A View Of The Property Market In Yorkshire

Scott Stothard, managing director of Vistry Yorkshire, on today’s property market for buyers and the company in his region.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your company during lockdown?

As with many businesses, not just housebuilding, the pandemic has affected our ability to operate at the levels we would normally have done. We have had to re-evaluate how we as a business and at local level operate and continue to trade and support our people, and be as flexible as we can with respect to childcare and other different working patterns. I feel we have done this and it has almost certainly brought us closer as a group of people.

One of your main ambitions for Vistry Yorkshire is to find suitable land to build new developments for local buyers; what do you look for in a plot?

Land buying is a difficult process at the best of times. There are a number of key factors in determining if the land is suitable for Vistry Homes Yorkshire the main characteristics are: first. good schools; second, good commuter links; third, industry – can our purchasers be close to work?; and fourth, can we leave a sustainable community when we leave?

What are the top tips you would give buyers of new build homes?

Number one, test drive the show home or view the relevant house type you are purchasing where possible and it is really important to visualise how you would live in that home. Secondly, ask lots of questions and don’t feel you’re asking too many. It is probably the biggest purchase of your life so you need confidence in your purchase. And third, meet the build team regularly. At Vistry Homes Yorkshire we encourage this as it provides assurance and we want our purchasers to feel confident in the home they are buying and who better to give those customers that confidence, than the guys who are building their home.

Linden Homes' The Dales in Morton-on-Swale

Do you offer buyers any incentives when purchasing a property through Vistry?

Yes we do, this will be outlet specific and will depend on the relevant campaign we are running at the time.

What's the latest scheme you're promoting?

As you know there are many schemes, but right now our most popular scheme across our outlets is Help to Buy.

What do the next 12 months look like for the Yorkshire property market?

The economic shape of the next 12 months is without doubt unclear, however as we sit here today the market is very positive and trading within our region has really stepped up again and we are seeing lots of activity and indeed registrations to our outlets.

Do you think the pandemic will make Britain's workforce less 'London-centric' and more open to relocating to other parts of the country that could offer a better work/life balance?

As with most people, I watch the media with interest and I do think people are changing their views on city living and wanting to live in a location that offers local links to outdoor activities and the countryside. This will be very much a part of our consideration when looking at buying new land in the future.

You recently donated a significant amount of PPE to the Bradford Royal Infirmary, was there a personal connection for you?

Yes, my next door neighbour is an ICU Anaesthetist at the Bradford Royal infirmary and we were chatting one morning whilst putting out the bins. He told me just how low on supplies the hospital was so afterwards I started to call some of the supply chain within our business and the generosity was immense so really it is thanks to them, I was just a delivery driver in that respect.

And finally, what remaining ambitions do you have for Vistry Yorkshire?

In one word I would say consolidation. I feel very lucky to work with a talented group of people within my region and I genuinely believe we have everything within our locker to go and grow the region further and be an employer of choice within the Yorkshire patch. This is more than achievable as I feel within Vistry I have an incredible support network around me so we can go and do this.

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