There’s plenty to like in the current crop of new homes in Bedfordshire. Johnny Turner has a look around.
Bedfordshire is a fine mix of the bucolic and the busy, offering both abundant natural beauty and plenty of big towns and easy connections to London. When buyers weigh up the size of property they can get for the price as compared to in the capital, it’s no wonder so many are flocking slightly north. There are currently a number of fantastic properties of many sizes and varieties in this very welcoming county.
In Dunstable, Laing Homes’ Chiltern Park is a stylish collection of beautifully designed one- and two-bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom house set in one of the town’s most desirable residential areas. With excellent transport connections to the A5050 link road between Luton, Dunstable and the M1, these very affordable apartments represent the perfect purchase for first-time buyers and investors. Chiltern Park backs onto Blows Down, an area of outstanding natural beauty. The development is due for completion in 2006.
A second Laing development worth investigating the county of Bedfordshire is Eden Gardens in Leighton Buzzard. This is a stylish development of 24 two-bedroom apartments and 16 four-bedroom detached houses. The location is extremely convenient, being less than two miles from Leighton Buzzard town centre and boasting a wide variety of local shops and everyday facilities such as banks, newsagents and greengrocers.
There are superb transport links into London from Leighton Buzzard railway station. This link, along with the nearby M1, means commuting into the capital is a very viable option. There are also good schools nearby, a definite attraction for families looking into the four-bedroom houses.
Eden Gardens will be launching off-plan from next month. This is an ideal opportunity for prospective buyers to choose the pick of the plots. For details of either Eden Gardens or Chiltern Park visit lainghomes.co.uk or call 020 8207 6000.
A very special location in Bedfordshire, in Stotfold, near the Hertfordshire border, is Fairfield Park. Here a variety of developers are creating a community characterised by wonderful amenities, proximity to natural beauty and a fine range of high-quality homes. Within Fairfield Park, Fairclough Homes is developing a secluded section of the site, set among mature trees. The builder is seeing great success with the three-bedroom Alice house type. In fact, following the quick sell-out of the first phase of Alice homes a new phase of this design has just been released for sale, supported by a brand new interior-designed show home.
Priced from £229,950, the Alice is a sought-after terrace design with attractively planned accommodation. On the ground floor are a separate kitchen and living/dining room opening on to a ready-turfed rear garden. The first floor has bedroom two and three as well as the family bathroom. The top floor, meanwhile, makes good use of the pitched roof space; it is given over entirely to a master bedroom featuring fitted wardrobes and an en suite shower room. This house type has a traditional exterior and a contrasting up-to-the-minute interior style.
The home is fully carpeted throughout and has stylish fitting and finishes. Kitchens, for example, come complete with a stainless steel oven, hob and extractor hood and offer integrated appliances including fridge/freezer, washer/dryer and dishwasher.
In addition to the Alice three-bedroom home, Fairfield’s contribution to Fairfield Park includes a range of other homes, offering between two and five bedrooms. Thus, there is something for every buyer type, from young couples to growing families. Fairfield Park is located conveniently close to the A1(M). Letchworth and Hitchin are only a few miles away; from the railway stations in these two towns you can reach London King’s Cross in between 30 and 40 minutes.
Fairclough is offering some very attractive incentives on homes at Fairfield Park. To find out more about these, or about the homes themselves, call the marketing suite, open daily, on 0845 676 0171.
Twigden Homes has seen high visitor numbers at the two fully furnished three- and four-bedroom show houses at Roman Place in Biggleswade. This attractive development offers homes to suit a wide variety of tastes and budgets; purchasers can choose from one- and two-bedroom apartments and three- and four-bedroom houses, at prices ranging from £135,000 to £265,000. The first eight homes have already been reserved by people who have been impressed by the convenience of the location and the quality of the finish of these homes.
Ann Page, sales and marketing director of Twigden Homes, says, ‘Roman Place is an excellent location. It takes approximately ten minutes to walk to the town centre from here, and Biggleswade station, with its direct train service to King’s Cross, is also within walking distance. The A1, meanwhile, with its excellent road networks, is also within easy reach.’ Nearby school are also highly sought-after, points out Page. ‘Roman Place is near to both Edward Peake and Holme Mead Middle School and Stratton Upper School and Community College.’
All apartments at the development are fitted with an integrated washer/dryer, fridge/freezer and stainless steel electric oven and chimney hood plus gas hob. Each house, meanwhile, has en suite facilities and either a garage or allocated parking. The show homes at Roman Place are open daily from 10am to 5pm and visitors are welcome. Contact Gill Birks or Pauline Pickard on 01767 313080.
Barratt North London and the Guinness Trust are pleased to announce the build completion of 30 affordable homes at Kingswood Park in Leighton Buzzard six months ahead of schedule! The popular development in Billington Road also includes 170 private homes, ranging from two-bedroom apartments to three- and four-bedroom houses, all of which have been sold.
Simon Dow, group chief executive of the Guinness Trust, comments, ‘We have been delighted to work with Barratt to produce the affordable rented homes at Kingswood Park. This is an excellent example of working in partnership. For information on other Barratt North London developments call the sales department on 01923 297300 or visit barratthomes.co.uk.
KingsOak North London has confirmed that it has acquired an exciting new site in Dunstable, where it plans to create a new community of apartments and houses surrounding a centrally landscaped area of open space. The new scheme will be located in Southfield Road, just a few miles from its popular Liberty Villas scheme at Markyate, on the Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire border.
‘We are pleased to confirm that we will soon begin work on a new scheme of homes in Dunstable,’ says Philip Standen, land director of KingsOak North London. ‘This exciting new development will feature 148 units, many of which will be ideal for families. This was a former industrial area, so we are pleased to be revitalising a previously disused site and bringing much-needed private and affordable houses to the town.’ The new scheme will feature 148 one- and two-bedroom and three- and four-bedroom houses and town houses, bordered by mature trees. The scheme will cater to a variety of buyers families, single buyers, professional couples and investors included. To find out more or register your interest call 01923 810880. Visit kingsoakhomes.co.uk.
Meanwhile, another KingsOak development in Dunstable has won the award for best from garden in the New Homes Garden Awards for 2005. At Bramley Court, the area fronting the apartments and town houses at the entrance has been singled out as outstanding, with the leafy green outlook providing the perfect accompaniment to the attractive designs for the range of 103 homes.
Bramley Court is in a convenient location just outside Dunstable town centre, with the M1 within easy reach. One- and two-bedroom apartments are currently available, priced from £145,950 to £169,950. Find out more by calling 01582 608836.
George Wimpey South Midlands offers a range of high-quality new homes at its stunning Michaelmas Green development in the village of Clifton, near Shefford. Homes range from three to five bedrooms, and the scheme is set just a few minutes’ walk from the village centre, where residents will find a post office and general store, a butcher’s and primary and secondary schools. Nearby Shefford offer a wider choice of amenities.
Commuters will appreciate the easy access to the A1(M) as well as the nearby railway station, which offers regular direct services into London King’s Cross.
Three- and four-bedroom houses are currently available, priced from £197,995. For further information on Michaelmas Green call the sales centre, open Thursday to Monday, on 01462 817576. Also from George Wimpey, Pages Priory is conveniently located just over a mile from Leighton Buzzard town centre. The scheme offers a wide choice of two-, three- and four-bedroom properties, and commuters will love the proximity to the A5 and M1, as well as the convenient connections to the capital and the North via the local railway station. Homes currently available at Pages Priory include the three-bedroom Dorset house type, priced from £185,995, and the three-storey, four-bedroom Kent from £249,995. Call the sales centre, located off Johnson Drive and open daily, on 01525 850949. In Sandy, Westbury Homes offers St Ivel Park, located on Woodpecker Way. Here buyers will find a range of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes. Only six home remain for sale; current availability is priced from £196,995 to £199,995. Call 01767 699016 for more information.
At Bovis Homes’ Shambrook development in Fordsham Wood, a selection of quality two-bedroom homes has just been released for sale. The homes would be equally well suited to singles, couples or investors.
Properties include the two-bedroom detached Sheraton coach house, which offers stylish, spacious accommodation. The home includes a well-equipped kitchen incorporating an integrated oven and hob as well as a fridge freezer. A washer/dryer is housed within a separate utility area adjoining the garage. There is a sitting/dining room, and both bedrooms feature fitted wardrobes. The master bedroom has an en suite shower room and there is an additional bathroom.
The Sheraton house type is priced from £199,950. For more information on properties at Fordsham Wood contact Zena on 01234 782349 or visit the development, open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5pm. Visit bovishomes.co.uk.