When Mark Sims and Ruth Goodman found out they were expecting their first child, the search for a perfect family home quickly became their number one goal.
The couple decided to search for a home between Darlington, where Mark works as a parts manager and Sunderland, where many of Ruth’s relatives live – and although Ruth had previously thought they would renovate an older home together, they found their ideal place at Bellway’s Regency Manor development in Wynyard.
The expectant parents moved into their new four-bedroom detached home in September, ready for the birth of their son Roman just a few weeks later.
Ruth, 29, who works as a freelance wedding planner, said: “I had always thought all new-build properties pretty much looked the same everywhere you go, which I didn’t find very appealing, but the Bellway homes we saw at Regency Manor really stood out by a mile.”
The Teesside development of 138 new homes is an ideal place for those wanting to find a nice area to bring up their children. Situated in a desirable countryside location, Regency Manor is popular with families, due to its range of four and five-bedroom homes and proximity to a number of well-regarded schools, with the closest being just a short walk away.
The couple previously lived in a three-bedroom semi-detached property in Yarm, owned by Mark, but had always planned to find a bigger home that they could purchase together.
Despite some difficulties with selling Mark’s home and delays caused by the national lockdown, the couple were impressed by the customer service received from Bellway and their sales advisor Tom, who went above and beyond to assist their moving process and accommodate the changing circumstances.
Mark, 32, said: “The quality of service and our overall experience with Bellway was second to none. Tom managed to get us not one but two extensions on our selling period.”
When the time finally came for them to move into their new house, Ruth was heavily pregnant, but the couple were still determined to prepare the home for their new arrival.
Ruth added: “It was very important for us to have somewhere nice and homely to bring Roman back home to. It instantly felt like home the moment we walked in.”
With many residents moving in, Regency Manor is shaping into a welcoming new community within Wynyard.
Ruth said: “Our neighbours are so friendly, and we received a lovely Christmas card from one of them in December.
“We have documented our home-décor journey through our Instagram account @ourmaplehouse, and just like us, many other residents at the development have opened their own home accounts, which has been great fun to keep up with.”
Mark said: “One great thing about the development is that the homes are very spaced out and not sitting on top of each other.
“We haven’t had much time to explore the area yet, with national restrictions still in place, but we are looking forward to a visit at Wynyard Hall, just two minutes down the road. There are lovely gardens to walk through as a family and I know Ruth is hoping to go for a nice spa day over there soon.”
The design of their new Maple home has also worked well with their lifestyle as new parents.
Ruth said: “The open-plan design of the living and kitchen space works so well for us as it is such a sociable space, compared to our old kitchen which was very small.
“When Mark comes home from work, we get to spend our time all together in there and catch up on our day.
“My favourite room so far would have to be Roman’s room, but I just can’t seem to stop buying extra bits to add into there!”
Like many other buyers across the country, having additional space to work from home has become paramount for the couple.
Ruth said: “I am so happy to have the extra space now to possibly start freelancing and working from home when Roman gets a bit bigger.
“I have the choice to work from the kitchen area, which has plenty of space, or set up one of the spare rooms as a home office.”
There is a range of four and five-bedroom homes available to purchase at Regency Manor with prices starting from £359,995. For more information visit bellway.co.uk or call the sales team on 01740 771413.