John Lewis, a 52-year-old IT systems engineer, reserved a three-bedroom Newton house off-plan at Bellway’s Weavers Fields development in Desborough, Northamptonshire, in July this year, then a few weeks later decided he would also buy the neighbouring three-bedroom Coppersmith.
Construction of the Newton was completed last month (December) and he is due to receive the keys for the Coppersmith in January.
As a landlord, John already had nine properties worth more than £2.5 million when he decided to expand his portfolio.
“I knew Bellway were building at Weavers Fields in Desborough, so I went along for a look,” said John, who lives in Market Harborough. “I wanted a semi-detached or detached three-bedroom house, with a downstairs cloakroom, a garden and an allocated parking space.
“I spoke to the sales advisor Baileigh who showed me the partly-built detached Newton. It ticked all the boxes for me and had the bonus additions of a utility room, solar panels, an electric vehicle charging point and an outside tap.
“Bellway offered me a cashback incentive of £15,000, which I used to reduce costs, and I was very happy to reserve the property. As I bought off-plan I was able to choose the carpets, the flooring, the tiles in the bathrooms and the kitchen cupboards and work surfaces.
“The kitchen/diner with French doors to the garden is a perfect entertaining space and there is a separate living room which is a great chill out/TV room for the family. The utility room is great because it allows the washing machine to be hidden away and gives valuable extra storage space.
“Upstairs really works because the main bedroom has an en suite which leaves the family bathroom free for use by the people in the other two rooms. It’s ideal for a family or for when guests stay over. It affords people a real sense of privacy.”
Just weeks after John bought the Newton for £307,500, he was impressed to receive an invitation from Bellway to see the property at the first-fix stage.
“I had bought nine new-build properties off different developers and had never been invited to view a property at the first-fix stage before,” said John. “It was informative and reassuring to get to see where they had put the heating pipes, the electrical cabling and it was incredibly neat and tidy. Everything was labelled and that level of detail appealed to me.
“As an IT specialist I am very meticulous and the obvious care that Bellway had taken over the first fix really impressed me. There was an aerial point in the main bedroom but I was also able to ask them to put in additional points in the other two bedrooms, which was brilliant.
“I got to meet the site manager, Cymon, and he was very patient and helpful. He answered all my questions and the level of service I received from him and Baileigh was second to none. The service was so good that I asked if they had any other three-bedroom houses for sale and was told that the next-door plot was available.
“The Coppersmith cost £305,000 and once again, Bellway gave me a £15,000 cashback incentive. It is a different configuration downstairs to the Newton, but it still has a spacious kitchen/diner with French doors to the garden and a separate living room.
“What I have found is that Bellway properties benefit from incredibly well-thought-out layouts which are designed to maximise the use of every inch of space and to suit the needs of the modern family. The finish is superb and the energy-efficient appliances are all high-spec, top-of-the-range items.”
John is confident that both new-build homes and the development will appeal to renters.
“The houses are great and Weavers Field is in a very good location,” he said. “It is on the edge of Desborough, which has decent amenities, has good schools in the area, and is handy for drivers who need to go to Corby, Kettering, Leicester and Northampton. The railway station, with trains to London, is few miles away in Market Harborough and there is lots of beautiful countryside around.
“I am very happy indeed with my two new rental properties and can’t recommend Bellway highly enough. In fact, I am thinking about buying another buy-to-let property in about six months’ time and I will definitely be purchasing that house from Bellway.”