Hotproperty’s Anna Bowden looks at developments ideal for those seeking quality and convenient accommodation at affordable prices.
With the housing market so buoyant at the moment first-time buyers are finding it hard to get onto the property ladder. However, there are plenty of new homes developers who can see the need for great quality yet affordable homes accessible to all potential buyers and who are building to meet the needs of this market segment. We take a look here at some fantastic new builds available at £275,000 or under.
Bellway is currently offering purchasers a ‘Move in for £250’ scheme on selected properties in Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire, making it easier than ever for first-time buyers to get onto the property ladder. Buyers who qualify for the scheme will pay £250 and Bellway will pay the five per cent deposit, one per cent stamp duty and legal fees of up to £750, taking away from the buyer the stressful need to save a deposit.
One participating Bellway development includes The Cloisters in new urban village Fairford Leys, part of the wider Glebe development. Comprising 24 high-specification two-bedroom apartments in a variety of eight different designs, The Cloisters is scheduled for completion in February 2004 so buyers can be in their dream home within weeks of reservation. Prices range from £133,000 for two bedrooms to £146,000 for a two-bedroom apartment with en suite bathroom.
Bellway is also offering the Move In scheme at Clipstone Brook in Leighton Buzzard, a development of 51 apartments in a location that boasts the charm of an historic town while also offering excellent commuter links. When completed in early summer 2004 the development will consist of two three-storey apartment buildings – Lestone Court and Leahton House – offering nine one-bedroom apartments and 42 two-bedroom apartments in a choice of 21 different designs. Prices for these lovely properties start from £115,000 for one bedroom and £136,000 for a two-bedroom apartment, with a parking space even included in the price. For details call The Cloisters on 01296 422214 or Clipstone Brook on 01525 376350.
Charles Church has now opened show homes at its Landen Grove and Orchard Brook developments in Wokingham and Twyford respectively, allowing purchasers the opportunity to see the quality of homes before buying one. The former is a collection of 24 two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom houses and just six two-bedroom apartments in a non-estate location. The latter, Orchard Brook, offers 15 two-, three- and five-bedroom homes with the added bonus of a dedicated open ‘green’ area for residents. All homes boast a higher-than-usual specification and start from a very affordable £209,950 (Landen Grove) and £259,950 (Orchard Brook). For further information call 0118 979 1725.
Charles Church is also appealing to those on a budget with The Faradays, its newly launched development of 13 two-bedroom, two-bathroom homes and three-storey town houses in Sandhurst, Berkshire. The specification of these homes will be extremely high, with all space fully utilised to offer every modern convenience expected by today’s discerning buyers. The kitchens will feature stainless steel integrated appliances and the lounge/dining rooms will benefit from French doors leading onto the rear garden.
Prices at The Faradays start from £187,500 for the two-bedroom homes, and £210,000 for the two-bedroom two-bathroom properties. To arrange a viewing call selling agent Romans on 01252 864000.
Countryside Maritime is now offering Ventura on St Mary’s Island at Chatham Maritime, a collection of highly contemporary two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom houses. Created in an unusual architectural style, the houses have been painted in a range of pastel shades, including yellow, purple, green and blue, and many also feature butterfly rooflines. Inside the homes are impressive, with some of the master bedrooms created in vaulted roof spaces. Houses have been designed with the environment in mind, offering residents good communication links to encourage them to leave their cars at home. There is a comprehensive network of footpaths and cycleways throughout the island and the nearest train station boasts regular direct services into London Victoria (a journey of approximately 45 minutes) and also to the Channel Tunnel International Station.
Amenities on St Mary’s Island will be impressive once the development is completed, with a new school, a doctor’s surgery and a village hall opening as well as a series of riverside walks and plenty of open public spaces. Approximately 20 per cent of St Mary’s Island is dedicated to open space, including a large belt of parkland with maturing woodland to be conserved for wildlife and leisure pursuits.
The homes at Ventura are extremely reasonable, with three-bedroom town houses priced at £249,000. For sales enquiries call Countryside Maritime’s sales centre on 0845 071 2070 or email stmarysisland@cpplc.com.
Nicholas King Homes is enjoying success at Strata, its Walton-on-Thames development, with over 50 per cent of its contemporary apartments sold in the first week of opening. Each of the 16 one- and two-bedroom apartments has been designed to offer individuals a home with a difference, boasting many finishing touches that in other developments would be expensive extras. All apartments boast laminate flooring and the purchaser’s choice of fitted carpets for the bedrooms, which also offer spacious fitted wardrobes and flush fitted oak doors with chrome door furniture. Kitchens are highly-specified and boast top-of-the-range kitchen appliances, including stainless steel oven, hob and chimney style hood plus microwave and integrated fridge/freezer and washer/dryer.
Strata is close to all the action of Walton-on-Thames town centre, near a new Sainsbury’s store, the Elmbridge Leisure Centre and a wide range of other shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. And the development is ideal for commuters, with nearby Walton train station running regular scheduled services into London Waterloo in a journey time of around 30 minutes. The M3 is also easily accessible, providing access to the M25 and other motorways, putting the excellent shopping centres of Kingston, Weybridge and Sunbury within striking distance.
There are currently seven apartments left for sale at Strata, starting in price from £175,000. To find out more or to arrange a viewing call the sales office, open daily between 10am and 5pm, on 07775 680648, or visit website nkhomes.com.
Antler Homes is now selling the last two remaining apartments at Rye House in Shirley, Surrey, a smart and elegant traditionally-designed collection of six two-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom penthouses. The building offers protected views over a golf course and playing fields and boasts a number of authentic period features including gabled dormer windows, stone cils and mullions and two timber pitched Tudor style gables to the front. Shirley is located close to Croydon, a thriving residential and commercial centre, so residents at Rye House can enjoy living in a rural community as well as benefiting from nearby urban conveniences.
Griff Marshalsay, managing director of Antler Homes, comments, ‘With the desirable advantage of tranquil views, these exclusive homes benefit from being situated only a short distance from Croydon, one of the UK’s thriving residential and commercial centres.
‘Croydon has recently embarked on two regeneration programmes worth a combined total of £700 million, which will include improved shopping facilities, entertainment, housing and offices. As a result there has recently been a growth in demand for quality housing in this increasingly popular area. We have already seen a high level of demand for the new homes at Rye House and we now have just two apartments available for sale.’
The homes at Rye House comprise fully fitted kitchen with integrated stainless steel appliances, spacious living room and two double bedrooms, both with en suite. Security is also a feature, with homes boasting video entry system.
The remaining homes at Rye House are priced from £269,950. To find out more call the sales office on 01959 547100 or visit website antlerhomes.co.uk.
KingsOak West London is offering a range of buyer incentives at its Kings Place development in Hillingdon, Middlesex, individually packaged to suit buyers’ requirements. Typical incentives include paying the five per cent deposit, stamp duty and/or legal fees, or including carpets and appliances within the purchase price.
Kings Place is located just four miles from Heathrow Airport and the M25 and two miles from the M4, making it perfect for commuters and those who travel overseas regularly. A new show apartment and marketing suite will open early this year with the second phase of release, enabling buyers to see more clearly the quality and specification of these two-bedroom apartments. Prices will start from around £195,000. For further information call 01895 270517.
Try Homes has responded to research showing that the kitchen is the deciding factor when it comes to buying a house by designing high-specification open-plan kitchens at Coombe Hall Park that provide generous living space. The majority of kitchens at the East Grinstead development offer a family area or open out onto an adjacent dining room, and all are equipped with integrated appliances.
Coombe Hall Park comprises seven new homes and eight apartments in a converted Tudor revival house. Prices range from £185,000 for the apartments. For further details call the sales information centre on 01342 302522 or visit tryhomes.co.uk.