After viewing dozens of properties over an 18-month period, a Nottinghamshire house hunter became the first resident to move into a flagship development in Bramcote.
Mark Hayward, 41, said: “I’ve viewed so many homes in the last year and a half but there has always been something missing. Something I’d have to compromise on. But with this house, there were no compromises.”
Mark’s perseverance and determination to find his dream home finally paid off just before Christmas 2025 when he became the very first resident to move into Peter James Homes’ Hemlock Gate development in Bramcote.
Having viewed numerous homes, none of which met his expectations, Mark saw the Amber house design which was being built at Hemlock Gate. He said, “everything was just perfect - it ticked all the boxes and just felt right.” He reserved on the same day, securing the two-bedroom house before construction was complete.
He said: “As the first person on the development it did feel special. It was just before Christmas, I had no tree, no decorations, but it felt good to be the first on the site and I was working over Christmas and would be visiting parents, so the decorations didn’t matter, what mattered was that I was in my new home and it was exactly what I wanted.”
Mark continued: “Now, other people have started moving in and it’s great to see the community taking shape.”
Because he reserved early, Mark was able to personalise his home by selecting fixtures, fittings, and kitchen finishes - an experience he described as “never rushed or pressured”.
“I’ll admit, I hadn’t heard of Peter James Homes before visiting the site, but I’ve discovered that they are a brilliant company. The service has been great, and I couldn’t have asked for more.
“After speaking to some other developers who didn’t seem to have the time for me, by contrast, the Peter James Homes team explained everything and made me feel comfortable right from the start.
“I felt they cared about me and my purchase, were accommodating on site visits bearing in mind it is a working site, and they arranged for me to view my home at every step of the journey.
“Now I’ve moved in and everyone is so friendly. The builders and trades people say good morning, ask if I’m okay and if I’m happy with the house. If I have an issue, they’ll come in straight away and fix it – although I haven’t had many issues.”
Hemlock Gate, off Coventry Lane in Bramcote will eventually become a 169-home A-rated development of two-to-five-bedroom homes including bungalows. Designed to fit into the surrounding landscape, it is just moments from local amenities, commuter routes and points of interest including the ancient geological feature Hemlock Stone at Bramcote Hills Park after which the development is named.
Born and raised in Nottingham having lived in Beeston and been schooled in Bramcote, Mark already knows the location and its qualities well. Despite moving away to Sheffield for university and now working in Loughborough as a retail store manager, he said he is always drawn back to Nottingham.
Hemlock Gate’s green surroundings, peaceful atmosphere, and proximity to green spaces were all factors in his decision to buy at the development in Bramcote.
“It’s quiet here and close to nature, which I love as I enjoy walking, there’s a real country village vibe, which I know sounds contradictory for an area so accessible to Nottingham and the surrounding road network and motorway.”
He added: “Hemlock Gate is not a cookie-cutter development either where every house looks the same. Different bricks and materials have been used throughout, giving it its own style.
MaryClaire Morgan, sales and customer care manager, said: “We are so pleased Mark has settled in and is enjoying his new home. We are so proud of Hemlock Gate, where we are building our most environmentally friendly homes to date in a location that is both stunning and accessible.”
Homes at Hemlock Gate, off Coventry Lane in Bramcote, Nottinghamshire, feature an air source heat pump, solar panels, underfloor heating, and have an EV charger point.
The development continues to welcome new residents, with show homes open Thursday to Monday, 10am to 5pm. Call 07783 771178 to find out more.