The recent government announcement about re-starting the property market in England as lockdown continues is great, and even with marketing suites, show homes and estate agencies opening, virtual viewings and interactive tours are here to stay and increasingly expected by house-hunters.
Here’s a look at some of the latest tech-based property tours.
Blackwall Reach, London
This is a new neighbourhood proving attractive to professionals and families to call home. £500 million is being invested to deliver 1,575 new homes of which around half will be affordable for social rent and shared ownership. Residents will be on the doorstep of Blackwall DLR, with links to Canary Wharf and the City, and it will also benefit from the Elizabeth line (Crossrail) when that opens. There are currently a wide range of apartments for sale in Royal Captain Court, with one- and two-bedroom homes starting at £545,000 (with London Help to Buy available) and £815,000 respectively, and three-bedroom penthouses with around 1,225 sq ft of living space and a private, double-aspect winter garden from £895,000. Developer NU living has created interactive tours of all apartment types.
Highwood Village, Horsham, West Sussex
Comprising one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as three-, four- and five-bedroom family houses, Berkeley Homes’ Highwood Village creates a vibrant new community with its own identity, within 20 minutes’ walking distance of Horsham town centre. With a BMX pump track right on your doorstep, along with Southwater Country Park located just down the road, Highwood Village is ideal for children who wish to make the most of the outdoors. For commuters, Horsham station is a seven-minute drive away, with a journey time of under an hour to central London. Prices start from £295,000. Find out more about Highwood Village from Berkeley Homes.
Valley House, Charlton, London
There’s a virtual launch for this brand new development in the Royal Borough of Greenwich this Saturday 16 May. Situated less than five minutes’ walk from Charlton station, Valley House is a collection of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and duplexes. Andrew Peglau, assistant director of marketing at Peabody, comments: “This scheme provides the ideal home for those looking to step onto the property ladder. The properties have been designed to ensure ease of living with open-plan kitchen/living spaces, plenty of storage and the bonus of private outside space in the form of a balcony or terrace. The apartments are available to purchase with Shared Ownership.” Prices start from £120,000 for a 30% share based on the full market value of £400,000. Find out more on www.peabodysales.co.uk.
Developments across the west of Scotland
CALA Homes (West) has unveiled an online tool to help purchasers, dreaming of a house move during lockdown, the opportunity to view more show homes and home styles than ever before, all from the comfort of their sofa. It has unveiled a host of videos and virtual walk rounds. The new remote reservation service will also allow CALA sales consultants to interact with purchasers via video calls, check purchaser IDs through an online trusted third party and take a deposit to reserve the desired home from the safety of their sofa. There are 10 developments in all, such as Jordanhill Park at Glasgow’s West End, Hazeldene Lea at Newton Mearns, Beatrice Meadows in Kirkintilloch, Ranfurly Green at Bridge of Weir and Florence Gardens on the Ayrshire coast.
Peckham Place, Queens Road, London
This is a luxury collection of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments from Notting Hill Genesis, just a five-minute walk from Queen’s Road station offering high specification and plenty of outside space including shared areas, landscaped roof gardens, courtyards and playgrounds. There is also a secure underground car parking space and cycle storage for every home, as well as sustainable energy for the entire development. Prices start at £440,000. Find out more at www.barnardmarcus.co.uk.
St. Mary’s Grange, Otley, Suffolk
A range of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes offering some fantastic views, St. Mary's Grange from Laurence Homes provides countryside living with all the connectivity that families need. The development is located just nine miles from Ipswich with its beautiful waterfront and mainline train link to London Liverpool Street, whilst the village itself is well served with a popular local public house, award-winning village shop and post office, ample play areas, a primary school and dental practice. Prices range from £235,000 to £600,000, with Help to Buy available. Find out more at www.williamhbrown.co.uk.
Beechwood West, Basildon, Essex
This is a landmark scheme for NU living, with units produced via Swan’s modular factory. A customer has the ability to ‘design your own home’ using an online and in-house configurator. Buyers can also choose layouts, external and internal finishes. With Basildon station (journey time of 31 minutes to London Fenchurch Street) and town centre around 15 minutes’ drive away, there’s also a lot to do locally, such as Northlands Park, with its rose gardens, fishing lakes and skateboard park, and Gloucester Park, home to Basildon Sporting Village, an all-weather stadium complete with netball and tennis courts, bowling green and Astroturf pitch. In all, there will be 971 homes of different sizes and tenures across the site, but for sale right now are a range of three- and four-bedroom houses priced from £345,000 and available through Help to Buy. There’s an interactive tour of a home on The Avenue at Beechwood. There’s even a 3D option!
The Staging Post, Hounslow, London
James Munson, head of marketing at Notting Hill Genesis, comments: “We are thrilled to launch virtual viewings at The Staging Post. The virtual tours on offer will provide an invaluable opportunity for homebuyers to view the scheme whilst speaking with a sales adviser and respecting the government’s social distancing guidelines.”
There are one- and two-bedroom apartments on this scheme, available to purchase via Shared Ownership. Prospective buyers will be given the opportunity to speak to a dedicated sales adviser and much like a face-to-face viewing, will be able to look through the brochures, floor plans and price lists as well as ask any questions they may have regarding the Shared Ownership scheme and property specification. Prices here begin from £80,625 for a 25% share (FMV £322,500). Find out more at www.nghsales.com.
Leighwood Fields, Cranleigh, Surrey
This development comprises three-, four- and five-bedroom houses. Residents have access to a large range of nature on their doorstep, including ancient woodlands, a community orchard, village green and a village pond. For commuters, Guildford station is a 20-minute drive away, with fast and frequent services into central London. Guildford, Dorking and Horsham are all reachable in under 30 minutes by car. Prices start at £575,000. Find out more about Leighwood Fields from Berkeley Homes.