Prospective buyers looking for luxury living in Nottingham should act now to secure apartments at the new gated ‘Bridgford Place’ complex, located a stone’s throw from West Bridgford’s Central Avenue, where the first buyers have started to move in. Comprising six one-bedroom apartments and 24 two-bedroom apartments, 75% of which were sold by selling agents FHP Living by practical completion of the development, this exclusive 30-home scheme, by Buildwell Developments, offers modern, luxury and eco-friendly living in a location second to none – in the very heart of West Bridgford town centre. Just seven two-bed apartments out of the 30 apartments are left to buy, each with a large open plan living space, en-suite shower room, family bathroom, zoned underfloor heating and allocated parking space, with prices ranging from £222,500 to £265,000. Constructed to a high architectural standard across four floors, works commenced on Bridgford Place back in 2019 and completed in 2020, and each home has been finished to a light, open-plan contemporary design with high spec fixtures and fittings including German kitchens, Bosch cooking appliances, quartz worktops, luxury bathrooms with Roca sanitaryware and Grohe showers, Karndean flooring and 80/20 wool twist carpets. Some of the properties boast balconies with views across West Bridgford and all top floor apartments have private terraces or balconies to enjoy all the benefits of al fresco living. Complete with beautifully landscaped communal gardens for residents to enjoy, lift access and gated parking, the complex incorporates environmentally-friendly features including thermally efficient materials, and infrastructure for future electrical charging points for residents’ cars. With Central Avenue on its doorstep, Bridgford Place benefits from an array of amenities easily accessible on foot, including parks, bars, restaurants and cafes such as Costa Coffee, Copper, Yumacha, The Botanist, Portello Lounge and Escabeche, and convenient supermarkets for essentials such as M & S and the Co-op. Just two miles from Nottingham city centre, regular bus services including the 5 Green Line run frequently from Rectory Road, through West Bridgford, Trent Bridge, The Meadows, Nottingham City Centre and the Lace Market. For avid sports fans, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground is a ten-minute walk away, and Nottingham Forest FC’s City Ground and Notts County Football Club on Meadow Lane are both a short stroll away. Steve Parker, director of FHP Living, said: “You just can’t beat this location and buyers will benefit from the stamp duty holiday that will run for the next four months. It’s not surprising we have seen homes selling so quickly at Bridgford Place. It is a prime development offering the finest quality central living and works for owner occupiers and investors alike. “Catering to a wide demographic of buyers, from first timers, to downsizers and those adding to their portfolios – the properties really offer a standard of living which is a cut above, from the modern spacious design and quality finishings, to the unrivalled views and close proximity to surrounding amenities in Central Avenue and the city. “Just a short walk away you have parks, shops, and plenty of eating and drinking venues – all without the hassle of having to take a car or public transport, it’s all on your doorstep.”

The coronavirus pandemic of 2020 has reshaped many areas of life as we know it. Necessary measures such as social distancing, quarantine and isolation have altered work and home lives for large swathes of the world population, as part of the measures put in place to try and slow the spread of the virus and protect the most vulnerable members of society. One area which has seen an unprecedented boost is in the use of virtual viewings for those looking at making changes in the property market. With so many restrictions in place in terms of travel and entering other people’s homes, those looking to buy or rent a new property are now turning to virtual tours to view those properties rather than a physical viewing. Zuneth Sattar of Xavier Investments Limited has a long-standing interest in the UK rental property market for investment and is continually adding new residences to his property portfolio. Sattar is one of many thousands of people now resorting to virtual tours to get an idea of what a property is like before committing to making a purchase. Virtual Viability Prior to the pandemic, it is likely that most people would prefer to physically visit and view a property before deciding to buy or rent it. However, things have changed. A recent survey conducted by Purplebricks found that a full third of 2,000 UK adults surveyed would be happy to judge a potential new property based on an online viewing, provided they were able to see the entire inside and outside of the property. One in six would go so far as to put an offer in to purchase a property if the virtual viewing showed them everything they needed. Changing Priorities The pandemic has also changed customer demand in terms of what people are now prioritising when looking to move home. Gardens are now seen not as a luxury, but as an essential, multi-functional space that can allow people to socialise even during times where stricter measures for social distancing have been put in place. Functionality in general is becoming more important, as ongoing temporary closures of businesses and restrictions mean that the home, and especially the garden, can often be the only place where people can safely meet family and friends. Increased Buyer Demand Zoopla statistics show that buyer demand in Wales increased by 41% just 24 hours after the housing market re-opened following lockdown. Across the UK, buyer demand has increased by as much as 46% compared to levels before lockdown, which given the wider economic landscape is a significant jump. Demand has also risen in the rental sector, with tenancy activity higher now than it has been at this point for the past two years. However, supply is down by around 15% across the sale and rental markets combined, which creates a sellers’ market and could see house prices and leases increase if nothing changes. Technology At present, virtual house viewings are only available to a limited section of the market as customers are required to own their own VR headsets to access the service. However, estate agents are already embracing the phenomenon, and some have started to offer loans of headsets to people looking at new build properties. Where complexes are under development with multiple identical homes becoming available, some realtors will allow customers to use headsets they have supplied to virtually view one or more of the properties, as this encourages people further down the buying pathway than a two-dimensional plan ever could.

House hunters Colin and Barbara Edwards have ended their five-year search for a perfect property after finding their home-sweet-home at Cavanna Homes’ Barley Meadow development in Dawlish. The couple had been renting in Newton Abbot, close to their dental equipment business, whilst scouring the surrounding area for a home to call their own. Having viewed and ruled-out a number of different homes, they finally spotted their dream home in the window of a local estate agent. Colin recalls; “When we saw the designs for the Rippon promoted in the estate agent’s window, I was slightly sceptical at first because it hadn’t yet been built and we couldn’t actually view the home, but Barbara was really keen to go and have a look. “We were able to view another Rippon–style property and when we spoke to the Sales Advisor, we discovered that the plot we were interested in was nicely tucked away, backing onto a private lane with a hedgerow, so we’d have plenty of privacy.” Colin and Barbara reserved their new home off-plan and managed to move-in in April, despite the Covid-19 lockdown. “Our moving day was quite different to what we had planned, but despite the government’s lockdown restrictions, we were able to hire a large van and moved ourselves into our new home at Barley Meadow in April”, explained Colin. “We didn’t have an official handover, but we met with the Sales Advisor, Sarah, who handed us the keys to our new home on the kerbside and had turned on all the lights for us in advance to make us feel welcome. “We’ve never lived in a new build home before and we’re really loving it here!  We have everything we need and from the front window we have stunning view over the fields – which is an added bonus. We got really lucky with this home! “There aren’t many homes at Barley Meadow, so it’s a lovely, quiet area and everyone has been really friendly. We’re just waiting for everyone else to move in now. “The location is ideal too. A lot of our family live in Dawlish so we’re closer to them, which was one of the main reasons for moving here. We’re only 10 minutes from the beach and there are nice walks close by as well as scenic cycle routes – so we’re very spoilt for choice. “Our commute to work is just 10-minutes and I’m often on the road travelling to clients, so it’s ideally placed for Torbay, Exeter and beyond. It ticks all the boxes!”, added Colin.  Sales Advisor Sarah Bowden, said: “It’s fantastic that Colin and Barbara were able to move home during lockdown and are now all settled into their new home at Barley Meadow and enjoying all that this stunning location has to offer. Colin and Barbara are a great addition to our new community here in Dawlish! “We have a brilliant selection of coastal homes at Barley Meadow. If anyone is interested in moving to Dawlish, please get in touch, and don’t forget about significant Stamp Duty savings and using Help to Buy if you’re looking to upgrade to a new home”.

Landwood Property Auctions are meeting surging demand for development opportunities – by continuing to stage weekly sales throughout August – when many of their rivals down tools. Summer months traditionally see most auction houses scale back or halt operations entirely. But, Landwood are doing the reverse and maintaining their timetable of industry-leading online-only sales every seven days as more and more customers seek to snap up land.  Recent auctions have shown how strong the demand for plots is with one in Stalybridge, Cheshire reaching 19 times its £5,000 guide price – selling for £95,000 after 298 bids. Similarly, a further plot of land in Stroud, Gloucestershire went for 3.5 times its estimate – selling for £325,000 following 150 bids. “In times of economic uncertainty like these, you often see increased demand for land as investors see it as a safe place for their money. And we’ve certainly been witnessing plots with residential development opportunities performing particularly strongly recently,” said Landwood Property Auctions Director Kate Lay. “That’s why, while others hang up their gavels over the summer, we’re continuing to hold our auctions on a weekly basis throughout August and into the rest of the year.” Recent highlights from the July 29 sale evidence this strong demand for properties with residential development potential. Two care homes in Cumbria were sold on behalf of Cumbria County Council for £406,000 and £244,000, compared with the guide prices of £100,000 and £125,000 respectively. There was strong interest in the lead up to the auction from residential developers, as well as from those in the care sector. Further recent successes include a commercial unit in High Wycombe, Bucks that went for 25% over the £1million guide price after failing to sell privately. Landwood’s pioneering tech-driven approach dispenses with a physical auctioneer – allowing more bids to be taken in a shorter space of time – maximising potential returns for sellers and giving buyers more opportunities to secure a property. It helped them sell £11million of property during lockdown.