Camping out – for a house
Family determined to get on the property ladder:
A COUPLE camped outside an estate agent for 24 hours so they could be the first to put their names down for a home on a new housing estate.
Marc Lewis and his wife Alison started queuing in front of Bidmead Cook, in Aberdare, early last Thursday in order to bag a plot on the site of an old comprehensive school, six of which were released at 9am last Friday.
Called Cwm Heulwen, the development in Aberaman is currently so sought after that when a previous batch of three and four bed homes was made available back in April around 30 hopeful buyers braved an entire night in the cold in order to sign up.
Marc, 48, who lives nearby and was first in line, said he took the drastic action to ensure he got on the property ladder before being priced out of the market altogether.
“I missed out when the last phase went on sale – I turned up too late,” said the train driver, who had his eye on a detached four-bed for £290,000.
“And, in the 12 weeks or so since then, houses prices have shot up, as much as £30k in some instances. So I knew that if I didn’t jump on the chance this time around I’d be priced out of the market.
“Especially since only six houses were being released this time around – that’s less than half the amount that came up before.”
He added that he and Linda, along with his father and sister, took turns when it came to queuing.
“Yes, it turned into a proper family affair.
“Luckily, the weather was kinder this time around, so I put out the sun loungers and the parasols and made sure we had plenty to drink.
“We attracted quite a crowd too. Lots of people were giving us strange looks and came over to ask what we were up to. Which is understandable, I suppose.”
Built by Welsh property developer Davis Homes, the former Blaengwawr School site is a 15-minute walk from Aberdare town centre and close to a number of main travel links.
“That’s part of the reason they’re so popular,” said Angela Hall, Bidmead Cook’s New Homes Sales Negotiator.
“They’ve been snapped up faster than we can release them, and we expect the same for phase four in September and October. The increase in prices just reflects the changes in the market generally, which is really strong at the moment.
“Perhaps it’s due people spending more time at home – they’re realising they want more space, a better outlook or a bigger drive – parking is certainly a big issue these days.
“And Cwm Heulwen has all that. It’s a really lovely spot.”