This week, Marc Da Silva turns the spotlight onto Kent and Sussex as he poses the questions to Jo Richards, head of sales and marketing at award-winning housebuilder Hillreed Homes.
What are housing market conditions currently like in those areas? Market conditions are extremely good. Without a doubt Help to Buy is continuing to have a marked effect, but in addition we have a number of other incentives from Part Exchange to Home Change, a scheme where we personally get involved in helping a homeowner sell their current property. We are also seeing instances of parents helping with deposits for their offspring in order to get them on the property ladder and of course investors looking for rental property are still well represented in the new homes market.
Keeping up build levels with demand is quite daunting and we have a list of interested parties already registered, via our website, for regular updates on build and marketing dates.
What types of properties is your firm developing? We are producing a wide range of properties from small apartments to five-bedroom detached houses, all of which are equally popular, with sites selling out very quickly.
What projects are Hillreed Homes working on and what's in the development pipeline? We are just about to launch The Poppies, a development of family homes at Kings Hill near West Malling. Also in the pipeline is an exciting project of 33 luxury one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses in the heart of the commuter town of Sevenoaks within walking distance of the rail station.
We have a major long-term project of 150 homes in a variety of styles at Iwade, where we have built several times before, so we know our market place and to date sales are very strong.
We have just started marketing at Fairseat - eight barn-style, four- and five-bedroom houses which are a new design for Hillreed Homes. We also have one magnificent four-bedroom detached house at Hoath. This is a cutting-edge property with the popular ‘Maine'- style façade.
Many other sites are to be launched during the summer of 2014 as the demand for homes here in the South East continues apace.
How much does a new-build property by Hillreed Homes typically cost to buy? Very difficult to say as we cover a wide range of homes in a number of diverse locations which can affect the prices, however I can say that currently one-bedroom apartments start from £139,950 and we range up to a five-bedroom detached home at around £1m.
Why should more buyers consider buying a new-build home as opposed to older property? Nowadays people appreciate the savings on their heating bills as new levels of insulation and heating come on board. In addition a new home enables a buyer to have the benefit of a 10-year NHBC and white goods with guarantees, so no unexpected bills. Securing a mortgage and not worrying about a survey is quicker and easier than an older property and a new home of course does not have a chain, making the whole process hassle free.
Is it worth buying property during the off-plan stage of construction? It most certainly is! It gives buyers time to sort out their finances and of course they know exactly what they are buying and when they can take possession.
Those who commit early in the build process can choose the house type and site location that is best for their personal needs and at Hillreed Homes, subject to stage of build, we offer buyers an opportunity to choose the tiles and kitchen units to make their home unique.
What is Hillreed Homes' USP? I think for residents in the South East, particularly in Kent where we have our head office, our USP is quality of build. We have been building for over 35 years and have won many awards. For those who live in Kent we are an extremely well-known brand. We care very much about our buyers and many are second- and sometimes third-time purchasers of our homes.
Which of the developments Hillreed Homes is currently developing do you think stands the best chance of winning a WhatHouse? Award? I would like to say all of them! The new apartments in Sevenoaks spring to mind, because of their excellent and exciting new design as does the development, The Poppies in Kings Hill, because they offer a wide range of property types in a unique location with a high level of facilities.