First time buyers find Northern work-life balance with Countryside
After years of renting in London, Hurshid and Mamlakat were ready to take the leap onto the property ladder and become homeowners. Heading North to get more for their money, they found their dream home at Countryside’s Hollystone Bank development in Runcorn. Prices start at £184,995.
Having moved to the capital to study, Hurshid (33) and Mamlakat (31) spent seven and a half years renting before making the big decision to move up North.
Hurshid commented: “During our time in London, we achieved our masters degrees, got married and welcomed our first child, Malika (6). We were paying around £1,600 a month in rent plus bills and were working a lot to afford it. When we found out we were expecting our second daughter, Maryam (4) we knew it was time to find somewhere more affordable and a permanent home for our family.
“We chose to move up to Manchester and rent for a few years as with lower rent and house prices than the South, it meant we could start to save for a home of our own and work better hours to spend more time as a family. I found it hard to save for our deposit and struggled to live on a budget, but as first time buyers we were eligible to use the Government-backed Help to Buy scheme, which meant we only needed a 5% deposit.”
Hurshid and Mamlakat began their forever home search in April last year and over the course of six months they viewed 30 to 35 different homes trying to find ‘the one’.
Hurshid continued: “We looked at a variety of homes across the North West, but a lot of the older properties needed work doing to create the home we wanted. A new build just seemed the more suitable option for us. A friend had mentioned Runcorn to us and when we were researching Countryside, we found Hollystone Bank and booked a visit the same day. We loved the design on the New Stamford home, with its open-plan kitchen and living area. It is perfect for spending more time together as a family.
“You can see the high quality of a Countryside home straight away, from the spacious living areas to the specification. In particular, there are a few aspects that come included that I believe make the home better; the heating system keeps the house more energy efficient, the modern windows allow more natural light in, and the Positive Input Ventilation (PIV) system in the loft provides a constant flow of clean and fresh air throughout our home. We’re very happy with our choice.”
