Couple who lived 1,500 miles apart find dream home together in Weston-super-Mare

A couple who had to spend the first eight months of their married life living 1,500 miles apart have found their dream home together in Weston-super-Mare.

Katerina and Ryan Camp, who fell in love when they met on holiday in Spain five years ago, have purchased a four-bedroom detached house at Bellway’s Mead Fields development in the coastal town.

Ryan, 39, a British gas engineer who is from the town, and Katerina, a 34-year-old management accountant from Belarus, tied the knot at Bristol Register Office – 18 months after meeting.

“We did not have a honeymoon as I had to go back to Belarus the next day, so it was very sad,” said Katerina. “I applied for and was granted a visa and moved to England to be with Ryan in July 2018.

“What kept us going through the long months of being so far apart was the thought of one day living together and finding a home to call our own. We have found our dream home and it is wonderful.”

When Katerina first moved to England, she and Ryan were renting a two-bedroom coach house in Weston-super-Mare but began a search for a new home.

That search lasted 18 months and they viewed 25 showhomes.

“We knew what we wanted in a house but could not find it anywhere,” she said. “Then we viewed the Scrivener showhome at Bellway’s Pirton Fields development in Gloucester. It was perfect.

“As soon as we stepped inside we knew it was the only house for us. It ticked all the boxes. We have Ryan’s children at weekends so we needed a bedroom each for them and I work from home so I needed a home office. That meant we had to have four bedrooms.

“We wanted a big garden and a garage and I wanted a big kitchen and dining area where everyone could sit and chat. The Scrivener had all of that and more. Bellway told us about the development at Mead Fields and that they would be building Scrivener homes there.”

The couple, who have a joint mortgage, put down a £17,500 deposit and paid £349,000 for their new home. They were first-time buyers and qualified for the Help to Buy scheme.

Under the Government scheme, Help to Buy enables buyers to secure a new-build home with just a five per cent deposit and 75 per cent mortgage, with the remaining 20 per cent being provided as an equity loan which is interest free for five years.

“We never thought we would be able to buy a four-bedroom detached house so early on in our life together but Help to Buy has enabled us to do that,” said Katerina. “Ryan knew about the scheme but Bellway were great and the whole process was very easy.

“We moved in in August and it was an amazing feeling to get the keys to our very own home. We just looked at each other as if neither of us could really believe it was actually happening.

“Now, instead of paying £650 a month in rent which goes to benefit someone else, we are paying £950 for a mortgage which sees us investing in our own house and our future together.”

Katerina said that when Ryan’s children come to stay they love having a bedroom of their own.

“In the old house, they had to share a bedroom but when they come here they have their own room and they disappear in there whenever they want to. We have our own beautiful bedroom with an en suite and I have my workspace in the spare bedroom.

“My favourite room is the spacious kitchen and dining area where I can be preparing food and people can sit and join me instead of being cut off in another room. When the weather is good we can open the French doors to the garden and the whole space just gets bigger.

“When family and friends come they all comment on how there is a light and airy flow from the front door through the bright hallway and into the kitchen dining area and into the garden.”

Having their own home has allowed the couple to welcome a new addition to the family – a pet dog.

“We now have Kimbo – a cavapoochon, who is a cute mix of a Poodle, a Cavalier King Charles and a Bichon Frise. We weren’t allowed any pets at the old house so this is great for me when Ryan is out at work all day.

“Kimbo loves going for a walk and, every day before I start work and finish work, I take him across the fields just outside our front door. Having Kimbo is a great way to meet the neighbours – everyone loves him as he looks just like a teddy bear. You can feel there is a lovely community growing here and I would not want to live anywhere else.

“It may sound silly but we still can’t quite believe that this fabulous big house is ours. Every day we look at each other and smile knowing that we are so lucky to have found our dream home.”

There are currently two, three and four-bedroom homes available at Mead Fields with prices starting at £205,995.

For more information, call the sales team on 01749 301651 or visit https://www.bellway.co.uk/new-homes/south-west/mead-fields.

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