Octagon Developments Delivers High Class Living
Please tell us a little about yourself and your areas of responsibility at Octagon?
I joined Octagon almost six months ago as their first Commercial Director and I oversee the Surveying, Buying and Estimating teams.
Coming from a building background (my grandfather and father were both builders) I joined the industry as a trainee in the late ‘80s with Wimpey Homes, and qualified as a quantity surveyor before moving onto progressive roles with national and regional developers. My previous role was with A2Dominion, helping create their private sale division before joining Octagon in November last year.
As it’s a new role for the privately-owned company, who have been building luxury homes across London and the Home Counties for over 40 years, I have embraced this as an opportunity to help improve an iconic brand, bringing in new procedures and systems to work in line with the planned expansion into a more diverse market sector.
Day to day I manage a well-established commercial team who have many years’ experience producing the Octagon product. My role includes working with them, from land appraisal to handover for both our Bespoke clients and speculative builds, ensuring that the commercial function performs at the highest level throughout the whole process. This includes having a robust reporting system to produce accurate and transparent information whilst maintaining profit margins as the business moves into new areas of operation.
Is there a 'special something' or USP which sets your properties apart from your competitors?
The wealth of experience across the company really makes Octagon stand out from its competitors. Octagon has developed a unique style which many try to emulate, but few can produce to the same exacting standard. The number of Octagon clients who return to us time and time again to build their next home is a real testament to the company’s skill. Additionally, our Bespoke service is truly groundbreaking in the industry – few luxury housebuilders offer such a tailored service which centres exclusively around our clients.
Tell us about your latest projects and how they've been received so far?
Our latest launch is Titlarks House, a £15m super mansion in Sunningdale, Berkshire. The joint venture with Kebbell Homes is one of the largest one-off homes that Octagon has built speculatively in recent years and is a reflection of our confidence in the market. It’s a truly exceptional home, offering almost 17,000 sq ft of lateral living space over just two storeys.
We have also recently completed Bishops Row, a collection of nine townhouses on the Fulham banks of the River Thames. Each of the 4/5 bedroom homes has been designed to exploit the fantastic river positioning, with outdoor space on almost every floor, and exquisite roof terraces on the two largest plots.
Once again, a completely different kind of offering, Eagle House in Wimbledon Village is a magnificent Grade II* listed manor house, which Octagon have restored and renovated into eight luxury apartments. Each home is entirely unique, with original period features ranging from soaring stained glass and leaded light windows to elaborate heraldic molded plaster ceilings and original fireplaces.
We’re delighted to have such a diverse range of homes available and have enjoyed substantial interest across all three developments.
How important is it for Octagon to get involved in the local community?
Octagon consider it a crucial part of the development process to consult with the local community. Before any major development, Octagon run multiple consultation events where local residents can see Octagon’s plans and raise any thoughts and queries. It is just as beneficial for Octagon to host these events, as it is crucial for the local community to be fully aware of the proposal. At these events we can find out exactly what the community needs, affecting every aspect of the build process, from the demand for certain styles of housing through to the logistics of site traffic.
Octagon are just as proud to support the communities in which we build – our latest sponsorship project supports Surrey-based sports club, Parkside Cricket Academy, which seeks to develop sporting excellence amongst Surrey’s young cricket players.
Do your buyers have the opportunity to get involved and choose specification options in your properties?
Octagon’s Bespoke division offers the most personal of home-building experiences. We offer clients support from the very first steps of finding a plot of land and obtaining local planning permissions - sometimes demolishing their current home and replacing with a brand new property - to design, specification and everything in between. Our skilled team is also able to facilitate a major renovation or extension – the possibilities are endless, approaching every potential project as a new challenge.
What's in the pipeline for coming onto the market from you in 2019?
Work has commenced on our brand new flagship site, Broadoaks Park, a new development in West Byfleet, Surrey, set within 25 acres of green space. Broadoaks Park will house 125 one to six bedroom luxury homes, including 115 new build and 10 carefully refurbished and converted homes from existing Listed buildings, including a red-brick Grade II Listed mansion, original lodges, and a coach house. With fewer than five homes per acre, the low density scheme ensures every resident can enjoy a piece of the countryside in this popular commuter town.