10 NEW BUILDS & DEVELOPMENTS


MY PROPERTY, MY HOME 1 APRIL 2018 Bed down in Bedfordshire


With its pretty villages, international airport, good transport connections and fast train links to London, more and more home hunters are heading to Bedfordshire. Words: Ray Clancy


LIVING ROOM, SAXON SQUARE


Bedfordshire once had the largest brickmaking industry in the world, so it perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise that it’s leading a revival in house building in the region, with new developments in both Luton and Bedford, as well as picturesque villages. Prices have been rising, but not as much


as in some of the nearby Home Counties, yet Bedfordshire has rolling hills, history, good transport and homes still priced reasonably. And it’s within easy commuting distance of London, Birmingham, Cambridge and Oxford. Luton has recently been named as the top


commuter hotspot in Britain for 2018, based on average home prices, the cost and length of commuting to London, frequency of trains and the likelihood of being able to sit down on the train, in a piece of research from estate agents Jackson-Stops. It puts the average price of a property


in Luton at £252,896, up 10% during the past year, the cost of an annual train ticket at £5,256 and a fast travel time of just 24 minutes into London’s St Pancras station. With many first-time buyers now able to access the government’s Help to Buy schemes, it’s significant that another piece of research from credit experts Totally Money has named central Bedfordshire as the top district in which to purchase property in this way. A number of developers, including those


that used to be focused on London, have seen the potential in Bedfordshire and are building thousands of new homes, many aimed at commuters, with sites chosen that make it easier to travel. An example is Redrow, whose Saxon


Square development in Luton is being marketed at first-time buyers who don’t want to pay high London prices. The latest phase of one- and two-bedroom apartments has just been launched.


PENROSE PARK, BIGGLESWADE


COMMUTER HEAVEN “Some 50% of the sales so far have been to buyers who currently live or work in London and are gravitating to the area in recognition of the good value for money and exceptional transport links,” said Simon Halfhide, sales director at Redrow London. “Luton has been identified as one of the


best performing towns across the UK for price growth. However, prices are still 60% lower than the average London house price. The area is also set to benefit significantly from £1.5bn of investment over the next couple of years. Prospective buyers who act now could benefit substantially in the long run,” he added. Commuters are also being attracted to the


market town of Biggleswade where several new developments are underway. Although a slightly longer commute at 43 minutes into central London, it has rural appeal with plenty of green space. Several developers are involved in the creation of the new 247-acre King’s Reach


community in Biggleswade, which will have a range of facilities — including schools, retail space, a care home and more than 2,000 homes — when it’s complete later this year. According to Rightmove, in the past year house prices in Biggleswade have increased by 7%. “Bedfordshire is a county with a high level


of interest from buyers all year round. House prices have been increasing rapidly in recent months and sales have been particularly strong at our Ivel Manor development in Biggleswade,” said Bellway sales and marketing director Chris Edginton. ‘The site’s been so popular that we’re


down to our last three homes on the current phase, with a new phase due to be released for sale imminently to keep up with strong buyer demand. The site’s popularity is no doubt partly due to Biggleswade’s excellent transport links with London, which make it ideal for commuters,” he pointed out. Martin Grant Homes also has its


Penrose Park development at King’s Reach. “Biggleswade really is an attractive spot, combining market town appeal with surrounding open countryside and quick links to the capital. Price growth has surpassed expectations over the past 12 months and is likely to continue as Biggleswade’s popularity increases, particularly with families,” said the firm’s sales and marketing director Dean Markall.


OUTSTANDING SCHOOLS “As well as apartments and family homes, there are new projects offering luxury properties. These include four-bedroom homes in the De Montfort Place development in Bedford. According to Katy Jordan, managing director of Storey Homes, buyers are attracted not just by fast travel into London but also by the number of well- regarded schools in the area. Indeed, schools rated as outstanding by


Ofsted include Priory Lower School and St Thomas More Catholic School, and there are several independent schools, such as Bedford School, Bedford Modern School and Bedford Girls’ School, that perform well. Luxury homes are also available at the


Houghton Fields development in the village of Houghton Conquest, midway between Bedford and Ampthill, from Mulberry Homes, which is building in Bedfordshire for the first time. They range from three- bedroom bungalows to four-bedroom detached properties. “There’s already has a thriving local


community within a beautiful village setting, so we expect demand to remain strong for these new homes, which offer contemporary design, ample living space and a high spec finish. With the added benefit of Help to Buy available, this is an excellent opportunity for purchasers,” said Kerry Jones, head of sales for Mulberry Homes.


USEFUL LINKS saxon-square.com storey-homes.co.uk martingranthomes.co.uk/location/penrose-park/ bellway.co.uk/new-homes/northern-home-counties/ivel-manor mpdl.co.uk/portfolio/houghton-conquest/


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