Diane: “We had been renting a property in Strathdon in the west of Aberdeenshire. After a year and a half, we had both reached a point where we felt ready to buy our first ever home - something that we could really make our own.”

Callum: “Initially, we were looking at older, pre-loved homes but they were just too expensive considering the amount of work the majority of them would need. We then considered building our own home, but again, we were faced with the same budget issues as the building rates and the cost of materials were just out of our price range.

“We then came across The Morven at Castle Road and realised we could move into a luxurious new home for a lot less than we had first imagined. Once we had viewed the property online, we realised that this would be the perfect move for us both for many reasons - including shorter commute times for our jobs.”

Diane: “For me, it has to be the open-plan kitchen and dining room, as it is so spacious and draws so much natural light into the home which is just perfect for hosting our friends and family. We also love the doors leading to the rear garden from both the kitchen and utility room, as this is ideal for letting our dogs out.

“Our home is so versatile, especially the spacious bedrooms - one of which is on the ground floor. We’ve been able to use one as a guest bedroom which is just perfect for having family and friends stay with us, while we have converted another bedroom into a home gym. I’ve always been passionate about fitness, and because of the generous space in the room I’ve been able to fit in a spin bike, weights, mats and more!”

Callum: “My favourite thing is the fantastic quality that’s present throughout our home in every room. I’ve been in many new builds before where they’ve felt quite cheap, but the quality within a Kirkwood home is unmatched. Everything feels robust and well-made, such as the solid quality doors.”

Diane: “As first time buyers, we were so impressed by how seamless the entire process was from when we first spoke with our Sales Advisor Michelle, to the day we got our keys! Buying your first home can be a daunting process, but Michelle reassured us from the start and made the whole journey very easy!

“Michelle was able to accommodate a viewing for us very quickly, and after she showed us the home we just fell in love. We really appreciated how helpful and responsive she was throughout the buying process - whenever we had queries or needed advice, she was able to point us in the right direction.”

Callum: “We could relax and rely on the service from Kirkwood Homes and the partners they collaborate with such as Gail Reid Mortgage Services - we never found ourselves chasing for answers or needing to call up the solicitors every week. As first-time buyers, we couldn’t have asked for a smoother buying process from start to finish.”