Mick (30), Laila (29) and Luca (11 months) Lelieveld look expectantly through the fences of the construction site in Palenstein every week. That’s where their new house will be. “I can’t wait for it to be done,” Laila says.
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With a smart move and a bit of luck, they were one of the lucky few to qualify for a construction number. With three clocks on Laila’s desk, they were able to send their registration form digitally at exactly the right time.
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Mick and Laila live in a maisonette in Seghwaert, together with baby Luca. “We were looking for a bigger house because of the arrival of the little one, and because we both often work from home.” They saw the first phase of new-build homes in Palenstein go on sale. But they decided not to do it anyway and to stay in their current house. Until they saw construction phase 2 of project ‘Tuyn van Palensteyn’ pass by.
A family, so a bigger house
They saw the beautiful single-family homes of the construction project and got excited about the idea of having a brand new home. “It’s really yours, you can decorate it however you want and everything is new,” says Mick. “We started with just the two of us in our current house. Now that we have Luca, a bigger house is much more convenient.” The couple registered as interested and were invited to submit an online registration form. But that sounds simpler than it was.
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The registration form could be sent in from 09:00. Were you ten seconds earlier? Then your chance expired and you were excluded from participation. A minute later? Laila and Mick would probably be late by then. “I had set three clocks around me to send in the form exactly on time,” says Laila. “I had practiced beforehand by sending myself a sample email. At exactly 09:00 we pressed the enter button together.”
House with garden on the west
And it worked: Mick and Laila came in third on the list of entries. “Our first choice was a house with a west-facing garden and that’s what it turned out to be,” says Laila with a smile. In the summer of 2021, the couple bought their dream home.
Ten months ago, Laila and Mick had to pass on their final choice of bathroom tiles. “That’s a crazy thing to do. I had just given birth to Luca and at that moment I couldn’t concentrate on the house. We just chose something.” The bathroom will therefore be included in the construction, but the kitchen will be installed by the Bouwhof.
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Meeting new neighbors
Every week Mick and Laila walk or cycle with Luca to the construction site to see how the construction is progressing. But also to meet new neighbours: “During our visits we come across people who come to live in our street. But we also speak to existing residents who are happy that new houses are being built,” says Laila. In the second quarter of 2023, the couple hopes to get the key to their new hideaway.
Do you enjoy following the new build adventure of Laila, Mick and Luca? Laila has a Instagram page created where she shares photos of the construction site, their new home and all kinds of home inspiration. “I made it public,” Laila explains. “For everyone who likes it!”