Tag Archives for " property developer "

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Could Slump in High Street Retail Prove Positive for Residential Developers?

As High Streets Are Reshaped, Exciting Opportunities Will Surface

We’ve seen the trend growing stronger for some time, and recent retail figures appear to confirm it – consumers are turning their backs on the high street and shopping centres, and instead of shopping online. In response, we have witnessed high street changing. Shops are closing in their thousands – and not reopening. In their place, local authorities are allowing new residential to be developed. The decline of retail could provide the inner-city space that residential property developers crave.

High Street Footfall Slumps in June

Latest figures from the British Retail Consortium show that footfall on Britain’s high streets fell by 4.5%. This follows a 4.8% fall in May, and adds up to what is being called a ‘summer slump’. This appears to be an optimistic assessment of the changing nature of shopping in the UK.

Currently, internet shopping accounts for around 20% of retail spending in the UK. Recent research by Retail Economics suggests that this could rise to more than half within 10 years.

Indeed, retail data from the ONS confirms just how well e-commerce is faring compared to the high street in the UK. Between April 2018 and April 2019, online retail increased by 10.1%. In the three months to April 2019, all retail sales increased by 1.8%, while within this non-store retail sales increased by a whopping 9.4% compared to the previous three months. The shift from the high street to online is not the only forecast, but it is also happening.

More High Street Stores Will Close

We have already seen huge numbers of store closures in response to the rise of internet shopping. Lower footfall translates into retail losses and this forces closures. And shops are closing at an alarming rate:

• In 2017, around 5,900 stores closed
• In the first six months of 2018, 24,000 stores closed
• Big companies such as Poundworld, BHS, Toys ‘R’ Us and House of Fraser were forced into administration
• More recently, Mark & Spencer has announced the closure of 110 stores

There does not appear to be one sector of retail that is safe from evolving consumer habits. High rents and business rates have combined with lower footfall to harm all types of stores, including fashion, food, shoes, travel agents, estate agents and even banks.

High Streets Are Becoming More Residential

For local authorities, store closures spell trouble. They no longer benefit from the revenue that high business rates produce. Town planning departments have responded to redefine high street use. In 2017, we witnessed a mini-explosion in the number of cafés, bistros, ice cream parlours and the like on the high street. Beauty stores, too – it is still impossible to replace such experiences online.

Instead of shopping spaces, high streets are becoming community spaces, where people meet and make merry. We’ve also seen a shift to more residential on our high streets. Population growth on or near Britain’s high streets has doubled that of elsewhere. Between 2012 and 2017, the high street residential population grew by 6%, to stand at more than 10 million (ONS ‘High Streets in Great Britain’).

Store closures present a financial problem to local authorities. These same authorities are being required by the government to provide more new homes for a growing population. Turning the high street into high-density residential communities provides revenues in the short and long term, while also helping to solve a local authority’s housing needs.

Will Institutional Investors Play Their Part?

Institutional investors should have a role to play in this shift away from retail and into residential on the high street. The evolving retail market is making an investment in retail space more difficult, yet institutions must maintain diversified portfolios.

Institutions have followed the shift of retail from high street to online with a shift of their own – from retail to residential. They are focusing on buy-to-rent (BTR) and purpose-built student accommodation, providing strong income flows that align with their need to produce returns for their pension funds. Research from Savills suggests that the BTR sector could be worth £550 billion when the sector reaches maturity, from its current £10 billion.

Are Mixed-Use High Street Developments the Future?

While BTR and student accommodation are set to boom, unless some retail is provided, they will be set to fail. As we noted earlier in this article, people seek community and entertainment. They also desire convenience. They don’t want to drive miles to buy that pint of milk they suddenly need.

The future of the high street appears to be one where high-density residential of mixed tenures meshes with bars and bistros, coffee shops and convenience stores. This will satisfy local authorities’ needs, prevent high streets from becoming ghost towns, and provide much-needed housing where it is needed most.

For property developers, high street opportunities could provide the potential that they always knew existed.

To learn how Castlereach helps developers realise the potential of their development sites, call the team on 0207 923 5680. Our partnership will help get your new build and off-plan development sales to where you need them to be.

Live with passion

Brett Alegre-Wood

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News for Property Developers – Government Proposals: All Bluster or Real Progress?

A Raft of New Proposals Should Spell Good News for Homebuilders – But Will They?

On 27^th June 2019, the Communities Secretary The Rt Hon James Brokenshire announced a raft of new measures that will impact the sale of new homes and provide many opportunities for developers to build more. Speaking at the Chartered Institute of Housing Conference in Manchester, the minister outlined several plans, which include:

• Ground rents on new leases to be reduced to zero
• All new houses to be sold on a freehold basis, except in exceptional circumstances
• A reduction in planning bureaucracy
• A New Homes Ombudsman
• 19 new garden villages delivering more than 70,000 new homes

We outline these new measures in this article.

Leasehold Changes and Ground Rents

The government is introducing new measures that will explicitly prevent property developers from selling leasehold properties. Simultaneously, the government is reducing all ground rents for new leases to zero.

The government has instructed Homes England to renegotiate all contracts with Help to Buy developers, specifically with the objective of stopping the building and selling of leasehold homes and ensuring only freehold properties are sold – except in exceptional circumstances.

While on the face of it this sounds like a sweeping change, it may introduce law for law’s sake. The minister confirmed that the government’s proposals in this area have already had a major impact. Where once leasehold sales constituted 11% of new home sales, this figure has fallen to only 2%. It could be that these 2% of new homes fall under the government’s ‘release clause’ of allowing developers to sell leasehold homes in exceptional circumstances.

In addition, the leasehold debacle has been headlining in mainstream media for several years, and more than 60 property developers (including the latest signatories, Crest Nicholson and Keepmoat Homes) have signed the government’s industry pledge to free existing leaseholders from deals in which ground rents double every 10 to 15 years.

So, the industry has already taken great strides to self-governance in this area. Formalising these proposals simply puts into writing what is currently happening.

Planning Bureaucracy to Be Cut

The government will make it easier for councils to approve planning applications by removing red tape bureaucracy. Later this year, it will publish an ‘Accelerated Planning Green Paper’. This is part of a renewed effort to ensure that planning authorities have the resources they need to act faster and deliver a better service.

This announcement comes just two days after land agent Aston Mead said that planning delays are forcing building projects to be abandoned and forcing some small- and medium-sized property developers out of business. Aston Mead Director Adam Hesse said that quick turnover is “Prevented by a planning process which is clunky, time-consuming and not fit for purpose”. However, Hesse also cited staff shortages as a major contributory factor to planning delays – with planning applications that go to appeal taking an additional six months. Total time for the planning process ranges from eight to 14 months on smaller sites.

While the government’s measures are welcome, the fact remains that planning departments in local authorities are seriously understaffed. Reduction of red tape should ease the burden on planning employees, but the government also need to make town planning more attractive as a career option.

The New Homes Ombudsman

A 2017 YouGov survey conducted on behalf of housing charity Shelter found more than half of new homes were delivered with major problems. These problems included construction, fittings, and faults with utilities.

The government has now announced a New Homes Ombudsman, to be set up to protect the rights of homebuyers and hold property developers to account. A consultation on redress has begun, and views will be collected through to August 22^nd 2019. A shadow New Homes Ombudsman is being considered, with the aim for the position to work closely with industry, consumer groups and government, to help shape the future scheme.

New Garden Villages in the Pipeline

The minister also announced that the government proposes a further 19 garden villages across the country, with more than 73,000 new homes planned. Each project will be provided with £150,000 of government money to help progress planning applications.

This is welcome news, and offers developers more opportunities to build. However, the speed at which these sites can be delivered is likely to be dependent upon the government delivering reduced planning bureaucracy. As the government tries to meet its target of building 300,000 new homes each year from the mid-2020s, we repeat that not only planning procedures must be streamlined but also more staff employed in planning departments.

In Summary

While much of these proposals are to be welcomed, we can’t help thinking that it is more bluster from a government that has lost its way and is wrapped up in leadership contests and Brexit. What the housebuilding industry needs is action. Where it has been able to, it has delivered this action itself – such as reducing the numbers of leasehold homes sold.

To accelerate the rate at which new homes are built, the government must do what it has been talking about doing for several years – cut red tape on planning. However, this will not be enough. More staff are needed to cope with planning applications, whatever the planning process.

To connect with investors and sell the homes you are building, get in touch with Castlereach today. Call the team on 0207 923 5680. Our partnership will help get your new build and off-plan development sales to where you need them to be.

Live with passion

Brett Alegre-Wood

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Mount Anvil – world renowned London property developer

Get To Know Series – UK Developers In this series, we showcase many of the UK Developers work with. The UK market is full of quality developers with proven track records and who are working hard to solve the housing crisis, despite the hinders placed by Government at every level.

Quality homes in quality London locations

Mount Anvil is a property developer focused on being London’s most respected residential developer. Its team have decades of experience across the entire spectrum of property development – from land acquisition, through planning, design, development, construction, and sales, and in public, private, and residential sectors. The winner of many industry awards and a property developer with an almost 100% recommended rating, when you buy a Mount Anvil property, you are guaranteed a quality property in a quality London location.

A passionate, employee-owned property developer

Jointly founded by current Chief Executive Killian Hurley, Mount Anvil operates an integrated model – it acts as both developer and contractor on its projects. It ensures it remains in complete control of all details as it creates quality homes.

Almost three-quarters of Mount Anvil’s employees are shareholders in the business, meaning they all have a vested interest in people development as well as quality housebuilding and the creation of communities. You would be hard-pressed to find a more passionate, dedicated, and hardworking team.

Building incredible partnerships to deliver incredible homes

Mount Anvil works with partners to create some stunning developments, and its track record includes repeat partnerships collaborating with six partners across 15 schemes over the last five years.

This high level of repeat partnerships is reflected in the esteem with which Mount Anvil is held by property investors and homebuyers.

Developing exceptional customer experiences

Mount Anvil has one of the highest customer recommendation ratings in the industry, with an astounding 98% of customers saying they would recommend to another. This high rating is evidenced by the number of repeat customers it serves: a third of its properties are sold to previous buyers or people who have been recommended by a previous customer.

Undoubtedly, Mount Anvil’s customer satisfaction numbers owe much to its values and passion for its projects. It is also evidence of the way in which it selects land and designs and develops homes on that land.

Focus on location and build quality

Mount Anvil focuses on the most desirable London locations, working with internationally acclaimed architects and building with the best materials. Combined with its passionate approach, these characteristics have helped Mount Anvil’s name become synonymous with quality and recognised around the world.

No two of its developments are the same, meaning buyers are assured of a unique, individualised development designed with the community in mind.

A cabinet full of awards

Mount Anvil’s awards cabinet is full to overflowing, including:

• The Evening Standard winner for New Homes in 2017
• 11 years in a row as a Sunday Times Best Small Companies to Work For
• RoSPA awards winner for safety
• The UK’s number one company for health and safety for four years running

Where can you buy a Mount Anvil property?

Two of Mount Anvil’s fast-selling developments are:

Queen’s Wharf, Hammersmith

Queen’s Wharf is a statement of elegance adjacent to Grade II listed Hammersmith Bridge, offering apartments on the Surrey bend of the River Thames. The properties here benefit from an engaging aspect and easy access to central London.

Queen’s Wharf offers an exceptional combination of relaxed river living and the capital’s world-class shopping, culture, schools and restaurants.

The 165 residences – ranging from studio apartments to penthouses – have been carefully designed to maximise panoramic views of the river. All have balconies and benefit from landscaped communal gardens. Amenities on site include a theatre, café, restaurant, bar, and cinema, as well as the world-famous Riverside Studios.

Hampstead Manor, Hampstead Village

Located on leafy Kidderpore Avenue, and just a few minutes from the centre of Hampstead Village, this development comprises 156 exquisitely designed residences, ranging from studio apartments to five-bedroom homes.

The 13 buildings that make up the development sit along a handsome, historic avenue, offering an eclectic and intriguing mix of architectural styles.

Hampstead Manor is in itself a story of artistry, imagination and rural tranquillity that epitomises the qualities that have long made NW3 one of Britain’s most desirable postcodes. Not surprisingly, the development is receiving rave reviews in the media.

On-site, there is a 24-hour residents’ concierge service, a residents-only gym, spa and swimming pool, and beautifully landscaped gardens and open green spaces.

These two developments demonstrate the attention to detail and quality homes and communities building for which Mount Anvil is famous.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

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Morris Homes – Large, independent, and unique

Get To Know Series – UK Developers In this series, we showcase many of the UK Developers work with. The UK market is full of quality developers with proven track records and who are working hard to solve the housing crisis, despite the hinders placed by Government at every level.

For personalised properties in top locations

Morris Homes are one of the UK’s largest privately-owned property developers. It builds a variety of houses across the North, East, and Midlands regions, delivering high-quality, sustainable homes ideal for buyers and tenants.

Decades of experience with an enviable reputation

Morris Homes are headquartered in Cheshire and have been building high-quality dwellings for more than 60 years. Its reputation as a responsible and professional development partner in regeneration schemes is unsurpassed. Customers are proud to call a Morris Home their home. They’ve even had home buyers camp outside new developments in an attempt to snap up the best properties, as a group did for five days earlier this year at its Cecil Square development in Stamford.

Superior quality to stand the test of time

Morris Homes use the best-quality materials in the construction of their properties and fit them with eco-friendly appliances. This approach has helped the developer win several national awards for excellence in landscaping, design, construction and energy efficiency. These include the 2014 WhatHouse> award for the Best Sustainable Development.

Personalising homes for customers

Morris Homes give their customers a wide range of personalisation options. From work surfaces in the kitchen to bathroom tiling, buyers have a say in how their new home looks and feels. It helps to make each Morris Homes property unique from all others, with customers selecting from a wide range of hand-picked choices from top-quality manufacturers such as Villeroy & Boch, NEFF, Roca, Porcelanosa, and Amtico.

Environmentally friendly

Morris Homes are equipped with the best energy-saving appliances and built to standards that cause lower environmental impact using the latest building methods and high-quality materials.

This developer produces 45 different house types. Each has distinctive architectural features, allowing Morris Homes to design streets and communities that are spacious, welcoming, and blend into the surrounding natural environment.

Where can you buy a Morris Homes property?

While Morris Homes develop across the country, we’ve picked two locations to highlight their extensive offering.

Egerton Park, Altrincham, Greater Manchester

Manchester is world-famous for its football clubs (United and City). It’s a city that is home to incredible shopping centres, fantastic schools and universities, and has one of the fastest-growing and diverse local economies in the UK.

Egerton Park is a Morris Homes development in the market town of Altrincham, providing exceptional access to Manchester, just eight miles away. Here, buyers will find some of the best schools in Greater Manchester, in a development that is ideal for commuters and families.

At Egerton Park, Morris Homes are building a fantastic range of one, two, three and four-bedroom properties, all designed and finished to the exceptional standards that mark out a Morris Home as different to the competition.

Alconbury Weald, Cambridgeshire

Situated on the outskirts of one of Cambridgeshire’s most picturesque towns, and surrounded by acres of woodland, Alconbury is a home for explorers and good old English countryside appreciators. Luton and Stansted Airports are both around 45 minutes away, and London’s King’s Cross is only an hour from nearby Huntingdon station.

From Alconbury Weald, residents can be in Cambridge or Peterborough inside an hour.

The site provides everything with community needs. Its schools, and a GP surgery. Play areas, open green spaces, a village green, and footpaths. It’s a perfect environment to raise a family in one of Morris Homes’ fantastic two, three, four, and five-bedroom homes.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

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DeTrafford – unique among property developers

Get To Know Series – UK Developers In this series, we showcase many of the UK Developers work with. The UK market is full of quality developers with proven track records and who are working hard to solve the housing crisis, despite the hinders placed by Government at every level.

A clear vision and refreshingly innovative development vision

DeTrafford Estates Group is a reflection of its founder – entrepreneurial and driven to produce quality properties in strategic locations in emerging markets. It has acquired several sites across the UK and can develop more than 2,000 residential units. The company has not had to call on third-party funding, a measure of its incredible financial management which will appeal to property investors.

A family firm with real passion for their product

DeTrafford was founded nine years ago, but its history goes back much further. It’s a family affair, headed by founder Gary Jackson. The senior management team has almost seven decades of property development experience between them and has developed a brand inspired by Victorian manor houses, New York’s rooftop living, and the townhouses of London, Amsterdam and beyond. They seek to produce pioneering concepts, combining the functional and flexible with innovative design delivering the needs of the everyday home.

What strikes you most about DeTrafford is the family atmosphere and 100% passion for their business, and designing and developing beautiful homes in ideal locations.

The savviest of property developers?

Gary Jackson first stepped into property development in 1984, with money he’d saved from working while a teenager. In 1986, he used the proceeds of that first foray to secure bank lending on a six-apartment conversion of a Victorian house. He learned the hard way through the 1991 market crash. Since those dark days, he has refused to rely on banks or other third-party lending.

Gary regrew his business and has since developed more than 800 properties including land, factories, industrial mills, houses, apartments, and a variety of other investments. By 2007, Gary had built a property portfolio that he traded for £85 million. He closed all his existing development companies and rode out the market storm that was brewing at that time.

DeTrafford – founded to fill a void

In 2008, Gary founded DeTrafford with the intention of acquiring strategic locations and sites for redevelopment in readiness for the anticipated emerging market – he had spotted a void in the market. Developers were not designing and delivering pioneering concept projects for modern lifestyles.

The group first successfully completed the Lawnhurst development and has acquired several sites in highly strategic locations on which it plans to develop more than 2,000 residential units. This process has started, and the uniqueness and quality of build ensure that DeTrafford developments are sold out quickly.

The company is also busy acquiring other sites, in London, the North West, and Europe. No acquisition has been made with third-party funding.

The vision and passion to create stunning and sustainable communities

DeTrafford has a unique philosophy. Its mission is to craft bespoke sustainable places to enhance communities. It is the community which is at the heart of every project it undertakes:

• It converts heritage buildings into distinct and unique living and outdoor spaces
• It works with local tradespeople and consultants, utilising their local knowledge to better inform the identity of their developments
• It treats corporate partners, home buyers, investors, and other stakeholders with a personal touch often lacking in today’s frenetic society

Producing the modern by preserving the historical

DeTrafford is committed to developing for sustainability and preserving historical and culturally unique buildings and sites. When it develops a site, DeTrafford seeks to produce the minimum environmental footprint as it builds out low energy solutions for environmentally conscious living.

Central to its strategy is to use its own liquid and non-leveraged financial position, combined with its extensive market experience, to acquire new sites on which to develop its vision for the enjoyment of residents.

Where can you invest in a DeTrafford property?

Some of the most awe-inspiring developments in Manchester have been crafted by DeTrafford. Here are three at various stages of completion:

The City Gardens

Here you will find accommodation to meet different needs, all with high levels of comfort and convenience. There is a total of 78 one and two-bedroom apartments, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows. All are modern, spacious and light, capturing a warehouse conversion atmosphere perfectly balanced by the stylish use of wood panelling.

There is a spacious double-height lobby, where residents benefit from lift access to all floors. The top three floors offer exclusive triplexes, each with their own private terrace. On floors, two to eight, rear elevation apartments all enjoy individual balconies.

St Georges Gardens

This collection of 20 one-bedroom and 40 two-bedroom apartments are generously equipped for modern living. Each benefit from their own private terrace. A communal roof garden provides an attractive space to breathe and soaks up the atmosphere of the Grade II listed church next door, from which the block derives its name. There is allocated parking and secure cycle storage for residents in this new, thriving community of Manchester Gardens.

Elisabeth Gardens

This sensitive restoration project will create 152 one and two-bedroom apartments in the sought-after Houldsworth conservation area of Reddish. Each apartment will provide its residents with bright, modern, open living space, as a complimentary juxtaposition to the building’s period façade. There will also be an array of amenity spaces, communal gardens, picnic areas, sun terraces, and wildflower gardens. A paradise within five kilometres of Manchester city centre.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

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Be Homes – the ‘new’ property developer transforming the south of England

Get To Know Series – UK Developers In this series, we showcase many of the UK Developers work with. The UK market is full of quality developers with proven track records and who are working hard to solve the housing crisis, despite the hinders placed by Government at every level.

Regeneration and residential excellence working in tandem

Be Homes is a new and exciting name in the UK housebuilding market. It’s the amalgamation of two fantastic names – Willmott Dixon and Prime Place specialise in building communities in popular urban locations that benefit from excellent transport links. The company currently has 7,500 homes either under construction or in the planning process waiting to be built. Masters in the field of regeneration, Be Homes is delivering real answers for the UK’s need for housing, and exceptional developments with real potential for property investors.

Combining regeneration excellence with residential expertise

The two parts of the newly formed Be Homes complement each other perfectly. Willmott Dixon has a long history of transforming urban centres into desirable places to live and work. Prime Place develops residential communities that benefit from high-spec finishes and attention to detail. Combining these two specialities have created a developer fully loaded and prepared to meet the demands and challenges in today’s property market.

Specialists in urban regeneration

Willmott Dixon specialises in partnering on regeneration projects, and creating unique locations on brownfield and constrained sites, as well as working on ‘live sites’, where residents and businesses remain in occupation. They have particular experience developing mixed-use sites, dovetailing housing, retail, leisure and community facilities.

Willmott Dixon regularly partners with local authorities, housing associations, retailers, developers and housebuilders. Notable projects include:

• Flemingate Centre in Beverley, a £120 million town centre development including major retail brands, a new Premier Inn hotel, and leisure facilities such as a new cinema. This follows other town centre transformation products, such as Redcar and Woolwich.
• Trent Basin, Nottingham’s highest-profile residential development, eventually providing 350 low energy apartments and family homes with a community focus.
• Woolwich Central, the biggest Tesco development ever with an 84,000 square feet Tesco store and a 259-home community above, as well as £3 million of infrastructure and community improvements.
• In Westminster, Willmott Dixon is creating a modern lifestyle mixed-use development, providing a new leisure centre and 156 new homes built by Be Living. This development is a perfect example of how the combination of Willmott Dixon and Prime Place are working hand in hand – with the completed development called Prime Place, Kensal Rise.

Specialists in residential development

Prime Place is a brand synonymous with quality build standards in urban locations. Willmott Dixon’s intent to create the Be brand can be traced back to 2016 when it combined Prime Place with Be:here into Willmott Residential.

Now simplified to Be Living, it is a company committed to growing its residential presence, developing homes to buy and rent. Its sites and the homes it develops on them are in prime locations, which are ideal for today’s lifestyle needs.

At the start of 2017, Be became a standalone company, concentrating 100% on residential development. Be works with a host of joint venture partners and landowners to develop unique residential communities. One such partnership is the Westminster project mentioned above.

Be Homes has an enviable history behind it. Willmott Dixon started in a specialist residential building in 1974. Its experience includes building all types of tenure: affordable, care residential, retirement villages, housing for sale and private rent, plus student accommodation.

As Be Homes, the company brings extensive experience and expertise in a ‘one company’ approach to all its partnerships. Investors benefit from an exceptional range of skills and know-how that delivers all types of housing projects, including complex high-density schemes.

Where can investors buy a new build Be Homes property?

Be Homes’ current developments are located in the South of England, in and around London. On the outskirts of London, and ideal for commuters, you will find:

Godalming – A range of one to four-bedroom apartments and three and four-bedroom townhouses, only a couple of minutes’ walk from the high street and station. The commute to Waterloo is only 47 minutes.

Sevenoaks – A few minutes’ walk to Sevenoaks station, where regular trains transport passengers to London Bridge in just 30 minutes, Be Homes is building an exceptional range of luxury two-bedroom apartments. They include a dedicated concierge, hotel-style foyer, and private business suite: elements you would usually find only in central London developments.

Cheshunt – Signature design and superb specification are what you will find in this idyllic location of Cheshunt. A range of two to four-bedroom houses benefiting from contemporary interiors is just 24 minutes by train to London.

There are several Be Homes developments in inner London, including the incredible Aberfeldy Village. This development is just four minutes from Canary Wharf and 15 minutes from the City by Docklands Light Railway. Here, suites and one and two-bedroom apartments, designed by award-winning architects Levitt Bernstein, combine with new shopping, healthcare and community facilities, public and green spaces.

For investors seeking to benefit from some of the best locations in and around London, Be Homes is a developer you can’t afford to ignore.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

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Salboy – the experts in Manchester regeneration property development

 

Get To Know Series – UK Developers In this series, we showcase many of the UK Developers work with. The UK market is full of quality developers with proven track records and who are working hard to solve the housing crisis, despite the hinders placed by Government at every level.

Inner-city locations delivering luxurious quality for the modern lifestyle

Salboy is a Manchester-based property developer, financier, and equity provider. Its roots are firmly in Manchester and, with a fantastic relationship with both Manchester and Salford councils, Salboy is helping to unlock some of the most promising brownfield sites in the North West of England. Further afield, the company has around 2,000 units under construction countrywide, either under its name, via joint ventures, or as equity partnerships.

Salboy – property development experts in Manchester

Salboy provides the financing, design, and construction of what many consider to be the best schemes in the best locations in Manchester with the best quality materials. With more than 1200 residential units under construction in Manchester city centre, Salboy is currently the largest developer on site in the city.

The Salboy team is Manchester born and bred and believes in the buzz in the city. It is passionate about helping Manchester grow while maintaining its heritage. It aims to aid the development of Manchester for the city to reach its full potential, as a globally recognised city.

Lending, developing and partnering

The founders and core of the company come from a development finance background, and this is how Salboy started its life – as a financier of quality developments. Salboy partners with experienced property developers and investors, providing the equity to kick-start and complete exciting commercial and residential property developments in key city locations throughout the UK.

To deliver its vision of quality of location and build, Salboy created its own construction company, Domis Construction. Together with its partnerships with award-winning architects 5Plus and IDP, Salboy prides itself on delivering high-quality and locational ideal residential developments.

Three Salboy developments you shouldn’t ignore

Salboy is undertaking some of Manchester’s most ambitious property developments. They are all designed for modern living and in exceptional locations. Here are three examples of what Salboy is creating in Manchester.

Local Blackfriars

A gated community of 380 apartments, townhouses and penthouses across two striking towers, which have been designed to blend with a Grade II listed former public house that is repurposed as the gateway entrance. Open living spaces are perfectly aligned with open green spaces. Units are light, spacious, and airy.

Everything that modern lifestyle living needs is here: a substantial communal garden space and top-class amenities that include a 24/7 concierge service, bistro, bar, gymnasium, yoga and dance studio, cinema room and fully equipped laundrette.

The development is just a five-minute walk to Manchester’s shopping district and vibrant nightlife.

M One Central

Partnering with one of the top inner-city property developers in the North West, Salboy is delivering 119 one and two-bedroom apartments in a 12-storey tower in this highly sought-after Northern Quarter location.

Salboy’s relationship with developer Factory Estates goes back years and leverages the experience and expertise of both partners – financing, land acquisition, design and planning, construction, and sales.

Here at M One Central, the Great Ancoats Street development will deliver quality residential units for the private rented sector, with features that include a roof level terrace, ground floor gym, and landscaped public square. Again, while the feel of the building will be modern, benefitting from up-to-date quality and style, it will remain sympathetic to the period architecture of its local environment.

Tib Street Manchester

Just one minute by foot from Market Street in the city centre, Tib Street is the ideal location for residents who want to live where they work and play. The development will deliver 183 apartments as part of a near £30 million mixed-use redevelopment on the site of a former car park and the Tib Street Horn.

Like M One Central and Local Blackfriars, there will be a host of communal facilities, and internal courtyard and a rooftop garden. And like all of Salboy’s developments in Manchester, units are selling fast.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

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ESRG Developments – becoming the go-to regeneration property developer?

Get To Know Series – UK Developers In this series, we showcase many of the UK Developers work with. The UK market is full of quality developers with proven track records and who are working hard to solve the housing crisis, despite the hinders placed by Government at every level.

Developing tomorrow’s homes on yesterday’s disused sites

ESRG Developments is a property development, and investment company focused on the residential sector across the UK – predominantly on Southern England and the Midlands – and the United States. ESRG concentrates on areas where they have specific and detailed local knowledge, meaning that residents in an ESRG development will be “happy to be at home”.

Establishing itself in its markets

Over the last two years, ESRG has established itself as one of the most successful privately-owned property developers in the Midlands and the South of England, as well as in Florida in the United States. The company is backed by the ESRG Group, which has invested over £25 million in the last 18 months across its group of companies.

Its current portfolio consists of developments across all property market sectors, where the company has deep local market knowledge. It ensures that properties generate maximum yields for property investors.

The go-to-developer in Birmingham’s regeneration story?

In the UK, ESRG’s portfolio of projects includes the Veneti Apartments in Poole and Roslin House in Bournemouth. But it is in Birmingham where this property developer is beginning to accelerate and establish its credentials. And what a place to do so!

Birmingham has been named as the UK’s top property hotspot in the Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2017 report, produced by The Urban Land Institute and PwC. The city is attracting more foreign investment than any other regional city in the UK. All the property fundamentals – shopping and leisure, schools and higher education, transport links, major employers and major investment – are present and driving investment potential. Billions of pounds are being ploughed into regeneration and transport infrastructure here. The population is growing, and tens of thousands of new jobs should be created by 2031 as part of the Big City Plan.

ESRG has a number of developments either underway or planned in Birmingham. These include:

St Anne’s Court, Digbeth

At the heart of Birmingham’s creative quarter, this stunning development of 170 beautiful urban apartments offers easy access to the Bull Ring and the new HS2 station. Birmingham International Airport is just 20 minutes away. Various public open spaces are found within a short distance, and the variety of pedestrian, cycle, car and public transport links offer the site various access options.

Digbeth is in demand from a wide variety of areas and buyer profiles. It has also been named as one of the five key areas of planned development as part of the urban regeneration project, the Big City Plan – with plans to regenerate the old industrial buildings into apartments, retail premises, offices and art facilities.

Fifty-Two Degrees, Victoria View, Smethwick

ESRG is developing 92 apartments in the acclaimed former college buildings of Croketts Lane.

Ideally located four miles west of Birmingham town centre, Victoria View provides people with all budgets the opportunity to enjoy all that the West Midlands has to offer in a wide variety of home choice, from first-time buyers to established families. In total, there will be 188 apartments in this multi-phase development.

New developments planned in Birmingham

At the beginning of the year, ESRG announced that it had submitted plans for Birmingham City Centre regeneration. These plans were for around 400 new apartments at Digbeth, on two derelict industrial sites.

In the first project, plans provide for demolition, refurbishment, and erection of new buildings at 234-236  Bradford Street, creating 162 one-bedroom and 131 two-bedroom apartments and six ground floor commercial units.

The second project also provides plans for demolition work before the construction of 148 apartments and three ground floor commercial units at 250 and 251 Bradford Street. The block will be from four to nine storeys and provide a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments.

DPP, working on behalf of ESRG, announced that these plans had progressed through the planning stage in early August 2017. It’s all systems go for ESRG in Birmingham’s top regeneration district.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

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Keepmoat Homes – the expert regeneration property developer

Get To Know Series – UK Developers In this series, we showcase many of the UK Developers work with. The UK market is full of quality developers with proven track records and who are working hard to solve the housing crisis, despite the hinders placed by Government at every level.

Perfect new build homes in sustainable developments

Keepmoat Homes plan, designs, and delivers large and smallscale developments. This property developer works closely with a variety of partners, providing thousands of new homes every year. It is one of the most experienced of the UK’s property developers that specialise in homes of for first-time buyers, and its regeneration division is at the forefront of the private rented housing market.

Keepmoat’s commitment to developing innovative and affordable properties in great locations across the nation makes this top ten UK property developer one of the favourites among property investors.

30,000 homes and counting

Keepmoat has developed more than 30,000 new homes in the UK and is delivering thousands more every year. It builds each with tremendous attention to detail. These homes, from two-bedroom apartments through to large detached properties, are designed to be spacious and stylish, perfectly suited to modern lifestyles. They offer flexible living spaces, bathed in natural light, and benefitting from details such as intelligent storage, space-saving design, and branded white goods.

To increase the speed of delivery of sustainable developments, Keepmoat works closely with local authorities, housing associations and other landowners to identify suitable land for development. Having identified and secured the land needed, Keepmoat then builds to exacting standards of craftsmanship.

Experts in urban regeneration

Keepmoat is an expert developer of urban regeneration projects. It designs, finances, builds, refurbishes and maintains places where people want to live. It focuses particularly on creating affordable housing, and adaptable life-long homes.

Keepmoat also transforms disused land, tired properties, and large estates. It works closely with local authorities, private sector funders and landowners to deliver new homes in highly desirable locations.

A valuable partner in the private rented sector

Keepmoat uses its land sourcing and construction platform to identify and secure land and deliver homes to the private rented market across the UK, specialising in the provision of multi-family buildings alongside low-density housing. It’s perfectly placed to be the partner of choice in this market. Keepmoat’s new home building experience, supply chain, and commitment to developing quality housing help reduce build costs, increase construction efficiency, and deliver strong yielding properties.

A highly awarded regeneration specialist

Keepmoat’s regeneration expertise is recognised throughout the industry. It has received many awards, including:

• Project of the Year, 2016, in the Committed to Construction in Humber and West Yorkshire Awards and the Renew/Yorkshire Society Awards for Leeds Estate Regeneration.
• Awards for Integration and Collaborative Working in the 2016 Celebrating Construction Awards, for its Sandwell Partnership.
• The BIM Project of the Year Award for The Meadows in Nottingham, in 2016 Celebrating Construction Awards.
• A raft of awards at the LABC Building Excellence Awards, including:

• Best Inclusive Building – Limestone View, Extra Care Housing, Settle (North & East Yorkshire)
• Best Social and Affordable Social Housing Development – Palmer Court, Lenton (East Midlands)
• Best Social and Affordable Social Housing Development – Palmer Court, Lenton.
• The award for Delivering Social Value for the Sandwell Partnership, presented by the National Federation of Builders

Current Keepmoat development projects

Keepmoat has developments and regeneration projects underway or planned. Here are two of these:

Spirit Quarters, Coventry

Spirit Quarters in Coventry is the redevelopment of the Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm Estates (WEHM), which will see the demolition of 2,500 existing homes replaced with 3,300 mixed-tenure new homes. Keepmoat heads a consortium that will deliver the project over a 15-year period and is working closely with local residents to ensure they are informed and involved. Local residents are encouraged to put forward suggestions on how the green spaces could be improved, such as natural play areas and footpaths along the river, and sign up as volunteers to help plant the wild meadow, clean out the river, and place bird and bat boxes in trees.

The first phase of 154 homes has been completed, and this site will provide many opportunities for home buyers, renters and investors, throughout its development lifecycle.

Ebbsfleet Garden Village – hot off the press!

Keepmoat Homes are buying land at Northfleet, part of the Ebbsfleet Garden City, from the Homes and Communities Agency at Ebbsfleet, with plans approved for 600 new homes in a deal worth £175 million. The site will eventually provide a mix of homes including two and three-storey traditional homes and modern apartments.

As part of the project, the WT Henley building – a disused 19th-century cable works factory – will be partly demolished.

Roland Grant, regional managing director of Keepmoat Homes South said: “The Northfleet site is a landmark development for Keepmoat Homes and represents the largest and most significant award in the area since we expanded the business into London and the South East in 2014.

“This is an important milestone in ensuring this scheme becomes a reality, and the acquisition and development of Northfleet will meet the clear demand in the region. It is another positive step for Keepmoat Homes’ ambitious growth plans in the Thames Gateway.”

The Northfleet development will provide homes for outright sale, for starter homes and for shared ownership and affordable rent. There will also be a number of retail units developed, including a café and local shops and community facilities.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

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Fairview New Homes – sustainability through brownfield development

Get To Know Series – UK Developers In this series, we showcase many of the UK Developers work with. The UK market is full of quality developers with proven track records and who are working hard to solve the housing crisis, despite the hinders placed by Government at every level.

Building sustainable and environmentally friendly communities

Fairview Homes has been building homes in London and the home counties for almost 60 years, and its experience and expertise is epitomised in the Colindale development in London. Fairview takes pride in the way it builds communities while helping the economy to grow with green and sustainable development strategies.

Fairview – prioritising brownfield for a sustainable future

Fairview prioritises the transformation of brownfield sites, turning them from derelict and disused, decrepit dumps into vibrant and thriving communities. Since 1961, Fairview has been developing such sites in London and the home counties. Its past and current projects range from small village locations to large urban regeneration projects. Its new home product ranges from inner-city apartments to large detached family homes in well-connected locations.

This property developer’s brownfield credentials are no more evident than at Colindale, a London location, which it has been helping to evolve for around ten years. Its Pulse development, built on the site of the former Colindale Hospital, clearly showcases its capability to transform disused urban sites into exceptional communities. Together with its previous development Rhythm, and its new development Edition, Fairview will have built more than 1,500 homes at Colindale.

Working with communities

Colindale works hard to engage local communities where it is building. It has included strategies such as visiting local schools and contributing to local community initiatives and groups. Where it builds, it creates hundreds of contract jobs during development, further boosting the local community.

Safeguarding the environment

You would find it hard to name a property developer more committed to safeguarding the environment. Its business plan prioritises brownfield sites, with the aim of developing quality, attainable and sustainable homes that meet the aspirations of their occupiers.

Fairview collaborates closely with local authorities and the Homes and Communities Agency to achieve long-term sustainable developments for current and future generations while ensuring that the UK’s green and pleasant landscape remains intact and accessible. Where it builds, Fairview seeks to provide recreational environments fit for today’s lifestyles.

In the last 25 years, Fairview has helped to reclaim more than 200 brownfield sites, converting unsightly and potentially hazardous sites into exceptional living environments.

They specialise in building developments of quality, attainable homes, enabling their purchasers to realise their aspiration for homeownership.

Where can you invest in a Fairview property?

Fairview has several developments underway or soon to be developed, all ideal locations and properties for investment. Here we look at two upcoming development sites, typical of the quality of location and property offered by Fairview.

Phoenix, Poplar, London

This development of one to three-bedroom luxury apartments is located adjacent to Limehouse Cut canal, and thin walking distance of Langdon Park DLR and Mile End Underground stations. It benefits from exceptional shopping and schools nearby, as well as a brief commute into central London.

All daily shopping requirements are just a few minutes away, with Tesco Express, Co-Op, and Lidl all less than one kilometre away, and Waitrose just three kilometres. The acclaimed Westfield Stratford City is only six kilometres away.

Families have the advantage of a wide choice of schools, including St Saviour’s C of E Primary around a couple of hundred metres from the development. For senior school pupils, Langdon Park School is around one kilometre. In all, there are eight schools catering for nursery age through to 18 years old.

There is a plethora of sports clubs and leisure facilities all close to the Phoenix development, and these include the Mile End Park Leisure Centre and Stadium, a Cineworld complex, and the London Aquatics Centre. Food lovers are within half a mile of the famous Chrisp Street Market – the UK’s first purpose-built pedestrian shopping area – offering international cuisine and traditional pie and mash side by side.

Transport options are exceptional here. These include the Canary Wharf Taxi Service and Langdon Park DLR. Fast and regular commuter services make the City only a few minutes away. Canary Wharf is just six minutes by DLR, and Stratford International only 16 minutes. For access to Europe, London City Airport is less than six kilometres by road.

Orchard Lodge, Anerley, London

Like Phoenix in Poplar, Orchard Lodge in Anerley offers outstanding benefits to residents. Here, too, you can invest in one to three-bedroom apartments. Anerley offers wide, open spaces yet are only 20 minutes from central London. The development is within walking distance of Anerley station.

Residents are well served for their shopping needs, with a Tesco Express, Aldi, Co-Op and Sainsbury’s all between half and one mile.

There are four schools for infants and juniors within 1.3 miles. The closest of these is the James Dixon Primary School – less than a 200-metre walk away. Nearby senior schools include Harris City Academy Crystal Palace and Sydenham High School.

For the sports and fitness-minded, open spaces provide plenty of opportunity for walking, jogging and cycling. Also, there are several sports and leisure centres nearby, including South Norwood Lake and Grounds, and the stadium of Premier League football club Crystal Palace is just two miles away.

Anerley station is around 500 meters’ walk, and regular bus services can be taken less than two hundred meters away from the development.

For property investors who want to benefit from the some of the best brownfield locations in London and the home counties, and who want to invest in properties that have been built to be sustainable and with a conscience for local environmental issues, Fairview New Homes is a wise choice.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood