Search for the dream home brings mother and daughter back together at Bridgeways

A mother and daughter at opposite ends of the property ladder have become neighbours after both purchased houses on the same Chestnut Homes development in Alford.

 

Downsizer Elaine Emerson, 62, and first-time buyer Laura Newton, 40, reserved properties on the same day - and just a few hundred yards from each other - at Bridgeways last year.

 

Following the death of her partner in 2019, Elaine decided it was time to downsize and help her children get onto the housing ladder in the process. So, when she put her spacious three-bedroom family house in East Kirkby - where she and Laura were living at the time - on the market, the pair began their respective searches for a place of their own.

 

That search brought them both to Bridgeways, off Willoughby Road, where Laura fell in love with The Nook, a cosy, two-bedroom home, and Elaine chose to purchase a three-bedroom Inglewood.

 

Elaine, a healthcare assistant at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston, said: “I previously lived in Alford for six years, from 2006 to 2012, and I have lots of friends in the area.”

 

Laura, a finance administrator at Mablethorpe Primary Academy, said: “Alford is such a lovely, quaint little town. We’ve both lived here before, and we know the area well, so we were excited to come back. “My brother lives in Boston, so we’d previously looked at The Quadrant development which Chestnut Homes is building there, but I was keen to find somewhere closer to work. We knew they had another site in Alford, so we came to check it out. “The showhome felt instantly welcoming, and I knew right away I wanted to buy one of these homes. Once mum secured her buyer, we reserved here right away.”

 

Laura purchased The Nook, a two-bedroom semi-detached house, using the Government-backed Help to Buy equity loan scheme. Help to Buy allows enables purchasers to secure a new-build home with a minimum deposit of five per cent and a 20 per cent equity loan from the Government, meaning they only need a 75 per cent mortgage.

 

With a lump sum from the sale of her mother’s home Laura was able to put down a deposit of £30,500 on her new £142,500 house. With a 20 per cent equity loan of £28,000going towards the purchase price, Laura required a mortgage of £84,000, leaving her with monthly repayments of just £278.

 

Laura said: “I wouldn’t have been able to get on the property ladder without Help to Buy. It would have been difficult for me to get a bigger mortgage on my own so having the 20 per cent equity loan really helped me take that first step. “It’s so easy to do as well. We used James Leighton Financial Services, who were excellent and just helped us through the whole process from start to finish.”

 

Elaine, who purchased The Inglewood, a three-bedroom semi-detached home for £184,450, said: “It is cosy, yet very spacious. I’m used to living in a big house, so I wanted to find somewhere that would still offer me plenty of space. “While this is a three-bedroom home, I’m transforming the third, smaller bedroom into a dressing room, with Ikea wardrobes along the back wall and a dressing table too. “I’ve always lived in older houses that we’ve had to do up. What’s great about this home is that everything is new, so you don’t have those same maintenance woes. “I love the open-plan ground floor. You don’t feel like you’re sitting in your kitchen, but the open-plan style gives you so much more space to walk through and move around.”

 

Both mother and daughter are excited to be back in Alford, just a short drive from the Lincolnshire coast.

 

Elaine said: “There are some woods next to us and lots of places for lovely walks. We’re also only 10 minutes away from the coast, which is handy as I go horse riding across the beach with my friends on occasions.”

 

Laura said: “When you drive into Bridgeways, it’s just lovely. They’re all very modern, quality homes. In my little cul-de-sac, the neighbours are all very pleasant, and there is definitely a little community forming. “

 

Elaine added: “The staff have all been really friendly. I’ve already recommended Bridgeways to one of my friends.”

 

A range of two, three and four-bedroom homes are currently available to purchase at Bridgeways, with prices starting from £139,950.

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