What key features were you looking for in a new home?
Pamela said:
"I wanted the space and tranquillity. I come from a small city in the south of Ireland and spent years in London. I also wanted to get as much from our budget as possible."
Tom said:
"We wanted to have the high street, but also links to London were really important from a business perspective. We run a business from home, but our clients are in London."
Why Wallingford?
Tom said:
"It gives you lovely river walks where we take our dog. But also, it does have the kind of high street that you would expect from a decent sized town. Outside our window, we can see the Wittenham Clumps, which is an amazing piece of countryside."
Pamela said:
"When you go off the high street, there's a lovely walk on the Thames. You can do a two mile walk down to a cafe that sits on the riverside. It does the best cakes and coffee."
"It is just having that balance. You've got the pubs and nightlife, as well as a high street, but then you also just have amazing walks."
What made Highcroft stand out to you?
Pamela said:
"We lived across the road from Berkeley Group's Battersea Reach in Wandsworth. We always found ourselves going across to enjoy the gardens and scenery."
"They're investing in greenery at Wallingford. They care about wildlife. In our garden fences, they have little hedgehog holes so the hedgehogs can roam freely."
Tom said:
"I think the finish is incredible compared to other new builds that we've seen I think it comes back to that trust piece. We trusted them. We've seen what they'd done previously, and we knew the finish would be to top standards."
What made you choose the home you did at Highcroft?
Pamela said:
"I think what made us go for this one is that it's a four-bedroom, three storey-house. We loved the idea of having two bedrooms on one floor and two bedrooms on another."
Tom said:
'When we're running a business from home, it gives you that detachment between work and life. Physically a floor difference helps our work-life balance."
How is the transport for commuting to the city?
Tom said:
"Chosley run about four to six trains an hour now. Didcot is more frequent. We drive to the Chosley station, or we could walk if the weather is nice. And we just jump on the train and it takes us into Paddington in 50 minutes.
"If we're in a real rush, we could drive to Didcot and it's 38 minutes to Paddington. It's a reliable service as well. We also have the Marylebone link. You've got options"
What are some of your favourite things to do?
Pamela said:
"The shopping in Oxford is incredible. Bicester village is also only a 14-minute drive away. Reading is a 25-minute drive. We did a trip there to buy furniture for the new house."
Tom said:
"One of the favourite things we've done is walk towards Cholsey. There are two little villages called Mackney and Brightwell-cum-Sotwell. They've got a few pubs and its really lovely."
How are you finding living at Highcroft?
Pamela:
"In the first phase, there were 14 of us that moved in. There's a real mix of people. Everyone wants to get to know each other - we're talking about having a party soon."
Tom:
"We've been really relieved to see a real diverse mixture of people. I think that was a real breath of fresh air for us. What we didn't want to do is leave a really multicultural place in London and then come somewhere without it."
Are you excited for your future at Wallingford?
Pamela said:
"It's super exciting. I think because the development is in its early days, we're getting to see it progress every day. We see it as an investment as well. The area is growing. You know that you're getting more bang for your buck versus central London."
Tom:
"We wanted to make sure that it was a sound investment, as well as obviously being able to enjoy the area. It feels like it was the right decision. We're really excited to see what Highcroft brings, but also the growth in the area as well."
What advice would you give to a prospective buyer looking at Highcroft?
Pamela said:
"If you're coming out of the city, I'd advise to do your journey from here to London. That gives you an understanding of the length of time to central."
Tom:
"Come and spend some time here. Look at the high street, do the river walks and really get to know the place. Plan time with the new homes team here on site, allowing you to see the vision for Highcroft and hopefully get you as excited as everyone else is."
For more information on St Edward's Highcroft development