“A spacious, connected space to call home!”

Parkside, Garston stood out to Samantha for a range of reasons, including affordability, its sense of community, proximity to nature and livability.

As a single person who has rented for most of her life, Samantha didn’t think she would ever be able to afford her own home. But the shared ownership scheme at Parkside gave her a spacious, connected place to call home. As a non-driver, Samantha now lives in an area with easy access to local shops and public transport connections. She works locally in Watford and now has a 35-minute walk to work that she finds pleasant and peaceful.

The level of thought that has gone into designing a livable area also stood out to Samantha. Having considered other new build developments and conversions, she was impressed by the way the flats are designed, the layout of the homes and the communal garden areas. Parkside felt like “somewhere between a flat and a house” – big enough to have private space but close enough to neighbours to protect the sense of community.

The access to green spaces, both within the communal grounds and adjacent parkland has been a significant perk of Parkside. Having moved out of central Watford – which is dominated by terraced houses, tower blocks and congested roads, the walk from Parkside is much better, with its proximity to greenery giving Samantha the sense of having more space. As an animal lover, Samantha was delighted to bump into her neighbour and his pugs on daily dog walks. The pleasant surrounding promotes ‘milling as opposed to racing’ – which encourages small moments of friendship between strangers.

The shared ownership model has significantly improved Samantha’s wellbeing, sense of security and feeling of independence. To have somewhere that she wants to live and to have done it by herself makes her feel very secure. The effect of having a liveable, inviting home has spread into Samantha’s work life. Coming back to work after the move, instead of feeling stressed and under pressure from the move, Samantha was told that her ‘her eyes were smiling’. The ease and comfort of Parkside has meant Samantha gets into work earlier, and is happier when there. The strains of renting and uncertainty over accommodation was having a bigger impact on Samantha’s life than she gave it credit for. She didn’t realise this until she moved to Parkside.

Samantha had a great experience with the Sales Team at Thrive Homes. She dealt with Thrive’s Development Sales Manager, Marc Jellis who went “above and beyond” in a hard situation where eviction was looming. He was available at all times and was hands on in offering advice, information and occasionally just some reassurance. “It felt like they were on my side”, she said.

In terms of advice for people moving to Parkside, “Just do it!”, says Samantha. Becoming a house owner has become increasingly difficult in recent years and shared ownership is something that’s there to help you.

Find out more about Parkside, Watford at www.parksidewatford.co.uk