An expert view on the new homes market in north-west England

This week, we speak to Samantha Johnson, sales director for Miller Homes North West, who tells us her current experience of the market in her region, both from her selling perspective and from how her buyers are coping with current conditions.

Hi Samantha, please tell us a little about yourself and Miller Homes.

I have been working in the housing industry for 21 years and started my career at Barratt Homes as a sales advisor. From then, I gained experience in a range of new home developers – including Fairclough Homes, Elite Homes, McInerney Homes, Persimmon Homes and Rowland Homes before I joined Miller in May 2013. I was appointed sales director for the North West early in 2016, where I am responsible for the sales and marketing of Miller Homes’ developments across the area, covering locations from Sandbach in Cheshire through to Lancaster. It’s a busy and sometimes challenging job but I’ve loved the role so far!

What developments is the company working on at present?

We currently have six live developments, and we have another two starting this year: Woodville Place in Warrington and Parklands View in Chorley, which we’re incredibly excited about. That’s not all – I can’t say too much right now at this moment, but we’re hoping to have even more to follow.

Do you have a current favourite site?

A tricky question, but I would have to say that our Croston Meadow site in Farington Moss has some great show homes, and the development itself has a great mix of house types for all purchasers. We work with the incredible team at Abode and Killer5 for our show home interior designs and each room is perfectly crafted with potential buyers in mind. Croston Meadow’s location is also a huge factor as to why it’s my favourite, as it’s based centrally in the region and has great commuter access.

Are there any places in particular where demand has been very strong?

Our Fairfield Gardens development in Widnes is our best-selling site right now. It’s easy to see why, it’s only half-a-mile away from Widnes train station and Liverpool John Lennon Airport is less than seven miles away – so ideal for business commuters or families jetting off on holiday! There’s also loads of green spaces nearby as well as a sought after local school.

What is it about your sites and homes that stands you out from a very busy new homes market?

Here at Miller Homes we pride ourselves on the quality of our homes and our high level of customer service. Our teams support purchasers every step of the journey, whether first-time buyers or seasoned movers. Our sales advisors understand how unique every home buyer’s situations is, and are on hand to help with finding the right financial support to ensuring every detail is right when moving in and beyond – we often have customer feedback detailing how even though they’re all moved in and settled, the sales advisors still pop in to see how they’re doing.

Who is buying at the moment? Is not qualifying for mortgages keeping out many younger potential buyers?

We’ve had a record year here at Miller in terms of house sales, and the demand for new homes is at an all-time high. The Help To Buy scheme has truly helped the first-time buyer market – we’re currently selling to first-time buyers, upsizers and downsizers. To help even further, as well as Help To Buy we have our own schemes and initiatives which particularly look to help young buyers – such as our family deposit scheme which rewards relatives who help with deposits.

How important are schemes like Help to Buy and Part Exchange to homebuyers in the areas you operate in?

Incredibly important, we really cannot understate the value that we’ve seen such schemes bring to our North West customers. From young people who thought they would be years away from being able to buy, to downsizers who, for various reasons, are looking to just get out of their old property and into their new Miller Homes as quickly as possible. We know how much these schemes mean to our customers, which is why we try to offer them on as many of our plots as we can.

Is the 'Bank of Mum and Dad' also a major help to some of your buyers?

Even though we offer the family deposit scheme to help out relatives who put something towards their children’s deposits, we haven’t seen the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ used anywhere near as one might expect. The majority of our buyers come to own their homes purely by saving hard, and saving smart; as well as using schemes available to support them.

What's in the pipeline for your region of Miller Homes over the next few months?

We are opening our brand new Woodville Place development in Warrington in early August and the show homes will follow towards the end of 2017. Additionally, we are opening in autumn our Parklands View development in Chorley.