Boroughs to the east of Greater London were long overlooked and underrated but in recent years there’s been a transformation and now the region has some of the capital’s most fashionable places to live and one of the country’s largest regeneration projects.
There are also currently many developments which are updating neglected estates, replacing tired and substandard homes with brand new high-quality properties for private sale and on affordable schemes such as Shared Ownership.
Many parts of east London are very competitively priced compared to other boroughs and can provide a way to own a home in a well-connected and up-to-date location on a more modest budget.
Upton Gardens
Just launched is the latest phase at Barratt London’s Upton Gardens, taking shape on the former site of West Ham United’s Boleyn Ground stadium. St Pier Court will offer 181 new homes, to include studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as one four-bedroom duplex, all having a balcony or terrace.
The site will provide a total of 842 new homes served by an on-site gym, concierge service, rooftop terraces, family play areas, open green space, landscaped walkways, public art and a proposed community space and café. Central London is less than 15 minutes away via Upton Park Tube station.
The on-site energy centre generates efficient clean energy for the site, including solar panels on rooftops – a saving which passed directly onto residents. There are also 64 electric vehicle charge points, storage for over 1,000 bikes and a car club scheme to encourage lowering carbon emissions.
Prices at St Pier Court start from £365,000 for a one-bedroom apartment, with first completions expected in September 2021.
Find out more about Upton Gardens from Barratt London.
TwelveTrees Park
Berkeley has released the first phase of another major development in West Ham. TwelveTrees Park, on a disused industrial site, will provide 3,838 homes in total and Evergreen Point is the first building there, which will comprise studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses.
The project includes much more than just homes. There will be a 4.5-acre Wi-Fi-enabled park at its heart, a publicly accessible 1.5-acre science garden for a new science school, plus community gardens and piazzas. There will also be ‘maker-space’ studios for artists and creatives and a shopping and leisure quarter. Residents will benefit from a gym, business and leisure lounges, a screening room and 24-hour concierge, as well as a car park with electric charging points and bicycle storage.
Apartments themselves have flexible layouts and have been designed by specialists Johnson Ribolla. to reflect the industrial legacy of West Ham. Buyers can choose from a range of interiors colour palettes. With the first completions expected in 2023, homes are currently available from £465,000.
Find out more about TwelveTrees Park from Berkeley.
Dockside at Millharbour
Notting Hill Genesis is offering a collection of Shared Ownership apartments at Dockside at Millharbour in Canary Wharf, a hub for businesses, shopping and leisure. There’s a selection of spacious one- and two-bedroom available on a part buy-part rent basis. Each one-bedroom property has a kitchen/dining/living room with a glass door leading out onto a generous balcony, and the bedroom comes with floor-to-ceiling built-in wardrobes. Two-bedroom properties have the option of zoned living or open-plan layouts. All homes have the luxury of high-quality fixtures and fittings and comfort cooling.
On the doorstep are five shopping centres, a broad selection of restaurants, cafés and bars, numerous gyms and fitness centres and lots of open green spaces. The neighbourhood caters well for commuters, with South Quay DLR a mere three-minute walk away and Canary Wharf station ten minutes away.
James Munson, head of marketing at Notting Hill Genesis commented: “We are really pleased to be able to give first-time buyers a unique opportunity to own a home in a premium location at Dockside. Each home has been completed with an impressive specification, providing homeowners with an exceptional quality of living more affordably. With an exciting range of Shared Ownership apartments available, we encourage prospective buyers to book a viewing and secure their new home as soon as possible.”
Prices for a one-bedroom Shared Ownership apartment at Dockside at Millharbour start from £121,875 based on a 25% share with a full market value of £487,500. Find out more at www.nhgsales.com
East Wick and Sweetwater
East Wick and Sweetwater, a major new neighbourhood on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, has seen its first phase launched. Named after its proximity to Hackney Wick, and the area’s former Clarnico sweets factory, waterways and canals, it will eventually featuring more than 1,800 homes alongside offices, flexible workspaces, schools and new community spaces. There’s a mix of ‘tenure-blind’ apartments and townhouses to buy (outright or through Shared Ownership) or rent. Every home has individual balconies or terraces, and public and residents-only open spaces and courtyards.
The development has partnered with Make Shift (the makers of Pop Brixton and Peckham Levels, who have a proven track record of bringing to life destination spaces for local neighbourhoods and small businesses alike) to create Hackney Bridge – a new canalside destination featuring workspaces, public facilities, events, markets, restaurants and bars.
For work or leisure travel, the nearest stations are Hackney Wick (Overground), Stratford and Stratford International (Tube and train) with fast connections to most of London.
James Zamchick, director at East Wick and Sweetwater, commented: “East Wick and Sweetwater is built to be different. Our homes have been built to be lived in and we want to create a place that adds to the area’s already flourishing community. Our tenure blind approach means visitors receive exactly the same service, whatever their circumstance. We don’t want a community of the same type of people living here – we know that is not sustainable in the long term – we want to see all ages and backgrounds taking advantage of different tenures and enjoying living and working in the area.”
A one-bedroom home currently starts at £470,000, with two- and three-bedroom properties starting at £599,995 and £720,000 respectively. Find out more at www.eastwickandsweetwater.co.uk.
Gallions Point
Gallions Point is a collection of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments situated within Royal Albert Wharf, a vibrant new neighbourhood in London’s newest district, The Royal Docks. Located right next to Gallions Reach DLR station, these new homes are also close to numerous major stores, the University of East London and City Airport, as well as being within easy reach of Barking and Canary Wharf.
Now 75% sold, prices at Gallions Point start at £471,250 for a two-bedroom home and £683,750 for a three-bedroom home. Buyers can ask about London Help to Buy, available on some units.
A helpful bonus is that buyers can purchase a furniture pack to have all the essentials they need for their new home. These start at £4,675 plus VAT for a pack for a one-bedroom apartment.
Find out more about Gallions Point from Telford Homes.
Beckton Parkside
Planning ahead, more apartments at a development in Beckton are set to be released for sale this winter, after the first phase of 58 units sold out off-plan. The new phase at Bellway London’s Beckton Parkside will be set within three blocks and consist of studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom homes. In all, the development will comprise 391 apartments, including 110 affordable homes for local people available for rent or Shared Ownership.
Sales director for Bellway London, Emma Hamlett, said: “Beckton Parkside has been a huge success despite lockdown, and we expect many more prospective buyers to be able to find their ideal homes as we release this new phase of properties. The homes we are constructing at Beckton Parkside have been popular due to the attainable prices here, as well as the fact the apartment buildings are right next to a large area of parkland and outdoor space, something that is of increasing importance to buyers. The development is also in a great location for commuters, offering easy access into Canary Wharf and central London, with Beckton DLR station just a 20-minute walk from home.
Find out more about Beckton Parkside from Bellway.
Case study: Jade and Theo in Barking
Jade Henry and Theo Jones, along with seven-month-old Nyla, recently moved home to a Shared Ownership two-bedroom apartment at Parklands, part of the major Barking Riverside development which is delivering over 10,000 homes along a 2km stretch of the River Thames.
They were renting a one-bedroom new build apartment in Royal Wharf Docks but starting a family meant reassessing where they lived and retain the benefits of a brand new home.
Jade commented: “Finding out I was pregnant was a really exciting time, and felt like the perfect opportunity to try and get on to the property ladder, so we had a permanent home in which to raise Nyla.”
“Getting on to the ladder at Royal Wharf Docks was too expensive – and the imminent arrival of Nyla meant we didn’t have time to save. We went on a range of viewings in Chelmsford, accepting that to get on to the property ladder we would have to leave London. However, Theo wasn’t keen on having such a long commute time – especially since we were about to have our first child - so we started looking into Shared Ownership options closer to central London.”
Jade and Theo purchased a 25% share of a two-bedroom apartment at L&Q’s Parklands. They paid £80,000 based on a full market value of £320,000
Jade continued: “It didn’t take long for us to realise that Barking Riverside was the right place for us. We came to site and fell in love with the plot we now call home. We understood we were joining Barking Riverside towards the start of the masterplan, but the vision was very clear, and certain important elements, such as schools and buses, were already firmly established.”
“We’re very excited about coming Barking Riverside Overground train station, and having Riverside Campus next door to Parklands is a huge plus for raising children, as we have pre-nursery through to sixth form, right on the doorstep.”
“This home is exactly what we needed – we have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, offering ample space for our family to grow. We love owning a new build, knowing that we are the first people to call this property home.”
“We couldn’t be happier to have bought our first home, and have started a family at Barking Riverside - it’s a huge sense of achievement.”
L&Q has just launched the next phase at Barking Riverside, called Fielders Quarter by L&Q, consisting of 16 one- and two-bedroom Shared Ownership apartments starting from £60,000 and £78,750 respectively for a 25% share (full market value £240,000 and £315,000 respectively).
Find out more at lqhomes.com.
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