Flat's Para Handy

Feb 10 2008 Raymond Hainey

New Homes Newbuild Is Perfect For Red Beret Stephen And Louise

Para Stephen Bolger and partner Louise Rae have made a happy landing in a brand new flat.

The couple snapped up their £120,000 two-bedroom home by new builder Elmington Homes after being stunned by the value for money on offer.

Stephen, a corporal in the famous Red Berets, said: "The specifications were superb for the price we were paying.

"They were really open to negotiation, plus there were other incentives on offer."

Norfolk-born Stephen added that buying a new-build at Princes Court, Carfin, near Motherwell, took the uncertainty out of the Scottish "offers over" house buying system.

He said: "New flats are a fixed price so I knew exactly what I'd be paying up front.

"Otherwise, you're never sure what to offer. It's stress you don't really need.

"The building our home is in dominates the whole site.

"There's a tower feature on the corner and it just looks really impressive.

"Inside, there's a really good finish - even the plastering and the tiling are spot on, which isn't always the case. And the attention to detail continues into the kitchen. The oven is silver to match the light fittings.

"The lounge and kitchen/ diner goes the length of the flat and overall it's a really good space.

"It's a fair size but it looks a lot bigger than it really is."

Stephen, 29, who is still based in England, moved north two years after meeting beauty therapist Louise, 24, at the Edinburgh Festival in 2005.

He said: "Louise works at the Tranquility Spa at Esporta in Hamilton, so the new flat is really handy for her getting to and from work. I'm trying to get a posting in Scotland so we can spend more time together. At the moment it's mostly weekends."

Princes Court is the first development by Elmington, which was founded by Sandy Anderson, the former Scottish regional chairman of major builder Bett Homes.

A handful of flats remain at their Princes Court development, with prices starting at £115,950.

For more information contact the sales office on 01698 735084 or log on to the website www.elmingtonhomes.co.uk