Wanting to get a foot on the property ladder Ritu Kiran, a graduate working in Management Consultancy, chose Reading thanks to its excellent transport links. But finding the perfect property was far from straightforward. The perfect solution came in the form of Millgate Homes’ Upcross Gardens, centred around the renovation and conversion of an imposing Edwardian building, as Ritu explains:

“There’s a lot of development going on in Reading and we visited a lot of properties, both new build and second hand, before we found what I was looking for. The problem with the new build apartments was that they tended to be a bit too close to the town centre and too high-rise for my liking - there wasn’t any individuality. On the other hand, while many of the second hand properties had charm, there was too much work involved to get them up to scratch - I want to be able to move straight in and enjoy my new home, not take on a project.”

“As soon as we saw Upcross Gardens, it felt right. There’s nothing else like it in Reading – it has plenty of character and I love the way the new build elements have been designed to reflect the original building. The finish of the apartment is also great, and I really liked the fact that I bought early enough to be able to select my own tiles for the kitchen and bathroom, so I’ve been able to put my own touch on the property.”