Student finds a happier, healthier lifestyle at Great West Quarter

When student Zsuzsi Judd, 20, purchased a studio apartment at Barratt West London’s Great West Quarter development in Brentford, she was purchasing not only a brand new home at a discounted price, but a healthier lifestyle as well.

Zsuzsi comments: “As soon as I saw the studio I fell in love with it. I have always suffered from dust allergies which can be really problematic. My apartment is so brilliantly designed; everything is compact and tucks away so there is very little for dust to settle on. My health has improved tremendously since I moved into my new home.”

With the current market conditions giving buyers the ability to negotiate, Zsuzsi was able to achieve a discount of £20,000 on her new home. As the former show apartment, the price also included all soft furnishings.

The apartment’s design and layout have been carefully thought out to maximise room yet still provide practical living space, incorporating all elements one would expect to find in a brand new home.

A plethora of cupboard and drawer space is provided in both the kitchen/living room and dining/sleeping areas and the kitchen even includes a small dishwasher. Kitchen worktops have covers which drop down to hide the work areas, creating a ‘clean’ living space and the double bed folds away to make space for the built-in dining table and chairs. The bedroom features full length wardrobes, numerous drawers and even bedside tables, complete with sockets for lamps, which also fold neatly away.

Zsuzsi continues: “I know some people are discouraged from purchasing studios because they think they will be too small, but I truly feel my apartment is the perfect size. Each space, such as the living and dining areas, are clearly defined with a permanent partition so it’s not at all claustrophobic and you don’t feel as though you are living in a studio – it really is like a one-bedroom apartment. In fact, as soon as my friends came to see my new home they fell in love with it too!

“Not only are the individual apartments well set out, but the apartments within the building are as well; there is space between each home so you can’t hear anyone else in the surrounding apartments.”

“It was my Mum who first spotted the development in a newspaper,” says Zsuzsi. “She persuaded me to go along, even though properties were out of my price range at the time. I knew it was the one for me as soon as I set eyes on it - I didn’t even look at other developments as the apartment at Great West Quarter was just perfect.

“I had wanted to move for a while but I hadn’t been looking seriously – I was only able to buy with the help of my Mum and stepdad and the fact that Barratt was able to offer such a good deal.”

Zsuzsi’s apartment is set in the sympathetically restored Wallis House – the only Grade II Listed building in the development. Built in 1936, Wallis House is one of only three remaining original Art Deco buildings on the Great West Road, once known as ‘The Golden Mile’. The new two-storey glazed reception has been designed as a contemporary interpretation of the building’s Art Deco heritage and provides a striking entrance to the building.

The location also greatly appealed to Zsuzsi. Working for Middlesex Hospital as a student operation department practitioner and attending Thames Valley University, the nearby M4 is ideal. “Not many people in London can say that they drive to work!” she comments. “The local area has everything I need, such as a range of restaurants, bars, clubs, and a petrol station. There is also a 24 hour bus so I can get around very easily.”

When complete, Great West Quarter will provide 773 studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, including both private and affordable homes, shops, restaurants, a bar, a health club, an art gallery, a crèche, a hotel and serviced apartments.

There will be a central piazza, extending to over an acre, which has been designed as a venue for public events and, together with courtyards and play areas, will create a focal point for community activities. The landscaping will include a green corridor for wildlife, while bat and bird boxes constructed on the site will enhance natural biodiversity.

All apartments in Wallis House are now sold and just one studio apartment remains for sale in Beecham House, priced at £200,000.

The next phase of homes to be launched at Great West Quarter is Golden Mile House at the end of October. Homes include 46, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, arranged over six storeys. All homes will be open-plan with balconies or terraces. Guide prices start from £230,000 for a one-bedroom apartment.

For further information, visit gwq.uk.com. Alternatively, information on all Barratt developments is available from barratthomes.co.uk.