SOME people are prepared to relocate to find their dream home, but they don’t usually cross continents to do so. But one family have done just that to make Reading their home.
Annie Zhang, 41, her husband and their children travelled 6,000 miles from China to buy their first home.
A new role for her IT engineer husband, combined with the desire to explore and experience a new way of life, brought the couple to Green Park Village.
It was love at first sight.
Ms Zhang said: “We didn’t look anywhere other than Green Park Village. As soon as we arrived, we fell in love. There is a large Chinese community here, which made us feel at home straight away. The neighbourhood ticks every box on our list of reasons to move to the UK.”
The change of pace was welcomed.
“In Shanghai, we rented a three-bedroom apartment in a high-rise apartment block which could get crowded at times,” she said.
“We lived on the ground floor, but it could get very noisy as we lived near a basketball court which you could hear at night.
“We wanted to find a new home away from city life where we could raise our children and slot into a readymade community.”
There was another reason for choosing Green Park Village: he will have a nine-minute stroll to get to his offices, while the family welcome living five minutes from the new railway station, meaning they are six minutes away from Reading’s town centre.
“We don’t have a car so having regular bus and train services so close by makes it perfect for getting about to Reading town centre or further afield. And, having his workplace within walking distance is idyllic. Our son attends the on-site primary school Green Park Village Academy, which is also just a few minutes’ walk, and he plays football for the local club,” Ms Zhang said.
The Green Park development is being constructed by Berkeley Homes as part of its St Edwards brand.
