Whether you commute or work from home,
whether you prefer a quiet village or a bustling market town, Essex has got it covered.
Johnny Turner takes a tour of some of the county’s finest new homes.
Essex has all sorts of surprises up its sleeve. This commutable county
has long been a favourite of home buyers. But with the selection of
developments available at the moment, it is difficult to see how anyone can
fail to find the home of their dreams within its borders.
In Shrub End, Colchester, Chelsteen Homes
have recently launched Churchfields, a new development of quality apartments
situated on Shrub End Road, on the edge of the town centre. Traditional in
style, the 22 apartments are set over two red brick and cream rendered
buildings, with layouts in a range of styles to suit a wealth of lifestyle
requirements and budgets. Prices currently start from £119,995 for a
one-bedroom apartment and from £139,950 for a larger two-bedroom two-bathroom
design.
Modern interiors include kitchens in a
range of three contemporary styles with electric ovens, ceramic hobs and
integrated appliances. Bathrooms have white sanitaryware with chrome mixer
taps, as well as an Aqualisa mains-pressure thermostatic shower valve and
shower screen.
These quality apartments also incorporate a
range of communal features including landscaped gardens with mature trees, an
audio entryphone system, mains power smoke detectors, allocated parking and a
communal cycle store and refuse area.
The properties will suit the lifestyle
requirements of first-time buyers, commuters, professionals and mature
downsizers seeking a low-maintenance home which provides good value for money.
Indeed Chelsteen Homes is offering a special moving in package to all
purchasers, creating further savings.
For commuters, the A12 is close by and
there are easy-to-reach mainline links at Colchester North station, with
services into London Liverpool Street taking under an hour. For more
information about Churchfields contact selling agents
Abbotts on 01206 548211 or visit chelsteen.co.uk.
Near the historic market town of Braintree,
Redeham Homes is selling Jeffrey’s Court, a luxury development where only a few
two-bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom house remain for sale. As if the
attractive homes were not enough, there are currently some excellent incentives
on offer for the decisive buyer.
A new apartment can be yours to move into
with five per cent deposit paid, stamp duty paid, legal fees paid and survey
fee paid. And Redeham Homes will even give you £500 of Ikea vouchers when you
move in. The remaining house comes with fitted carpets, as well as stamp duty,
legal fees and survey fee paid. Pay just £99 to reserve a brand new home at
this exciting location.
Jeffrey’s Court is within walking distance
of the village’s own railway station and is therefore ideally located for the
commuter. It is also convenient for both the A120 and A12, giving access to the
motorway network. Local shops, schools and leisure facilities are close by and
Braintree is just two miles away.
Each home is equipped with a fully fitted
kitchen including oven, hob and hood, integrated fridge/freezer and washer/dryer.
To find out more and to make an appointment
to visit, please contact joint selling agents Connells on 01376 552222 or
Beresfords on 01376 348444.
Also by Redeham Homes, Scholars’ Mews is an
exciting new development in the village of Great Totham, an environment that
provides a perfect backdrop to their new apartments. These luxury homes provide
for both the rural activities of village life and all the convenience of modern
living. Each apartment enjoys contemporary innovative design and stylish modern
interiors, with every comfort you could wish for. This select development has
only 12 two-bedroom apartments and one duplex apartment on two floors. All have
luxury fitted kitchens with integrated appliances, stunning bathrooms/en suites
and ample parking.
Great Totham and its surrounding
countryside offers a wealth of activities to relax or stimulate you. Whether
you enjoy golf, fishing, equestrian pursuits, country walks or visiting the
coast, all are close to hand. When work intrudes, you will find the village is
ideally situated for national and international travel. The mainline station is
approximately three miles away and there is easy access to the A12 and the
motorway network. Stansted Airport is some 25 miles away.
A show home and marketing suite will be
opening shortly. For preliminary information and an invitation to the launch,
please contact Redeham Homes’ appointed Agent, Fenn Wright of Witham, on 01376
516464.
In Great Baddow, property consultants
Savills are now holding viewings at Craiston Mews, the latest development by
Matthew Homes. Craiston Mews is a courtyard of just five traditionally built
two-storey three- and four-bedroom homes situated in Craiston Way in this much
sought-after village.
This first glimpse of Plot 1, the Arundel
house type, which is nearing completion, will give an insight into the generous
accommodation available. This includes a 22’11 x 12’2 kitchen/family room plus
a utility room, a 19’11 x 13’6 living room, study, cloakroom, family bathroom
and four bedrooms with an en-suite shower to bedroom 1. And if that’s not
enough, the stunning countryside views must be seen to be appreciated.
Great Baddow is not new to Matthew Homes;
five years ago they constructed a similar development of detached houses in
Galleywood Road, and the success of this development gave Matthew Homes
confidence in the location, with its local shops and schools, in addition to
the further extensive facilities available in Chelmsford. The surrounding road
network adds to the convenience of Great Baddow, a village with good access.
Prices start at just £330,000. To get more
information and a full-colour brochure contact Savills on 01245 269311 or go
online to matthew-homes.com or savills.com.
Bermac Properties has an impressive
presence in Essex, offering collections of apartments that are both high-spec and
well priced, ideal for the owner-occupier and investment purchaser alike.
Following its recent successes at such developments as Creed’s Farm in Epping,
the developer announces its latest luxury development, Navigation Yard in Chelmsford.
Work is well underway at the new scheme,
which is situated adjacent to Kenmore House off of Navigation Road.
The central location offers purchasers easy access to Chelmsford’s
vibrant town centre and commuter links.
The development will be set over four
storeys with a mezzanine level, and the apartments will offer generous living
accommodation; one-bedroom apartments range from 472 to 528 sq ft, while the
larger two-bedroom specifications will have 679 to 821 sq ft. Each apartment
comes with an allocated parking space, included in the purchase price.
Prices are expected to start at £180,000.
Off-plan enquiries are currently being taken. Contact Richard Green on 01245
344444.
There are also a few properties remaining
at Bermac’s Urban Pulse development in convenient Wickford. This development is
equally good for commuters and investors, as trains into Liverpool Street take only 40 minutes. There are high-specification kitchens with
stainless steel integrated appliances, elegant white bathroom suites and
between 475 and 88 sq ft of space.
Prices start at £125,000 for one-bedroom
apartments and £150,000 for two-bedroom designs – a real bargain for such a
well-connected location.
For further details on the remaining
apartments at Urban Pulse contact the sales team at Bairstow Eves on 01268
761121 or call Simon Burtonshaw at Quirks Estate Agents on 01268 560650.
One of the most highly regarded locations
in the county of Essex is historic Colchester, where Gladstone Homes has opened a stunning new show apartment at
its Braiswick Chase development.
Beautifully situated in the highly
sought-after Braiswick district of Colchester, the development offers ten
unique properties created within two striking buildings. These apartments
combine high quality with added lifestyle benefits: situated on the north-west
outskirts of Colchester, Braiswick Chase gives residents spectacular views across
designated strategic open land and woodland adjoining Braiswick Golf Course.
Homes include two one-bedroom apartments
and eight two-bedroom layouts, as well as an exquisite duplex property set over
two floors with stunning views to the rear. Features include under-floor
heating, first-class fully fitted kitchens with integrated appliances and a choice
of ceramic tiles and fitted wardrobes to master bedrooms.
For commuters, Colchester North station is
a short distance from Braiswick Chase, and services to Liverpool Street station take approximately 45–50 minutes. The current release of
apartments is expected to start from £159,000 for a one-bedroom specification –
and Gladstone Homes is offering tailored incentives to purchasers. For further
details call Margaret Bottwood at the sales office on 01206 842402 or visit
gladstonehomes.co.uk.
St James Homes is selling Buckhurst Gate,
an exclusive new scheme of 48 one- and two-bedroom apartments in Buckhurst
Hill. These high-style, low-maintenance homes are ideally suited to the modern
executive.
Privacy and security are watchwords at
Buckhurst Gate, with the development boasting such high-specification features
as secure underground parking, video intercom entry and fire alarms. For the
typical professional, the ‘lock up and leave’ aspect is important; high-flyers
spend more time away on business these days and need to know they can rely on
the security of their home.
Buckhurst Gate is situated at a former
Thames Water site, where old administration buildings have been demolished to
make way for the two blocks of stylish apartments. Here residents will find the
best of modern urban living very near the countryside; the development enjoys
stunning views of the London skyline, while beautiful Epping Forest is very
nearby.
The city centre, with its convenient rail
station, is just a ten-minute walk, making London very
accessible for the commuter. The M11, M25 and the rest of the South East are
within easy reach by road, and Stansted Airport is
only a 30-minute drive away. Find out more about the stunning homes available
by calling 020 8504 4117 or visiting stjameshomes.co.uk.
At Bryant Homes’ new
development in the village of Orsett, three inspirational show homes are open. With homes varying from
one- to five-bedroom designs, these show homes are a handy way of representing
the breadth of options available to buyers.
Bryant Homes’ regional sales manager Sara
Stanhope says, ‘Show homes are always a big pull, but the Edlingham, Cranbourne
and Gosworth designs at Bryant at Orsett have not only attracted a great deal
of the local market – word has spread and we’ve had purchasers from futher
afield too.’
The extremely spacious five-bedroom
Edlingham takes the best features of a traditional family home and combines
them with modern luxury; the three-storey, three-bedroom Cranbourne is ideal
for couples looking for extra space to entertain or work from home; and the
four-bedroom Gosworth town house is perfect for growing families.
Nestled in the sleepy hamlet of Orsett, and
offering apartments, town houses and detached homes the development is sure to
have what most any buyer is looking for. Prices range from £154,950 to
£614,995. For more information visit the marketing suite, open daily, or
contact 01375 892278.
In popular Chadwell Heath, Romford, Laing
Homes is selling Quarles Park, a lifestyle-enhancing collection of new three- and four-bedroom
homes – and some attractive incentives.
The location is a wonderful combination of
gentle, peaceful surroundings and excellent connections to work and shopping.
Bluewater, Lakeside and London are all within easy reach.
Chadwell Heath itself offers a range of
shopping, sports, fitness and entertainment amenities, while London Liverpool
Street is accessible by train in as little as 20 minutes.
The design and specification are
up-to-the-minute, which will appeal to both younger and young-at-heart buyers.
There are spacious, contemporary kitchens and classic white and chrome
bathrooms complete with thermostatic shows and a choice of complementary tiles.
The modern spec includes provision of
wiring for home entertainment systems, allowing for the possibility of
satellite TV, DVD, video and audio throughout the home or isolated via smart
wall control panels.
Prices at Quarles Park currently
start at £277,500 for a three-bedroom town houses. Find out more by calling 020
8586 4091 or visiting lainghomes.co.uk. Visit the marketing suite and show home
on Grove Road, open daily 10am
to 5.30pm (to 2pm Mondays).
One thing Essex has got plenty of is
seaside, and this accounts for its popularity as a holiday destination as well
as a place to live. Those in the market for a home near the water will be
interested to know that Sand Island Developments Ltd is offering two new
high-specification semi-detached houses and a refurbished apartment in
Westcliff-on-Sea.
The apartment, located on London Road,
was part of a project comprising the extension and alteration of an existing
semi-detached property originally built circa 1900 into three self-contained
units; besides the flat there is an office and a retail shop unit which are
pre-let. The apartment has 506 sq ft of space and is on the market at £100,000.
The two new semi-detached houses are
located off London Road at Ronald Park Avenue, and feature open-plan lounge/kitchen area,
quality kitchens and bathrooms and integral garages. Competion on these homes
is due in September of this year. Prices for the houses are to be confirmed.
Interest is high, so early enquiries are
encouraged. Call Sand Island Developments on 01245 290003.
Crest Nicholson is selling Chantry Cross,
an exclusive scheme of 13 luxurious four-, five- and six-bedroom detached
homes. Located in the lovely village of Wickham Bishops and surrounded by acres of unspoiled woodland, these homes
represent the best the market can offer.
There are six different individually gated
house designs, specially chosen to harmonise with the traditional architecture
of the village. Nearby Witham station provides direct services into Liverpool Street and Ipswich, meaning that although these homes are tucked away they are by no
means cut off. Kitchen spec if extremely high and there is a choice of
beautiful ceramic wall tiles.
Five properties remain at Chantry Cross,
priced from £575,000. Call 0870 755 1628.
In Braintree,
Countryside Properties has just launched a show apartment at its Eclipse
development. The two-bedroom apartment with en suite bathroom is a fine example
of the high quality of homes available.
The apartments, which range in size from
684 to 1,126 sq ft, offer great opportunities for first-time buyers. Kitchens
and bathrooms are well designed and offer the best in specification.
Prices at Eclipse start at £145,000 for a
two-bedroom apartmetn and £177,500 for a two-bedroom house. Call 01376 552164.