Second steppers broaden their horizons at Woodhurst Park

Demand for large family homes has skyrocketed, according to recent research from Halifax, with the average sold price of a detached home having increased by more than £60,000 since March 2020[1]. Yet for one couple, the rungs of the property ladder have never seemed closer together, taking advantage of the buoyant market conditions last year to scale up from a three-bedroom semi-detached home to a five-bedroom detached property, both at Berkeley’s Woodhurst Park development in Warfield, Berkshire.

Lisa Jarvis, an administration manager, and Tom King, a secondary school teacher, were already homeowners at Woodhurst Park, having purchased their first home on an earlier phase of the development five years previously. Yet, when the time came to upsize, they were quick to make the most of high market demand to scale to the top of the ladder, setting their gazes no further than just down the road.

“Our home didn’t even go out to advert, it was sold on the first day the estate agent started marketing,” says Lisa. “We couldn’t believe our luck – the offers were quite literally rolling in. It put us in a great position to buy, and before we knew it, we’d reserved a five-bedroom home on the next phase.”

Though a big step up for Lisa, Tom and their son Marcus (aged four), they knew that leaving Woodhurst Park just wasn’t an option. “We’d browsed other developments further afield in Crowthorne and Wokingham, but our hearts just weren’t in it. Staying at Woodhurst Park was the best decision we’ve ever made. The community here just doesn’t exist anywhere else – it’s almost like a village, you just know everyone. There’s another family on our little cul-de-sac who upsized from an older phase around the same time as us, which is a real testament to the draw of Woodhurst Park.”

Benjamin Ivey, Sales and Marketing Director for Berkeley Homes, comments, “At Berkeley we know we are responsible for not just building homes but creating the ingredients for the community to thrive – and this is ultimately the marker of a successful scheme. Every inch of the design has been carefully considered, from the number of new trees planted, to the architectural detail to make each house distinct. We’re seeing the close-knit community thrive with all of the essential components of a village you’d expect, including a traditional green, a primary school within walking distance, all set against a glorious 65-acre country park. As a result, we find that our buyers at Woodhurst Park often want to stay within the community, sizing up – or down – as their needs change.”

Whilst Woodhurst Park’s natural surrounds gently cushion the country landscape, the development is just a convenient ten-minute drive away from Bracknell with its new shopping centre, The Lexicon, and an array of Ofsted rated schooling. For Lisa and Tom, their commute to work is a simple five minute journey by car. For London commuters, nearby Maidenhead’s fast train service on the Crossrail line gets you to London Paddington in 16 minutes, whilst Bracknell Station will get you to Waterloo within the hour.

But it’s the back to nature feel which keeps drawing in many families to this part of Berkshire. Woodhurst Park’s country park setting with dedicated play areas, the riverside cut and nature trail, has bought many of the families here closer together during the long, hot lockdown summer of 2020. “It is good for the soul, looking out over the parkland every morning,” Lisa says. “And it has been a joy to watch the kids all playing out together. It’s a safe, nurturing environment – every family’s dream.”

Lisa continues, “So much thought has gone into the planning here. For example, at the end of our cul-de-sac is a community garden, which I absolutely love. We all look after it, and I’ll often pop out to pick herbs when I’m cooking dinner. Little touches like that make a place feel like home.”

Lisa and Tom sold their three-bedroom home at Woodhurst Park for £500,000 – making a small profit of £10,000. The couple were then able to purchase their new five-bedroom home for £715,000.

Lisa comments, “It was a big jump for us as we’d almost paid off our old home – we now have a proper mortgage! But the additional cost is more than worth it as we plan to stay here for a very long time. Our new home gives us peace of mind for the future too, coming pre-equipped with thermostat controls in each of the rooms to minimise unnecessary energy consumption, and there are all sorts of little touches throughout the house like having a part-flush option for each toilet to save water.”

Berkeley is currently selling four and five-bedroom houses at Woodhurst Park, with prices starting from £760,000. For more information on the homes available and future phases at Woodhurst Park, please call 01344 981691 to arrange an appointment or visit www.woodhurstpark.co.uk.