Born and raised in Italy, Valeria and Simone have both lived in London for several years, renting in a number of areas across London.

Valeria explains, ‘We both fell in love with London after we moved here, so we knew we wanted to step onto the property ladder in the capital, and invest in a city so full of opportunity.”

After six years of renting, Valeria and Simone decided they were ready to invest in a home of their own.

Valeria comments, “We spent five years saving up for our deposit, making small sacrifices along the way like cycling to work and being more cautious with our spending, so that when the time came and we found the right development to buy in, we would be financially prepared.”

“We wanted to stay in East London as we have always loved living in this part of London, however we felt priced out of some areas in the capital. We were on the hunt for somewhere which offered us more for our money, and where we could see ourselves staying for the long term.”

Coming across Southmere, the first major milestone in Peabody’s major regeneration of Thamesmead, Valeria and Simone quickly knew they’d found the place for them.

“We visited the opening day of the marketing suite at Southmere in March and decided to put an offer in there and then. We were instantly drawn to the beautiful apartments and future plans of the development. With the Government’s stamp duty paid incentive at the time and Peabody’s discounts as early buyers, the decision was made even easier!”

Valeria and Simone bought a two-bedroom apartment at the south east London development, which will feature over 500 new homes alongside a public square and library with community facilities, shops and restaurants. Already a dynamic and exciting community, with a regular programme of co-designed activities and community initiatives in place, Southmere is set to become an even more buzzing cultural hub at Thamesmead.

“We were initially attracted to Southmere because of the affordability of such stunning homes, as well as its location next to the lake, so we wanted to jump at the opportunity to invest early on.”

Witnessing an exciting surge in the property market, a CBRE report reveals that property prices are set to grow by 25% by 2024 across the London Borough of Bexley, making it an exciting time to invest.*

The contemporary apartments overlook the iconic Southmere Lake, which is currently being revitalised with new fishing platforms and a Boating and Sailing Club. Once complete, the club will be working with the YMCA to run educational programmes, promoting health and well-being for residents, schools and youth groups.

Valeria comments, “The lake has to be my favourite aspect of the home, I love being able to wake up in the morning and walk out onto our balcony with the view of the water. I know this kind of view is so rare in London, and is normally reserved for very high-end developments, so it’s amazing to have in our first home.”

Homes at Southmere are designed with modern city living in mind; elegant kitchen/living areas with extensive storage and built in appliances extend onto spacious balconies (some of which are wraparound), while bathrooms have marble-effect ceramic tiling and contemporary oak-style panelling detail. Along with lakeside views to most homes, residents will also have access to a concierge service, residents’ lounge, meeting rooms and workspaces.

Simone adds, “It’s some of the small details that have really impressed me at Southmere – particularly the technology that comes as standard in the apartment, like the underfloor heating system and integrated appliances. Of course having a balcony is also a huge bonus, it was definitely one of the main selling points for us!”

Valeria works as a journalist and Simone for a merchant bank, so will begin to travel into the city a few days a week. Southmere is already well connected to the city, with the nearby Overground station making London Bridge accessible in only 22 minutes, Bond Street in 25 minutes and Waterloo in 35 minutes. Their commute will be made even easier with the arrival of Crossrail – set to arrive in 2022 – where journeys to Canary Wharf will take just 11 minutes from Abbey Wood station.

“We really appreciate how well-connected Southmere is, and feel we have the best of both worlds, with central London only a short journey away yet green spaces, lakes and canals right on our doorstep.”

The journey of getting on to the property ladder was equally smooth, with the Peabody sales team helping at every stage.

Simone comments, “Peabody are of course a big name in London, so we knew about them before we started searching for properties. Our sales experience was fantastic – they were helpful with any questions about the buying process ,and since moving in they have been responsive and helpful.”

“We purchased our two- bedroom home through the London Help to Buy scheme and found the process very straightforward. The Help to Buy equity loan was particularly helpful in our circumstances, as it really increased our total budget.”

Valeria and Simone are excited for the future of Southmere and the wider Thamesmead area, looking forward to being able to watch this new lakeside village evolve.

“It will be great to see the community continue to come to life as more people begin to move in. We’ve already become friendly with our neighbours, and we’re excited for the town to continue to grow!”