WhatHouse? On Tour: Belle Vue, Belsize Park

The WhatHouse? team recently headed to north London east to take a look around Belle Vue, PegasusLife’s development for over-60s in Belsize Park.

It’s just a couple of minutes’ walk from Belsize Park’s tube station to reception at Belle Vue, where we are greeted by the team from PegasusLife, the developer specialising in premium retirement homes.

They start by telling us the headline information about the development. These age-exclusive homes are built on the site of a former convent hospital and had their grand launch in May this year, with the first people moving in from mid-June. There are 59 homes in all, a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments and one triple-aspect penthouse, and at the time of our visit there were already nine of them occupied and a further nine reserved. The youngest buyer is 64, the eldest 87, with an overall average halfway between the two. Many are from the local area but there are also people moving from places like Kingston and Sydenham.

One of 28 current developments from PegasusLife, this has a very contemporary architecture (from Morris+Company) which, as we’ll find out shortly, matches the thoroughly up-to-date specification and features of the apartments and communal facilities. “We want to be a household name and change perceptions of retirement living,” says the team.

There’s a courtyard in addition to landscaped gardens to the rear of the site, with communal roof terraces on the third and sixth floors. Indoors, the WhatHouse? team is delighted to see that the social spaces are already being enjoyed by those who have moved in. We head from the lounge area for a chat with the chef at the on-site Art Café (also open to the public) which serves fresh, seasonal dishes. It has a capacity of over 60 and comes with an alfresco area and a herbal roof garden. We learn that there is underground parking via a car lift and plenty of bicycle storage.

From here we take the stairs (there is lift access to all floors) down to the lower ground floor. There are five apartments here, all looking out onto the courtyard of garden, but also a host of luxurious wellness facilities for all residents to enjoy: from a relaxing lounge area, there’s a wide corridor to changing rooms, 2 therapy rooms where owners can indulge in a selection of treatments, a gym fitted with low-impact Keiser equipment specifically designed gentler on the body, sauna, steam room and stretch studio before we visit the ‘pièce de résistance’, a delightful swimming pool which has doors out into the courtyard.

​We’re then invited to take a look at a dressed apartment. Plot 7 is a large one-bedroom home (786 sq ft) which has been decorated and furnished in a style equally contemporary to the architecture. There are high ceilings, full-height, triple-glazed windows, comfort cooling and it is entered via a doorway which has an additional half-door width for added accessibility. The bathroom also has a very wide door, and it’s a ‘jack-and-jill' amenity, accessible directly from the sizeable bedroom which has a dressing area and fitted wardrobes. Opposite the bathroom is a useful utility cupboard with washing machine and tumble dryer. The kitchen is in one corner – this is a standard type, though some buyers have changed theirs – and is just a part of a very large, open-plan area that can easily accommodate a generous dining table and plenty of lounge furniture. It all leads onto a large balcony.

We also pop up to an unfurnished penthouse with panoramic views to the south over the city and north over to Hampstead Heath and woodlands.

Communications here are excellent, providing peace of mind and a high standard of care. A handset on the wall provides internal links for things like video entry and warden assistance. Residents are also given pendants to wear: if there’s a fall, they can press the pendant to ring Robert’s phone directly so that he can direct the appropriate help. Staff are at this development 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a concierge from 8.00am to 8.00pm and a night porter from 8.00pm to 8.00am. There is also a partnership with Helping Hands which provides premium-quality specialist care, if required.

With all the facilities the development offers, it is perfectly located to enjoy the things that have made this part of London so desirable. It’s only a few minutes’ walk to the southern-most entrance onto Hampstead Heath, and Belsize Park Tube station is only three minutes down Haverstock Hill. There’s a great deal on the doorstep, from pubs, restaurants and cafes to a post office, supermarkets and a variety of independent shops.

Recognising that this will be the last step on the property ladder for most, PegasusLife is offering initiatives like Part Exchange, a Smooth Move scheme and Try Before You Buy which will ease the peace of mind of moving from a much-loved home to a brand new one. Residents are welcome to invite guests to a room on the ground floor with a double bed and ensuite – just £65 per night and granting the visitor access to all the communal facilities, including the spa!

Prices at Belle Vue currently start from £792,500 for a one-bedroom property, £1.395m for a two-bedroom property and POA for the 8th floor penthouse. Viewing is strictly by appointment only, which can be arranged by emailing [email protected], or calling 020 7980 8733. Find out more on their website. Please tell the team there you heard about it through Whathouse.com

There’s a video about Belle Vue here.

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