FATE often steps in, particularly when you’re househunting.

It happened to Wendy Brooks and Stuart Bruckland.

They were intending to move to Norfolk but ended up buying a house close to where they lived before.

Stuart explains: “For many years we had been living in a beautiful old cottage in a pretty village not far from Haddenham.

“The intention was to move to North Norfolk following my retirement from the Fire Service.

“We’d got this master plan: no children to worry about, me looking to find a new role and Wendy looking for a dream home amid the peace and serenity of Norfolk’s coastal towns.

“But jobs were not as flexible as we’d hoped and then I got offered a new position working in Oxford which as chance would have it took me past The Grove everyday on the way to work, the development being built by Dandara in Haddenham.”

Wendy takes up the story. “I’d never considered a new build,” she says, “but Stuart was so enthusiastic that I drove down, booked a viewing and fell in love with the house we’ve just moved into.

“The wow factor hit me the moment I stepped through the door.

“The Grove isn’t what you’d expect at a new development. I was impressed with the feeling of quality and attention to detail and little touches – a quick glance at a couple of other new developments confirmed this was the perfect choice for us, especially this house.”

Stuart chips in: “It’s the little things that you notice after living in the house for a few months, the beautiful wood burner in the sitting room, the way the trims around the tiles in the bathrooms have been painstakingly fitted and features like our huge garden with views of the distant Chilterns and the rustic Wychert style wall at the side and back of our house.”

Wendy is a former parish councillor. Having chaired the council where they previously lived, she was interested in the local amenities in Haddenham and “pleasantly surprised that 50 per cent of the land at The Grove has been set aside as open space.”

She says: “I was particularly excited about the possibility of building a real community at The Grove and playing a positive role within Haddenham’s very active social scene, especially as a cricket ground has been designated within the new development as well as there being acres of green space of landscaping for everyone to enjoy. But the real opportunity is for a blend of lifestyles and generations to bring the new community to life.”

The new residents’ enthusiasm for their new house must be a gift for the developer.Dandara couldn’t hope to find two better ambassadors.

Stuart and Wendy love the way their light and airy ground floor rooms flow from one to another.

They appreciate the space under the stairs which they’ve turned into “a wine cave” and the joy of having three bathrooms.

No need to ask Bentley, Wendy and Stuart’s black Labrador what he likes most about the new house.

It’s having lots of country walks on the doorstep and the likelihood of stopping at the local pub on the way home for a bowl of water.

The four show homes at The Grove are open everyday from 9-5.

Help to Buy is available on some plots.

It’s also worth asking about the developer’s assisted move scheme.

Prices start at £425,000.