Collectively, Ken and Tracy Perrett spent almost 46 years between them working at the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) in Crowthorne, Berkshire. In 2018, along with their dog, Bramble, they also became the very first residents to move into Buckler’s Park.
From the 1960s, TRL used the land for vehicle testing and research, developing innovations including the mini-roundabout, the zebra crossing and the Green Cross Code in Crowthorne. The site’s old test tracks have been incorporated into the design of Buckler’s Country Forest, a new 100+ acre country park that’s part of the development.
Making the move
Tracy looks after the couple’s young granddaughter three days a week – and that was the catalyst for the move, as she explains: “We’d lived in the same house for 19 years and didn’t think we’d move for another decade or so. But when our granddaughter was born we realised it wasn’t very child-friendly.
“We made the decision to move in May, and Buckler’s Park was the first place we saw – it was perfect for us. It was before the show homes were even built – we bought off the strength of the brochure. But we liked the Legal & General Homes way of doing things, we felt we could trust this business – and it’s paid off.”
“But we liked the Legal & General Homes way of doing things, we felt we could trust this business – and it’s paid off.”
Ken and Tracy now live in a two-bedroom, two-storey semi-detached home in the development’s first phase. The buying process was made simple with the help of Legal & General Homes’ Assisted Move scheme. “Legal & General Homes helped us with the sale of our old place. They employed the estate agents and we had all the evaluations and agreed a price with them on the basis it would sell more quickly – our new home was still £20,000 less than the house we sold.” says Ken.
The couple are pleased they chose a new-build home, as Ken explains: “The property is the same floor size as our old house, yet it feels bigger. Someone has thought very carefully about how a house is used and reflected that in the design, down to where the plug sockets are. The second bedroom, for example – it’s a great size. We’ve built in an office area, there’s a spare bed at the other end and room for a cot for our granddaughter – we use it every day in some way.
“Some of our friends didn’t get it, asking why we moved into a new-build house . And now when they come and see it, they are really impressed by the finish and high quality. We can’t stop telling people about it – we know of at least one person who has put their name down, purely because we told her about it.”
