When Steph and Dan Smith were looking for their new house, the biggest box to tick was the lifestyle on offer.
The couple first heard about Heyford Park near Bicester after looking at homes in the nearby area. Nothing seemed to fit their criteria until they found Dorchester Living’s new development in Upper Heyford. The couple had known about the site’s RAF history as Steph has a keen interest in aviation and is an avid glider in her spare time.
Steph explains: “In my free time I fly gliders, so I love that in 15 minutes I can drive to Bicester Gliding Club and go fly. Oxford Gliding Club is nearby too, so I’m spoilt for choice. We regularly see gliders flying over Heyford Park and recently I flew over myself which was wonderful as I got to see the progress of the new community.”
Together with their miniature dachshund Otis, the couple live in a four-bedroom home. The spacious bedrooms, high specification and large secure garden were all key selling points, and ultimately led them to instantly fall in love with their new home.
Steph continues: “We were really impressed with the kitchen’s specification – most new builds don’t come with a wine fridge without paying extra. Everything inside the house, from the internal doors to the finish in the bathrooms to the flooring, is of a really high standard. The temperature control for the house is great too as it allows us to regulate our bedroom separately from the rest of the house.”
“Our favourite feature of the house is the top floor and our bedroom. It’s separate from the rest of the house and comes with a large en suite and dressing room, which really helps when we are on different shifts.”
The couple, who were buying their second home, were the first to use Dorchester Living’s part exchange scheme and the found the process straightforward.
She explains: We couldn’t reserve on our new home until our existing house was bought. We were the first part exchange customers for Dorchester at Heyford Park and the programme made it less stressful for us, as everything was taken care of with our best interests in mind.”