The Essex property marketplace has a lot to offer today’s buyer. Johnny Turner checks out what’s available.
Wherever you go in Essex you’ll find people who would live nowhere else. Between the rolling countryside, convenient and varied shopping opportunities, fantastic transport into London and more locally, as well as the wide choice of environments and homes, this county has captured the hearts of those in the South of England.
Those who are looking for property in this county will see an amazing array of styles, sizes and locations to choose from. Starting in Bishops Stortford, Furlong Homes has just unveiled a stunning show apartment at its Central Walk development. Central Walk is bringing 208 new apartments to the traditional market town, occupying a prime location off Anchor Street, overlooking the River Stort.
Interest at the development has been such that over half of the apartments at Heron Court have already been sold. Following on from this initial success, the first homes have now been released in Mallard Court, a distinctive building featuring 35 one- and two-bedroom apartments, many with balconies over the rolling river.
These bright and airy apartments offer a stylish and spacious living arrangement with an open-plan lounge and kitchen and en-suite facilities as standard. Each home has been carefully crafted to a high level of specification which includes built-in wardrobes in the master bedrooms and integrated appliances in the kitchens. prices start at £169,950. The marketing suite at Central Walk is open daily from 10.30am to 5.30pm. Contact 01279 758702 or visit higginshomes.co.uk.
Telford Homes is selling Aquarius Riverside, a wonderfully located collection of apartments just moments from the amenities of Chelmsford town centre, with its wide selection of shopping and entertainment options and exceptional travel links. Aquarius is only 20 miles from the M25, 30 minutes from Stansted Airport and just 30 minutes scheduled train journey from London Liverpool Street. Services to London run regularly with up to seven trains per hour.
Prices for the remaining two-bedroom rooftop apartments, one of which is a fully furnished show home, start at £275,000 including parking. For further information and an appointment to view contact Telford Homes on 0870 872 0987 or visit telfordhomes.plc.uk.
East Village in Dagenham consists of 179 one- and two-bedroom apartments on Reede Road. The location is extremely convenient, with both Dagenham Heathway and Dagenham East District Line stations nearby, making for a simple commute. Another distinct advantage is price: one-bedroom apartments currently start at an amazing £132,500!
There is a choice of intelligently designed living spaces using a ?exible, open-plan approach. These homes are funky and adaptable and exude a youthful air. Indeed, as a buy-to-let proposition it is hard to imagine a more perfect buy – stylish, well-located properties in a great area, involving minimum capital outlay and low maintenance.
Kitchens are designed by Urban Myth and feature integrated stainless steel appliances. Bathrooms feature simple white Ideal Standard sanitaryware and chrome fittings. There is an audio entryphone system as well as provision for satellite TV. For further information call 020 8517 7887 or visit higginshomes.co.uk.
Essex has something to offer every lifestyle and age ground – and those for whom retirement is approaching will be interested in looking at the new age-exclusive development Little Orchards in Chelmsford. The homes, which are now completed, have been constructed to the highest standard and provide space for all those belongings needed for this new lifestyle. Situated on Broomfield Road in the grounds of an elegant old town house, Little Orchards consists of 12 individual homes built especially for the over 55s, with the emphasis on security and convenience.
The development, by Brookglade Court Homes, has an on-site manager who is on duty during weekday mornings to ensure that everything is just so; apart from looking after normal external decorations and repairs, insurance and maintenance matters, she will be on hand to help in many other ways – from booking flights and taxis to ordering and taking in supermarket deliveries to keeping an eye out when a resident is away.
The town centre is only a mile and a half away and there is a frequent and convenient bus service. Most of the houses are on two floors with large living rooms and dining rooms, with fitted kitchens having built in appliances including a ceramic hob, oven, dishwasher and fridge/freezer. Each property has the benefit of an allocated pergola covered car parking space and in the communal gardens there is a pavilion and a cycle store. Each home is spacious enough for all the belongings you need in this exciting but relaxed new lifestyle.
To make moving to a new home at Little Orchards even easier, Brookglade Court Homes, in conjunction with marketing agents Savills, have put together an Assisted Move Package. Not only will Savills co-ordinate the appraisal of your existing property, but will appoint an agent, provide advice on offers, liaise with the solicitors and manage the whole process on your behalf – and Brookglade Court Homes Ltd will meet the costs at the end of the day.
Over half of the homes at Little Orchards have already been reserved. For further information on the development or the Assisted Move Package contact Savills on 01245 269311.
CALA Homes has received yet another award for its prestigious development, CALA DOMUS, part of the Newhall Project in Harlow. CALA DOMUS was one of only eight new housing developments across England to be awarded the Building for Life Standard last month. Backed by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), the government and the housing industry, this award is the national standard for design quality in new housing.
The development has attracted acclaim from a number of sources, including this very magazine, which awarded DOMUS the Family Home award in 2003.
CALA DOMUS consists 74 homes in an imaginative mix of apartments, maisonettes, live/work houses, linked and detached houses and duplex and triplex apartments situated in the magnificent Copper Sun Mill. Each property has been designed to offer something architecturally different and quite unique. The extensive use of glass opens up the already spacious interiors, allowing warm summer sun or crisp winter light to stream in if desired, connecting the interior and exterior environment and resulting in a highly energy-efficient home that makes the most from passive solar gain. Prices at CALA DOMUS start at £220,000. For further information call 01279 416660 or visit the show home, open daily from 11am to 5pm.
Bellway is currently offering a pair of high-quality residential developments in the Thames Gateway area. Town Wharf scheme in Grays is perfect for those who enjoy the outdoors. With a riverside walkway and cycle path running from the scheme, residents will have immediate access to the Thames for outdoor pursuits – or just to sit and enjoy the great views.
Located at Argent Street, Town Wharf is a development of 261 apartments set across five apartment buildings. One-bedroom studio apartments are priced from £129,995 and two-bedroom apartments start at £163,000. And first-time buyers will be interested to know that Bellway is offering an attractive paid-deposit incentive.
Water-facing apartments will provide stunning views along the Thames. The majority of apartments will have balconies (and selected ground floor apartments their own gardens), providing residents with plenty of outdoor space. Communal landscaped gardens will be included for everyone to enjoy.
Town Wharf is a few minutes walk from the shopping area of Grays and the mainline railway station, from where regular trains run to London’s Fenchurch Street with a journey time of only 40 minutes. There are road links to the M25, A13 and the Dartford Crossing. Two furnished show apartments are open and first residents moved in during the spring of 2005. Call 01375 372715 to find out more.
Meanwhile, houses and apartments are also available at Bellway’s Church Hollow scheme of 365 new homes on London Road in Purfleet. Two fully furnished show houses are open daily to enable purchasers to experience the appeal of homes at the new development – which, incidentally, is located only a five-minute walk from the banks of the River Thames.
Church Hollow has been designed to appeal to purchasers across the house-buying spectrum, from first-time buyers to those who are downsizing after their children have left home. A landscaped green with play area will be included in the centre of the scheme.
Houses are priced from £199,000 for three bedrooms and £270,000 for four bedrooms. Two-bedroom apartments start at £135,000. Call the sales office, open daily, on 01708 680450.
Laing Homes is offering the last four-bedroom town house at Quarles Park in Chadwell Heath. The development holds the perfect opportunity for first-time buyers who want to get on to the property ladder. With stunning deals and buyer incentives, Laing is making it easier than ever for young buyers’ property dreams to come true.
Quarles Park, with its ideal located near Romford town centre, is well situated for Chadwell Heath’s local amenities. Romford’s Liberty Shopping Centre offers many of the well known high street stores, together with a selection of more individual boutiques. For the more committed shoppers, Bluewater and Lakeside, two of Europe’s most impressive shopping centres, are within easy reach. For day-to-day shopping there is a choice of supermarkets on Chadwell Heath High Road, including large Sainsbury’s and Tesco stores.
Commuters will appreciate the excellent road and rail links from Quarles Park, from the M25 to the M1. Chadwell Heath station is only half a mile away, offering a 20-minute commute to Liverpool Street. Newbury Park tube is just over two miles away, giving access to the Central Line.
For further information contact the Quarles Park marketing suite on 020 8586 4091 or visit the show home, open daily from 10am to 5.30pm (to 2pm Mondays). Visit laing-homes.co.uk.
Crest Nicholson announces BASE, situated adjacent to the train station just off St James Road in Brentwood. This is the ideal choice for anyone wanting a new home that's close to all the action. It promises to create a new urban quarter in the heart of Brentwood with its unique blend of understated contemporary architecture and sophisticated sleek interiors, ideal for those looking for something out of the ordinary.
The new development will have a total of 350 new homes, a large proportion of which will be apartments, with a small selection of town houses arranged in a crescent. All of the new apartment buildings have secure parking and are linked by a tree-lined avenue that runs through the centre of the site. A significant parkland area is being established as part of the proposals, providing the ideal outside green space in which to relax and unwind.
BASE is ideally placed for the many shops, cafes, bars and restaurants of Brentwood. As the station is opposite the development, commuting couldn't be easier. At peak times, trains can reach London Liverpool Street in as little as 30 minutes. The development also provides easy access to the M25, M11 and A12.
Guide prices at BASE start at £175,000. To register your interest now, call the dedicated hotline on 0870 757 8384.
Barratt has launched the first release of apartments at Horizons, a stunning new waterside development in Colchester. Evolution, the first phase of the Horizons development comprises 21 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and duplexes on the eastern edge of the scheme.
Individually designed, the apartments at Evolution offer an exciting range of interior layouts, allowing buyers to choose the features that best suit their lifestyle. Most apartments offer spacious open-plan kitchen, living and dining areas. Kitchens are ultra-modern and include a comprehensive range of fitted units, worktops and appliances.
One of the two-bedroom apartments offers stunning circular living space accommodated in a stylish rotunda overlooking the River Colne. With double-aspect full length opening windows, this apartment is styled for maximum light and air. On the top floor, above the circular living space is a spectacular roof terrace, the perfect place to relax. For a smaller slice of outdoors, choose one of the apartments with a balcony accessed from the living area.
With en suite bath or shower room to most main bedrooms, apartments are suitable for family or for sharing. If you like your sleeping quarters to be away from the hustle of daily living, then choose one of the duplex apartments with one or more bedrooms and bathrooms on another level. If working from home is your choice, then apartments with a second or third single bedroom offer the ideal space – and you have the option to keep your work/living and sleeping space on separate levels.
The homes have fabulous views over the River Colne, and Horizons is within easy walking distance of Colchester town centre with its wide range of high street stores, specialist retailers, bars, restaurants, nightclubs and a thriving arts scene, including museums, galleries, theatres and cinema. Colchester’s many parks provide wonderful green spaces, with the countryside on your doorstep.
Easy connections include the A12, with its convenient access to London and the M25, and trains from nearby Colchester North station, which get into London Liverpool Street in about 50 minutes. Prices start at £189,995 for a two bedroom apartment. Contact the Barratt sales office on 01206 541192
At Barratt Homes’ Elm Gardens in Chelmsford, only a few four-bedroom houses remain. Chelmsford offers excellent shopping, which is located in a traffic-free centre an easy walk from Elm Gardens. It’s also a straightforward commute to her work in the City; trains run direct to Liverpool Street with a journey time of about 35 minutes.
Prices are for a four bedroom houses are from £384,995 to £389,995. For details of this and other Barratt’s developments visit barratthomes.co.uk The Elm Gardens sales office can be reached on 01245 349632.
Bovis Homes has a sound presence in the county of Essex, and its Valley Park development, located in Dovercourt near Harwich, is truly special. It offers executive homes incorporating 11 different house types featuring good sized gardens close to landscaped public open space.
The houses contain fully fitted kitchens, with range cookers to larger homes, ceramic flooring, fitted wardrobes to the bedrooms and extensive use of downlighters. Some properties have a bonus room in the roof, and all purchasers who buy early can chose their own kitchens units and bathroom tiling from the extensive Bovis Homes range.
It is just 30 minutes by rail to Colchester and Ipswich, and an hour and a half to London via Manningtree. The A120 and A12 are close by, and Harwich has good shopping and leisure facilities and numerous historic maritime buildings.
Prices at Valley Park range between £229,950 for a four-bedroom home to £279,950 for a five-bedroom property. Contact sales manager Graham Hale on 01255 243862.