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For many, two of the greatest milestones in life are buying a new home and having a baby, and for one couple, they have enjoyed both at the same time.

For Sean and Michaela, who are expecting their first baby in just a few weeks, purchasing their new four-bedroom detached home at Rosechurch Homes’ Edgelake in Sittingbourne, could not have come at a better time.

Placing them in the perfect position to welcome their baby and start this exciting new chapter, Sean comments: “This move was only ever meant to be a stepping stone to our forever home, but now, we think this is our forever home.”

Sean, an assistant manager at an accident repair centre based in Sidcup and Michaela, a fire alarm engineer, previously lived in Dartford in a two-bedroom end of terrace home which they bought just over 2 years ago.

“Our previous home was a project-house and we had completely gutted it out and redone it,” he continued.

“We got the house valued and thought this was a good opportunity to sell and move on to something bigger. I have a 13 year old son from a previous relationship who comes to stay with us every other weekend and we have a 19 month old family friendly dog who is full of energy. We had also decided that we were ready to start a family together so getting a bigger home was a priority.”

Having decided to upsize and upgrade, the couple found a three-bedroom home they loved but faced heartbreak when it fell through in September as Sean explained.

“Although we were really upset about the home falling through, I was equally as worried about our mortgage offer running out and concerned by the way the housing market was heading. With the baby’s due date creeping closer, we knew we had to act fast, and a new build home seemed the best way to do this.”

The couple had never considered a new build home previously but after the stressful experience of the first home falling through, a property with no onward chain was an attractive prospect.

“The process of buying a new build seemed smoother, quicker and also we loved the idea of everything being new, in working order and ready for us to move in and enjoy,” he continued.

“Particularly with our dog and a baby on the way, having a home which was completely ready for us was perfect. We had already been working with Anne, Sales Consultant for Rosechurch Homes and Quealy & Co, on the initial home we liked and she was the one who mentioned Edgelake to us. She suggested we come down with an open mind and just see what we thought.”

Sean and Michaela decided to do a day of house viewings, starting off with Edgelake.

“We were blown away as soon as we stepped into the show home; it was 10x better than our previous property and once we had seen it, there was no going back. We did go to see other houses but nothing compared; they were either half the size for the same price or on huge developments with multiple phases which we didn’t like.

“We found ourselves coming back to Edgelake in Sittingbourne every time. The size in particular was incredible, we loved the layout, and we would be upgrading from two bedrooms to four – it was fantastic.”

The couple moved into their home on December 19, just in time to host Boxing Day for their family.

“We are so happy with our new home. Having extra bedrooms meant we could have my parents and Nan to stay at Christmas; something which was impossible in our old home. We loved hosting Boxing Day and having such a big room for everyone to sit and celebrate together was amazing.”

“The layout works perfectly for each member of the family; my son can have his own room when he stays, Michaela can work peacefully in the study, Hugo has a much bigger garden to run around, and we have just finished getting the nursery ready.

“We have a separate lounge and dining area with doors in between which is great as we can almost have our own area downstairs but can easily enjoy the space together too. Also, the home is really energy efficient. We will have the heating on low just for the evening, go to bed and when we wake up, the home feels even warmer than before, it's phenomenal.”

As the couple have relocated from Dartford to Sittingbourne, they have been taking time to familiarise themselves with the area.

He added: “We haven’t been here for long but the area seems really nice. We have been discovering lots of walks with Hugo. I took him on a walk down the river the other day and it was lovely. Sheerness is only a twenty-minute drive away so beach days will definitely be something we enjoy too in the warmer months.”

As they start to settle into their new home, Sean reflects on the experience they’ve had.

“Initially, we saw our next property as a step towards our forever home, but we are so in love with our home at Edgelake by Rosechurch Homes, that we can imagine ourselves living long and very happy lives here. Rosechurch Homes and Anne have been wonderful. We can’t thank them enough for their time and patience in helping us secure this home.

“The Rosechurch Homes’ site team has also been helpful, especially when I accidentally drilled a hole through the electrics on our first day; they came to help straight away!

“I am so excited for the next chapter with my family and I am so glad we will be raising our little one in this home.”

Prices at Edgelake start from £345,000 for a two-bedroom home. For more information, click here.