Their 12-year-old son became an expert of ours as the family embarked on a journey to invest in a brand-new property.
“Jack’s a bit of a perfectionist, he likes everything just so, so far as he was concerned it had to be Redrow,” said Fiona, 46.
“He came with us as we travelled all over the country looking at different houses and developers, and Jack did all his research. He knew all about the different styles, the plans and designs, and when new homes were being released.
“When we wanted to know anything, we didn’t need to look it up, we could just ask Jack. I think it was the excitement of looking and buying our new home.”
And Fiona, a ward sister at Liverpool’s Heart and Chest Hospital, adds: “It was the quality of Redrow’s homes that stood out for us – and Jack – and I’m 100% sure we made the right decision.” The Finches at Hilton Grange located on Lower Road, offers a collection of three and four-bedroom terraced, semi-detached and detached homes.
Along with our neighbouring Grace Fields at Hilton Grange development, it will provide 662 new homes and form part of the significant East Halewood Sustainable Extension, a masterplan to build high-quality new homes for the area.
The families move was made possible thanks to a legacy from Fiona’s late mum Pat and Fiona can’t help but feel that she’s ever present.
“I wanted to invest the money wisely and in something that I could look at and think ‘mum’s done this for us’,” said Fiona.
“I’m so proud of our new home that makes me think of my mum, and I think she would be too.”
Fiona and Michael, 50, a senior HR manager, moved into their Marlow home in Halewood with Jack, daughter Molly, 14, and their Cavapoo, Mo, in March, after facing the decision of whether to spend money refurbishing their former four-bedroom townhouse last year.
“We’d bought the townhouse from new but after 18 years it was starting to need work doing. It needed a new kitchen and new bathrooms, and the décor needed work,” explains Fiona. “Plus, we’d just bought a dog – and it wasn’t ideal having the living room on the middle floor when he wanted to go out.”
The family chose The Marlow four-bedroom property because they wanted a two-storey detached, and they loved the style of the home with the traditional exterior and the modern design inside – especially the high ceilings and deep skirting boards – along with the space it boasted.
Downstairs there’s a spacious kitchen and dining room with double doors leading onto the rear garden, a separate lounge, utility and cloakroom, and an integral garage; while upstairs are four bedrooms, the main with ensuite, and a family bathroom.
“Having four double bedrooms swung it for us because both the kids have now got a massive bedroom,” said Fiona.
“We have got the main bedroom at the front of the house and with the fourth we’ve created a guest bedroom-cum-dressing room for me and Molly.
“We love the massive kitchen and we spend a lot of time in there; we have a lovely view and outlook. We chose the plot because at the front all we overlook are a lake and the farmer’s fields – we can see alpacas from our bedroom! – and at the back we’re not overlooked at all.
“There’s a huge garden which surprises people and, although we’re happy with the house as it is now, it gives us the option to extend in the future. Jack has got goalposts set up so it’s his Anfield and is big enough to have a game of footie with his mates or his dad, and he has got a two-metre vegetable patch in the garden already growing strawberries, courgettes, tomatoes, cucumbers and chillis.”
Fiona says the buying process with us has been totally smooth and praised sales consultants Julie and Sophia for being super-helpful and keeping them in touch every step of the way.
“They were so good when we visited; they let Jack look at the interactive board in the sales office, and they even made a fuss of the dog,” said Fiona.
“We only lived round the corner and so we were there watching the house being built almost every day, brick by brick, and they became friends. We even organised an ice-breaker evening where we met and got to know the neighbours which was lovely.
“Redrow’s slogan is ‘a better way of living’ and it’s absolutely that for us. It was so nice moving into a home where everything was done, and it was all sparkling and new: every day I wake up I still feel like I’m on my holidays.”
The Finches at Hilton Grange is just a 30-minute drive from Liverpool city centre with its shops, restaurants, bars and cultural facilities, and close to the M62 for road journeys to Manchester, Leeds and beyond. Local railway stations offer services to Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, and London.
To find out more, call the sales team call 0151 391 7310, or visit here.
