South London currently has some very attractive newly built properties. Johnny Turner has a look.
Ever since the Victorian era, when the expansion of the railways created London’s first suburbs, south London has been a preferred dwelling place for London’s workers. In the intervening century, London itself has grown, enveloping those locations that were once thought of as entirely distinct from the capital. But the popularity continues, aided by constant improvements in amenities and transport – and by the leafy, south London feel that neighbourhoods north of the Thames can’t quite duplicate. Whether you’re in search of a home in an urban environment or a more genteel setting, the current crop of new homes in south London is easy to like.
In gentrified Clapham, Persimmon Homes is bucking the trend towards building more and more apartments by offering some wonderful town houses. The Ilminster Rise and Intero developments have both already proven to be extremely popular with home buyers who want that extra bit of space, and as only a handful of the properties remain, purchasers are being encouraged to make their move quickly.
Ilminster Rise development provides a four-bedroom design with a living space spread over six separate storeys. While the basement level provides a utility room and lobby area, the ground floor is home to the kitchen and dining area. A galleried living room is located on the first floor, while the second floor has a spacious guest bedroom with en suite facilities, a communal bathroom and additional bedroom. The master bedroom, with its fitted wardrobes and en suite bathroom, is on the third floor along with the fourth bedroom. The fourth floor provides a hidden roof garden ideal for entertaining in the summer months.
Intero, located on Clapham Road, offers a more traditional three-storey town house design, with a spacious open-plan kitchen and dining room with double patio doors opening onto the garden. On the first floor is the living room, bedroom three and family bathroom, while the second floor is home to two additional bedrooms, both with en suite facilities.
Both developments benefit from a fantastic location in a vibrant and diverse part of London. There are a host of trendy bars and restaurants as well as all the local shops and amenities people could wish for. Transport links are covered by the Clapham North tube and Clapham High Street station which.
Prices of the remaining properties start from £945,000 at Ilminster Rise; call 020 7228 3926. Homes at Intero are priced from £699,950; contact 020 622 8075. Visit the developments between 10am and 5pm daily or visit persimmonhomes.com.
Barratt West London is creating a high-quality residential development on the site of the former John Milton School on Battersea Park Road. The new scheme, which has already been granted planning permission, will comprise 240 one- and two-bedroom apartments, of which 60 will be provided for affordable housing. The homes will be arranged around a striking central courtyard and set in landscaped grounds.
Located in a fantastic position, across the road from the exciting Battersea Power Station redevelopment, the upcoming scheme is close to one of London’s most desirable areas, and will benefit from a huge selection of shops, bars, restaurants and a theatre on the doorstep. The building will be built in a contemporary ‘stepped’ design ranging from three to eight storeys, and car parking will be provided at basement level; to encourage more green transport, many cycle spaces will be provided and a car club facility is planned.
Prices will be confirmed at the sales launch, which is planned for April. To register interest contact the Barratt Central sales office on 020 8326 7171 or visit barratthomes.co.uk.
In thriving Waterloo SE1, Deco Design & Build offers The Bench, a collection of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. Some apartments have either a balcony or terrace with excellent views over the city skyline.
The specification includes gas central heating with stylish contemporary tubular heaters, wiring for plasma screens and surround sound, communal Sky TV connection, chrome downlights and electrical fittings, burglar alarms, veneered oak flooring in the living room and limestone hallways. Kitchens have Neff appliances and granite work surfaces, while bathrooms include CP Hart Philippe Starck limestone-finished suites with sunken baths in a limestone surround, and there are fitted wardrobes to bedrooms.
Nearby Southwark station gives access to the West End, Canary Wharf, City Airport and Waterloo rail station. There is an NHBC guarantee and 999-year lease. Call Deco Design & Build on 020 8313 1411 or visit or northstar-2000.com.
Further out of London, Barratt’s Kendra Grove development in Croydon is to launch its new show apartment over the weekend of 8 -9 April. The apartment will be decorated in a contemporary style, perfectly suited to the busy young professionals who are flocking to the development.
Barratt Homes has designed the apartments with generous open-plan living spaces and fully equipped designer kitchens. The elegant white and chrome bathrooms have a luxury feel and there is an en suite shower room to the main bedroom in all the two-bedroom homes. Some of the ground floor apartments also have a private patio.
Kendra Grove is located in an attractive residential area within easy reach of central Croydon. The development consists of two separate buildings on opposite sides of the road, both gated and with allocated parking, so each feels rather exclusive within itself. Commuting is excellent: from nearby Purley Oaks or South Croydon stations, journey times to London Victoria, King’s Cross, Blackfriars or London Bridge all take around half an hour.
Prices start at just £199,995 for a one-bedroom apartment. For further information contact the Barratt sales team on 020 8680 5717.
The 29-storey Aragon Tower is a major Thames-side landmark in up-and-coming Deptford. The transformation of a former local authority building originally built between 1961 and 1963, it will provide 158 two- and three-bedroom 'Z' apartments that are ideal for City purchasers, investors and young professionals alike.
As well as refurbishing the existing apartments, that boast a highly unusual layout, the architects have also added five additional new build floors on the top of the existing tower. By incorporating these additional floors and by re-cladding the exterior façade, they are completely transforming the external architecture of the original structure into a modern and sleek apartment tower.
Each 'Z' apartment will boast unusual split-level layouts in six different styles. The apartments span the entire depth of the building and therefore have the advantage of dual-aspect views. Generally the floor with the living / dining area looks out towards Greenwich while the bedrooms have views of Canary Wharf. The end result is apartments that form a zigzag on alternate floors, creating a highly unusual layout where adjoining split-level apartments quite literally wrap around each other.
Deptford offers the DLR, overground train and a number of bus services, as well as the river taxi, an increasingly popular means of commuting. Aragon Tower is located a comfortable ten-minute walk from Greenland Pier, where a regular river taxi service provides fast and efficient access to Canary Wharf, London Bridge, Tower Bridge and the City.
Prices at Aragon Tower start £250,000 for a two-bedroom apartment and £340,000 for a two- bedroom penthouse. Call the sales and marketing suite, open daily from 10am to 6pm, or ring 020 8320 2030.
The Elephant & Castle area is set to be a real attention-grabber as its fusty old concrete self is transformed into an attractive, pedestrian-friendly location. The area has always had its hardcore fans, due to its very central location and easy access to two tube lines and mainline links. Now, with the reimagining of the civic space as well as several new home schemes, SE17 is set to become a buying destination for a whole new generation.
South Central is a £75 mixed-use project by Oakmayne Properties, which will consist of two schemes of apartments, South Central East and South Central West. The private residential units have balconies, rooftop terraces, a concierge, landscaped and underground parking. The scheme reinterprets the existing courtyards of Iliffe Yard and Peacock Yard to create an active ground-floor and a lively public space, linked to new pedestrian and cycle routes to Walworth Road.
South Central East has a stunning tiered elevation, rising to ten storeys, with a sleek glass and aquamarine façade with angled balconies and roof top terraces. The striking silhouette of the stepped terraces will stand out against the skyline, accentuated by the deep red stainless steel balustrades. Each apartment has access to its own private balcony/roof terrace via sliding floor-to-ceiling glazed doors.
Meanwhile, South Central West’s apartments are conceived to provide maximum flexibility; they can be arranged as open-plan lofts or as one- or two-bedroom apartments within the same footprint. The balconies to the curved building vary in depth and are clad in three different timber types, providing variety and a sense of individuality for each resident.
Register your interest in the apartments at South Central at southcentral-london.com.