There is a lot to like in the current crop of new homes in Bedfordshire. Johnny Turner takes 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.
KingsOak North London’s Eleanorfields development offers two-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom houses, along with three-and four-bedroom town houses with plenty of flexible living space. The homes have contemporary fitted kitchens, integrated appliances and separate utility rooms in some of the town houses. All apartments and town houses feature a master bedroom with en suite.
Eleanorfields is conveniently close to the M1, Dunstable town centre and a fast train service to London. Prices for the apartments start at £169,995 while family homes are priced from £239,995. For further information on current incentives and availability, please contact the sales centre, open daily from 10am to 6pm, on 01582 665850. Visit kingsoakhomes.co.uk.
George Wimpey South Midlands has just unveiled the luxury Lavenham show home at its Melford Park development in the picture-perfect village of Stone. The five-bedroom property is beautifully decorated and superbly styled by the house-builder’s team of interior designers and demonstrates perfectly just what can be achieved when using a brand new home as a blank canvas.
The Lavenham features a large lounge with French doors to the rear garden, a separate dining room and a thoughtfully designed kitchen with adjoining utility area. A guest cloakroom, an entrance hallway and a useful under-stairs storage cupboard can also be found on the ground floor. Upstairs, the master bedroom boasts a dressing area and en-suite facilities, and there is a second double bedroom and the family bathroom.
On the top floor, the landing leads to two further large bedrooms, one with en-suite facilities, and a fifth room which is suitable as a single bedroom or study.
Like all new homes at Melford Park, the Lavenham enjoys a high standard of specification, including gas central heating, double glazing and fitted kitchen with built-in oven, hob and hood.
Two Lavenham homes are currently available at the development. One, Plot 34, is on the market for £472,995 and comes with a range of valuable additional extras including carpets and flooring throughout as well as a stainless steel oven and hob, integrated dishwasher, fridge/freezer and washer/dryer in the kitchen. Outside, the rear garden is lawned. Other four and five-bedroom properties are on the market starting from £375,995.
The developer’s easymover programme offers a range of special incentives on selected properties, including support for first time buyers, while customers with a house to sell can reserve their new home and then sit back and relax while the KingsOak finds a buyer for their current property and contributes to the estate agents' fees.
Alternatively, customers can take advantage of the House 2 Home bespoke moving package, comprising free UK removal regardless of distance or size of property, full packing and unpacking service and insurance cover. Incentives can be tailored to homebuyers’ circumstances and are subject to availability. Further details are available from the sales executive.
Melford Park is ideally located on the edge of the attractive village of Stone and offers breathtaking views of the nearby Chiltern Hills. The village has a wide range of everyday facilities including two traditional inns, a sports and social club, a primary school and a large public park, along with a mini supermarket and post office located just over half a mile away.
A wider choice of shopping, leisure and health facilities can be found in Aylesbury, less than three miles away, along with secondary schools. For commuters, Melford Park is within easy reach of the region’s major transport routes, including the M40.
Further information is available by visiting the sales centre, located on St John’s Drive in Stone, just off the A418 Aylesbury to Oxford Road. It is open daily from 11am to 5pm. Call 01296 749904.
One of Bedfordshire’s big success stories is, of course, Fairfield Park, an imaginative project near Stotfold, Bedfordshire, breathing new life into a former Grade II Victorian mental asylum and its 173 acres of grounds. The hospital was closed down in 1999 and became derelict, and is now the centre of a multi-million-pound scheme in which a consortium of builders will provide over 900 new homes.
The village feel will strike a chord with those who are tired of the anonymity of the cities and keen to be part of a community. This ambitious development offers communal space and facilities for all residents, as well as proximity to excellent transport links so that those who work in the cities can have the best of both worlds.
The setting is fantastic; Fairfield Park is situated in mature parkland just a short drive from the towns of Letchworth and Hitchin, and is only two miles from junction 10 of the A1(M). There is easy access to London via railway stations at Hitchin, Letchworth and Arlesey – all of these stations run regular services to King’s Cross. And for frequent flyers, Luton Airport is just over ten miles away.
Fairfield Park is ideal for families. Educationally, the area is served well with pre-school, nursery, primary and secondary schools in Stotfold, Arlesey, Letchworth and Hitchin, as well as North Herts College, which offers further education opportunities. These nearby towns also offer a wealth of leisure, entertainment and shopping facilities, including cinemas, swimming pools, sports centres, golf courses, restaurants, bars and clubs.
Charles Church is currently selling a wide range of homes at Fairfield Park, including two-, three-, four-, five- and six-bedroom homes, each designed in keeping with the Victorian style of the development.
Each home features superb levels of specification, including a well-planned and imaginatively-designed kitchen fitted with a luxurious range of units including oven, hob, and hood, as well as integrated dishwasher and fridge/freezer. The spacious living area is ideal for the family to relax in together and boasts superb French doors which flood the room with natural light.
The lavish master bedroom comes with its own en suite shower room for added convenience. Further bedrooms will be served by the main family bathroom featuring sleek white sanitaryware and enhanced by chrome fittings.
Prices currently start at £184,995. The sales office is open 11am to 5pm. For further information call 01462 835407.
Other developers involved in the Fairfield Park scheme include P J Livesey, Miller Homes, Bellway Homes and Stamford Homes. Visit their respective websites to see what they currently have available in this wonderful location.
Also in Stotfold, house hunters who love modern, stylish homes are invited to the launch of Mill View, Bryant Homes' latest development in the area, to be held on Saturday 27 May.
Visitors will be able to enjoy a glass of wine and some nibbles as the homes consultants celebrate the launch of the first phase of properties.
When complete Mill View will offer a collection of 96 properties, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom detached homes. It will be a vibrant new development surrounded by picturesque countryside.
Heather Holl, Bryant Homes' regional sales manager said: ‘Bryant is very excited about this fantastic new development. Mill View is well placed for local amenities and schools and it will offer buyers the best of both worlds, a rural setting that is close to the A1(M).
‘We've already received a great deal of interest in this development and we urge anyone keen on moving to Mill View to come along to the launch to see for themselves the selection of properties we have on offer.’
For more information on the homes coming soon to Mill View in Stotfold visit the marketing suite on Queen Street from 27 May from 9.30am to 5pm. Call 0800 028 8888.
KingsOak is selling Admiral Gardens, set in the village of Oakley, one of the most desirable locations in the Bedfordshire countryside. Located on Pavenham Road, this select development of high-specification homes caters for a variety of purchasers and offers the chance to become part of a thriving village community in beautiful rural surroundings.
Construction has now begun on-site, and KingsOak plans to build 37 new homes in all. The sales centre is now open to the public, and visitors can see plans for the 2.75-acre site as well as individual house types and floorplans. A range of two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments and houses are available at Admiral Gardens, with several reservations already taken and first completions scheduled for May.
Jan Ruston, sales director of KingsOak Milton Keynes, says, ‘Oakley is a highly regarded area and offers an aspirational lifestyle to its residents. The development is small and discreet, which will appeal to those purchasers who are put off by the idea of large housing estates.’
Purchasers will benefit from the amenities of the village itself while the A6 is within easy reach, providing quick access to Bedford and neighbouring towns. The M1 is also nearby, ideal for those commuting to work. Two-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom homes are currently available to purchase, priced from ££175,995 to £256,995.
The sales centre at Admiral Gardens is open from Thursday to Monday, 10.30am to 5.30pm. For further information call 01234 825925.
Also from KingsOak is Bedford Central, which caters to busy commuters by providing well placed apartments within walking distance of a quick route into central London. The wide range of homes available includes one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom properties.
With Bedford town centre and train station only a five-minute walk away, prospective buyers will be bowled over by the development’s convenience. Midland Mainline trains from Bedford station get into King’s Cross in as little as 37 minutes, while Thameslink services are also available, serving Luton Airport, London, Gatwick and Brighton. Bedford also has a thriving centre with a wide array of retail options.
Two show homes are currently open for viewing, and currently availability includes one-bedroom apartments from £135,995, two-bedroom apartments from £152,995 and three-bedroom houses starting at £233,995. A good range of buyer incentives is currently available on selected plots. For more information call 01234 272032. For information about KingsOak’s full range of homes in Bedfordshire and beyond visit kingsoakhomes.co.uk.
In Leighton Buzzard, George Wimpey South Midlands presents the award-winning Pages Priory, an impressive collection of two-, three- and four-bedroom properties, high on style and surprisingly low in price.
Pages Priory is conveniently located just over a mile from Leighton Buzzard town centre, which puts residents within close proximity of a thousand choices, from transport to leisure, entertainment to sporting activities, schools to workplaces – indeed all of life is very nearby.
The town centre combines the character of a traditional market town with the convenience of modern-day facilities. And for commuters, there is excellent proximity to the A5 and M1, making any destination, from London to Milton Keynes, Luton Airport to all points North, easily accessible. The capital is just 40 miles away by road.
Regular trains from Leighton Buzzard station into London Euston take just over half an hour. Euston is within walking distance of Bloomsbury and just a short tube ride from the City and West End. This makes for a quick, comfortable commute.
Current availability includes the Milan and Seville two-bedroom apartments, priced from £149,950 and £154,950 respectively, as well as three-bedroom terraced houses priced from £195,995. To find out more about the homes at Pages Priory call the sales centre, located off Johnson Drive and open daily, on 01525 850949.