The first residents have started moving into new houses on a Hucknall estate, but some say they are too old to use its high-tech features. More than 200 homes are being built at Abbey Fields Grange, which are part of a 358-house development off Nottingham Road.
Bellway, the developer, has teamed up with Google to install features such as a video doorbell, high-tech thermostat and a Google Home Hub. But Dave Smith, who was one of the first to move in just weeks ago, said he was a "bit old" to be using them.
The 67-year-old had set up his doorbell, but told Nottinghamshire Live: "I'm a bit old to start playing with those. I won't be happy if we have to start paying, I assumed it came with the home." However, Mr Smith said his home, which boasts four bathrooms and three bedrooms, was a "really nice" property.
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"It seems a nice estate," he said. "Our son lives around the corner so we knew the area was pretty good. But it is noisy, especially when the workers come through. To me it's just a doorbell but it does tell you when someone's outside. There's also an indoor camera and they give you a tablet.
"We moved from Strelley and it's so much quieter, we lived near a police station so we had trouble with cars at night. I wasn't too sure when I first moved in, I thought the kitchen was a bit small, but I'm growing to like it."
Abbey Fields Grange is the second phase of a wider scheme to deliver 358 homes on this site, following the 141 homes already delivered at neighbouring Abbey Fields. Work across both phases is expected to be complete by 2025.
Joanna Murphy, an expectant mum who moved from Arnold with her partner, also admitted she had not been using the special new features. "I haven't got round to it yet," said the 29-year-old radiographer.
"We like our house. It's much better than our old place, it seems nice round here."
Kenny Lattimore, Sales Manager for Bellway East Midlands, said: “We are pleased to be handing over the keys to the first residents at Abbey Fields Grange, having successfully showcased the hi-tech features found in all the private homes on site at sustainability trials held with Google in February.
“The Google products found in all private homes at Abbey Fields Grange will allow our customers greater control of energy usage in their properties, such as through the use of the Google Nest Thermostat, which features learning technology to automatically control heating throughout the day, even turning it off automatically when the homeowner leaves for work.
“It has been fantastic to welcome the first residents here and we look forward to seeing this site develop further into a high-quality addition to available housing in Hucknall over the coming months.”
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