First time buyer brothers inspired to buy at Feature 17 by friends, now future neighbours
After renting in Hackney for six years, first time buyer Jake McCormack (27) finally made the much longed-for leap onto the property ladder. Originally from York, Jake and his younger brother Joe (24) discovered Countryside’s impressive north London development, Feature 17, where they secured their ideal home - a two bed, two bathroom apartment in the heart of Walthamstow.
Introduced to the development by two friends, Jake quickly fell in love with Feature 17 and the lifestyle Walthamstow offered.
Jake comments: “I’m the third of my friends to buy at Feature 17. We spend a lot of time in Walthamstow on the weekends - it’s got some great independent restaurants, bars, pubs and shops. Spending so much time in the area and with my friends already living at Feature 17, really helped with my decision to buy - I could already imagine my life there.”
Beyond the surrounding amenities of Walthamstow itself, Jake was attracted to the growing community forming within the neighbourhood itself.
“Having lived in Hackney for the past couple of years, I became used to not knowing my neighbours and not saying ‘hi’ to people who lived on my street. When I saw my friends living in more of a community but still very close to London, I wanted to have the same experience. There are a lot of young professionals and young families at Feature 17, it’s feels like there is a hub of people at similar stages of their lives and it’s great to see such a community in action. My friends take turns looking after their neighbour’s dogs, recommend handymen to use and share other useful tips” Jake says.
Having originally been sceptical of whether he could get on the property ladder in London, Jake’s dream became a reality when his friends told him about Help to Buy. This scheme, along with some additional incentives offered to him by Countryside, meant that now he and his brother each pay less towards their mortgage a month than Jake was paying when he was renting.
“I was sceptical that we’d be able to afford to buy in London, particularly the size and type of home we had in mind, not to mention in time for the stamp duty cut off. We originally missed the stamp duty cut off however we were able to use Countryside’s ‘bank of mum and dad’ incentive” Jake said.
Splitting his week between working in the office and working from home, Jake is able to take advantage of Feature 17’s excellent transport connections and easy access to central London. Located a short walk from Wood Street station, regular trains to Liverpool Street Station are close by and take only 20 minutes.
Jake says: “I have always lived relatively central previously, so it was a priority that I still had access to good transport links. At Feature17 we are within easy access to both Wood Street Station and Walthamstow Central, which is fantastic and really exciting for my brother moving closer to London all the way from York”.
Feature17 has a Co-op supermarket on-site and a multi-use games area (MUGA). Along with fantastic amenities nearby, Walthamstow offers access to a range of wide-open green spaces.
