Communal Amenities Mean More Property For Your Money
Simon Howard, sales and marketing director at SevenCapital talks to WhatHouse? about the new build market, the shift in how homebuyers use their homes in 2022 and the on-site amenities buyers should consider when buying a property to get more ‘bang for their buck’.
Simon, tell us a bit about SevenCapital and your role?
SevenCapital is a leading UK real estate investment and development company, delivering predominantly residential-led and mixed used schemes across London, Birmingham and the South East. As sales and marketing director, I am responsible for leading the global residential sales strategy for SevenCapital, particularly as the business expands our operation deeper into London and across the wider South East of England, with support from the business’ marketing function.
How is the new build property market currently performing?
The UK property market is currently thriving, and market trends have seen an increase in demand for new build properties, boosted by the government bringing forward its Help to Buy scheme’s property reservation deadline by two months to October 2022.
New data from Savills shows regional reservations for new builds were up 41% in the first few months of 2022, when compared with Q1 2019. Further to this, the National Association of Property Buyers predict rising interest in off-plan city centre apartments to spark record demand in 2022, with increasing numbers being sold to first time homebuyers rather than investors.
The Grand Exchange
How has the way people use their homes changed in 2022?
Recent statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the proportion of employees choosing hybrid working post-pandemic have risen from 13% in early February 2022 to 24% in May 2022. With more people opting to work remotely, there has been a noticeable increase in those leaving major cities in favour of greener pastures which still benefit from excellent commuter links.
In line with this growing trend, people are now looking for greater flexibility from their home and the requirement for functional space is now more important than ever. We’re finding that more and more buyers are looking for more space for their money – whether this be a spare room which can be utilised for an office, access to communal facilities or landscaped gardens which promote health and wellbeing.
How is SevenCapital influencing its development designs in line with this growing trend?
Our latest development in Bracknell, The Grand Exchange, is a leading example of how new build developments can be designed to support the changing demands of modern living.
As well as high-quality studio, one- and two-bed apartments and 24-hour concierge, the development also boasts a wide range of communal amenities for homebuyers to enjoy. These include an enviable garden room to relax and entertain guests, a private event space to host dinner parties and business meetings, treatment rooms to receive spa treatments, wellbeing and workout facilities and a designated co-working space to support remote working.
With an enviable location within close proximity of Bracknell train station and the town’s unrivalled retail, leisure and shopping offering, the development offers homeowners an opportunity to enjoy the hustle and bustle of London life with the ease of commuting, when required, combined with a quieter homelife.
For more information on SevenCapital visit www.sevencapital.com.