North London is connected, smart and stylish. And there are some fantastic homes to be had here. Johnny Turner has a look around.
The attributes of north London are too many to list. From culture to transport, green space to shopping, those who live in the northern end of the capital are spoilt for choice. And when it comes to buying a home, the wide choice and high quality are drawing more to this area than ever. Looking at the current selection of newly built homes it is easy to see why.
Banner Homes is offering attractive incentives at three north London developments, including Argent House in Hatch End, which comprises eight spacious two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments. Here the buyer will find an enticing deal which includes five per cent deposit paid as well as fitting the carpets, curtains and light fittings.
Argent House not only offers high specification but also simple transport links: the development is located only a stone’s throw from Hatch End mainline station, from where London Euston is only a 37-minute journey.
Prices start at £375,000. For more information contact the sales office, open Thursday to Monday, on 020 8421 4691 .
A second Banner development offering the five per cent deposit and fitted carpets and curtains is Marsh Point, at the heart of thriving Pinner. The development consists of 18 spacious two-bedroom apartments. Prices range from £390,000 to £460,000. Find out more by calling 020 8966 9129.
A further Banner development is Compass Place, located in Edgware. Perfect for those who are looking for a lock-up-and-leave property, Compass Place offers 18 spacious two-bedroom apartments, each with private basement parking, set in landscaped grounds in Glendale Avenue, near both Stanmore and Edgware tube stations.
The apartments range size-wise from 923 to 1,396 sq ft and feature open, spacious sitting rooms which can easily accommodate large pieces of furniture and show them off to their full effect.
The show home is offered with all its fixtures and fittings at a price of £435,000, while other homes start at £299,000. To find out more call the show homes, open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5pm, on 020 8958 0739.
At New River Village, St James Homes’ impressive development in Hornsey, buyers in search of contemporary design and cutting-edge specification will find plenty to like in the Emerson Building.
The 15-acre collection of homes will see the redevelopment of a former Thames Water site into 620 apartments. The Emerson Building is set over six storeys and provides secure underground parking, balcony space and a communal roof terrace. Each apartment benefits from full-height windows in the open-plan living and kitchen areas, with most properties boasting sliding doors to the balcony space. Full-height windows are also a feature of the bedrooms in the one- and two-bedroom apartments, with some enjoying sliding doors to the balconies from the master suites as well as the living space. Incorporated into all apartments are separate storage cupboards, while a large proportion of the properties also include integrated wardrobes, resulting in a spacious, clutter-free environment. Internally, the apartments offer open-plan kitchens, fitted with a choice of units, worktops and fully integrated stainless steel appliances, while all of the bathrooms incorporate contemporary white sanitary ware and floor tiles.
The Emerson Building provides a strikingly modern exterior that has been carefully designed to complement the surrounding urban landscape. Dedicated to making use of open, public space, St James Homes has also included extensive landscaping at the scheme, dramatically transforming large amounts of land into gardens and open spaces that can be enjoyed by residents and members of the public alike.
Apartments in the current phase of New River Village are priced from £168,000 for a studio apartment. Call 020 8347 4139 or visit newrivervillage.co.uk.
Next to the Highbury/Holloway border, an increasingly sought-after neck of the north London woods, where VizioN7 is wowing buyers. This joint venture between Taylor Woodrow and George Wimpey, in association with Arsenal FC, will see an amazing collection of horseshoe-shaped apartment blocks designed by renowned architect Piers Gough.
VizioN7 is nearly 50 per cent sold, as buyers have rightly seen the combination of high style and very convenient placement as an excellent property opportunity. The latest phase, called Buckler Court, is to be released on the weekend of 12 and 13 March – and this promises to be immediately popular.
The apartments and penthouses are ideally located on Eden Grove, just minutes from Holloway Road tube station. Guide prices for the one-bedroom apartments start at £225,000, while two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments will start at under £300,000 and rise to £495,000 for penthouses with huge terraces.
VizioN7 will appeal both to owner-occupiers and investors; the latter will be impressed at the proximity of nearby Metropolitan University, which boasts the highest intake of overseas students in the UK. The appeal will stretch to those who work in the City or West End as well; besides the speedy Piccadilly Line tubes from Holloway Road station, nearby Highbury & Islington station has a direct WAGN service to Old Street (seven minutes) as well as Victoria Line tubes (eight minutes to Oxford Circus).
Find out more about VizioN7 by calling the sales and marketing suite, open daily, on 020 7700 7555 or visiting vizion7.co.uk.
Also in the area is Crest Nicholson’s Urban 7 development, consisting of 47 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments set in and around an original Victorian school. These homes offer beautiful modern space for today’s lifestyle, and the proximity to fantastic supermarkets, shops and transport, not to mention a host of good pubs, bars and restaurants, means the busy young professional will be especially at home here.
Current availability includes one-bedroom apartments with en suite, priced from £249,950; a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments from £340,000; and one three-bedroom home with garden, priced at £385,000. Contact 0870 300 2721 for more information.
Fairview New Homes’ The Chase is an excellent example of the leafy, upmarket feel of the archetypal north London neighbourhood. This gated community in an affluent London suburb has 18 carefully designed four-bedroom, three-storey town houses, located a short walk from Southgate tube station.
Situated in attractively landscaped grounds, The Chase has a children’s play area as well as a landscaped seating area for outdoor relaxation. A fitness centre is adjacent to the development, ideal for after-work workouts.
The development is within easy access of local shops and facilities for outdoor activities such as football. Highly regarded schools are also nearby, making this an ideal family location.
Fairview is offering purchasers five per cent deposit paid or part-exchange at The Chase, taking much of the worry out of moving. Prices start from £231,000. For more information contact the sales and marketing suite on 020 8882 5821 or visit fairview.co.uk.
Fallow Gate in Finchley, London N12 has proved an outstanding success of Barratt Homes, with the result that only a small selection of the 82 one- and two-bedroom apartments remain available.
Approximately eight miles from central London, Fallow Gate is located within 200 yards of an extensive leisure park, including: cinema complex; Hollywood Bowl; a David Lloyd Centre with tennis school, gym and swimming pool; and several good eateries. The location is very convenient, with the A406 providing access to the M1, M40 and M11. Also, regular buses run from the High Road to East Finchley station, with its Northern Line services providing a journey time to London of less than 30 minutes.
The remaining two-bedroom apartments include fully fitted kitchens with integrated stainless steel ovens, hobs and cooker hoods, washer/dryers, dishwashers and fridge/freezers. Master bedrooms to some apartments have en suite bathrooms. All have electric central heating and double glazing. There is private parking and entryphone systems within this gated development.
Prices for the remaining two-bedroom apartments start at £250,000. For further information contact the sales office on 020 8371 6809. Visit barratthomes.co.uk.
In very sought-after Crouch End, Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward is selling The Collection, an assortment of 15 one- and two-bedroom apartments in an expertly restored former tax office.
The renovated modern building is located moments from the main Broadway in Crouch End, a vibrant area that enjoys an array of trendy cafés, bars and restaurants, as well as boutiques and antique shops. The open spaces of Alexandra Palace and Hampstead Heath are also close by.
The apartments range in size from 603 to 1,033 sq ft and benefit from balconies with Iroko decking, floor-to-ceiling glazing and natural oak flooring throughout the living areas. All kitchens have been finished to a high specification, to include granite work surfaces and integrated appliances. Stylish bathrooms have Villeroy & Boch fittings and ceramic tiling.
Each apartment has a video entry system, and there is lift access and CCTV as well as secure car parking to the rear of the development.
The apartments at The Collection are priced from £295,000. For sales information contact Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward’s Crouch End office on 020 8348 8181.