Many of us are looking to make positive life changes. What some don’t realise is that the new homes market has many ways to make your dream a reality. Johnny Turner examines just a few ways people have improved their lot through property.
As summer fades, we tend to get serious again, looking for things to do post-holiday. Holidays give us the chance to reflect on where we’re going in life, and it’s during this type of introspection that we begin to see new goals emerging.
When these goals have to do with financial security, or the desire to see a leap in your money fortunes, a lot of people in Britain rightly see property as the way forward. But where to look when you’re trying to build wealth in this famously expensive, potentially risky sector?
Of course, money is not the only goal worth aiming for. Many of us want to make a start in a new environment or embrace a different rhythm of life. In this, finding the right property can also be crucial.
The new homes market has a lot to offer the buyer who wants to move on in life. From very lettings-friendly investment apartments to homes that offer space and luxury, you’re bound to find something that will help you on the way to a new way of living.
Get on the ladder
According to the Council of Mortgage Lenders the number of first-time buyers in 2006 dropped by eight per cent as soaring house prices and rising interest rates keep young people out of the market. With affordability at its lowest level in 16 years, new buyers are struggling to get on the ladder.
However this didn’t deter new purchaser Sarah Churchill in the quest to find her first home. Despite being a key worker and being offered government support, she wanted to own her first home. So she joined forces with her brother to buy a two-bedroom apartment at Crest Nicholson’s Market Quarter in Tonbridge.
Churchill, a teacher in Otford, says, ‘Being a teacher classifies me as a key worker and makes me eligible for government assistance. However, I wanted to own 100 per cent of my property and the schemes I looked into only offered part ownership. So my brother and I decided to buy somewhere together. I have noticed the difference in property prices in the last few years. I looked into buying property in 2001 and comparing the prices then to now shocked me. Although the prices were daunting it didn’t put me off. By buying with my brother I knew I would be more able to find the ideal first home.’
Originally from Sevenoaks, Churchill first searched there. ‘Nothing caught my eye. I also viewed a property in Tonbridge but it didn’t meet my expectations.’ Spotting Market Quarter she viewed the show house: ‘I instantly knew that it was what I wanted. We then reserved a two-bedroom apartment off-plan. The apartment was ideal as it has two similar-sized bedrooms so neither my brother or I had to fight over who were to have the bigger bedroom. The flat also offered two bathrooms so we wouldn’t need to share.’
Buying off-plan also let the siblings have a home that suited their tastes. ‘I was able, among other things, to choose the worktops in the kitchen and the tiling in the bathrooms,’ she says.
With a straightforward commute to the school where she works in Otford, and a young, lively atmosphere in the town centre where Market Square is located, Churchill is sold on the location.
Besides two-bedroom apartments, the development also offers two- and three-bedroom houses. Every home includes large open-plan dining and living areas with a fully fitted Commodore designed kitchen including a selection of integrated appliances. Master bedrooms benefit from en suite facilities and a second bathroom serves the remaining bedrooms. Some properties feature an additional study/office area and all homes offer parking.
Apartments start at £245,000 and houses are priced from £340,000.
Call 0870 750 4890 or see crestnicholson.com.
Follow your dream
After her divorce, Nina Stratford, a 51-year-old mother of two originally from Essex, decided to relocate from Devon to Chelmsford to start a new life – and to follow her dream of becoming an actress. And buying at Higgins Homes’ development The Hub was instrumental in this life change.
‘I really needed to find out what I wanted to do with my life and where I wanted to be,’ she says. ‘My children persuaded me to follow my heart and train to become a professional actress, so I needed to be near to London. I was born and bred in Essex, so it seemed a natural choice to come back here. I had viewed a couple of other properties but after viewing the show apartment at The Hub, I literally fell head over heels and I just had to have one.’
The type of home was also a change for Stratford. ‘I have never lived in an apartment before, so I was a little bit anxious about feeling hemmed in. However, due to the glass terrace that stretches across the front of the building, it feels extremely open and light.’
The location is absolutely fantastic; it is very easy to get into central London and the shops in Chelmsford are literally on my doorstep. Buying in Chelmsford also meant I could get much more for my money – 871 square feet to be exact, which is very spacious for a two-bedroom apartment. I really feel it is a great investment as well as a beautiful home and I cannot wait to move in and start my new life here.’
The Hub comprises 72 one and two-bedroom apartments and penthouses, a number of which overlook the River Chelmer. All apartments at the award-winning development incorporate spacious open-plan living areas with large windows, which provide a bright and stylish space for socialising. The tiled kitchens, designed by Urban Myth, incorporate Smeg appliances including a stainless steel electric oven, gas hob, integrated fridge/freezer, washer/dryer and dishwasher.
Only a short walk from Chelmsford Station, The Hub is an ideal location for commuters and those who wish to pop into the capital for shopping or a night out. There are regular direct trains which reach Liverpool Street station in about 40 minutes.
Prices start from £215,000 for a two-bedroom apartment and the penthouses are priced from £499,500. Contact Higgins Homes on 01245 493607 or visit higginshomes.co.uk.
Cut the commute
When David Kerr and Andy Pearce set out to buy their first home the commute had to be right. David needed to be close to Gatwick Airport, where he works as cabin crew, and Andy, who travels extensively as a regional retail manager, was looking for somewhere within easy reach of the M25.
At Barratt’s Woodfield Lodge, a small development of one- and two-bedroom apartments about a mile from Crawley town centre, they found the ideal location – and a great deal more!
Its location, near the town centre, around five miles from Gatwick airport and less than two miles from the M23, tipped the balance and David and Andy didn’t take much time to decide to buy the apartment. The icing on the cake was when they won a scooter in Barratt’s prize draw at the open day!
Kerr says, ‘Our parents are very impressed that we’ve managed to get on the property ladder in the south of England. It’s no mean feat!’
Their new home is a two-bedroom apartment with a large open-plan living/dining area that has plenty of room for entertaining and opens on to a balcony. The apartment has two bath/shower rooms, one of which adjoins the master bedroom. The smart kitchen is fitted with a stainless steel oven, gas hob and extractor hood and also has a free-standing washer/dryer. ‘We’re really excited about our new home. We particularly love the large open-plan living space and balcony, and having two bathrooms means we both have plenty of space,’ says Andy.
Only 15 two-bedroom apartments remain at Woodfield Lodge, with prices starting at £194,995 for a one-bedroom apartment and £231,995 for a two-bedroom. Special incentives are available for first-time buyers.
For further information, and to view the two show apartments, contact the marketing suite on 01293 532771 or see barratthomes.co.uk.
Find the perfect family space
Yes, moving house is stressful – but just consider how Debbie Studart felt. The 37-year-old and her family completed her move to a brand new home at Redrow's Kennet Heath development in Thatcham, Berkshire while continuing to work four part-time jobs: as a chef, cleaner, estate agent negotiator and checkout assistant at Tesco.
She says, ‘It's been real hard work making the move while working and we're still settling in. But myself, my husband Matthew and our two-year old-daughter Ruby-Mae are all really pleased with our new home.
‘As soon as we saw this house we knew it was exactly what we wanted, at a price that was within our range and in a great area. Plus Redrow allowed us to part-exchange our old home.’
The Studarts’ move, into a four-bedroom, three-storey Ribble home, went successfully – but Studart is not sure she would want to go through the strain again. ‘This is the third time we have moved now and I'm not sure if we will do it again. One thing's for sure though: if we do it won't be for a very long time. Luckily this home is the perfect place for us to stay put.’
She is very impressed by the layout of the home, she says. ‘Now that I have three floors I wouldn't swap back.’ And with four-bedrooms, the Studarts can have another child without worrying about space. ‘All in all I'm really happy that we've made this move, and I think Kennet Heath is going to be a perfect place for us to bring up our family.’
Kennet Heath consists of a variety of different properties to suit the requirements of many different home buyers. Currently available are two-bedroom Tunstall apartments priced from £194,950, and a variety of four-bedroom homes, ranging from a detached Ribble (similar to the Studarts' new home) from £294,950, up to a Walkham, priced from £334,950.
Thatcham, one of England's oldest towns, offers great transport routes to Newbury, Basingstoke and Reading, and with the M4 close-by, London and all points west are also very accessible.
Visit the development, located on Station Road and open daily 10am to 5.30pm, or call the sales consultant on 01635 863026. Go online to redrow.co.uk.
Go back to uni
When your kids flee the nest to enter higher education, you can feather your own nest by investing in their uni accommodation. The competition for accommodation in university towns is strong, says Lee Grandin, managing director of Landlord Mortgages.
‘With stiff competition for rented accommodation in university towns, investors are faced with a captive audience, meaning that this type of buy-to-let investment can prove highly profitable.
‘Rather than fork out to line the pockets of other canny landlords, buying for your child’s higher education has three-fold benefits; potentially making a handsome profit; security in the knowledge your child is living in good accommodation; and choice over your child’s flatmates.
In Bristol, one of the UK’s most popular buying destinations, there are a number of high-style apartment schemes that are proving both investor- and student-friendly.
Major regeneration plans currently changing the landscape of both the city centre and outer suburbs, promising to create a premier place to live, work and visit. This fact is not going unnoticed by many home buyers who are keen to invest in the city.
Linden Homes’ Vibe on Waterloo Road in Old Market, is a vibrant collection of 108 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments – and it is little wonder that it has already secured 43 off-plan reservations. Meanwhile, from the same developer, Zenith in St George is a trendy scheme of 67 one- and two-bedroom apartments, with 18 now reserved.
For further details on Vibe or Zenith call 0117 9458435 or visit lindenhomes.co.uk.