With the Coronavirus lockdown rules set to stay in place until there's clear evidence that the UK has moved beyond the peak, this is a good time for prospective house-buyers to carry out as much online research as possible.
With development sites closed, many house builders are providing virtual tours to help buyers gain a good insight into whether a development would be right for them. This gives buyers a plan with a shortlist of developments to visit when lockdown is lifted.
There's a lot more house hunters can do now too, in addition to watching development videos and virtual tours, such as checking out the convenience of local transport links and amenities, reading Ofsted reports of nearby schools, and finding out about leisure facilities and outdoor spaces in the area.
We've found some exciting new developments to kick start the research for house hunters in East Anglia – many of which offer online videos and virtual tours, and all of which have sales staff at the end of the phone or email to answer queries.
Trinity Meadows in Stowupland, near Stowmarket, Suffolk (Bloor Homes)
A superior collection of two- three- and four-bedroom homes is available from Bloor in the rural village of Stowupland near the small market town of Stowmarket.
The village location is fairly unique in its provision of educational establishments for children of all ages, catering for pre-school right up to sixth form – and it also has a sports centre offering a good range of fitness and sports facilities, as well as a schedule of classes. Alongside these amenities the village has a petrol station with convenience store, a Post Office, a fish and chip takeaway, two pubs and a butcher. Nearby Stowmarket has a wider selection of shops, supermarkets and other amenities.
When it comes to travel, Trinity Meadows is less than two miles from the A14, offering easy access to Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, Cambridge and Ipswich – and access on to the A12 heading south east. Stowmarket railway station is less than two miles away, with regular services to Ipswich and on to London Liverpool Street (with a journey time of about 90 minutes).
Prices: From £250,000 to £410,000.
Find out more at bloorhomes.com or call 01449 263112.
Brampton Park in Brampton, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire (Linden Homes)
Just three miles from the centre of the market town of Huntingdon, famous as the birthplace of Oliver Cromwell, Brampton Park includes a collection of three-, four- and five-bedroom family houses.
The scheme is close to a range of "Outstanding" and "Good" Ofsted-rated schools, making it ideal for families with children, while commuters can gain easy access to three major roads: the A1, the A14 and the M11 motorway.
There are many shops in the area, and the city of Cambridge and the towns of Peterborough, Bedford and Wellingborough can all be reached in around 30 minutes by car.
Nearby Portholme is an alluvial flood meadow and a wonderful green open space that is a Nature Conservation Review site and a Special Area of Conservation, with public access from footpaths and roads. Thetford Forest Park is about an hour away by car for day trips a bit further afield, and Luton and Stansted airports are both within a 40-mile radius of Huntingdon.
Prices: From £299,995.
Find out more at www.lindenhomes.co.uk or call 01480 802678.
Aura – The Final Chapter, in Cambridge (Countryside Properties)
The final phase of contemporary new homes to be released at Countryside's award-winning Aura development includes sophisticated one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and duplexes, designed over two levels. All of the homes there have a high specification as standard, with integrated appliances and flooring included throughout.
Aura's properties are situated along tree-lined avenues, surrounded by green open spaces, cycle paths and a good array of amenities.
The development is only 2.2 miles south of Cambridge city centre with its wide range of shops, restaurants and bars, in a location that also provides easy access to superb road and rail connections. Aura also encourages a strong sense of community closer to home, with many useful local amenities right on its doorstep, including schools, a community college (0.2 miles away), a library, a health centre, a cafe and shops. The highly-regarded independent Perse School is a short walk (0.7 miles) from Aura. Also close by is the development's 120-acre Hobson's Country Park, the vibrant village square, and rapid transport links into the city centre and beyond. Trumpington Park & Ride is 1.2 miles away and Cambridge railway station 2.3 miles.
Prices: From £325,000 to £649,950.
Find out more at www.countrysideproperties.com or call 01223 850915.
Chesterwell in Colchester, Essex (Mersea Homes)
With phase one now complete, and 150 families already enjoying life in their new homes on site, Mersea's second phase, Chesterwell Woods, is now well underway. It incorporates a range of contemporary two-, three- and four-bedroom properties bordering ancient woodland, all with well-considered floor layouts, attractive exteriors and excellent modern construction.
There is an online video to view and a full brochure available to download online, as is the case for many of the developments featured here.
The site – situated to the north of historic Colchester – is close to peaceful Essex countryside, yet also offers great transport links, community facilities ad new schools. The nearby Park & Ride and a network of connected cycle paths mean getting to the heart of Colchester is very straightforward. Once there, the elegant town centre is home to some beautiful historic buildings but at the same time it is also vibrant with a cosmopolitan appeal.
Prices: Current availability from £342,500 to £434,950.
Find out more at www.merseahomes.co.uk or call 08451 840094.
Blenheim Gardens, North Weald, Essex (Catalyst)
The final Shared Ownership properties are for sale at this collection of stylish modern apartments located on the outskirts of the popular Essex village of North Weald, just a few miles outside Epping.
It offers a range of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in a contemporary style of layout and specification, within easy reach of Epping’s amenities, excellent schools and commuter links (Epping is the terminus of the Central line, with a journey time of about 40 minutes to Liverpool Street and 52 minutes to Bond Street) all close by.
North Weald has some shops and amenities of its own and is well connected to the likes of Chelmsford, Cambridge, Stansted Airport and thanks to the M25, many major towns in the Home Counties.
Prices: From £117,500 (50% share of £235,000)
Find out more at catalyst.homes
Take a virtual tour of the Blenheim Gardens show home:
Orchard Croft in Diss, Norfolk (Persimmon Homes)
With two-bedroom houses already sold out at this site on the edge of the historic market town of Diss, on the south Norfolk borders, buyers now have a choice of three-, four- or five-bedroom properties in many different house styles.
Situated in lush countryside, this charming town is full of winding streets and old courtyards, with examples of architecture from many eras including Tudor, Georgian and Edwardian times. There is a good range of everyday amenities in the town centre, and a mainline train station offering regular, direct services to London Liverpool Street and Norwich. There are decent local schools nearby, including nurseries and a number of well-respected primary and secondary schools; three local medical surgeries as well as shops and other key facilities; while at the same time there is plenty to explore outdoors in the gorgeous Waveney Valley and the Mere – one of the deepest natural inland lakes in the country.
Prices: Starting from £230,000.
Find out more at www.persimmonhomes.com or call 01379 770683.
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