When looking for a large, spacious property, it is not always necessary to buy an older, ‘second hand’ property. Thanks to contemporary design and well-planned layouts, new homes often provide more living and usable space than their older counterparts. When Nadine Bell needed to downsize but didn’t want to compromise too much space, she found the solution in a three-storey townhouse at Crest Nicholson’s Clarion Gate development in Chelmsford.
Nadine and her daughter Taylor (15) had always lived in the Chelmsford area and, when looking for a new home, they viewed a wide range of both new and second hand properties. After visiting Clarion Gate and viewing the four-bedroom townhouse, they decided that the house offered them the most space and best value for money.
Nadine said: “We looked at everything on offer in and around Chelmsford but after seeing Clarion Gate we realised that nothing else came close to our criteria and fitted my budget. I really like the layout of the development as it has a real village atmosphere and doesn’t feel like a big housing development. The four-bedroom townhouse is a great size with lovely spacious rooms and we were also really impressed with the high quality of the buildings.”
“As Taylor is 15, I wanted her to have her own space and a sense of independence so the three storeys of our townhouse works perfectly for us both as we have a floor each – I am tucked away on the top floor where the master bedroom and en-suite are as well as two spare rooms, whilst Taylor’s room is on the second floor, which also houses the living room and family bathroom. The open-plan kitchen/dining room is situated on the ground floor.”
Nadine continues: “Space is very important to me and, as we are downsizing from a five-bedroom house, I was concerned that we would feel cramped in something smaller and we wouldn’t have enough space for all our belongings. That is really not the case at Clarion Gate. As the home is arranged over three floors, this in itself makes the home feel very large and quite grand. All rooms are a good size with high ceilings and large windows which make the house very light and airy. As we discovered by looking at other developments, this is quite rare for many brand new houses.
“The location also suited us. As a self-employed beautician, I travel a great deal and so to be just a couple of miles away from the A12 which gives me great access to the local area as well as a fast link to the M25 is ideal. Having said that, you wouldn’t realise a main road is so close to the development as it is very quiet and peaceful here.”
“It was a big relief to find our new home,” concludes Nadine. “I really hadn’t wanted to compromise on either space or location but I was beginning to think I might have to. Thanks to Clarion Gate, we were able to get the house we wanted in our chosen location within our budget.”
The Village Green is the current phase at Clarion Gate which comprises an attractive selection of traditional style village homes, from pretty two and three-bedroom cottages to four-bedroom detached family homes. Many homes overlook The Green, a large open area in the centre of the development where there are plans to build a children’s playground.
In total, Clarion Gate comprises an elegant collection of 153 traditional and contemporary styled apartments and houses. All homes come with at least one parking space and, inside, fully-fitted kitchens feature a comprehensive range of integrated Bosch appliances including an integrated fridge/freezer and stainless steel oven, hob and extractor hood, easing the burden of starting from scratch. The development is ideal for parents looking to get their children into local high performing schools such as Chelmsford County High for Girls.
What’s more, for buyers either struggling with or dreading the thought of selling their existing home, Crest Nicholson’s Part Exchange incentive can take away the hassle of moving house by negating the need to find a buyer for an existing property, meaning purchasers can enjoy their new home much faster than usual. Firstly, the buyer identifies the property they wish to buy and then the company will arrange for three independent local estate agents to value the purchaser’s existing property. Crest Nicholson will make an offer within seven days and once the offer is accepted, customers can reserve their brand new home, with the added benefits of the estate agent’s fees being covered.
In addition to the A12 which is approximately 2.5 miles from the development and provides direct routes south to the Capital and Colchester to the north, nearby Chelmsford Station provides fast and efficient services to London Liverpool Street taking approximately 35 minutes.