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The HOUSE HUNTER
What we found…
THE BEST OF BOTH
THE WILDCARD
Petersmiths Park Newark, Nottinghamshire
Chantrey Park Market Rasen, Lincolnshire
This month FTB goes on the hunt with Lou Smith and Mike O’Neill who are looking for a house with two or more bedrooms in Nottinghamshire
Well-connected Market Rasen is the home to this new collection of two and three bedroom houses perfect for a wide range of homebuyers. The pretty town – complete with quaint high street, good shops, schools and cosy pub – is just a mile down the road. Open countryside surrounds, while the stunning Lincolnshire coastline is just a 30-minute drive. The houses available through Shared Ownership have been created with modern life in mind: features include an electric car charging point, air-source heating and downstairs WC.
Set between Shef eld and Nottingham, close to Sherwood Forest, open countryside, charming rural towns and plenty of shops, these family homes give residents a blend of nature, convenience and community. It’s a location that lends itself to an active, lifestyle, with woodland walks and green spaces. The three bedroom homes available through Shared Ownership come in a choice of styles. The spacious Kildare features a separate living room and kitchen, downstairs WC and garage. Upstairs, there are three well-proportioned bedrooms, one with its own en suite.
PROFILE
Name Lou Smith, 32; Mike O’Neill, 33 Occupation Recruitment consultant; sales lead Maximum budget £280,000
Requirements A house with at least two bedrooms with good road access to both Nottingham and Shef eld. Good local amenities, a strong community feel and outdoors lifestyle are all top priorities
What they wanted…
We moved to Nottingham two years ago for work and absolutely love it here. With family in Nottingham, London and Newcastle, we initially loved it because it was fairly priced and worked well for commuting and seeing family. But we’ve fallen in love with the area for many reasons and really want to buy a home in Nottinghamshire. I oversee work in my company’s Nottingham of ce – and also have to visit Shef eld every few weeks, so I do a lot of driving, while Lou mostly works from home a lot, and has client meetings around the county. Finding a location that suits that commuting is our most important requirement. It’s just the two of us at the moment, but we’re hoping to start a family in the near future, so having two or more bedrooms is high up on our list of priorities, too. We both play sports, and are happy to join new clubs if we move away from our current area. It’s a great way to make new connections in an area, and something we would really love to do.”
platformhomeownership.com
homereach.org.uk
*Based on a 50% share of the full market value of £219,996
*Based on a 35% share of the full market value of £167,000
What they thought…
With the seaside so close by, living in Market Rasen would be a completely new way of life for us. We do love the idea of jumping in the car and having the choice of country, coast and areas such as Lincoln and Hull within easy reach. We like the houses – they’re nicely laid out, with plenty of extra storage – and we love the double doors opening to the garden. With our travel needs, this is further out than we’d hoped for. It takes around 80 minutes to get to both Nottingham and Shef eld, so might be a bit too far.”
Both Nottingham and Shef eld are a 40-minute drive, so this is a good location for me in terms of work. It’s also a beautiful area – with the amazing forest about a 15-minute drive and abbeys and interesting places to explore all around. We really do love getting out and about in nature, and that’s de nitely available near here! The houses themselves are really nicely designed – we love the idea of a garage – perhaps even using it as a gym or workshop. The opportunities here are endless.”
16 First Time Buyer February/March 2026
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