“Moving-in day was just the BEST feeling!”

There’s no feeling quite like moving-in day! We’re extremely grateful to Laura and Ben, proud owners of a four-bed Lindisfarne family home at The Croft in Calow, for sharing their new home journey with us.

From getting the keys to moving in, with a few helping hands along the way: In part two of Laura and Ben’s story, they get set-up for life’s next chapter, with Ben also completing his own journey from new-build sceptic to new-build lover along the way!

They have also captured their amazing story on social media – give their Instagram account @our_family_home_journey a follow.

So! The big day. How would you describe the feeling of finally moving into your brand-new Woodall home?

“Moving in day was just the BEST feeling!”, said Laura.

“When we got the keys we were so ecstatic! We got the keys on the Friday morning and we couldn’t wait to move all our things in. We had a lot of hands helping us with boxes and all of our belongings. We got everything in – though not unpacked – by late lunch time.

“We then thought we all deserved a McDonald’s. I’ll never forget us all stood around the island in the kitchen eating a Big Mac!

“However, the whole process was just full of excitement,” said Laura.

“I’ll always remember that feeling waking up on moving-in day knowing that we were collecting our keys to our new family home; spending that first night in our new house; the decorating, from choosing the wallpaper and paint to ticking one room off at a time and seeing the difference.

“And, my favourite thing above everything else – all the shopping for new furniture, curtains, ornaments and extras for our new home! We loved making a house into a home.”

You’ve chosen some lovely upgrades and additions to your home – and it’s safe to say they’re proving a hit on social media, too!

“We decided on a number of upgrades for our family home,” said Laura.

“Woodall have a great range of upgrades included as standard, however it was fantastic to be able to make our own decisions in places too. These included:

• An electric garage door. Our garage links to the utility room, which then links to the kitchen, so we thought ahead a bit and felt it would be great to pull up near the drive and have the garage door open, without getting out the car, and to then drive in and get out the car! Plus, it’s great for unloading the food shop, especially on a good old typical British rainy day!
• Upgraded tiles in main bathroom and en-suite. Woodall had a good range of standard tiles, but we wanted some added wow factor tiles in our upstairs bathroom and en-suite.
• Kitchen granite worktops. This was just a must! Solid, strong and look amazing!
• Kitchen floor tiles. Again was just a must-have – there’s nothing better than a BIG white shiny tiled floor in the kitchen!
• Plinth lights in kitchen. These just added that extra wow-factor in the kitchen and shine nicely on the white-tiled floor.
• Oak doors. They added another feel to the house. We have a lot of doors in our house and felt it would just look fab.
• Outside electric socket. Our garden had a sunken patio area made due to the land in the garden being a lot steeper than the builders had originally thought. So, again, a bit more future planning: this area was just perfect for a hot tub, so we thought ahead on having an electric socket down there.

What would you say to others in your position at the start of the process, and how would you describe the experience of purchasing a new-build house? And what was your impression of Woodall?

“They say moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do in life,” said Laura.

“But looking back it wasn’t all that bad for us at all. It was all worth it in the long run.

“As we weren’t first-time buyers, we did have our old house to sell, but we were lucky and we sold up very quickly. We moved in with my sister for three months as our new home wasn’t quite ready – if you have family or friends who are willing to have you stay with them during any type of house move, it’s a bonus.

“I can imagine having to rent for a short period of time or even losing your house sale due to the next owner not willing to wait could be problematic – but that could happen during any property transaction, and luckily if you’re a first time buyer and living at home with parents, things are a lot more straight forward.

“As for buying a new build house, I have always been one for a new build home. I’ve always wanted that fresh cleanliness and the unique feel of being the first person living in a home.

“Ben, on the other hand, originally said he would never buy a new build house, so he is officially converted now! I don’t know if it was me who changed his mind, or the amazing show houses that caught his eye, but now he wonders what on earth he was thinking before!

“Yes, you get the snags of a new build but you are covered and they get sorted. Woodall Homes were very good at fixing the small snags that we had. With a home which isn’t newly built, you’d have to sort any unknown issues out yourself and would cost any amount of money.

“The other thing which I like about new builds is that you can choose your tiles and flooring colours, with the option of upgrades, and the upgrades included as standard in Woodall Homes properties are great.

“Tiles and flooring are always painted neutral as well, so it’s easy to add your personal preference in paint colours and wallpaper to make it your own.”

Laura also noted the couple’s positive experience with Woodall Homes during their big move.

“Overall, Woodall Homes were good to deal with,” said Laura.

“Naturally, there were a few small snags along the way – however, the whole process was very easy.

“Moving in was really straightforward, helped by the fact that some time before our moving in day, we had the opportunity to have a ‘walk around day’ with Adele. This was our chance to point out any small snags which she may have missed, the majority of which she had picked up on anyway.

“This all got noted down on our file and things were sorted over time. The builders were flexible with us as to when they could come and sort the snags out too.”

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A huge thanks to Laura and Ben for their lovely insight into their incredible new home journey. Don’t forget to give them a follow on Instagram: @our_family_home_journey.

Are you feeling inspired, and ready to start your new home journey?

To view our current availability or enquire about your future Woodall home, visit http://woodallhomes.co.uk/developments/, call 07871 183 990 or email sales@woodallhomes.co.uk.