Next door neighbours reunited at Oak Tree Gardens

Alison and James Upton have joined their close friends Debbie and Andrew Smith at Bloor Homes’ Oak Tree Gardens development, having both upsized from their previous homes on the same Coalville street.

 

Debbie and Andrew were the first to make the move to Oak Tree Gardens with their children, Ethan,9, and Charlie,5.

 

The couple were so impressed with their four-bedroom detached house that they had no hesitation in recommending the development to their former neighbours.

 

Debbie, 34, said: “We fell in love with the house as soon as we saw it and immediately realised this was the ideal home for our family. 

 

“The lounge is so bright and the beautiful French style windows complement the design of the house very well. It is just perfect for our needs.

 

“After we saw the development, I instantly pictured which house would be ideal for Alison and James. I persuaded them to come with us and have a look, and they very much liked the prospect of buying a brand new house close to us.”

 

Alison and James, who have a two-year-old son Harry, also moved into a four-bedroom detached house, having initially thought they wouldn’t be able to afford it.

 

Alison, 36, an administrator, said: “We really wanted to upsize from our three-bedroom semi-detached house in Coalville. With Harry growing up we knew we would need a bigger home and it was important for us to settle before he starts going to school. 

 

“We became really good friends with Debbie and Andrew when we lived next door to them in Coalville and when we found out that they were considering buying a new house at Oak Tree Gardens we really liked the idea of joining them.

 

“They recommended the development to us and initially we didn’t think we would be able to afford a four-bedroom house but after speaking to Bloor’s preferred financial advisor, we soon realised it was within our reach.”

 

James, 36, a production manager, said: “The layout of the house is great and I particularly like the open plan kitchen and dining area which gives a real feeling of spaciousness and brightness.

 

“One of our preferences when buying a new house was to have a garage and I am very pleased with the one we’ve got because this is where I like spending some of my free time.

 

“The development is in a great location for us. It’s just a five-minute drive from our workplaces, and also close to our parents, who we visit quite a lot.”

 

Both couples took advantage of Bloor’s Home Exchange scheme, meaning they avoided the stress and hassle of trying to find a buyer for their previous properties.

 

Debbie and Andrew also received £1,000 from Bloor Homes under the housebuilder’s ‘Recommend a Friend’ scheme.

 

Debbie said: “Everyone at Bloor have been very helpful, and we completed the buying process within just four weeks.”

 

Alison added: “The Home Exchange scheme really took the stress out of selling our old house. Bloor took care of everything and that just made the whole process really smooth.”

 

“Bloor were brilliant throughout the whole process and I would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone else.”