The beauty of a Grade II listed property available to first time buyers

Providing a rare opportunity to purchase a shared ownership apartment in a Grade II listed building, Home Group is currently selling two, 1 bedroom apartments in one of Wokingham’s most prestigious buildings, The Elms.

Perfect for first time buyers, these properties offer a unique chance to live in a period property and an ideal way to get on the property ladder. Prices start at £68,250 for a 35% share of a one bedroom apartment that has a full market value of £195,000. Purchasers then pay subsidised rent on the remaining percentage of the property, which is owned by Home Group. After a year purchasers can increase their share, all the way to 100% and outright ownership.

Situated on Broad Street, The Elms, as mentioned is a Grade II listed building, and dates back to the 16th Century. The Elms was home to one of the main benefactors for the town, Edward Thomas Ellison and his family from 1890 until the 1920’s. As the venue for many parochial events, including sewing classes and Christmas parties for children organised by Thomas and his four sisters, The Elms is a prominent local landmark.

The great news for local residents is that people must live and/or work in the Wokingham area. The Elms is available to anyone who does not already own a property and is unable to buy a home on the open market. Their total household income must be less than £64,300 per annum and ideally they must have savings of around £3,500 to cover moving and legal costs.

Sophia Arain from Home Group comments “We are delighted to provide a unique opportunity for local people who live or work in Wokingham to live in one of the most prestigious buildings in the town at an affordable price. Considering the Grade II listing and period charm of this building, we expect these two shared ownership properties to be snapped up quickly by savvy first time buyers, so would advise prospective buyers to get in touch as quickly as possible.”

Carefully restored and converted, this beautiful historic building enjoys a suitable grand façade with a red brick exterior with contrasting white framed sash windows, a series of extended bay windows at the rear and a grand entrance at the front of the property.

Featuring a grand entrance hall with marbled flooring that continues throughout all of the communal areas, The Elms has many restored period features. Situated on the top floor, the two shared ownership properties each feature an open plan living, dining and kitchen area, a double bedroom and bathroom including a separate bath and shower, all completed to a high specification. The kitchen includes a range of appliances such as fridge/freezer, washing machine, hob and hood and oven.

All residents will be able to enjoy entertaining outdoors as the communal landscaped garden will feature a gazebo with a BBQ area. Each apartment further benefits from having its own storage locker located in the basement area. This is ideal for storage of bulky items such as skis, surfboards or golf equipment. There is also a separate cycle store for keen cyclists and an allocated parking space for each apartment in the secure car park.

The Elms is ideal for commuters, being situated within a short walk of the town centre and Wokingham train station which offer frequent and fast services to London Waterloo, Reading, Guildford and Gatwick Airport. By road, the building is a short drive to the M4, which provides easy access to London and Heathrow, the M40 and the M25 to the east and Swindon, Bristol and the M3 to the west.

For more sales information, visit homegroup.org.uk.