Step inside Colleen and Lloyd’s first home at Kingsford Rise, Alford

Customer: Colleen & Lloyd

House Type: The Craig

Development: Kingsford Rise, Alford

At the beginning of September, Colleen and her husband Lloyd made a long awaited move back to Alford where they had both grown up. The pair wanted to settle somewhere familiar to raise their one-year old son Jamie, and they quickly fell in love with one of our homes at Kingsford Rise.

We chatted with Colleen to find out what moving back to Alford really meant to them, what they love most about their ‘Craig’ home, and why they were drawn to Kingsford Rise.

What options did you consider before moving?

“We had been saving up to move from a city centre flat for a while, but when our baby came along last year it put the whole process on hold. We were always hopeful we would move back to Alford to be nearer both our families who live in the surrounding area, but really neither of us had put much consideration into a new build in Alford. This was only the second house we saw and we both completely fell in love with it!”

What made you pick The Craig houstype?

“It was mainly down to the spacious kitchen, dining and family area which is all open-plan. We both have pretty big families so having somewhere we would be able to host and properly socialise was very appealing to us. Also the size of the garden - since we have a young son and a dog who both just adore being outside, it was perfect.”

What's your favourite thing about your home?

“I have quite a few! We have had lots of compliments on the en-suite in the master bedroom. I also really love the positioning of our house - we are right on a little cul de sac which we share with some really nice younger families too.

“And as I mentioned before, the garden has been amazing and we are lucky to have a large patch of grass out the front of the house too - so we have loved spending days outside. Even just being able to open the patio doors so we can all enjoy the sunshine has been ideal, it’s much easier than having to go all the way downstairs like we would have to in a flat.”

What attracted you to Alford?

“My husband and I both went to school in Alford and it is where we met, so it truly is a special place for us. In lockdown we struggled a bit with childcare, so being so close to both our parents has been a great advantage for us. We always knew we wanted to bring our son up in the country just like we were too.”

What has it been like living there so far?

“It’s already been really great. Naturally it is a bit different to when we stayed here 10 years ago! Having the school and nursery so close as well will be ideal for when Jamie grows up.

“We have been loving the local park and taking our dog for walks through the area and all the great walking trails Alford has to offer. Especially with the travel restrictions which were in force before, we haven’t needed to travel far… everything we need is here.”

What is Kingsford Rise like?

“Firstly the location of it is amazing - we really like being just outside the village because when we look around, the views of the hills are just incredible.

“We were also a bit apprehensive about living in a new building as we were worried they can all be quite samey and lack any unique features, but for us The Craig and rest of the houses on the development don’t look like typical new builds.

“All our neighbours have made the effort to pop over to introduce themselves and seeing a mix of ages and family types has been so refreshing. We are already part of a Facebook group and I have got to know a few of the other mums with children around my son's age already.

“There is a decent amount of greenery throughout the development where you can always find kids playing and sometimes families having picnics and things like that!”

How did you find the buying process with Kirkwood?

“It’s literally all been positive. As we were first-time buyers, this was all unfamiliar to us but the team answered all of our questions even if they may have seemed silly.

“I fully believe we were given an individual service and were never treated like a business deal. Everyone at Kirkwood offered us a personable approach and it never felt like a burden when we asked to see the house multiple times when deciding on some of the finishings. I even emailed about window measurements on one occasion to pre-order some curtains and it was never an issue.”