Ben Lloyd, 24, loves his 20-minute door to door commute from his new home at Anthology’s Deptford Foundry development to London Bridge, where he works as an accountant. Help to Buy was also a big factor and made it possible for him to get on to the London property ladder sooner than he thought. But it was more than just a quick and easy commute that sealed it for him. He liked Anthology, their ethos, their personal touch and the community feel they create with their developments.
Ben shares: “I’ve lived in various parts of London including the North West and Surrey Quays, where I’ve always rented. If I was going to buy it had to be an easy commute for work and I was going to be taking full advantage of the 40% government backed loan I could get with Help to Buy in London, so Deptford Foundry ticked both of those boxes. When you know you’ve found the right place you just know! However, the surprising yet welcome, icing on the cake was the developer, Anthology.
“I’d checked out a couple of other developments and just wasn’t very impressed with the customer service. With Anthology, the personal touch is what they do exceptionally well, they really value the customer and put a lot of thought into what they do. The fact that they support the local community also appealed to me.
“The development itself feels like a big community too and for London it was affordable which was great. Without Help to buy I would have had to move outside London.”
Deptford has become one of London’s sought-after hotspots attracting a young creative crowd as well as city workers and it’s no surprise as Ben explains:
“I love the area and the vibe. It’s culturally diverse and great for someone like me, in their mid-twenties. The artists’ studios on the ground floor are a nice touch, which really add to what makes this development different and there are some fantastic bars and restaurants around here. Since I moved into my home in March, a couple of my friends have also now bought at Deptford Foundry after I showed them around and took them to some of my favourite haunts, which is great. There’s so many great bars and pubs to choose from, The Villages is one of them which is a micro-brewery with a tap room. For a great brunch, I love Isla Ray.”
The other big plus for Ben living at Deptford Foundry has been the concierge service: “It makes a big difference having the concierge to take deliveries, post, read the meter and the everyday stuff that can be fairly inconvenient. It’s just nice to have someone to say hello to and is one of those personal touches that Anthology has really considered which adds to that feel of living in a community and to the great customer service.
“Anthology stuck to their plan on timings so it was clear when it was going to be complete and when I could move in. I bought a one-bedroom home but there’s plenty of space and the terrace which is on top of where the art studios are, is great, bigger than the average balcony. Everything has been better than I thought and the follow up is top. Overall the experience of being a first-time buyer has been fantastic and it’s all down to Anthology.”