Natural Light And Spacious Homes With Award-Winning Developer

We catch up with Philip Brown of Millwood Designer Homes, the developers behind this year’s WhatHouse?’s Best House Silver Award…

First of all, huge congratulations on winning a WhatHouse? Award for Best House at this year’s ceremony! Can you tell us what you think was the real standout feature of the house?

Thank you. The Beddington at Heartenoak Meadows is an open-plan five-bedroom property, with lots of large windows dotted around the house, which make the property feel really light and airy. I think natural light is so important in the current times we are living through, especially as we are all spending more and more time at home. It has been proven to significantly benefit mental health, and really helps with work productivity for those of us that are working from home more often too.

Do you think the configuration of the house appealed as an ideal home to live in during the lockdowns last year?

Yes, very much so. The Beddington is really spacious, and families in particular can really feel like they have their own space within the home, as well as enjoying time together in the open-plan living areas. On the ground floor, there is plenty of space for home working in the dedicated study, as well as the choice of five bedrooms upstairs which can easily be transformed into further work or hobby rooms for other members of the family.

You focus on building new homes in Sussex, Surrey and Kent; how do these markets differ in terms of the demographic of buyers looking to live in these areas?

This is something that has very much adapted and changed in the last 18 months. People have decided to move out of London into these home county locations, many of whom no longer have the need to commute into the city every day. Where an hour’s commute was previously essential, this is not so important anymore, so buyers are happier to move further afield and take on a longer commute, as they don’t have to do it so often. In Kent especially, there has also been a change from people choosing to live in the more popular Kentish locations, such as Tunbridge Wells, and they are instead happy to live within half an hour of these locations, in the villages surrounding them.

Has the pandemic prompted Millwood to look at changing the layout of homes going forward, in response to a growing trend to work at home at least some of the time?

Not really, space and flexibility in our homes has always been important for Millwood. We offer a range of layouts at each of our developments, from properties with separate dining rooms, living rooms and kitchens, to more open-plan homes which act as the main hub of the home and space for a dedicated study upstairs. Getting fibre connections for broadband has been the big crusade as we often build on the outskirts of towns and villages, but this is something we’re proud to say we have significantly improved upon.

So unfortunately, that development is now sold out, but you have some great schemes that you’re marketing at the moment, can you tell us a bit about them?

We have recently launched Lillybank in Battle, East Sussex, off-plan, and that has been selling fantastically well. The first phase has all sold, and we have just started marketing the first four bedroom properties which start at £545,000. In 2022 we have some incredible developments coming up, including The Nurseries in Sutton Valence which launches off-plan in January, and Lanthorne Place in Broadstairs, which will launch off-plan in the Spring, and is just five minutes’ walk from Viking Bay and close to the Old Town. After our previous successes in Crowborough, we also have a brand new, handily located development coming up there too.

Are you offering any incentives to potential buyers?

As our current developments are launched off-plan, we aren’t offering any incentives at the moment.

And what’s in the pipeline?

We have so many sites across Surrey, Sussex and Kent currently coming through planning, meaning 2022 and 2023 are going to be big for Millwood. From a large seaside development in Rustington, West Sussex, to smaller schemes in villages around Tunbridge Wells, we’re really excited for what’s to come.

How do you think the new homes market will perform over the next twelve months?

After the previous 18 months, it is difficult to predict where the housing market will go. However, if you are building family homes in popular locations and have a quality brand, there certainly still seems to be an appetite for new homes.

What would be your number one tip to anybody looking to buy a new home in 2022?

I would say thoroughly research where you want to live, and check if it matches your affordability. If not, see where else is local to your desired area, as there may be up-and-coming locations that you haven’t heard of before.