This year is promising to be a very busy one for Hull in its role as UK City of Culture, but the way the city is changing, including its burgeoning new homes market, is rooted some years back.
There are hundreds of special events in place for its 52-week reign, with thousands of volunteers across the city taking part. Hull was given this role in November 2013, since when hundreds of new homes have already been built there. Its designation in this prestigious role was followed in 2016 by its naming by Rough Guides as one of the top ten cities in the world to visit.
Martin Green, who heads the City of Culture team after successful campaigns for London 2012 and the 2013 ‘Yorkshire Grand Départ’ at the start of that year’s Tour de France, is confident that the city’s current status has more than just a short term benefit. “Ten years after 2017, we will really see the lasting legacy of City of Culture,” he says. “We will see the impact of increased inward investment through skills, training and the creation of jobs. Hull should be established as a world-class visitor destination, with a strengthened economy to support the arts and culture.”
The current Saved Hull City Plan was initiated in 2000, proposing thousands of new homes, and the City Council is current working on a New Hull City Plan to take those proposals to 2032.
One of the areas which has benefitted mist is Kingswood Parks, in the north of the city, where a number of housebuilders are hard at work creating hundreds of new homes in a long-term project that is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Complemented by an Asda superstore, leisure facilities, new schools and a commercial village centre, the area now has some of the most expensive streets in Hull, reflecting how the quality of the development has maintained prices.
Among the new homes for sale in Hull now are:
Linden Homes is very active in and around Hull, with a number of developments offering a broad mix of property types. A show hiome is now open at Swanland Heights, with a variety of four- and five-bedroom homes priced from £499,950. Swanland is on the western outskirts of Hull, close to the Humber Bridge and with excellent road links.
Even closer to the Humber is Hessle, house-hunters should head for Woodland Croft, with two- to five-bedroom properties being built and prices starting at £162,950. Hessle is little more than an hour away from Leeds by rail and perfectly located for access to central Hull. This development is also the place to visit to find out more about the final home for sale at Spire View in North Ferriby, a four-bedroom detached home at £364,950 with the option of a Part Exchange deal. Help to Buy and Assisted Move initiatives are also available across the Linden Homes range.
David Wilson Homes is currently marketing a pair of developments in the area. Aspect is a mix of homes in the north-west suburb on Anlaby, starting at £139,995. There are three show homes at this development, demonstrating the variety of properties to choose from and the latest interiors trends to inspire buyers.
In Hessle, Tranby Fields has two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom properties for sale, with prices currently starting at £234,995. The area has an excellent mix of established amenities and despite its proximity to the centre of Hull, is also close to countryside and has a community feel. The sales team is on site seven days a week to speak about availability and assistance schemes such as Help to Buy, Movemaker and Part Exchange.
Keepmoat is another busy developer in and around Hull, with three current developments and house types to suit even modest budgets. At Scholars Gate, off Spring Bank West, the company is building 350 new homes, with two- and three-bedroom properties currently available from £128,995.
There’s a similar array of homes at Alexandra Gardens, on the east side of the city, starting at £110,995, perfect for first-time buyers and young families, especially as there are a number of good schools in the area. The homes are also under a mile from historic East Park.
At The Hawthornes at Amy Johnson, the housebuilder is offering a range of three-bedroom houses with a variety of designs and layouts. A show home is open Thursday to Monday, from 10.00am to 5.00pm. As at all Keepmoat developments, Help to Buy is available, requiring just a 5% deposit from buyers.
In Kingswood, on the northern fringe of the city, there are currently a number of developments for buyers to consider. Charles Church @ Broadacre, with a collection of three-, four- and five-bedroom homes priced from £159,999. Parklands is another option from this housebuilder, offering an even broader mix of homes with from two to five bedrooms.
Charterhouse is the latest Persimmon Homes development in this part of the city. Prices start at £121,999 for a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses on this new phase, with Part Exchange and Help to Buy also available.
Beal Homes has two developments in this part of Hull – Kings Chase has two- to four-bedroom houses from £154,995, while the one- to three-bedroom homes at Village Court have yet to be released.
Elsewhere, leading retirement developer McCarthy & Stone is building one- and two-bedroom apartments for over-60s in Cottingham, in the north-west of the city, with prices at The Laureates currently starting at £179,999. The first homeowners are expected to move in this spring.