Teacher studies for successful investment

Teacher Marcia Campbell was so impressed by New South Quarter, Barratt Kent's outstanding new development in Croydon, that she bought two apartments off-plan as an investment when she visited on the launch day.

"I've never seen a development like New South Quarter, it's totally unique," comments Marcia. "I wasn't looking to buy at the time, but when I saw the plans and the vision for the development, I realised New South Quarter will be a very exciting place to live and that the apartments are a great investment."

She adds: "I don't usually go for new builds because they can be expensive and the build quality can be disappointing, but this isn't the case with New South Quarter. Judging by the show home, the standard of the homes is excellent and Croydon is an up and coming area where I believe people will want to live."

New South Quarter is Barratt's new urban village, just a mile from the centre of Croydon. When complete, there will be almost 800 brand new apartments housed in striking buildings set amidst imaginative formal and informal landscaping. With its own medical centre, nursery school, café and convenience store, as well as business units, New South Quarter is set to become a thriving new community. A tram stop opposite the development gives very quick access to the station and nearby Wandle Park provides a welcome haven for relaxing.

Marcia, 37, lives in South Norwood and works as an ICT teacher at a boys' school in Wimbledon. She plans to marry her partner, a chef, in October and her main reason for investing in property is to secure her family's future: "When we have children, I want to know that they have a good inheritance and don't have to struggle in life. And if my investments go well, I should be able to retire at a reasonable age and still live comfortably," she explains.

The two apartments at New South Quarter are the latest addition to Marcia's growing property portfolio; she already owns homes in Tooting Bec and South Norwood, both of which are rented. Marcia plans to find tenants for her apartments at New South Quarter, although she would be happy to live in one of the homes herself, which is one of her main criteria when choosing an investment property.

Equally important to Marcia is to identify up and coming areas with great potential and Croydon fits the bill perfectly. "Croydon is a great place to invest- it's got fantastic shops and facilities, superb transport connections with a mainline railway, tube line and trams, and above all it's very close to London. Areas like Clapham have become very expensive, but you can live in Croydon and have everything you need without it costing a fortune."

Marcia's new apartments each have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, one en suite to the master bedroom, and a large contemporary open-plan living/dining/ kitchen space, leading on to a balcony. Prices at New South Quarter start from £194,995 for a one bedroom apartment or £219,995 for a two bedroom. Barratt is currently offering a £400 mortgage subsidy per month for two years.

For more information, log on to Barratthomes.co.uk.