With a look of devotion in those treacle-brown eyes and that soft, fluffy, chocolate-coloured coat, who would not love five-year-old Mocha? The Havanese/Tibetan terrier is Ali Abualsaud’s best pal – and the little dog was his top priority when it came to buying his first home.
Ali, 37, an international businessman for financial services giant PwC, studied biochemicals and business at university and was living in Edinburgh, when he bought Mocha from a breeder during the Covid pandemic. Besotted with his new pet, Ali was settled in the Scottish capital, as was Mocha – but then Ali was offered a job in London.
Renting was the holding pattern while he searched for a London home to buy. ‘It had to be dog friendly,’ he says. ‘And it was a big consideration to have green space.
‘Canary Wharf was too expensive, flats there were small and the area was a concrete jungle. So I looked further out. I needed a fast commute and a spacious, light apartment to work from home.’
LIVING OUR BEST LIVES IN A RIVERSIDE VILLAGE
Ali, who comes from Abu Dhabi and likes being close to the sea, says he wanted a location with a sense of ‘openness’. While renting in the riverside town of Barking in east London, to test out the area, he found he liked the look of a local new-build apartment building in a development called Abbey Quay, by Weston Homes.
Ali struck up a friendship with the team in the Weston Homes sales office. ‘I studied the model of the development and the sales team were really helpful,’ he says.
‘I’m afraid of heights so I did not want to be too high. I went for the sixth floor of Edmund Rise, with a big, south-facing balcony and an uninterrupted view of the river and the city skyline.’
In a huge advantage of buying off-plan, Ali was able to bag one of the biggest Edmund Rise apartments. It’s a generous space and includes two bedrooms and two en suites, within a spectacular new neighbourhood beside the River Roding – satisfying Ali’s desire for waterside living.
Over six acres, Weston Homes is creating an exciting new ‘urban village’ in the shape of £350million Abbey Quay, with more than 1,000 new homes plus a Residents’ Hub – for work and socialising – and proposed restaurant, cafes, shops, a gym in the plan. And it’s all just a short walk from Barking train station with a 17-minute journey to Canary Wharf.
PUTTING HEART INTO THE HOME
Ali is interested in sustainability, so he was attracted to the Weston Homes passion for highly insulated buildings, ground source heat pumps and big windows to bring in maximum natural light.
A Weston Homes purchase price always includes integrated appliances plus fixtures and fittings in a range of colours and finishes. But though Ali is tidy and organised, he is the first to admit that interior decorating is not one of his strengths… which is where his mum comes in. She is a teacher in Abu Dhabi and loves interior design. ‘We have lots of video calls.
‘She was delighted that we have bought early and could choose everything for my home including colour schemes, floor coverings and the kitchen type – even down to the cupboard door handles. Then everything was installed before I moved in. I didn’t have to worry about any of this.
‘I have friends who have bought homes with no fixtures and fittings and had all the struggle of finding kitchens to fit, which are at least an extra £10,000 to £15,000. And they have no fitted cupboards or carpets.’
The generous Weston Homes inclusive package also features the very latest technology to help buyers keep energy bills to a minimum, such as temperature-controlled taps and regulated heating patterns. Ali got all this – plus a £20,000 discount.^
He and Mocha have been in their new home for just a matter of weeks and Mum is planning a visit, bringing some of her own artwork to help fill the generous wall space. ‘Mum will love this flat,’ says Ali. ‘She is in charge of blinds and curtains, too.’
IT’S JUST PAWFECT…
Most importantly Mocha has given the flat a big paws-up. ‘She thinks the guest room is her room,’ laughs Ali. ‘She has made loads of friends in the area. We walk in the park opposite and by the water. I want to take up rowing now.
‘It is a really friendly area. We have a WhatsApp group and everyone is looking after each other. You don’t feel lonely. It is a good feeling that this apartment is mine. It took me about a week to get used to that idea.’
Ali and Mocha have had their flat-warming party, ‘with loads of friends, beers and pizzas’. So what did the friends think of the place?
‘They said, Ali, you have it all,’ he smiles. Of course, he has a very lovable, furry friend to share it all with… and she’s declared that sitting on the sofas here is just fine.
