Buying a home with an inspiring view is extremely important for both prospective onwards sales and for your own enjoyment of your home, says Anna Bowden.
There can be nothing more dispiriting than opening the curtains on a fine spring morning and looking out onto a building site, a brick wall or a mud flat, but the view from your home is something that prospective buyers very often forget to take into account when seeking a property. People tend to think of price first, location second and functionality of the interior space last and often don’t even consider the impact of the way the surrounding area looks. But picking the right external view can be vital, not only to your quality and enjoyment of life but also to your prospects of selling the property on.
In this feature we take a look at some quality new homes built by developers offering not just high specification at excellent prices, but also a standard of living made all the more attractive by the views they command.
Antler Homes is currently developing Taplow Quay near Maidenhead, Berkshire, where eight two- and three-bedroom apartments and a three-bedroom house are for sale. The development is expected to be complete in autumn this year. Properties at Taplow Quay will be high specification and are to include a range of decorative features including ornamental balconies and Romanesque columns. Some will also include large patios or terraces, boasting stunning views over the Thames – the ultimate in luxurious living.
Internally, the homes will be well appointed, comprising a contemporary kitchen and breakfast room with fully integrated appliances, two spacious reception rooms, two or three double bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of which is en suite.
Prices at Taplow Quay are anticipated to start from £400,000. For sales information call Antler Homes on 020 8391 6670.
St James Homes is now offering Grosvenor Waterside, a mixed-use Thameside scheme in Chelsea’s historic Grosvenor Dock which, when complete, will comprise a new city community of over 600 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, including stylish duplexes and single and two-storey penthouses. Located on the north side of the Thames in the heart of one of London’s most desirable addresses, the development will provide a range of lifestyle and security features, including plans for a health and leisure suite, business centre, juice bar, concierge, underground parking and CCTV. In addition, the construction of the development will also bring about regeneration of the local area, including the restoration of the lock gates behind which the development is hidden.
Robin Dixon, sales director of St James Homes, says, ‘Grosvenor Waterside brings the magic of waterside canal and dockside living, normally associated with Docklands and Paddington Basin, to a new quarter for Chelsea, creating one of the most fashionable and sought-after addresses in central London.’
The development will comprise a series of stylish glass-fronted apartment buildings, rising in height from four to 11 storeys and offering sleek façades, graceful curves and contemporary finishes. A spectacular tree-lined boulevard will allow access to the buildings, which each encompass expanses of architectural glazing, cantilevered balconies and duplex and penthouse roof gardens.
Currently available apartments feature hardwood laminate flooring, video entryphone system, underfloor heating and air cooling to the principal reception room and bedrooms. Kitchens are fully fitted with integrated Miele appliances and master bedrooms have built-in wardrobes and en suite bathrooms. For prices call St James Homes on 020 7828 6326.
River Oaks Homes has seen fantastic success so far at its Beauport Cove development in St Leonards, East Sussex, which is set for completion by this coming summer. ‘Word has got out that this is the place to live,’ says marketing manager Jennie Stiles. ‘In three weeks we have had record sales of eight luxury homes; there are only seven houses and two apartments left at Beauport Cove.’
The landscaped garden in front of the apartments gives the final touch to this elegant street, surrounded by beautiful, traditional style Sussex architecture and overlooking stunning countryside all the way to Beachy Head.
Homes at Beauport Cove have been designed to provide comfortable modern living for today’s purchaser and feature high specification open-plan living. The kitchen/living area boasts French patio doors opening onto a decked outdoor area as well as offering a fantastic feeling of space, light and flexibility. The development also includes secure parking, alarm systems, low maintenance, low heating costs and an ideal location, being a five-minute drive from the historic town of Battle and its train station as well as within striking distance of good shopping and entertainment facilities and the sea!
For prices at Beauport Cove call the marketing suite on 01424 855078, or visit website riveroakshomes.co.uk.
Just 17 homes now remain at KingsOak Thames Valley’s Blake’s Quay development in Reading, Berkshire, a collection of 64 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and duplexes located right in the heart of the town. Sales manager Silvana Nicholls comments: ‘We are delighted with the impact that Blake’s Quay has made upon the local property market. We already have a vast amount of experience in the local property market and we understand what buyers in this area really want. Blake’s Quay addresses all their demands – location, quality, riverside views and easy access to the heart of all the many facilities the town has to offer.’
Homes at this exceptional development have an aura of exclusivity, something very much in demand in central Reading. Not only has the area undergone huge regeneration, with the construction of many new leisure and entertainment facilities, but the development itself boasts fantastic views over the river Kennet from two sides of the building. And the specification, as expected, is magnificent – all apartments benefit from one main family bathroom plus further en suite facilities, and nearly every home offers a balcony or terrace, accessed through a door from the master bedroom and living room. Residents at Blake’s Quay will also benefit from a variety of communal areas, including a meeting room, a games room, residents’ lounge and a fully equipped fitness room.
Blake’s Quay is fantastically located close to the many amenities of Reading town centre, making it ideal for commuters with a journey time to London Paddington of approximately 30 minutes and its proximity to the M4 motorway.
Prices at Blake’s Quay currently start from £209,995 for a one-bedroom third floor apartment. For further details contact the sales office on 0118 959 1514 or visit website kingsoakhomes.com.
Eager purchasers have already snapped up several of the new apartments at Galliard Homes’ new development 548–550 Chiswick High Road. Surrounded by first class shops, cafés and restaurants, this superb scheme of 31 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments is set in a prime location right on Chiswick High Road and boasts such facilities as underground parking (at £25,000 extra per space), residents’ lift serving all floors, video-entryphone system and balconies or terraces to the majority of apartments, some of which overlook Chiswick Park.
Madeleine Flower at Galliard Homes commented: ‘This is an exclusive development in an area that is convenient for travelling into the heart of the capital. The apartments offer a high standard of living at realistic prices, perfect for home owners or the investor buyer.’
The apartments are leasehold (999 years) and start in price from £260,000, with completion estimated for spring 2005. For more information or to register interest call the sales office on 020 8956 2486.
Beechcroft is now offering Cobham Park, a prestigious, exclusive and luxurious collection of just 21 cottages and apartments in 12 acres of parkland in Cobham, Surrey, sensitively converted from a Grade II listed Victorian mansion and its outbuildings. The estate wall and its impressive gates provide residents with privacy and security, and the facilities within offer a host of modern conveniences, including seating areas, a clubhouse with gym and sauna and an all-weather tennis court and croquet lawn. Homes at Cobham Park also benefit from outstanding views of the lake, located within the grounds.
There are currently only a few homes remaining for sale at Cobham Park, including mews cottages and apartments in the west wing and the mansion itself, ranging in price from £450,000 for a two-bedroom lodge cottage with a terrace and garden to £640,000 for a cottage or apartment. For more information call 0870 240 3128 or visit cobhampark.com.
David Wilson Homes’ Parkwood Heights development has so far been a great success with buyers, and first residents are now moving into their new homes. The development, which is a collection of spacious family homes just minutes from the M25 at Netherne-on-the-Hill in Surrey, is set in a picturesque hilltop location reached by a lane bordered with mature woodland and is constructed on the site of a former hospital. Comprising 40 executive five-bedroom detached homes boasting stunning views over the North Downs, Parkwood Heights offers a unique opportunity to own a large family home while living within 20 miles of London.
Prices at the development start from £560,000. Call 01737 559995 for more information.