Michelle Moore moved into her four-bedroom house just two weeks ago and still has a few boxes to unpack, but she already feels settled in at her St Cuthberts home.

As one of the first residents to move on to the new luxury Wigton development, which will eventually include 74 properties, Michelle, 32, says her new home has given everything else she could wish for.

“As soon as I moved in it felt like a home not a house,” she said, adding: “The standard of workmanship, the finishing, the space and size of the rooms are all amazing.

“For a new-build the size of the rooms is fantastic and friends and family who have been to visit since I moved in can’t believe the quality.”

Moving into the Genesis Homes property has been made all the more pleasurable thanks to a service the company offers which allows new owners to really take control of how their properties will turn out once they are completed.

At its Penrith offices, Genesis has a Home Centre which showcases all the options for kitchens, bathrooms and even door handles and other fixtures so that buyers can get to grips with selecting the options they think will create their dream home.

For Michelle, who works for Santander, it was a godsend. “The service from Genesis is second to none and having the selection centre at Penrith is something that’s very different," she said.

"To go to that centre and see the kitchens fully fitted and functioning and have that the time to pick everything you want at your own leisure makes it a very personal service.”

Previously Michelle had lived in Denton Holme in Carlisle, but decided to move after curiosity got the better of her and she popped in to the St Cuthberts show home.

“I moved to Wigton for the house rather than a job or anything. I’ve looked at a lot of new-builds in the past and this is a cut above everything else.

“The location is lovely and literally 10 minutes from Carlisle and because we are on the edge of Wigton I’m overlooking a lot of green space and it’s all very quiet and calm.”

Genesis sales manager Lisa Telford is delighted with the feedback the company is getting from its first buyers and, as word spreads, is already dealing with inquiries about homes that are scheduled for the second phase of the St Cuthberts development.

Lisa said: “We already have people putting their names down for properties that are not yet in the build programme. There’s a lot of interest as we have a good mix of homes including two-bedroom bungalows.

“If people put their names down for a property, they know they’ll get 48 hours to turn it into a full reservation when we come to release that plot for sale.”

The St Cuthberts development was made possible through a £2m finance deal with the Cumberland.

The deal with the region’s largest building society gave Genesis the finance to help fund St Cuthberts and meet the demand locally for quality homes.

Kate Patrick, valuer manager at the Cumberland, said: “We’ve all heard a lot lately about the need to increase the supply of good homes and we’re pleased to have helped a local housebuilder with plans for a large number of houses.

“Our estate agency division has been marketing the site and everyone who has seen the St Cuthberts properties has been struck by the superb quality of the homes.

“Genesis are building houses of exceptional quality and high-specification interior finish and fitting. They’ve also thought carefully about the overall look of the development and there's a lot more space and greenery in the area than you’d expect to see on a new-build development.”

The last few remaining houses of phase 1 of St Cuthberts are still available, and early bird reservations are now being taken on phases 2 and 3.