June 2013
Becoming a father for the first time is a life changing event. And so is taking your first step on to the property ladder. So when Graeme Bainbridge took them both on just days apart, it was an impressive challenge!
Graeme and his wife Claire managed to pull it off though, with baby Grace born just two weeks after they moved into their Story Homes house at Birkbeck Gardens in Kirkby Stephen. Graeme, 30, and Claire, 26, will now be celebrating their first Father’s Day with Grace in their beautiful new home, knowing that they are close to their own families too.
Graeme said: “We had almost given up hope of finding our first home. We wanted to get onto the ladder but everything seemed so unaffordable to us. Things like deposits and stamp duty were a worry. And with a baby on the way, we didn’t want to buy a house that needed lots of time and money spent on it.
“When we saw the Story Homes development, we realised how affordable the houses were, and with 5% deposit paid for us, we just decided to go for it.”
Graeme, a transport planner, added: “Our move went very smoothly and we were able to move in much quicker than we had anticipated, at what was a very busy time in our lives! Claire was expecting our first baby on the 24th February and we moved in on the 16th of February. I had also just started a new job. We don’t do things by halves!
“The important thing was to make it as stress free as possible and Story Homes and their sales adviser really helped us to achieve this.”
Graeme and Claire first looked at the Birkbeck Gardens development by chance when they had been visiting family. They popped in to chat with a Story Homes sales adviser before travelling home to Kendal.
Claire, a midwife in Lancaster said: “We just decided to go in and have a look at the houses in January. We had been looking at other properties for a couple of years and because I was pregnant, being close to family and home appealed to me.
“We really liked the development and the houses and also the fact that we could be close to our family and friends when the baby arrived. We chose a Bay house type and set the wheels in motion from there. I had no time and energy for renovations or redecorating so moving into a brand new house with no work to be done was absolutely perfect.”
The Bay house, a three bedroom semi-detached family home, offers lots of space, perfect for the couple’s new addition. Claire and Graeme couldn’t be happier in their new home, with their new family, and their first step on to the property ladder.
The couple were both originally from the area and moved away for university and then for work. But when they got married and planned for a family together, they decided they wanted to set down some roots and buy a house closer to home.
Graeme said: “We can’t imagine not having our family here now that we have Grace and the great thing is that she will get to grow up alongside the children of our childhood friends. Some of our family and friends have been so impressed with the house that they are also looking at Story Homes’ properties to buy.”
Story Homes have a variety of 2, 3 and 4 bedroom semi-detached, detached and terraced properties available at Birkbeck Gardens in Kirkby Stephen. For more information visit www.storyhomes.co.uk or call Rachel on 07739327080.
