With land at a premium and the need for new homes rising, developers are creating excellent homes by reusing existing buildings. Anna Bowden looks at some of the current reinventions making waves in the property market
Regeneration is big news these days, particularly with regard to the shortage of available homes in the South East. The government has set targets, the prospect of the Olympics coming to London in 2012 has put it back in the news, and buyers are crying out for the provision of enough – and affordable enough – homes.
It is good news, then, that more and more developers are taking seriously the policy of converting previously commercial or industrial land or buildings to residential use. What this means for the buyer is that there is more choice at more affordable prices. There are some very exciting options available to home buyers these days, both in the capital and in the surrounding counties of the South East.
Standon Mill is a former historic flour mill that dates back to 1901 that is being converted by City & Country Group into 21 highly-contemporary one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. The development has been designed to provide ultra-modern living while at the same time sensitively retaining a variety of original features, including cast-iron columns, exposed brick walls and brickwork arches.
Five of the properties incorporate foldaway walls, increasing the flexibility of the living accommodation and enabling purchasers to adjust the way they use their space to their needs.
Chief executive Tim Sargeant comments, ‘For young professional buyers, a second or third bedroom is seldom used apart from when guests come to stay or as an occasionally-used study. An additional bedroom is a valuable asset though, particular when the property is put onto the market to sell at a later date.
‘We decided to design some of these apartments with folding walls as that offers buyers a way to incorporate these additional rooms into the main living and entertaining area, maximising the use of the space. The folding wall function of these homes means that the living space can be increased easily and swiftly by up to 118 sq ft.’
Prices at Standon Mill start from £275,000 for a two-bedroom apartment. Call 01279 817882 for details.
Appledore has already had two reservations at Oast Place, its new development of one original oast house conversion and four new mews cottages, in Wadhurst, East Sussex. Built in a sympathetic style, the development is situated just off Wadhurst High Street and boasts delightful semi-rural views.
The development is ideally located for communication links to nearby towns, with Wadhurst train station offering access to London within a one-hour journey time.
Prices for the remaining cottages at Oast Place are £375,000 and £395,000, with The Oast House available at £695,000. For further information or to arrange a viewing call Appledore on 01732 469888 or visit website appledoredevelopments.co.uk.
Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward (KFH) is now selling Grove Park in Chiswick, London, the conversion of a former RAF headquarters into ten stylish new apartments.
Just 400 yards from one of the prettiest stretches of the Thames and located in the residential heart of Chiswick, this magnificent Victorian building dates back to 1888, when the land belonged to the Duke of Devonshire. Since 1940, however, the building has been used for office space.
Anne-Marie Desborough, sales manager of KFH, says, ‘These apartments offer buyers an excellent opportunity to purchase a stylish modern home with historical features in one of London’s greenest and most sought-after areas. Demand for properties in this area has always outstripped supply, and we expect all of these stunning apartments to sell long before the development is completed in September.’
Accommodation comprises a selection of contemporary one- and two-bedroom apartments, ranging in size from 549 to over 1,100 sq ft and offering solid wood floors, stylish modern bathrooms and individually designed kitchens with granite work surfaces. In addition, some of the apartments also have their own private gardens or roof terraces as well as access to the communal gardens.
Located on Grove Park Road, the development offers access to a wide array of shops, restaurants, bars and pavement cafés, as well as the amenities of Hammersmith and Kensington High Street. The apartments are approximately 500 yards from Chiswick mainline station, from where frequent services run to Waterloo with a journey time of 25 minutes.
Currently remaining properties at Grove Park include one one-bedroom apartment – priced at £270,000 – and nine two-bedroom apartments and duplexes, priced from £330,000 to £445,000. For sales information contact the Chiswick branch of KFH on 020 8742 8686.
KFH is also currently offering a converted fire station in Kennington, south London, and a church conversion in Muswell Hill, north London.
The former is a collection of 23 apartments, converted from the fire station and ladder store. The original watch tower, where the fire staff used to watch out for smoke before the invention of telephones, has been incorporated into the communal roof terrace, providing 360-degree views over the capital. There is currently one two-bedroom apartment remaining within this complex. Located on the top of the ladder store, the accommodation includes a fully fitted kitchen and a vaulted reception room that leads onto a private decked roof terrace. There are two double bedrooms, one of which features exposed brick walls and beams. This property is priced at £400,000. Other apartments within the fire station are also available for sale, priced between £240,000 and £499,000. For sales enquiries call KFH at the Kennington office on 020 7582 7773 or email ske@kfh.co.uk.
In Muswell Hill KFH is selling a conversion of The Chantry, a Grade II listed church building currently being converted into 14 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments now available for sale. These spacious apartments range in size from 544 to over 1,200 sq ft and boast such original features as vaulted ceilings, stained glass windows, exposed brick walls and wooden beams.
One-bedroom apartments are priced from £250,000; two-bedroom apartments from £325,000; and three bedrooms are available at £395,000. To arrange a viewing or find out more call KFH at Muswell Hill on 020 8883 0123, or email smh@kfh.co.uk.
Dernhall Properties has now restored the former council tax offices in Crouch End, north London, into The Collection, a scheme of 15 impressive contemporary apartments with secure underground parking and striking, high-specification accommodation on sale through KFH. Originally built in the 1960s, the façade of this former commercial building has been redesigned using contemporary materials, such as slate and limestone, to create an architecturally impressive new building. Internally, each of the one- and two-bedroom apartments offers open-plan living and floor–to-ceiling glazing, maximising the use of natural light that floods into the homes.
Richard Forshaw, branch manager of KFH’s Crouch End office, comments, ‘Due to the recent regeneration initiatives, such as ‘Better Haringey’, the ‘New Deal for Communities’ initiatives and the increase in redevelopment, Crouch End has become a smart and vibrant pocket of north London. Its unique village atmosphere is now starting to rival the neighbouring areas such as Hampstead, and as a result a high number of young professionals and families have been attracted to this increasingly sought-after area.
‘The Collection is Crouch End’s most recent new development, and is situated less than 20 metres from The Broadway, which offers a fantastic choice of restaurants and bars. Unsurprisingly, we have already seen a superb level of demand for these carefully-designed apartments, and within just two hours of the launch 25 per cent had already been reserved.’
The apartments are spacious, ranging from 506 to 1,096 sq ft and offering two balconies with Iroko decking that leads from the open-plan kitchen/sitting rooms and master bedrooms. Some of the features include Italian designed fully fitted kitchens with granite work surfaces and integrated AEG appliances, Villeroy & Boch ceramic bathrooms and natural oak flooring. The homes have also been designed to incorporate digitally compatible telephone and satellite TV points. In addition, residents will benefit from a video entry phone system, secure private car parking and 24-hour CCTV.
Residents at The Collection will also benefit from local amenities, including Hampstead Heath and Alexandra Palace, which offer a number of attractive walks. It is also located just under one mile from Highgate tube station, which provides access to the Northern Line, and one and a half miles from Finsbury Park station and its tube and mainline services.
One-bedroom apartments are priced at £275,000, with two bedrooms available between £310,000 and £340,000. Call 020 8348 8181 or email sce@kfh.co.uk for details.
Wates Residential is now offering The Vestry for sale, a selection of six two-bedroom apartments within a magnificent church conversion in West Norwood, south-east London. The conversion boasts stunning original features, including stained glass windows, vaulted beamed ceilings and mezzanine levels, and these combine with modern features (including American oak wide-plank flooring, stylish fully fitted kitchens, contemporary bathrooms and colour video entry phone system) to make this development one of the most desirable of the moment.
And nearby transport links allow excellent access to the City and West End.
Prices at The Vestry start from £230,000. for details or to arrange a viewing call 020 8299 2655.