Walton Homes says the outlook for residential development in 2016 is bright as buyers benefit from better access to financial support and new homes continue to fill the void where there is insufficient good-quality, second-hand property.
The business said that increased positivity from potential home-buyers and the ongoing benefits of the Help To Buy scheme had given the sector a much-needed boost, and plans are well under way for the business to capitalise on the new-found consumer confidence.
“The final quarter of 2015 was extremely successful for Walton Homes, with us selling all but one property on our Dovecott Rise development in Swadlincote and experiencing a massive surge in buy-to-let investors at our Navigation Point site in Walsall, while work is well underway on expanding existing developments in Rugeley and Abbots Bromley,” said Steven Rush, sales manager.
“This year started exceptionally well, with particular interest in our Swallowhurst development at Tamworth via passing visitors and RightMove enquiries – we enjoyed record visitors in the first weekend of 2016 at the site.
“We feel that such high levels of interest mark a turning point for the sector, and we’re keen to enhance our portfolio of developments to ensure we can meet the demand for new homes across the Midlands.”
The developer has now announced new multi-plot developments in Derbyshire and Great Haywood, and an exclusive individually-designed bespoke property in Little Aston, ensuring all budgets and requirements are met.
“Continued access to part-exchange enablers and the Government’s Help To Buy scheme are, we believe, a massive driver of this renewed surge of potential buyers and it’s important that these initiatives gather momentum and more people recognise the support available to them,” said Steven.
He added that meeting buyers’ needs was every bit as crucial as them having access to funds to purchase.
“For our part, we ensure we listen to our potential customers and provide them with what they want. We’ve taken on board the locations and communities they want to live in, and we do our best to create homes that are sympathetic to the areas where they are built, and design them to meet their everyday needs.
“One thing we’ve been keen to deliver on at one of our upcoming developments, Devereaux Grange in Great Haywood, is the increasing number of enquiries we’ve had in recent months for new-build bungalows. It seems many potential buyers are looking to downsize and they want a smaller, one-level home with the benefits of a new-build home and a carefully planned location.
“Devereaux Grange will include six bungalows when the development completes, and we’re confident that based on provisional enquiries and levels of interest, that they’ll sell extremely well,” he said.
Walton Homes started work on its Harcourt Gardens site in Derbyshire last month, and will commence work at Devereaux Grange in April. Mulberry Grove, the bespoke single Little Aston property, is expected to be launched in May and will be released for sale shortly.
For more details, visit www.waltonhomes.co.uk
