A home that is affordable, good quality and within easy striking distance of the workplace isn’t always easy to find. But developers are starting to rectify this problem with the current crop of new homes, says Anna Bowden.
Homes with good commuter links have rocketed in demand over the last few years and new homes developers are really feeding this market now by building homes with excellent specification in well-connected areas. Here are some of the latest desirable offerings.
Michael Shanly Homes long ago recognised the importance of combining the right location with good transport, shopping and leisure facilities, and its Six and Ludlow Court developments, in Epping and Barnet respectively, epitomise that philosophy.
Six is ideally placed for commuters: it is located within 600 metres of Epping mainline station, which offers easy access to the Central Line, and is within a short drive of junction 7 of the M11. Epping town centre is also close by, with its excellent shops, restaurants and pubs.
Many of the remaining two-bedroom apartments are for sale with laminate flooring/carpets, curtains and light fittings, and all kitchens feature oven, hob, hood, fridge/freezer and washer/dryer. Michael Shanly Homes is also offering an excellent five per cent deposit paid deal, with stamp duty paid as well on selected apartments.
Ludlow Court offers easy access to Oakleigh Park station and getting around could not be easier: there are good bus services close by and road access is excellent, with the A1M and M25 a short drive away. The development has gated parking and the apartments are built to a high specification; and a stamp duty paid deal is on offer, along with carpets provided in selected apartments.
For further information regarding Six or Ludlow Court call 01992 572304 or 020 8440 7621 respectively.
Looking into the near future, Telford Homes is planning yet more sites in east London in excellent locations for commuting to Canary Wharf and the City. It is soon to begin construction on Island Gardens, a collection of smart apartments at the southern end of the Isle of Dogs. This location is brilliant, being just minutes from both the workaday world of Canary Wharf and the diverse and high-quality leisure and culture of Greenwich.
The location, just by the entrance to the famed Greenwich Foot Tunnel, means your trips to well-regarded Greenwich Market and the area’s many cool restaurants and bars can be undertaken either on foot or by the speedy, convenient DLR.
Another up-and-coming development is called Limehouse, which makes sense as it is located only a few minutes from Limehouse mainline rail and DLR stations. This location, on Commercial Road E14, is ideal for commuting into work, whether your desk is located in the City, Canary Wharf, West End or beyond – and whether you get in by car or public transport.
Keep up with progress on these developments, and find out when the first apartments will be offered for sale, by calling 0870 872 0987. Or you can check in online by visiting telfordhomes.plc.uk
Antler Homes is now selling Napier Bank in Weybridge, Surrey, an exclusive development of six three- and four-bedroom semi-detached houses situated less than a quarter of a mile from Weybridge train station, from where trains into London Waterloo take less than 30 minutes.
Karen Lee-Brindle, sales and marketing director of Antler Homes Southern, says, ‘Homes that offer easy access to transport links have always been popular with buyers and the introduction of London’s congestion charge has resulted in an increase in the number of commuters who are choosing to leave their car at home and use public transport instead. As a consequence, the accessibility to reliable and regular communication links remains a top priority for purchasers.
‘The close proximity of the homes at Napier Bank to Weybridge train station means that residents will benefit from a quick and easy journey into central London without any “hidden” travelling times of getting to and from the station, both of which can add a significant amount of time to the daily commute.’
Homes at Napier Bank benefit from a number of hi-technology features, including cabling for broadband, computer networking, a plasma TV screen and surround-sound. Prices start from £680,000. Call 01932 829927 to find out more.
CALA Homes (South) last month opened a show home at its award-winning CALA DOMUS development, a collection of 74 homes just outside Harlow in Essex comprising an imaginative mix of apartments, maisonettes and linked and detached houses, as well as duplex and triplex flats in the magnificent Copper Tower. All properties are high-specification and feature contemporary glass façades, colourful rain screen panels, brick-clad frontages and bright interiors, and many also boast stunning views over the surrounding countryside.
The new show home at CALA DOMUS makes creative use of space, light and bright, elegant colours to make it a must-see for home hunters, and led to the sale of a similar four-storey house on launch day. ‘Over 30 couples visited the unique show home on the launch day and all fell in love with what’s on offer in terms of its design, style and spacious, light rooms,’ says sales and marketing director Philip Brown. ‘The décor of the show home has proved very appealing to families who appreciate good architecture and contemporary interior design.’
Prices at the development range from £230,000 to £465,000. Call 01279 416660 or visit caladomus.co.uk to find out more.
Countryside Properties has now created Garrick House in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, a stunning new property set behind a gated entrance in just under an acre of mature gardens. Garrick House has been designed in the Arts and Crafts style, with a solid oak door in a distinctive arched porch and mullioned windows that draw the eye up to the roof line.
The Arts and Crafts theme is continued inside the house, using high quality materials, fixtures, fittings and appliances. The interior is dominated by a full-height galleried entrance hall and is enhanced by such details as an oak window seat and shelving to the first floor reading area, which overlooks the front drive.
Helen Moore, sales and marketing director of Countryside Properties, comments, ‘Garrick House offers purchasers the opportunity to acquire a truly unique house in one of the most prestigious residential streets in Beaconsfield. It is rare to find a brand new house that rivals the grandeur of many of the older properties in the area, and Garrick House has the added advantage of offering its owners the luxuries of a new property without the need to spend the vast amounts of time and money bringing an old house up to the same standards.’
Garrick House is priced at £3 million. For further info call 01494 681122 or visit garrickhouse.co.uk.
KingsOak is offering King’s Chase in Bracknell, Berkshire, a collection of one- and two-bedroom apartments and two-, three- and four-bedroom houses, all designed to offer potential buyers a spacious, well-designed and high-specification home.
Each home at the development maximises space, and many include en suite to the master bedroom. Energy-efficient heating ensures each home stays warm and cosy throughout the winter months, while a feature fire and surround adds a focal point to the living room. High-quality fully fitted kitchens come as standard.
King’s Chase enjoys a superb location within easy reach of Bracknell town centre. Bracknell mainline station offers easy commuting prospects to London and the nearby M3 and M4 motorways make travelling within the South East an uncomplicated proposition.
Last homes remaining at King’s Chase include two- and three-bedroom terraced town houses, semi- and detached homes and a selection of one- and two-bedroom apartments. Prices start from £159,995. For further details call the sales office, open daily between 10am and 5pm, on 01344 459340, or visit kingsoakhomes.com.
Crest Nicholson Eastern’s Academy Fields development in Gidea Park, Essex, is an ideal commuter location for those who work near London Liverpool Street station or off the A12, A127 or M25. Mainline trains from Romford and Gidea Park stations take as little as half an hour to reach Liverpool Street and there are also underground services available from nearby Hornchurch and Elm Park stations.
Academy Fields, built on the same site as a listed Arts & Crafts style former school, is a scheme of two-bedroom apartments and two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes. All new builds reflect the original Arts and Crafts school building, which is now located at the entrance to the development, giving it a period feel but with modern amenities.
Apartments at Academy Fields feature open-plan kitchens, two spacious double bedrooms, a generous bathroom and in-built storage – perfect for a clutter-free, contemporary lifestyle – and some of them boast French doors opening onto Juliet balconies.
Kitchens are fitted with oven, hob and hood and bathrooms have the latest sleek white Roca sanitary ware with chrome Hans Grohe accessories, carefully chosen to complement the light and airy interior design of each apartment.
Academy Fields is less than a quarter of a mile from Romford town centre, where residents can find a full complement of high street shops at the Liberty shopping centre as well as numerous restaurants and bars, ten-pin bowling and a 16-screen multiplex cinema at The Brewery leisure complex. There are also two parks close by and Fitness First and Esporta fitness centres.
For price information call the marketing suite, open daily from 10am to 5pm, on 01708 476603.