Award-winning Cardiff homes development The Mill has helped city primary school teacher Hannah take her all-important first step on to the property ladder.
Hannah was at the front of the queue when homes were initially launched and was the very first person to reserve a home at the development in Canton, securing her new two-bedroom house before it was even built. Having moved in, she’s thrilled to have her own home and to be part of a growing community of young professionals and families making their home at The Mill.
Village-style living with a community feel
“Buying a new home felt like a real milestone,” says Hannah. “After teaching in the Middle East, I’d come back home and was living with my parents locally, which was great but I was used to having my own place and wanted somewhere to call mine. Now I’ve moved in, I’m loving it – it’s like a little village here, even though we are so close to the city centre, with a strong community feel.”
Being able to use the Help to Buy – Wales* scheme, which allows purchasers to secure their new home with a deposit of just five per cent, was a big plus, enabling Hannah to buy a larger house. The Government provides a five-year interest-free loan for the difference (20 per cent of the value of the property).
Hannah says: “I’m 27 and at an age where you want your independence but achieving that on your own isn’t so easy. Lots of my friends who have managed to buy a home are in couples. I’ve been able to buy a bigger home than I was expecting to with my own garden and parking – I’m so happy with it.”
Having a garden was essential for dog-owning Hannah - both Hannah and her Dalmatian Tilly make the most of The Mill’s riverside setting which offers numerous options for peaceful dog walks including the nearby Ely trail – the river Ely runs alongside The Mill - and at nearby Victoria and Trelai parks.
Hannah’s home, the two-bedroom award-winning Ashton house style, also ticked a number of other key boxes on her wish list, particularly her desire for a kitchen-diner where she would be able to entertain: “I had looked at a lot of different two-bedroom homes and the issue I found with most was that the kitchen was just a cubby hole. Here I’ve got space for a table which is important to me as I like having friends round and socialising. Upstairs, everyone comments on the amount of space I have in both the bedrooms, rather than having a master bedroom and a box room, the second bedroom is also a good-size double room.” The Ashton’s attractive design and layout saw it declared Best First Time Buyer Family Home in the national First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards 2018.
Having moved in just before Christmas, the first-time buyer is also appreciating the advantages which come with a new-build property, including low maintenance and energy costs: “I didn’t want to take on any of the potential problems that come with buying a second-hand property. Although I’m prepared to have a go, I’m by no means a DIY expert so I didn’t want the pressure of buying an older house. For me, keeping the cost of living down was also important, I like that my house has modern insulation and an energy-efficient boiler and it means that my bills are working out very reasonably.”
