First residents move to beautiful new thatch home at Blackmore Meadows
22 Mar 2021
The first residents at Bovis Homes’ Blackmore Meadows development in Stalbridge have moved to one of the two thatched properties. Andy and Susan Preston bought their three bedroom detached home and moved in just before Christmas. Andy, 66, is a retired firefighter and Susan, 57, is a retired payroll officer. They’d previously lived in a three bedroom end terrace house in Sutton, before deciding they wanted a change, setting their hearts on Dorset. Speaking about their move, Andy said: “We are absolutely thrilled with our new house and we fell in love with the thatch as soon as we saw it. Being a new build, everything is contemporary and fresh inside but you have the character and the charm outside ?" it’s perfect for us and it really has the wow factor.” Andy and Susan have four adult children between them from previous marriages, who live in: London, Maidenhead, Guilford and Bedford. Andy added: “When we viewed the show home we realised how lovely it would be to live in a new house but we didn’t need four or five bedrooms. There’s just the two of us but we wanted a couple of spare rooms so family and friends could eventually stay over when restrictions allow. “We’re so lucky as we weren’t specifically looking in Stalbridge or for a new build, it was all about finding the right house in the right area. We needed to be able to travel to Weymouth easily as we have a holiday lodge and Stalbridge is only 50 minutes away. A project was definitely the last thing on our minds as we wanted a home we could move straight into. The idea of an older property ?" spending lockdown replacing floorboards or changing boilers ?" was not something that appealed to us in the slightest as retirement is all about enjoying your time!” Andy had been a firefighter for 40 years at Heathrow airport and was the longest serving firefighter ever there, he said: “I just love the thatch roof, it looks so smart and has real kerb appeal and we liked that we were able to choose our own kitchen, which was a wonderful experience. We’ve been really impressed with the whole process; the house was spotlessly clean, built to a high quality; and the sales team was brilliant ?" easy to communicate with and very informed. “We’re really enjoying our daily walks and we’ve completely fallen in love with Stalbridge. There’s a real sense of community and it’s just what we were looking for. There’s a great shop, a brilliant pub ?" the Stalbridge Arms ?" and a milk machine by the library where you just take your own bottles and fill them up. We’re so happy in our new house, it’s been a fantastic move for us!” Emma Smith, sales and marketing director, commented: “We’re so pleased Andy and Susan are settled in their new home. It’s wonderful to be welcoming residents to Blackmore Meadows and we hope they’re very happy in their new home for many years to come. “It’s only the second development where Bovis has used thatch to roof a property and it’s been fantastic to see how beautiful it looks. The thatched roofs not only look characterful but they’re sustainable and provide excellent insulation. It’s brilliant to be using a traditional construction method, especially when it ensures the homes blend into their surrounding environment.” The properties were thatched by Paul Swannack Master Thatchers from nearby Gillingham, who has been a master thatcher for 17 years. He used water reed for the thatch, plus wheat straw from Winkleigh for the ridge and advised it typically takes four to six weeks to complete a property depending on its size and the access. Blackmore Meadows is a development of 120 homes that has been sensitively designed to complement the local area. There are currently three and four bedroom homes available from £353,500 or there are three bedroom homes available with the part-buy-part-rent Home Reach scheme with a 50 per cent share. To book an appointment contact the sales team on 01963 836000 or for more information on the development visit www.bovishomes.co.uk
