From Hong Kong to Home: Family Find Their Perfect Property at Reading Waterfront Development Bankside Gardens
Penny Du and Vincent Cheng bought their family home at Bankside Gardens - St Edward’s waterside development on the outskirts of vibrant Reading - after moving across the globe from Hong Kong with their two young children Dora, 7, and Nok, 5. They purchased a two-bedroom apartment for £418,000 as cash buyers, using funds from the sale of their home in Hong Kong.
Very keen to move to the area as quickly as possible, the family rented at Green Park Village, St Edward’s development adjacent to Bankside Gardens, for 13 months whilst their home was under construction, before picking up their keys in October 2022.
Penny comments: “Houses in Hong Kong are very expensive - I had been saving up since I was a teenager to be able to get onto the property ladder there! Our property before we moved to the UK was much smaller and much more expensive. Moving here has provided a better environment for our children to grow up in and presents better opportunities for their education.”
She adds: “Bankside Gardens was recommended to us by a friend. As soon as we saw the development online, we knew it was where we wanted to live – it ticked every box!”
Although the family are now settled in Reading, Vincent – an IT professional – has continued his employment in Hong Kong remotely. Due to the 7-hour time difference, he often works night shifts to coincide with his office’s operating hours. Vincent’s profession is one of the reasons the family chose Reading as their base in the UK; it is one of the UK’s top technical hubs for IT, telecoms and digital businesses such as Cisco and Microsoft. Reading provides excellent opportunities should Vincent ever decide to opt for a position closer to home.
Penny, a formal social worker, has been proactive in joining the established community at Bankside Gardens. She comments: “I recently joined the local church’s walking club which not only keeps me fit and healthy, but also has enabled me to make some great friends locally. We moved here knowing nobody, so it’s been great getting to know other residents and becoming part of this flourishing community at Bankside Gardens. My children also attend Green Park Primary Academy, and I regularly meet up with other parents during the school run at Triple Two Coffee which has just opened next to the school.”
Bankside Gardens’ connectivity was a huge factor in the family’s decision to move to Reading; trains reach London Paddington in just 23 minutes on the Elizabeth Line, and the new Reading Green Park Station, which opened in May this year just minutes from Bankside Gardens, providing access to Reading town centre in just six minutes.
Paul Vallone, Executive Chairman at St Edward, comments: “Reading is an excellent location for those who are looking for the city lifestyle without the city price tag. Bankside Gardens presents a very exciting opportunity for buyers to be part of a fantastic, thriving community. Reading itself is one of the South East’s most important business hubs – offering all the lifestyle benefits of urban living - and its superb connections into London are further improved by the arrival of Crossrail. However, residents at the development can enjoy a more tranquil side of life too with immediate access to plentiful outdoor space and Longwater Lake, the comfort and convenience of local amenities, including great schools, but most importantly, a close-knit friendly community.”
Prices start from £357,000 for a one-bedroom apartment . Homes at No. 6, an apartment building close to the lake with stunning views over the gardens, will be ready to move into in Q1 2024.
The stylish new waterfront show apartment at Bankside Gardens is now open. For more information or to book an appointment, please call 0118 321 4791 or find out more here.