On the day one of the UK’s biggest lenders Nationwide said house prices had climbed more than 10% over the last year, house builder Redrow brought more cheer to the housing market in Bristol.
Music, atmospheric lighting and a stunning fireworks display preceded the opening of five new show homes at Cheswick urban village; homes which, according to Redrow regional director Barry Stiles, are the essence of how most people really want to live.
Speaking to more than 230 guests, including customers, staff, suppliers, sub-contractors and property professionals, all gathered on the village green in front of the new show homes, Barry said: “Some time ago we realised that in the drive to meet all the sometimes contradictory needs of regulators, legislators, designers, social engineers and shareholders, we’d forgotten about the needs of the most important people of all – the people who actually live in our homes.”
As a result, Redrow had set about ‘revolutionising’ its designs, he explained.
The award winning developer’s New Heritage Collection focuses heavily on traditional two-storey homes, albeit some with ready made ‘loft conversions’ for valuable extra space – and plenty of room for families. Designed to be instantly recognisable, the collection features traditional looking homes with all the character of an older period style property and none of the drawbacks.
Their high-specification interiors meet the demands of modern lifestyles and they are significantly more energy efficient than their second-hand counterparts.
The design changes followed the return to the Redrow business a year ago of original founder Steve Morgan. He pledged to return the company he began 35 years earlier to its core values of quality, tradition and superior styling, with an emphasis on the family homes for which it was once known.
The result is The New Heritage Collection, a premium housing product with more than a hint of nostalgia, influenced by the ‘Arts and Crafts’ era, but boasting a specification that meets all the requirements for 21st century living.
Launching the collection nationally a few weeks ago, Steve himself said: “For the last seven or eight years, planning guidance has forced the industry into building more and more high density developments, which has produced an over-supply of flats and tight courtyard schemes with limited parking. This is not how most people want to live.
“Research we’ve undertaken, consumer focus groups and feedback from the overwhelming majority of our customers tells us that many of them want a conventional two-storey home, preferably detached, with an easily accessible garage and a garden of their own. They want a home that looks traditional, perhaps evocative of the family home they grew up in, but they want it to have the latest statement-making kitchens, bathrooms and good quality fixtures and fittings.
“The New Heritage Collection is about returning to family housing and traditional values. Some planning authorities appreciate what we are trying to achieve but in other areas we are having to work very hard to change perceptions and get permission to build the kind of homes that people want to live in.”
With the support of Bristol and South Gloucestershire planners, the new urban village of ‘Cheswick’ is the first location in the south west of England to feature the New Heritage Collection. The homes are already proving popular at The Bowery and Aurora Spring, two of the individual ‘hamlets’ that make up this major new settlement.
Situated just north of Bristol on land which previously belonged to Hewlett Packard, Cheswick straddles the parish boundaries of Stoke Gifford, Filton and Lockleaze.
Redrow has created an impressive ‘show village’ of five fully furnished New Heritage Collection homes, all dressed to impress by professional interior designers.
Barry Stiles adds: “The variety of the show homes – from three to six bedrooms – illustrates how The New Heritage Collection is suited to a range of different lifestyles and life stages, from young professionals to families and downsizers. And for those who prefer a more contemporary looking product we also have a range of apartments and houses at neighbouring ‘Tallsticks’.”
The five furnished properties promote a wide choice of New Heritage Collection homes, with current prices from only £197,995 for a two-bedroom ‘Evesham’ and from £209,995 for a three-bedroom ‘Broadway’ at Aurora Spring, to £449,995 for a six-bedroom detached ‘Hampstead’ at The Bowery. The latter features a wonderful open plan kitchen / dining / family area as well as the formal lounge, plus double garage, two bathrooms, en-suite and a ground floor cloakroom.
Cheswick is just a few miles from the city centre, close to Parkway train station and within easy reach of the M4 and M5 motorways, making it a great location for commuters.
See Also: Property News (0), Redrow Homes (0), Cheswick (0), Bristol (0), New Heritage Collection (0)
Date Published: 04 May 2010
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