Case Study 1
When it came to choosing a new home, finding a property with plenty of space that was also environmentally friendly were the main concerns for Verity Holm and her husband Johan, 28, a Graphic Designer. The couple knew they wanted to raise their two sons in a country environment, but, as Johan works in central London, the question was where? After weeks searching every location within a hour of London, the couple viewed the show home at Axis, a recent development by Countryside Maritime on St Mary’s Island, in Chatham, Kent, and immediately knew this was the place for them.
“When you have children your priorities change,” says Verity. “We want our boys to live in a lovely area as they grow up, but we also want to do our bit to preserve the environment in the long term, so our children’s children can enjoy the world as we do.”
“Our four bedroom house has large windows that light the rooms beautifully”, continues Verity. “There is thick insulation to reduce heat loss, dual flush toilets and spray taps that reduce water usage. The low energy light fittings and our high efficiency boiler cut our energy use so our bills are low and our conscience clear.”
St Mary’s Island has been master planned with sustainability at its core; there is an extensive network of footpath/cycleways that give priority to pedestrians and cyclists helping to reduce car use. “There is a bus that takes only ten minutes to Chatham Station, and from there it only takes Johan 45 minutes to get to London Victoria”, says Verity. “Johan’s commute couldn’t be easier and I love taking the boys to play in the park or on walks around the island. There is a food shop and pub five minutes from us, over the bridge to the island, so we hardly ever need to use our car.”
The properties themselves are fitted with luxury, contemporary kitchens, with a choice of tiling throughout. “The customer service from Countryside Maritime was brilliant, really helpful”, says Verity. “Because our house wasn’t built when we bought it we were able to watch it though the stages and make our own choices for our kitchen and tiling, and they even allowed our flooring company in to carry out their work prior to legal completion. Everything was made as painless as possible.
For information on current phases at St Mary’s Island including Ventura Riverside, the most eco-friendly phase of development so far on the Island, visit www.venturariverside.net
