Bedfordshire is a location that has it all – convenient travel links, natural beauty and great amenities. Johnny Turner has a look at some of the best new homes in this comfy, well-connected county.
Far enough out of London to provide a peaceful existence, yet near enough to make it possible to earn your living in the capital, the lovely towns of Bedfordshire are much sought-after by home buyers. There is beautiful countryside and good shopping options abound. So when it comes to buying a home, it would be hard to beat this have-it-all Home County.
The attractions of Bedfordshire are countless. Whether your idea of fun involves nosing around Woburn Abbey, seeing rare wild animals, going around a gallery or taking a walk by the banks of the breathtaking River Ouse, you’ll find all of this and more very close by. See a play, visit the pub, go shopping – it’s up to you.
The biggest bonus of living in Bedfordshire, however, is the wealth of transport connections, both between the local towns and into London and beyond. The motorway network provides a number of routes to work, including the M1, A5 and A6. Trains along the Thameslink and WAGN routes are an excellent way of commuting; between them they serve both Luton and Gatwick airports, and both make the City of London easily accessible. Bus services are also well planned, providing frequent services on the East Beds Link, which connects various villages between Biggleswade and Sandy.
In Southcott Village, Linslade, P I and N Healy is converting a former watermill and other period barns into four luxury homes. Each property boasts individual character features which have been painstakingly restored using a blend of traditional skills and modern-day technology. Specification to each home is extremely high, including bespoke kitchens with granite work surfaces, solid oak floors and traditional oak hand-made plank doors.
The Old Watermill, dating from the 1700s, is a spacious five-bedroom property on three floors. The superb lounge has exposed wall and roof timbers and a large inglenook fireplace. The Great Oak Barn, from the same period, has all of its original oak timber frame structure on view. Accommodation includes six bedrooms over three floors, including a magnificent dining hallway which is open from the ground floor right up to the original roof timbers. The Old Stables provides versatile accommodation with four double bedrooms. It also contains a very large studio area of over 600 sq ft with its own private facilities; this area has permission for commercial use and would be ideal for running a business from home. Finally, the Old Coach House is purely ground floor accommodation. It still retains its traditional soft red brick arches in the hall, lounge and kitchen – and it has the benefit of a large studio area with private facilities. There is also a large rear garden.
From the idyllic country location you can get to the City of London quickly and easily. The station is a seven-minute walk and the journey into London Euston is only 35 minutes.
The properties at Southcott Barns are available for sale with a price guide of £380,000 to £745,000. For sales enquiries contact P I and N Healy on 01844 291554. Also find more details on the website piandnhealy.co.uk.
Twigden Homes currently offers several high-quality developments in Bedfordshire. At Fallowfield in Sandy, conveniently located on the A1, the developer is selling a four-bedroom detached Albert-style home, the last remaining of three homes for which planning permission has recently been granted. Sandy benefits from a rural location but is perfectly placed for easy access to London or Cambridge. To arrange to see plans of the home – or to receive more information on future availability – contact selling agent Taylors in Sandy on 01767 682811.
Also available from Twigden are the final remaining homes at Abrahams Court in Bedford. Bedford is very well located for commuting into London, with its Thameslink station and good motorway access. There is one two-bedroom house, priced at £155,000, and a choice of three-bedroom houses, priced from £210,000 to £215,000. For further information contact 01234 350860.
In Leighton Buzzard, Twigden Homes has recently purchased land with detailed planning permission for 48 one- and two-bedroom apartments in Lake Street. Construction will begin shortly on eight new, modern apartment designs, which are to be built to a high level of specification. The development will be set in landscaped grounds and each home will have an allocated parking space.
To register your interest in the forthcoming homes, phone the Twigden sales hotline on 01480 222849.
Another collection of homes in Leighton Buzzard is currently available from Bellway Homes. Clipstone Brook, launched in late 2003, consists of 51 one- and two-bedroom apartments, 50 per cent of which have already been reserved.
First-time buyers will be particularly interested in these homes – and in the incentives that Bellway offers on them. The developer is offering a ‘move in for £250’ scheme, which means purchasers would only have to pay a deposit of £250 to reserve their new home. The usual £6,950 deposit is deferred either for ten years or until the home is resold. Also Bellway will pay stamp duty of one per cent and legal fees up to £750. (These incentives apply only if the purchaser uses Bellway’s nominated solicitors and financial services.)
Clipstone Brook, scheduled for completion in spring 2005, will consist of two three-storey apartment buildings with a total of nine one-bedroom apartments and 42 two-bedroom apartments with 21 different apartment designs. One-bedroom apartments are currently priced from £115,000 and two-bedroom apartments start at £139,000. A parking space is included with each home.
If you would like to view plans of Clipstone Brook, a sales adviser is at the development daily from 10am to 5pm. Call 01525 376350 or visit bellway.co.uk.
At Redrow’s Park View development in Luton two-bedroom properties are selling out as fast as they are released for sale. The latest phase of 16 apartments has just been put on the market – and half of them were snapped up immediately.
Stephen Williams, sales manager for Redrow Homes (South Midlands), says, ‘The apartments are attracting a great deal of interest from investors and owner-occupiers alike and this latest phase is no different.’ Young professionals who commute to London have found Park View particularly attractive, as have those relocating from traditionally more expensive areas such as St Albans, Hemel Hempstead and Harpenden, he points out.
All of the apartments at Park View offer Redrow’s Sapphire specification, which includes a fitted kitchen with a choice of modern furniture and worktops, stainless steel oven, hob and chimney style extractor, as well as an elegant white Ideal Standard bathroom. The ground-floor apartments have private patios, while those on the first, second and third floors have balconies.
Situated off New Bedford Road, opposite a park and beside a designated county wildlife park, the development is ideally placed for commuters and nature-lovers alike. Park View is a short drive from Luton town centre and approximately 30 miles from London. Those who work in the City of London will find a journey from Luton Thameslink station to Moorgate of less than an hour.
Luton is a modern, cosmopolitan town that offers an attractive selection of benefits to the home buyer. Besides the superb transport links, Luton boasts a progressive university, excellent dining and entertainment options, good shopping and quick access to lovely countryside. Luton Airport makes it possible to jet off to sunny climes without a long slog either side of the holiday.
For more information visit the show home at Park View or call the marketing suite on 01582 400211. Visit redrow.co.uk.
Barratt Homes currently offers a good choice of new homes in the county of Bedfordshire. A fine example is Manor Gardens in Marston Moretaine, near Bedford. This development offers a wide range of home types, from three to seven bedrooms. Prices range from £170,750 to £442,250 and a new five-bedroom show home has just opened. The sales office is open daily from 11am to 6pm. Phone 01234 768238 for more details.
Adams Place in Bedford is selling quickly, so interested purchasers should act now. The development consists of two- and three-bedroom homes near the town centre and within walking distance of the train station, making this an ideal location for commuters. Call 07729 511610 for more information.
A further Barratt development is Kingswood Park in Leighton Buzzard, which features two- and three-bedroom homes with a price range of £150,000 to £240,000. These homes have been carefully selected from Barratt’s Premier Collection and combine traditional architecture with modern interiors. The location, next to Page Park and within easy reach of the town centre and station, makes Kingswood Park an obvious choice. Phone 01525 376730 for price information.
Looking ahead, Barratt will soon offer one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom homes at Ford End in Bedford. Call the central sales line on 01604 664545.