When the pandemic hit, little did Peter Ledger (28) and Lucinda Baker (25) know that these turns of events would help lead to fast tracking their hunt for their first owned home together. With the announcement of the Stamp Duty holiday last year, the couple decided to bring forward their homeownership plans which saw them reserve a new two-bedroom apartment at Anthology’s Wembley Parade development.
Following the initial lockdown restrictions imposed in March 2020, Peter and Lucinda were one of the many thousands of Londoners who decided to flee the City and their rental accommodation and have since been living and working from home at Lucinda’s parents in her hometown, near Stratford Upon Avon.
Despite spending their time in the countryside and out of the capital, the couple who had previously been renting a one bed home in Wimbledon jumped at the chance to secure a new home ready to return to. Peter said: “Since moving out of London we’ve not only been saving on the high cost of renting but when the Stamp Duty cuts were announced in July, we knew that it was the perfect time to fast forward our plans and make home ownership a reality. We had been planning to start looking to buy a home together at the start of 2021, but the incentive made it that much more affordable for us to go for it earlier than expected.”
Peter and Lucinda had their hearts set on putting down roots in West London due to the ease of access of visiting family and friends in their hometowns of Cheltenham and Stratford Upon Avon. Lucinda said: “We are countryside lovers at heart so even when we were living and working in London, we spent most of our weekends outside of the city, so it was key for us to be able to get in and out quickly. With the M40 on the doorstep of West London, we started looking around Wilton Junction and Harrow but quickly zoned in on Wembley as the best place for us.
“We weren’t initially looking to buy new as we thought it would be less affordable so had been researching online for older properties; however, with the huge number of new builds being developed in Wembley, we thought we would explore this option a little further. After spending one too many hours scouring Rightmove, virtual tours and checking out street views, we lined up a jam-packed day full of viewings.”
Travelling back to London in August, the couple were excited to start their day of viewings, not expecting to reserve a new home ahead of their return journey back to the Midlands. Peter said: “Many of the new builds we viewed were very functional but lacked character and weren’t very homely or inviting but our luck changed when we arrived at Anthology’s Wembley Parade. We initially viewed a one-bedroom apartment but were pleasantly surprised when we discovered we could afford stepping up to a two bedroom home instead.
“What we loved about Wembley Parade was that there were a range of different floor plans and styles to choose from, which provided us with the character we were looking for. The wider development as a whole and the homes are really smart and modern, finished with a high quality and premium attention to detail. A place that will really hold its value should we wish to rent out in the future.”
Peter and Lucinda viewed a home on the seventh floor of one of the five buildings that form the new community. Discovering they could afford to buy on the top, twelfth floor, the couple reserved their new two-bedroom home off plan. Lucinda continued: “As we brought off plan, the first time we actually viewed our home was in October when we visited with my parents. It was amazing seeing the floor plan mapped out in real life; it was so spacious with so much hidden storage space and the quality of finish was even better than we had remembered.
“The views from our wrap around balcony are something we are looking forward to enjoying in the summer months, to the left we can see the City, shard and Canary Wharf and to the right is totally open with far reaching views.”
Although the sale completed in October, Lucinda and Peter plan to move into their new home in June. Peter continued: “Whilst continuing to live with Lucinda’s parents, we decided to take this time to allow for the multiple furniture deliveries we are expecting so our home is fully kitted out and ready later this year. With restrictions also expected to fully lift in June, we thought it would be a much better and enjoyable time. As much as we have loved countryside living during lockdown, we’re really looking forward to getting back to exploring London, especially our new stomping ground of Wembley with BOXPARK, SSE Wembley and of course the Stadium right on our doorstep. To get our outdoorsy fix, we’re also just 15 minutes from Regents Park and can also access the Surrey Hills for a day out of the city. Hopefully we’ll also be able to join some sports teams in the local area too.”
Wembley Parade, designed by GRID Architects, comprises of a collection of five buildings including a twelve-floor tower, providing 195 one, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The mix of homes will provide social rented, shared ownership and private homes amongst a new landscape courtyard. All homes feature a private balcony or terrace. Prices start from £399,000 with Help to Buy London available on all remaining one-bedroom apartments and from £675,000 for a three-bedroom home.
For those interested in finding out more about the last one bedroom or three bedroom homes available at Wembley Parade please call 020 3308 9814 or email wembleyparade@anthology.london. Help to Buy available on the remaining one bedroom apartments.