Balkerne Heights has all the right credentials

Professional property investor Grant Dempsey is convinced that Colchester has huge potential for investors; to prove it, he’s bought no less than three, four bedroom townhouses at Barratt’s Balkerne Heights development in Colchester and has his eye on buying a fourth and maybe even a fifth home!

Balkerne Heights is Barratt’s flagship development close to Colchester town centre. This elegant development of apartments and houses, designed in the traditional colourful style of Essex architecture, is sited on high ground and surrounded by open green fields.

Both the location and character of the site impressed Grant, who says: “I’ve looked at other developments in Colchester, but I felt that Balkerne Heights had by far the best location, close to the town centre and station. I loved the development straight away. It has lots of character and a warm atmosphere, which makes it stand out against other sites in the town.”

Grant, who lives in Broxbourne in South Hertfordshire and has been a property investor for eight years, is clear on the criteria for a good investment. The potential of the area and amenities are amongst the top priorities. Grant comments: “I see Colchester as a growing vibrant town with a large number of major employers in the area and plenty on offer in the way of restaurants, bars and night life. For the young professional market I’m targeting, it’s absolutely perfect.”

Equally important are the travel links. “As an investor, one of the first things I look for is a good train link into London and so the station within walking distance of Balkerne Heights is a big plus,” says Grant. The train service from Colchester North station into London’s Liverpool Street takes around 55 minutes and, in peak times, there can be up to a staggering ten trains each hour! Road links are equally good; the A12 provides fast access to the M25 and Stansted airport is just 45 minutes away.

The quality of the homes is another important factor when investing, although Grant has no doubts in this area, as he explains: “I’ve bought Barratt houses before on other sites and I’ve always found that they’re a better size and proportion compared to homes on other developments. In fact, in my experience, I’ve always found Barratt to be the best of the large developers.”

The houses that Grant has bought certainly have a huge amount of flexible space. With four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a large sitting room, separate dining room, study and well-equipped kitchen, all arranged over three floors, tenants will have plenty of choice on how to use the space.

Grant is delighted with the support he has received from Barratt when buying the houses, saying: “I’ve been exceptionally happy with the help the Barratt staff gave me and this encouraged me to buy further homes. Barratt is now my first choice over other developers.”

Balkerne Heights is a very popular address in Colchester and the majority of the homes are already occupied. In the last phase of development, the remaining four-bedroom houses, priced from £335,995, are selling very swiftly. Construction of some of the houses is almost complete, giving purchasers the option to move in, or rent out a property, very quickly.

For further information, or to view the show homes at Balkerne Heights, visit the website at Barratthomes.co.uk.