Publication Date: 17-03-2023 09:00
Couple buy dream home in North Shields while on honeymoon in Barbados
Chris and Deborah Matthews bought their dream home in North Shields while lying by the pool on their honeymoon in Barbados.
The young couple were so keen not to miss out on their new house at Bellway’s Northdene development that they called the sales office while on their 10-day trip to the West Indies.
Deborah, a 29-year-old paediatric intensive care nurse, and Chris, a 32-year-old plumber, celebrated their house purchase with champagne at their hotel.
“I know we were on our honeymoon but we really wanted that house and were scared we might miss out,” said Deborah. “The sale of our old flat was confirmed while we were away so we called Mark, the sales advisor at Northdene, to reserve the four-bedroom Reedmaker home on plot 27. We were overjoyed and toasted our success with a glass of fizz.”
The couple got married in December 2021, after their wedding had been postponed twice in 2020 due to coronavirus restrictions.
They went on honeymoon in January 2022, after having chosen the Reedmaker at the development, off Billy Mill Lane, as their future home.
“We were living in a three-bedroom first-floor flat in North Shields and we decided we wanted to try for a baby,” said Chris. “So we started looking for a proper family home.
“One day, we were driving down the road and saw a sign for the Bellway development at Northdene. We made an appointment and went along to the site to speak to the sales advisors Mark and Anna. They showed us the Reedmaker showhome and it was love at first sight. It had everything we wanted.”
Their wish list included a detached house, four bedrooms, a back garden, a large kitchen, a detached garage and a driveway.
The couple had set their hearts on the Reedmaker, so used Bellway’s Express Mover scheme to help speed up the process.
Under the Express Mover initiative, Bellway liaises with a local estate agent to agree a valuation for the customer’s existing home and find a buyer quickly. Bellway pays the agent’s fees and works with them until the sale is completed.
“Our flat sold within two weeks and then we could look forward to actually living in our new home,” said Deborah. “Mark and Anna were brilliant. I know buying and selling a house is supposed to be stressful, but they made it so easy for us. They just took over and handled the whole process.
“Through the scheme, we saved thousands on estate agent’s fees and that will go to help us buy new furniture for the house, when we are ready. We have already been able to put our style stamp on the house because as we bought off-plan we were able to choose the carpets and the hard flooring and the colour and style of the kitchen worktops and cupboards.”
The couple moved into their home in July 2022 – three months after they found out that Deborah was pregnant. Their son Tommy was born in December 2022.
“Everything has come together so brilliantly, it is incredible,” said Chris. “We have got married, found our dream home and had a baby, all within a year.
“We can’t believe how lucky we have been to secure this wonderful new-build house. The kitchen area at the new house is fabulous. We didn’t even have a kitchen table at the flat and here we have such a huge space where everyone can get together.
“The French doors out into the big back garden make it the perfect area for everyone to congregate. When we had friends and family over last summer it was amazing.
“Also, we now have four bedrooms with not only ours but another bedroom having en suite facilities. This is great for when people stay over as they have their own bathroom. Tommy has his nursery and the other bedroom acts as Deborah’s dressing room, until perhaps a brother or sister comes along to keep Tommy company.
“Not only is the house perfect but the location is too. I am from North Shields and we wanted to stay in this area, and we are just a five-minute drive away from the coast.
“What is lovely is that Preston Grange Primary School is about a 10 or 15-minute walk away and that is where I went to school. I can’t wait for the day when I take my son to the school gates which I walked through as a youngster.
“We have found our forever home and we can see ourselves staying here to bring up our family and then grow old together.”
The final four-bedroom The Cutler house is available to reserve at Northdene from £364,995.
For more information about the development visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/north-east/northdene or call the sales office on 0191 283 5104.
