Vicky Symons and Alex McIntyre had always planned to make the move to Gloucestershire to be close to family but their plans were fast forwarded by the Covid pandemic.
Alex, an employment lawyer, explained: “We had moved to a one bedroom flat in Putney, South West London, so we could walk to work and not have to use public transport. But then we were told to continue working from home during the second lockdown and as the winter went on it got quite tough.
“My work can be intense and we just didn’t have the room to both be doing important Zoom meetings. One of us would end up working and sometimes eating in the bedroom and it was like reverting back to student digs days!”
They toyed with a move to Brighton but then Vicky got a new job as a Digital Product Designer in Bristol and it changed everything.
She said: “My family live around Thornbury and it had always been the long-term plan to move here but my new job just speeded things up.”
They initially looked in the city centre where Alex’s firm also has an office, but realised they got better value in outlying villages and liked the community feel and practicality of Cam and looked at several new build schemes before deciding on Lister Gardens.
Vicky said: “We liked the exterior look of the Wain Homes properties and they are noticeably bigger inside with better layouts. We love the central hall of our property with the lounge opening onto the garden on one side and the large kitchen / diner to the other.
“The garden is huge! My new job is with gardening start-up Candide in Bristol so we cannot wait to make the most of our new outdoor space.”
The couple – who are planning a wedding next year – bought a Fistral house type – one of nine different house types available on the development.
They reserved the property in March 2021 and moved in two months later.
Alex praised the Wain Homes team for keeping them updated and for ensuring the move went smoothly. He said: “Special mention to Ben on site and Fran in head office who kept up the pressure on the conveyancing lawyers.
“We had been tempted by an older property but pulled out when we got the survey because of the amount of work needed. When you are both working and like travel and holidays as we do a new build property makes so much sense. And we love the house. Mike and Andy, the site managers, have done a fantastic job”
They also love the location with the train station giving direct 35-minute journey into Bristol just a five-minute walk from their house and village amenities on their doorstep.
Vicky said: “As much as we loved London, it was time for us to leave and we are loving exploring all the village markets and farm shops around here and having more family time. We have met my baby second cousin for the first time and being able to pop in to my mum’s is just lovely.
“We already feel so at home here and are looking forward to more neighbours moving in.”