Passing through the parkland that draws the gaze to the stunning façade of Gresham Mill is guaranteed to make a big impression – but for one professional couple simply seeing the pictures online was enough to fall in love with the place.
Jon Varney and his girlfriend, Aoife Corbett, are now looking forward to moving into the spacious two-bedroom apartment they bought off-plan from Linden Homes. From the first floor it overlooks the water meadows that surround the stylish layout of apartments and houses in Woking.
The unique collection at Gresham Mill includes a refurbished printworks and 18 townhouses nestling amid 7.4 acres of beautifully landscaped parkland, echoing to the tranquil water of the River Wey and lined by green fields.
Soon-to-be residents accountant Jon (32) and tax advisor Aoife (25) both work in London but have been living apart at their parents’ homes in Hemel Hempstead and Bracknell while they save up enough to settle in together.
They’re first-time buyers, said Jon, and without the government-backed NewBuy mortgage assistance scheme they would have had to wait another year to build up a big enough deposit to finally get a place of their own.
But now they’re eagerly anticipating stepping through the front door of their completed home tailored to their individual taste, thanks to the Linden Homes Enhance service which offers face-to-face consultation on decoration styles and upgrades.
“We chose Woking mainly because of the development,” explained Jon. “When we first decided we wanted to buy somewhere together we did not want to move into London. I had done the London thing so we wanted to stay outside and commute.
“We stumbled upon Gresham Mill online and we thought it was really nice. It was a sudden thing, actually – we fell in love with it from the pictures on the website!
“I had never been to Woking before but my girlfriend knew it a bit. Surrey’s a lovely place to live and it’s got a good reputation. Woking also has a direct train to Waterloo which is great for both of us getting into work.
“Gresham Mill has quite a dramatic approach coming off that road and you see the gates and the cattlegrid and suddenly you’re transported into the countryside. It’s nice to have that long drive up and you see the dramatic sight in front of you. It’s got a country manor feel to it.
“The countryside feel drew us to it but we’re actually in a fairly large town so you have the best of both worlds. It’s the perfect balance. We’re both city people so we like doing stuff in London, but we’re also into walking in the countryside. This place fits in with that.
“When we went into the show home we knew it was a bit beyond our budget so we had already picked out a plot that suited us. But we were very impressed with how it was kitted out with all the fittings and the decoration.
“We liked how spacious it was too, particularly the large hall. We thought our place wouldn’t have anything like that but it actually does and only a bit smaller.
“My girlfriend loved the show home and got a lot of ideas. We used the Enhance service which was brilliant, it was great fun. That’s one of the things that we love about buying new – we got a lot of say on what we had. Even if we were not upgrading we still had a say.
“It inspired us to upgrade on flooring and surfaces and we got a fitted wardrobe. It was a great day picking and the Enhance staff were brilliant.”
Jon was also unperturbed about buying off-plan. He said: “There’s this thing about off-plan that you go into it blind but we have not felt that. We knew the dimensions and the layout. To other buyers I would say go for it, buy off-plan.
“You get a brand new place that no one has been in before. We’ve taken both our sets of parents to see it and they absolutely love it.”
Gresham Mill has its own special history as it was once the former site of the Unwin Brothers Ltd family-run printing company which was established in 1896 and thrived at what was then St Martha’s printworks, only leaving in 2007 due to a merger.
The name Gresham Mill harks back to 1086 when it was listed in the Domesday survey as the first record of river-powered flour-making on the site, which is just three miles from the busy town centre of Woking and six miles from Guildford.
Woking railway station is around 2.5 miles away, offering direct mainline services to London Waterloo in just 28 minutes at peak times. It is also approximately mid-way between Heathrow and Gatwick airports and nearby are Junction 11 of the M25, the M3 and the A3.
To find out more, visit the marketing suite open daily 10am-5pm or call 0844 488 1643.
To people struggling to build up funds, the government-backed Help to Buy initiative can give extra support – even to those with a deposit as small as five per cent. It applies both to first time-buyers and people looking to move further up the property ladder.
It works by the government providing an equity loan of up to 20% of the value of any new-build home worth up to a maximum of £600,000. This can be repaid at any time or until the home is sold.
With the equity loan added to their deposit, buyers are in the easier position of effectively only needing to agree a 75 per cent mortgage from a bank or building society to secure their dream home.
Working in partnership with major high street lenders NewBuy is designed to help you buy your new Linden home with just a five per cent deposit to secure a 95 per cent fixed rate mortgage. The scheme is available on apartments and houses up to £500,000 across England.
For home owners, a move to Gresham Mill can be made even simpler through Linden Homes’ Part Exchange scheme. Eligible buyers choose from a selected range, and within seven days a valuation on their property will be made by three local estate agents.
Next a cash offer is made, as long as your current property is not more than 70 per cent of the value of what you want to buy. The only thing left to do then is set a move-in date and get packing.
-ENDS-
For further information, contact Sam Nickerson or Louise Perfect at Remarkable Public Relations on 01962 893 893.
References to “we”, “us” or “our” are to the part of the Vistry Group (including Linden Homes, Bovis Homes, Countryside Homes, Drew Smith, Vistry Ventures or one of Vistry’s joint venture companies) from which you are intending to purchase a new home. References to "you” and “your” are to the prospective buyer or buyers of a new home from us.
All images are used for illustrative purposes only and are representative only. They may not be the same as the actual home you purchase and the specification may differ. Images may be of a slightly different model of home and may include optional upgrades and extras which involve additional cost. Individual features such as windows, brick, carpets, paint and other material colours may vary and also the specification of fittings may vary. Any furnishings and furniture are not included in any sale. Please check with our sales consultants for details of the exact specifications available at the development(s) for each type of home and the associated prices.
