walk away and we have Ferry Meadows country park, somewhere I visited a lot growing up, on our doorstep. There’s also a small shopping centre a few minutes’ drive away which is really handy.”
But most of all, they love having their own place together. “Joe said to me that it feels like home because I’m here. And I feel exactly the same.”
A selection of two, three and four-bedroom homes are currently available to reserve at Elder Brook, with prices starting from £290,000. For more information, visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/eastern-counties/elder-brook or call the sales team on 01733 910143.
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