The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
The first chapter at Eden
Young couple Dylan McCrae and Sarah Will have flown the nest and bought their first property together, overlooking the Den of Maidencraig nature reserve.
Dylan, 23, who is a mechanic and retained firefighter, and Sarah, 23, who is an administration assistant, previously lived with their parents before moving to Bancon Homes’ Eden at Maidencraig development.
Situated just off the A944 to the west of Aberdeen, the site is within easy reach of the city centre and ARI as well as the countryside, and has several supermarkets just minutes away.
Buyers at Eden can choose from one, two and three-bedroom apartments and villas, which are all designed to maximise space and offer stylish yet practical areas to entertain and relax.
Having heard about the development on the radio, the couple visited the site before making the decision to buy a two-bedroom Westfield style apartment.
“We chose the property because of the large amount of space it had, much bigger than older tenement flats,” said Dylan.
“We were both undecided between the Rowan or Westfield style apartments but, after several viewings, we opted for Westfield.
“It ticked all the right boxes in terms of space and the commuting distance to our jobs.
“The location was also a big part of our move as we wanted to be halfway between our families.
“We love everything about our apartment so it would be hard to narrow it down to specifics.”
The properties at Eden feature spacious openplan living and dining areas for a contemporary and elegant lifestyle.
Sarah and Dylan’s apartment boasts a large master bedroom with en suite and spacious second bedroom, both with builtin wardrobes.
The couple were looking for the perfect location that could offer them the convenience of vibrant city life and the outdoor lifestyle of the countryside and the Eden development provided exactly that, with amenities and activities on their doorstep.
Potential buyers, including first-time buyers like Dylan and Sarah, may also qualify for Help to Buy (Scotland), which allows them to buy a home with just a 5% deposit saved while the government lends a further 15%, meaning those looking to buy only have to secure a mortgage of 80%.
“The area is lovely,” said Sarah.
“It’s just a 10-minute drive to the centre of Aberdeen and there’s the open space in front of us at the Den of Maidencraig.
“Since we both grew up in the countryside, it feels homelier than living in the centre.
“There is also frequent public transport at the top of the road so it’s great to have that option too.
“As first-time buyers, the couple chose a new-build for its reliability and comfort in the knowledge that they wouldn’t have to spend more on decorating and renovating.
“The reason for a newbuild was more for peace of mind in terms of maintenance.
“As first-time buyers, money is obviously budgeted for a good while so we didn’t want the added stress of worrying about when things start to go wrong in older homes.
“Also with new-builds being so well insulated, we knew our costs for energy bills would be a lot lower too.”
The couple are now enjoying their first home in a new and welcoming community – even moving day went smoothly without the additional requirements of selling previous homes.
“Our move was a lot easier than we thought. All our furniture was mostly flat pack, so there wasn’t much to transport,” added Sarah.
“Our new home is the perfect size and in the perfect location.
“Evelyn at Bancon has been fantastic with helping us through the whole process, and has answered all our questions, even the little silly ones,” said Dylan. “Our broker, Gail Reid Mortgage Services, also brought to light a lot of things we had not thought about before moving and we would also have been lost without their help.”