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‘Second Steps’ with Southern Housing Group

Posted 27 March 2019 by Lizzie Leigh

WhatHouse? speaks exclusively with Tariq Qureshi, sales and marketing director of WhatHouse? Award winners, Southern Housing Group...

Tariq Qureshi, Sales and Marketing Director for Southern Housing Group, tells us about London’s Bow River Village and shares his vision for providing affordable homes for everybody in the areas they know and love...

 

Please tell us about Southern Housing Group and your role as sales and marketing director?

One of the UK’s longest established and largest housing associations, Southern Housing Group delivers high quality housing from inner-London to rural areas on the Isle of Wight.

With a considerable and growing development programme, my role is to lead our sales and marketing teams to deliver our ambitious programme of new home sales. I’m proud to work for a business with strong social objectives and with a team which has a real underlying passion to deliver quality homes and services to our customers. We’re really pleased to have been awarded Housing Association of the Year and Best Starter Home for Bow River Village at the 2018 WhatHouse? Awards.

 

Are there any particularly exciting schemes you are focusing on at the moment?

We have just launched phase 2 of our multi-phased regeneration scheme, Bow River Village. Situated on the banks of the River Lea, transforming a neglected former industrial site in East London’s Bromley-by-Bow into a thriving new canalside community, it is a collection of homes that are genuinely accessible for first time buyers. Over 40% of the first release of 73 apartments have been sold since the phase 2 launch in January. Proximity to the river is undoubtedly a huge selling point for buyers here – who love the tranquility offered by living close to water, and our homes with river views tend to be the most popular homes. Later in the year we will release 16 Shared Ownership apartments.

  

Is there really any such thing as affordable housing?

Yes! The success of sales at Bow River Village – with our first two releases of new homes virtually sold through in less than a month of coming to launch – exceeding our initial sales targets demonstrates that, despite widespread uncertainty, demand remains strong for well-priced quality homes; bucking the trend in the London property market as a whole.

The Group will build over 11,000 new homes in the next nine years, and we have pledged that 60% of those will be affordable. Our aim is to help people step onto, or move up the property ladder in the neighbourhoods they know and love, in a way that is financially viable for them.

 

What home ownership options does Southern Housing Group offer to first-time buyers?

Whether you are looking for a first-time buyer city apartment or a larger family home, we offer a range of housing options, including Help to Buy and Shared Ownership, across developments in Berkshire, Kent, London, Surrey and Sussex. For over 30 years, we’ve been helping Shared Ownership purchasers onto the property ladder. We also offer ‘Second Steps’ to our existing Shared Owners who want to move into a larger home but are unable to purchase that new home outright.

At our Brighton development, Artisan, Shared Ownership gives first-time buyers a ‘leg-up’ onto the housing ladder in an expensive area with a significant shortage of affordable home ownership options. And at Dalmeny Avenue in Islington, Help to Buy offers first-time buyers the opportunity to purchase a new home within a premium collection of apartments in one of North London’s most exciting neighbourhoods.

We also offer London Living Rent, another affordable route to home ownership, with some great developments coming up. This scheme gives Londoners the opportunity to rent at an affordable price, whilst saving for a deposit – residents are given the option to eventually buy the home they’re renting through Shared Ownership.

 

Bow River Village won a 2018 WhatHouse? Award in the Best Starter Home Scheme category. What do think makes this development different from the rest?

Homes at Bow River Village are genuinely affordable for Londoners, and set within an exceptional environment – on the banks of London’s second river, the River Lea – reflecting outstanding value for money. As with all our properties, the apartments are finished to an extremely high specification with all the fittings and fixtures discerning buyers expect. However, the strength of Bow River Village does not just stem from its physical surroundings, but the cohesive community which has been created. The development has a permanent on-site estate management team – a first for a Southern site of this size. I think it ticks all the boxes!

 

Do your developments tend to attract a typical 'type' of person?

Not at all, our varied programme across the South East attracts all types of people. We do consistently prioritise first-time buyers – last year, 60% of our development programme was Shared Ownership. From developments in East London’s fashionable London Fields to large houses in Runnymede, in the Surrey commuter belt.

 

How does Southern work to enhance the local communities it works in, such as Bow?

As well as enabling people to get onto the property ladder by offering various buying options, at Southern we really care about the homes we build and the environments we create – I think that’s what makes us stand out. The teams work tirelessly to build strong community connections across London and the South East by having dedicated, regionalised community development and care and support teams with residents and local outreach programmes.

At Bow River Village, the masterplan prioritises connectivity and flow – promoting a strong sense of community. Cross-site pathways connect the wider community to the site and the adjacent River Lea. The scheme is also helping to spearhead local improvements; in addition to new homes, Bow River Village has also led to the construction of a riverside path, while a public bridge linking the development to the opposite bank, termed Sugar Mill Island, is currently being proposed.

 

And finally, what advice do you have for anybody looking to buy their first home?

Do your research. This is one of the most significant decisions you will ever make, so take your time to consider the options. Particularly when looking at alternative home-ownership options, bear in mind affordability and eligibility. If you’re interested in learning more about Shared Ownership, keep an eye out for our next educational road show, this time at our West Silvertown development, The Refinery. While there may be reams of information about the scheme online, nothing quite compares to speaking to experts face-to-face – we’ll have members of the sales team and a financial advisor on hand to explore your options.  

 

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