02 Jun New Chelmsford riverside community is the perfect summer spot
Taylor Wimpey is breathing new life into the River Chelmer waterfront thanks to its latest Chelmsford city centre development.
Aspyre, off Wharf Road, brings a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments as well as a small number of five-bedroom homes to the riverside area. It is the latest in a series of Taylor Wimpey developments that have helped to make a previously derelict and inaccessible area of the city into a lively new community.
The first residents moved into their new homes in 2020 and the latest phase of Aspyre, two blocks known as Navigation Court and Wharf Court, launched this spring. With warmer days ahead and footfall returning to the city centre, new residents are looking forward to making the most of the central location.
Priyanku Nandi and Rashmi Hariharan, 41 and 40, moved into their five-bedroom house in January this year. They relocated from the Harold Wood suburb of Romford to get away from the bustle of London life.
Priyanku said: “When we first visited Aspyre we loved the view of the River Chelmer flowing in front of the development. It felt very picturesque and we thought that the summer here would be fantastic. We were looking to get closer to nature and we found people kayaking and fishing, which was exactly what we wanted to see.
“Now that we are here we love the connection to the city centre on one side and a variety of pathways and cycle trails on the other. Everything is very close to the development. The railway station is within walking distance, we have found an excellent nursery not far away, and we love that we have loads of food delivery options and restaurants with a variety of different cuisines to tickle our tastebuds.
“I am not a garden person, but we really appreciate having the balcony and terraces to sit and enjoy our morning cup of tea and watch our toddler stretch and play around.”
The flexibility of the housing design at Aspyre has been a big help during the pandemic, with both Priyanka and Rashmi working from home and a toddler in the house at the same time.
Priyanka said: “We both have our own office space and our little one has her own room with enough space for her toys. We’ve also converted storage spaces into built in wardrobes which has allowed us to use room space quite efficiently.
“We knew we wanted to buy a new build home for a variety of reasons, including that we were able to make the home our own with minimum changes, and the lack of hassle moving in. We also get a two-year Taylor Wimpey warranty and a 10-year National House-building Council warranty, and all appliances, electrical points, gas meters, boilers are new, tried and tested.
“Taylor Wimpey was in the top five in all the checks that we made, which made our selection process easier. We could have gone with another developer in Chelmsford but we found Taylor Wimpey’s brand name better and more appealing for us as second-time buyers.
“The sales team Jayne and Wendy were superb. They were patient with us and even during the pandemic they kept us informed at all stages on our purchase.
“Even with the pandemic restrictions, they were super-efficient and took us through the process to get us through it on time. They gave us right guidance, never over promising and always checked if they could help us with any dates and timelines.
“Once the lockdown has eased we will definitely invite them for a cup of tea or coffee in our new house.”
A range of one, two and three bedroom apartments, duplexes and maisonettes are currently available at Aspyre, with prices starting from £250,000. The Government-backed Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme is available on select properties.
