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Take a look inside our sales advisor Tom’s brand new Kirkwood home in Stonehaven
Kirkwood Homes Ury Estate Case Study Hi Res 017 1
Take a look inside our sales advisor Tom’s brand new Kirkwood home in Stonehaven
22nd Apr 2022
Moved In 1st Aug 2021
3 Bedrooms

After working as a sales advisor for Kirkwood for the last 3 years, Tom Lobban proved just how much he believes in the product he sells - when he bought his very own Kirkwood home!

In August last year, Tom and his wife Christine made the move from their 2 bedroom end-terrace home in Aberdeen, to the outstanding 3 bedroom detached ‘Craig’ at our prestigious development on the outskirts of Stonehaven, Ury Estate.

We caught up with Tom to find out how he and Christine are settling in, what they love about their new home and why they chose to become the newest residents at our Ury Estate development...

What options were you considering when you decided it was time to move house?

“Initially we considered moving further south of Aberdeen - and thought we would potentially buy an older type property, however the time and cost of renovating made us decide against this. We realised we just didn’t have the time or energy for the upheaval - we previously moved into a house that seemed a relatively simple doer-upper project, yet it took us 4 years to complete!

“It’s not just about the time but also the costs of needing to purchase a new kitchen or bathroom, flooring and decoration, which always seems to exceed the budget allocated.”

Why did you choose ‘The Craig’ housetype?

"Christine was the one that ultimately chose it. When I worked at Kirkwood’s Charleston Grange development in Cove, there was a lovely showhome of ‘The Craig’ and as soon as Christine walked through the front door for the first time, she said ‘I want one of these’, and that was that!”

Since moving in we’ve really enjoyed sitting in the dining/family area with music playing, enjoying a glass of fizz, looking out at the garden and watching the dogs play, or having the family round.

Kirkwood Homes Ury Estate Case Study Lo Res 017 1

Tom

What do you love most about your new home?

“I love the en-suite - it’s just unreal! Some larger houses don’t offer an en-suite like ‘The Craig’, it has a separate shower cubicle and a centralised bath with a window above. It’s a really nice touch and adds a sense of luxury.

“It’s also great having a garage, and utility room - and we love the spacious kitchen/dining/family area offering another living space in addition to the lounge. We’ve added a lovely table with corner seating and we spend so much of our time in here. We also enjoy having French doors, they let in so much natural light and offer easy access to the garden.

“Since moving in we’ve really enjoyed sitting in the dining/family area with music playing, enjoying a glass of fizz, looking out at the garden and watching the dogs play, or having the family round. We still can’t believe it’s our house to be honest, we’re still walking about in a bit of a daze!”

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What attracted you to our Ury Estate development in Stonehaven?

“Prior to working for Kirkwood, I had visited the Ury Estate site and knew I wanted to live there. The development is elevated so the views are fantastic - we have sea views from upstairs and the beautiful countryside from downstairs.

“What really pushed us to move was the commute. I’m currently working at Kirkwood’s development in Dundee, so being south of Aberdeen and just off the A90 meant a shorter commute for me, which was a big factor in our decision making.

“I also really like the different housetypes that Kirkwood offers - they don’t all look the same, there’s different colours of finishing in different phases of building, such as dark grey windows. I think that’s a nice touch and adds a bit of character to the development.”

What is it like living at Ury Estate?

“It’s a really nice place to call home - we love it. There are great walks roundabout, such as Dunnottar Castle and a Ury Estate walk, as well as plenty of shops and places to eat in Stonehaven - there are restaurants and pubs everywhere! We’ve been to a few already and the food has always been fantastic.

“Although Ury Estate is just outside of the town, a 20 minute walk will have you in the centre of Stonehaven.

“There’s a real community feel at Ury Estate - everyone here is lovely, they always say hi when we’re out with the dogs. There’s a BBQ every year and lots of activities for the kids - it’s a very friendly and welcoming community here.”

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Why did you choose to buy with Kirkwood Homes?

“We wanted a superior build with an excellent finish and this is why we bought our house from Kirkwood. I knew from looking at what other developers have to offer, the level of quality wasn’t even coming close. I work for Kirkwood, so I already knew how fantastic Kirkwood’s specification was and it was obvious on doing a real fact-find that nothing else compared.

“I was really impressed by the standard of specification at Ury Estate in particular - and because we bought a home that was ready to move into, there was £4,000 worth of extras included which was a massive bonus for us. There’s lots of high-spec and attention to detail included that makes a big difference, such as the quality kitchen and worktop plus the superb bathroom fittings - these are made to last. I also love the little touches such as the cooker hood matching the kitchen cupboards and the beautiful internal doors and ironmongery.”

How did you find the buying process with Kirkwood Homes? Did anything stand out to you?

“Michelle, the sales advisor for Ury Estate, was really helpful. Christine was quite reserved about the process at first but meeting with Michelle helped her relax and realise that it’s not such a big, scary jump. I think that really gave her confidence that we were making the right decision, and it was nice to see the process from another sales advisor’s point of view.

“We were still able to choose the tiles for our bathrooms - this was a fun part of the process!

“I think the whole journey has given me an enhanced understanding of my own customers. I’m now even more empathetic and can totally relate to how big a step it is having gone through exactly the same process myself - I can say to my customers, with conviction, that I know how they’re feeling!”

Learn about The Craig

Our most popular 3 bedroom detached home. 'The Craig' offers excellent and spacious accommodation throughout, including a fantastic open-plan kitchen, dining and family area, and a large master bedroom with a deluxe en-suite, featuring a centralised bath and separate shower enclosure.

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Make 2025 your best year yet, by moving into a brand new Kirkwood home!

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Take a look inside our customers' new homes
Take a look inside our sales advisor Tom’s brand new Kirkwood home in Stonehaven