LoginSubscribe to Alerts

One-on-one interview: Mark Vanson, Redrow Homes

Posted 1 December 2016 by Keith Osborne

WhatHouse? speaks exclusively to Mark Vanson, sales and marketing chief of the Southern Counties region of multi-award-winning Redrow Homes...

Our exclusive interview with a senior new homes executive this week poses the questions to Mark Vanson, regional sales and marketing director for Redrow Homes Southern Counties.

Hi Mark, please tell us a little about yourself and your division of Redrow.

I joined the team in October 2015 from Bovis Homes Southern, having worked in the new homes industry for almost 30 years. I was attracted to Redrow Homes for the quality of the product; in particular, the Heritage range of homes. Redrow Southern Counties has some great developments in the southern region of the country, ideal for a variety of buyers including first-timers, families and commuters – in locations such as Hampshire, Wiltshire, Surrey and Berkshire. With a number of other exciting schemes in the pipeline set to deliver homes in Bracknell, Alton, and Basingstoke, 2016 has been a great year for Redrow Homes and I am excited to continue the journey.

Where are you currently building and what kind of properties are you offering?

Redrow Homes currently constructs around 4,000 premium-quality homes a year, in prime locations across England and Wales. The Southern Counties team now operates out of its new head office in Basingstoke, creating bespoke developments in both rural and urban locations in the South of England. Across Redrow, there is a strong emphasis on providing high-quality homes in prime locations and our housing ranges feature designs to suit all lifestyles. Our Heritage Collection of homes combines traditional looking Arts and Crafts-influenced exteriors with bright, modern interiors, whilst the classically styled Regent Collection features Georgian-inspired street scenes and architecture.

Do you have a "star performer" development, and if so, what do you consider makes its success so strong?

We have recently launched a key development in Maidenhead, The Loftings. Maidenhead as an area plays a key role in the continued success of this development – as the town holds excellent opportunities for UK and overseas investors with the pending arrival of Crossrail in 2019, and current access to London Paddington in just 25 minutes. Although we are selling 12 months ahead of build completions, 50% of the first phase of homes has been reserved in just four weeks.

Are you finding a larger proportion of buyers coming out from London now, compared to, say, five or ten years ago?

Not necessarily, no. For us, we have always had a large proportion of buyers relocating out of London to our developments, and this is as strong now as ever. A particularly strong market for us is young couples looking for a home that is close enough to the M25, and within reach of good local schools, leisure facilities and transport links. We are also increasingly finding that downsizers are joining the market, buying properties for investment with a view that they will retire to the property in their later years. This is most prevalent at our south coast sites, such as Lymington Shores.   

Are schemes such as Help to Buy and Part Exchange the main reasons for demand for new build, or is it still more traditional values such as the "blank canvas" that attracts buyers?

Help to Buy continues to be a huge driver for customers looking to find a way to purchase a new build home. However, the initiative is not just being taken up by first-time buyers, but increasingly by the ‘trade-up’ market. For Redrow Homes, the scheme has been immensely successful, as it is available to use on properties priced up to £600,000 – a price bracket which the majority of homes across our region fall within.

Are there particular Redrow USPs that distinguish you from your local competitors?

We particularly pride ourselves on our Heritage range – a range of well-built homes, traditionally styled with modern interiors. When choosing one of our homes, the customer has the opportunity to visit a neighbouring site, where they can view the same house type being built, or already built. Plus, we offer our exclusive MyRedrow platform to all of our prospective customers, which allows purchasers to make their selections on interior and exterior features, choosing from a range of options online such as kitchen units, tiles and flooring. The benefit of this is that it allows them to personalise their new home at a time that suits them, rather than needing to take time out of their busy day to come and see our sales team on site.

What do you consider to be the main property hotspots right now in your region?

In the current property market, we are finding that all of our sites around the M25 are selling extremely well, as more and more people look for that integral balance of a life just outside of the capital, with key links into London. However, one hotspot in particular is Maidenhead which is a key location for us, attracting a large amount of interest from a variety of prospective buyers. Maidenhead is becoming increasingly popular with commuters, as the arrival of Crossrail will mean that the journey from Maidenhead to Canary Wharf will be down to just 40 minutes. The increase in demand in the area is a driving force for making Maidenhead a key property hotspot for us.

What effect do you see the Brexit vote having on the property market in your region?

We have experienced very little impact on the market in the Southern Counties region. Sales trends since the vote in June have been encouraging, with demand for new homes remaining strong across the region. Show homes and sales offices across the South of England continue to receive steady footfall, with homes on our developments in areas such as Surrey and Berkshire still proving immensely popular.

What's in the Redrow pipeline for buyers later in the year and into 2017?

2017 looks to be an equally exciting year for Redrow Homes. We are pleased to be building near to our regional office in Basingstoke, on our Becket’s Rise site, which will be launching in the New Year. We have already had interest from over 500 registered home buyers since establishing signage on site, and foresee these homes being immensely popular. Redrow Homes Southern Counties is also looking to move into further key locations in the region, including Alton and Arborfield Green where we will be building homes from our Heritage range.

 

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