A young couple have been able to buy their dream home by taking advantage of keen prices and sales initiatives.

Rach and Dave Strzeleki had been living in Middlesbrough but decided to buy a home at Ducklington, near Witney.

However, with the difference in house prices between north and south, the couple were initially dubious about whether this move was a viable option.

Mrs Strzeleki said: “I am a lecturer in Worcester and Dave works in Watford so we were ideally looking to move to an area half way between the two locations.

“We had always liked Oxfordshire and have some relatives in the area, so were keen to explore our options in this county first.

“However, when we started househunting it was apparent the homes were slightly out of our budget.”

Mrs Strzeleki added: “In Middlesbrough we had a three-bedroomed, semi-detached home and were keen to move to a similar size property. Initially we were not particularly keen on new build homes as the ones we had seen were very ‘box like’ and lacked character.

“However the turning point came when one of our friends bought a new home and we visited them. The prospect of a new home started to appeal to us as theirs had some character and provided a nice blank canvas.”

She added; “We looked at many new build developments. Then we visited Fritillary Mews and liked the homes on offer.”

The couple chose one of the three-bedroomed terraced homes.

Mrs Strzeleki said: “We were immediately impressed by the quality of the finish. Banner had thought of everything even down to an automatic light and fitted cloak rail in the hall cupboard. All of these small touches make such a big difference.

“One of our favourite rooms is the kitchen which comes with integrated appliances and attractive tiles.”

“We have two cats and two dogs so the size of the garden and location of development was important.”

However, the couple were concerned they might not be able to secure the finance needed. Mrs Strzeleki said: “Due to the current housing market we were finding it difficult to sell our property. However, when we found out that Banner was willing to buy our house it was a big deal breaker for us. The opportunity to take a Money Match option was the icing on the cake.”

Money Match offers what is in effect an interest free loan for up to ten years. Under the scheme, buyers initially pay between 80 per cent and 95 per cent of the purchase price.

Only three, three-bedroomed homes remain for sale at Fritillary Mews. Prices start from £250,000. The show home is open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5pm For further information, call the sales office on 01993 709086 or selling agents Savills on 01865 269010.