Ray and Rachel Leung’s pathway to finding their perfect home wasn’t a straightforward one.
The couple had been looking for a location that would allow them to be close to Rachel’s family in London as well as being near to friends in Cambridge, but when they first arrived in the UK, they began renting a property in Birmingham.
This was never going to be the long-term home for this family, so Ray and Rachel continued their search for a place that offered the green open spaces and good schools they wanted for their young daughter. After speaking with family and friends and doing their own research, a new build property was also very much on the couple’s wish list.
“We were introduced to this beautiful development at Beaulieu and we already knew Countryside Homes are a great developer with excellent customer service. Chelmsford was also in the perfect location, with London and Cambridge close by,” explains Ray.
“Living here, there's a lot of space for our daughter to cycle and we love the beautiful green landscape. We spend most of our time in this area and I think the sense of community in Beaulieu is just great. It is a very good neighbourhood, I have to say. Very friendly and everyone is very helpful.”
Beaulieu is home to an extensive network of footpaths and cycle routes linking the various neighbourhoods and more than 170 acres of outside space. Biodiversity is at the heart of a landscape-led approach demonstrated by the established Heath and Chase Parks, The Great Park and numerous community gardens.
Ray adds: “We were initially worried about the process of buying our new home, but Yvonne, Birsen and the rest of the Countryside Homes sales team answered all the questions we had and everything went very smoothly. We made the reservation and moved in just three months later.
“We used the solicitors and mortgage advisors that Countryside Homes recommended and we had a really good service. They were very good, very efficient and very helpful. I think every time we communicated with the team, it was just easy and timely. We didn’t need to wait.”
Picking the Turnstone house style, Ray and Rachel were the first family to move onto their road and they have taken the opportunity to welcome all the newcomers who have since moved in.
Rachel says: “We feel safe to let our daughter go out and play here. She can ride her bike or play on her scooter. Sometimes after dinner we can have a walk and we meet our neighbours and they are very friendly and ask us to join in their festivals and celebrations. People always say hi, even if you don’t know them.”
The couple feel that Beaulieu Heath has very developed a great sense of community in a very short space of time. In fact, the whole process of settling in to their new home has been a great experience for Ray and Rachel.
Ray explains: “They have such a great support team here and the customer service has been brilliant. If we need to report minor defects, the site management team come really quickly and even if you cannot meet the site manager, you can email them at anytime and get a very timely reply, with every single item followed up. Everyone is so polite and friendly and even now we have moved in for six months, they are still supporting us.”
Beaulieu Heath now feels like home and is a place that this family has very much fallen in love with.
Ray continues: “We have a lovely garden and a lovely home. When we asked our daughter what her favourite part of the house was, she said, ‘My bedroom, and the stairs’. In Hong Kong we lived in high rise buildings that didn’t have stairs. This is home now.”
