LoginSubscribe to Alerts

One-on-one interview: Andrew Biggs, Marchand Petit

Posted 8 December 2016 by Keith Osborne

WhatHouse? speaks exclusively to Andrew Biggs of Devon estate agent Marchand Petit about the new homes market in his area right now...

This week’s exclusive interview heads down to the south-west of England, and the sought-after area of South Hams specifically, speaking to Andrew Biggs, who runs the land and new homes department of one of the district’s best-known estate agencies, representing a number of housebuilders and developers.

Hi Andrew , please tell us a little about yourself and Marchand Petit.

Marchand Petit is a marketing-led, progressive, seven-branch estate agency focusing on an area of south Devon known as the South Hams, with offices based in hotspots such as Salcombe, Dartmouth, Newton Ferrers and Totnes as well as Kingsbridge, Modbury and the Rame Peninsula.

We are the only agent in the area to have a dedicated land and new homes department, which I run. I have spent many years running estate agency offices in my home town of Bristol before my love of new homes took me to work for such household names as Barratt and Berkeley Homes amongst others and following this, a change of lifestyle brought me to Marchand Petit in the South Hams.

What developments are you currently marketing?

The department is currently active on around 11 large sites including the Bloor Homes Baltic Wharf development with 95 units on the first phase ranging from one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments to unique waterfront townhouses with views over the River Dart, a development of executive detached homes just outside Kingsbridge with rural views and a re-development for The Harbour Hotel of townhouses overlooking the Salcombe Estuary.

What are the property hotspots in your region?

Our current hotspots, I would say, are in and around Totnes where momentum is good mainly due to the town’s unique nature with the mainline railway and excellent road links to Plymouth and Exeter for those wishing to commute.

Our current star performer is Baltic Wharf in Totnes due to its diversity of product and its excellent location on the River Dart but only minutes’ walk into the town centre and the bustling array of independent shops and well regarded Inns and eateries. Bloor Homes is creating a hub of totally unique architecturally designed homes which are appealing to those buyers wanting something that is different and shouts quality.

Are you finding demand at some price points stronger/weaker than others?

As we cover only the South Hams and include such areas as Salcombe and Dartmouth we are not seeing any particular weak or strong price points.  We can offer a property to suit all tastes and prices from a one-bedroom apartment in Baltic Wharf for around £189,950 to a three-bedroom house in Palstone Meadow, just on the edge of Dartmoor, by Cavanna Homes at £265,000, a four-bedroom executive home just outside Kingsbridge on The Ridings by DCH at £460,000 to a superb four-bedroom townhouse right on the water’s edge in Salcombe at around £2m.

Obviously these properties are appealing to many different buyers, including a strong investment base with buy-to-let, younger buyers looking for their first home and of course the strong second-home market in locations such as Dartmouth and Salcombe.

Have government schemes such as Help to Buy increased interest in brand new homes locally?

The government incentives such as Help to Buy are a huge help to the new homes market.  We are also finding that purchasers locally are waking up to the other benefits of buying new, such as, a blank canvas to create your own home and garden and the energy efficiency of all new homes with those buyers watching their monthly outgoings as key. Of course, the new build warranty is a draw for new homes developments, but not only that, in our area certainly, it is the fact that there is something different in a particular area. 

For instance, Origins, which has just completed by Cavanna Homes, offered something very different in Dartington, just outside Totnes, in the form of a new home close to the A38 for easy commutes. A brand new home had not been seen in the area for some time.

Why aren’t we building enough new homes to meet demand across the UK?

There are many reasons why the new homes industry has fallen short on demand but it falls, in my opinion, into three main categories. Firstly, back in 2007/08, when the property market downturn occurred, banks were unwilling to lend generally to the residential market and, of course, job insecurity stopped a lot of buyers moving. This in turn led to housebuilders reducing the number of houses they built and eventually sold. This created a skills shortage within the construction industry generally and is still so in many ways today.

This, along with cuts in many local authorities, has meant that there are often substantial delays in the planning process meaning that valuable housing numbers (currently the government has indicated that they need around 300,000 new homes to be built a year) are just not possible. Bear in mind the Baker Report in 2004 indicated that we needed to build 250,000 new homes per annum – it clearly has not happened.

Is there more that could be done to kick-start the new build housing market? 

Yes, firstly the planning process needs to be simplified and less time consuming which is what the NPPF tried to do, with its presumption in favour of sustainable development. Secondly, the access to funding needs to be made easier for both developer and their eventual buyers and the release of public sector land for development across the county would, according to latest figures, produce 160,000 new homes.

How are traditional agencies competing against the rise of online competitors?

Online agencies cannot offer the level of service that is needed by, not only the vendor, but in the case of new homes, the purchaser, as it is vital that the purchaser is professionally attended-to throughout the buying process and on a new homes development where buying off-plan is possible, much is needed from the estate agent to explain the process and keep the sale on track to completion.

What’s in your pipeline for the coming 12 months?

We have many new developments coming to the market over the course of 2017 and I would suggest watching www.marchandpetit.co.uk for further details.

 

Malabar (Spitfire Homes)
29 February 2024
Spitfire Homes has announced the next stage of the major development in Daventry, now open for house-hunters to visit...Read more
The ‘Corndon’ house type from Cavanna Homes
29 February 2024
Friday 1 and Saturday 2 March are the dates of an Open House event for a decorated new view home at Bellevue...Read more
A Bromford show house
29 February 2024
Bromford has released the first of a brand new design of three-bedroom house for sale at its Park Lane site in in Cradley Heath...Read more
Sign up for email alertsGet the latest properties and updates sent directly to your inbox daily, weekly or immediately you are in control.
Subscribe to Alerts
Search news and advice

Click here to see your activities