First-time buyers take a step on the property ladder in East Calder
When Abi and John Moses, along with their children Jordan (age 6) and Emily (age 1), were looking for a family home to grow into they had a strict set of criteria to make sure this would be their forever move.
Great location!
Their list included a convenient location, a house within their budget that was big enough for their family to grow into, great schools nearby as well as a feeling of community where they could all feel part of something special. The couple discovered Taylor Wimpey at Calderwood almost by accident and the rest as they say is history!
Both IT professionals, Abi works in Edinburgh and John works in Glasgow. Before their search for a family home, the couple were renting in nearby Currie on the outskirts of Edinburgh following their relocation from the USA.
Keen to settle their family into a new home, the couple set about researching the Edinburgh property market but soon discovered they could get so much more home for their budget if they looked towards West Lothian.
An extensive research period began with the couple comparing locations, developments and house types before they both fell in love with the layout of the Maxwell four bedroom home at Calderwood as Abi explains: “We did almost all of our research online and actually chose the Maxwell from Taylor Wimpey’s website. From looking at the virtual tour we just felt that it was a wonderful house and when we visited a show home at a nearby development, we just knew this was what we wanted our family house to be like.
“It’s so spacious and the bedrooms are so big – there’s just space for everyone. Our kitchen is so nice and it’s lovely having a dining area and informal space for us all to relax – we spend a lot of time in this part of the house."
“We found Calderwood almost by accident by taking a different route one day to Currie from West Calder. Instantly it felt like the place for us – there was a community event taking place and we just had a great feeling driving around."
“Unfortunately for us, at that point all of the homes in Phase 1 were sold but Danielle and Suzanne did promise to call when the next phase of homes were released for sale. We waited patiently for about six months before we got the call about our ideal plot – a Maxwell four bedroom detached with a south facing garden.
There is a choice of developers at Calderwood, and the couple chose Taylor Wimpey for a variety of reasons but primarily because they offer fantastic service, as well as outstanding quality as John adds: “We knew the site manager here Eddie has won lots of awards and you can tell. Along with his site team, he’s been brilliant. The quality of our home is really impressive, and the team has been quick to sort the very few snagging issues that we’ve had. And Gemma, our customer service manager, has also been so lovely and efficient in making arrangements to get any issues sorted out quickly.
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“Danielle and Suzanne in sales are also so helpful and they always return your call. Throughout our journey with them they have kept us informed and they’ve always had or found the answer to every one of our questions. This level of service and attention to detail reassured us that we were working with people who really knew what they were doing and who wanted to look after us.
“From the day of our reservation, they took care of everything for us and made the process so easy and straightforward. We also took advantage of using one of Taylor Wimpey’s recommended solicitors and they worked brilliantly with Danielle and Suzanne, so we had nothing to worry about. As first-time buyers we really didn’t know how the whole system worked, but the whole team took care of everything for us, it’s just been great.”
This is a long-term move for the family, and they are thrilled to have found Calderwood as Abi continues: “Schools in West Lothian do have a great reputation and having Calderwood Primary just on the doorstep is amazing and it was a very important factor in our decision to move to this community. It’s also just a short drive to West Calder High School and we don’t plan to move again for our children to get great secondary school education when they get a bit older. This is a long term move for us, and we love that a new build development appeals to families with children of a similar age where they can all grow up together.
“We thought we would miss the walks we took along the Water of Leith in Currie, but this place is perfect. We have Almondell Country Park on the doorstep, there are also tranquil walks that criss-cross the development too and we’re in the countryside away from the noise and bustle of Edinburgh. When we need or want to, we can easily get to Livingston, Edinburgh or Glasgow for shopping and of course work!"