Hampshire has a host of things in its favour, from a number of well-served major towns and comprehensive rail and road connections to splendid schools and enviable countryside and coast. Something to appeal to every house-hunter.
The WhatHouse? team has collated some of the latest launches and offers covering house-hunters across a range of ages and budgets.
Southampton’s strong identity is one that makes it an appealing area for many first-time buyers wanting to step onto the property ladder. For those looking for an area full of character with an abundance of things to do, Inland Homes is preparing to launch a new phase of stylish apartments at its development Meridian Waterside, across the weekend of Friday 11, Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 June.
Meridian Waterside
Occupying a prominent position on the banks of the River Itchen and a nine-minute cycle ride from the city centre, the launch weekend is for 31 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in Granada House, which will comprise 89 units when completed. Each apartment of this new phase features an open-plan kitchen/living room layout, as well as a balcony or terrace. The contemporary kitchens come complete with a high-quality specification including integrated appliances such as a stainless-steel oven, ceramic hob, fridge/freezer and dishwasher.
Vicki Noon, sales and marketing director at Inland Homes, commented: “Buyers of the newly available apartments will enjoy our signature premium specification, as well as a variety of added benefits including a dedicated allocated parking space, a secure cycle store and stunning landscaped communal courtyards for all to enjoy.”
Prices for an apartment in Granada House start from £180,000, with Help to Buy available. Find out more at inlandhomes.co.uk.
Crest Nicholson has unveiled six new house types as part of the second phase of its popular Tangier Gardens development in Bishop's Waltham.
Spread across two storeys, the four-bedroom ‘Dorking’ house type features a spacious and flexible layout with a generously sized kitchen/dining area, ideal for entertaining. For those working from home, the ‘Keswick’ and ‘Keswick V2’ offer a ground-floor study with bay windows to capture natural light, while full-length patio doors open out from the living room onto the private garden. The four-bedroom ‘Marlborough’ and ‘Romsey’ are well suited to modern family life with large, light-filled living rooms and open-plan kitchen/dining/family areas. For those looking for extra space, the five-bedroom ‘Roydon’ offers both a separate living room and an open-plan kitchen/diner with an additional family area – perfect for an office, games room or home cinema. With generously sized bedrooms, three bathrooms, a utility room and a double garage, this home is a great match for growing families.
‘The Dorking’ at Tangier Gardens
Eileen Guihen, sales and marketing director at Crest Nicholson South, commented: “Offering large living spaces and flexible layouts, the homes are designed to meet a range of needs and are already proving popular among those looking for extra space and a strong community feel.”
Prices start at £579,950 for ‘The Romsey’, £654,950 for ‘The Dorking’, and £594,950 for ‘The Marlborough’, while ‘The Keswick’ and ‘The Keswick V2’ are available from £594,950. Select properties at Tangier Gardens are available on the government-backed Help to Buy: Equity Loan scheme, or the housebuilder’s own Part Exchange and SmoothMove initiatives. Find out more from Crest Nicholson.
David Wilson Homes has a great offer on its Featured Home at Bruneval Gardens, a development of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and houses in Wellesley, Aldershot. Plot 322 is a two-bedroom apartment on which the housebuilder is offering a 5% deposit boost of £14,300. This second-floor home comes with open-plan kitchen/dining/living room, fitted wardrobes and en suite to bedroom one and upgraded lighting to bathroom. It comes with two parking spaces and is priced £286,000.
Bruneval Gardens
Bruneval Gardens is just a mile from Aldershot’s railway station, with a journey time of 46 minutes to London Waterloo. For drivers, there’s easy access to A331, M3 and A31. Families will be impressed by the highly regarded schools nearby. Prices here currently range from £224,000 to £603,000. Find out more from David Wilson Homes.
WhatHouse? Award-winning housebuilder Kebbell has seen the final property reserved at its development The Courtyard in Droxford and now has a waiting list for homes at Heatherfields in Bordon after a surge of demand during the pandemic for Hampshire homes specifically near to open spaces.
Heatherfields
With all existing stock snapped up at Heatherfields, the last phase of building is now commencing for the remaining 23 homes for which there is already a waiting list. Andrea Fawell, sales and marketing director at Kebbell, explained: “Heatherfields is the perfect site for those who now want to move out of the city to a home with a beautiful private garden that is near to open spaces or woodlands. Residents can enjoy lovely country pursuits like fly-fishing, country walks with their dogs and riding, and both the sea and the charming county capital of Winchester with its lively markets, beautiful cathedral and charming independent shops are easy to reach.”
Heatherfields comprises a collection of 59 three- to five-bedroom homes set alongside a neighbouring woodland with its own wildlife habitat area and pond. The homes vary from 1,292 sq ft to 2,094 sq ft and all offer a multitude of rooms designed to flex to the needs of family life. Find out more from Kebbell.
Heritage Quarter is a collection of apartments in the 'green town' regeneration of Bordon. Part of the conversion of a former Major's home originally constructed in 1907, this building is part of the area's rich military history. It is within easy reach of Farnham and Petersfield, as well as delightful countryside.
Heritage Quarter
Home of the Week here is Plot 497, a two-bedroom property on the ground floor which features sash-style double glazed windows and high ceilings throughout. Its front door is also notable as the entrance to the original house. Both the bedrooms are doubles, with an en suite to bedroom one. This spacious home with over 900 sq ft of living space also benefits from a view overlooking beautiful woodland, away from any passing traffic. It comes with two allocated parking spaces. It is priced from £325,000.
Find out more about Heritage Quarter from David Wilson Homes.
Linden Homes recently launched a show home in its Hounsome Fields development in Basingstoke. The new ‘Aslin’ house is now available for viewings via private appointment and represents the wide range of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes at the site.
The ground floor comprises a generous kitchen-diner area, a WC and a large separate living room with French doors leading to the garden. Bedrooms two, three and four can be found on the first floor along with a bathroom, with the second floor offering enhanced privacy with a single large master bedroom and en suite, as well as two vast storage areas. The property also features a garage and driveway parking for two cars.
Hounsome Fields
Alix Laflin, regional marketing manager, said, “This ‘Aslin’ home model is tailor made for a growing family, with the three floors offering the privacy of a master bedroom on its own level and a huge amount of storage space throughout the house. The shared areas are spacious and versatile, perfect for family dinners or hosting friends. We are very excited to welcome appointments for viewings and showcase what this home has to offer.”
Prices at Hounsome Fields currently start at £405,000. Find out more at www.lindenhomes.co.uk.
Local Basingstoke retirees are invited to find out more about McCarthy Stone’s Island View Retirement Living development in Basingstoke at an exclusive appointment-only Reservation Event on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 June, taking place at Audleys Wood Hotel between 10.30am and 5.00pm.
Attendees can book a one-to-one appointment to find out more about the popular development exclusively for over-60s. The first residents are expected to move in this summer. Each property has living areas, and high specification kitchens and bathrooms. Selected apartments above ground floor level will also feature a balcony, and those at ground floor level will have a private patio area.
Island View
Nicki Beswarick, divisional marketing manager for McCarthy Stone Southern, said: “As we now enter a more cautiously optimistic time, many of us are looking forward to making plans for the future and to embracing our freedom and independence yet again. For some retirees this will mean reassessing their living arrangements and making a lifestyle change so they can live their retirement years to the full in a place where they can truly be themselves while also feeling connected and part of a flourishing new community.
Already over 50% sold, prices at Island View currently start from £243,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and from £343,000 for a two-bedroom, for those who want to purchase outright. Rental and part-buy part-rent options are also available. Find out more from McCarthy Stone.
First-time buyers on a limited budget can consider using the Home Reach scheme to ‘part buy-part rent’ a new home with a much smaller deposit and mortgage than they might expect at Limewood Grange in Eastleigh.
Home Reach is run by housing provider heylo in partnership with a number of housebuilders across England. It is open to first-time buyers who meet the qualifying criteria and is a way of purchasing a share of a new build home (usually starting at 50%) and paying a subsidised rent on the remainder. There are all the benefits of homeownership but requires a much smaller deposit and mortgage than purchasing outright. Owners can buy further shares as their budget allows, until they own 100%.
Limewood Grange
At Limewood Grange, the scheme can be used to purchase a two-bedroom house called ‘The Fontwell’, which is priced at £151,500 for a 50% share (based on a full market value of £303,000). It has kitchen/dining room, separate living room, both bedrooms are doubles and one has an en suite shower room.
Find out more about Limewood Grange from Home Reach.
Case study: Lily and David
The insecurity of renting led a young Hampshire couple to finally take the plunge and step onto the property ladder. Lily Pogson and David Ruiz were given notice to move out of their rented flat in Waterlooville in December 2018 when their landlord decided she wanted to return to live in her home.
Although the couple moved to another rented property – a cramped one-bedroom cluster house, also in Waterlooville – the experience was enough to persuade them to begin the search for a home of their own.
Lily, 23, a veterinary assistant, and David, 24, a business manager, reserved their new house at Bellway’s Brookvale development in Havant in April last year and officially moved into their three-bedroom ‘Cherry’ house on 26 February this year.
Lily said: “The uncertainty around renting was beginning to become too much and it was the main reason we looked to buy. We also considered it a good financial investment and loved the idea of having the freedom to decorate as we wished. When we looked at our situation, we were just throwing money away and it was costing us more than what we are paying for our mortgage now.
In pursuit of their move, the couple took advantage of Help to Buy, having found out about the scheme through their mortgage advisor. As a result, the couple’s monthly mortgage payments on their new three-bedroom house are just £650 – compared to the £695 they were spending on rent for their old one-bedroom property.
After moving into their new home, the couple created an Instagram account – @homeatthecherry – to chart the progress of their decorating and to give interior design inspiration to other first-time buyers.
“We are just happy to have finally settled in Havant and the feeling is incredible. It still feels surreal to wake up each morning and be in our own home that we own. It has been such a long time coming but it has been worth the wait. It is such an amazing location and is close enough to Portsmouth, the beach and the countryside. Everything we need is in proximity to us, it’s close to both our workplaces, and there is never a shortage of places to go.”
Find out more at www.bellway.co.uk.
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