Urban chic at an affordable price
Compromising on location, design or space is never easy when looking for a new home but many househunters end up having to concede on at least one. For one lucky purchaser, Richard Ward, this was not the case however, when he visited Bauhaus in Croydon by Durkan Estates.
Richard has recently divorced and needed to swap his old family home for a smaller place suited to a single man with visiting daughters. But he also found Bauhaus reassuringly familiar: "I used to work in the building, cleaning windows," he says. "I had wanted an apartment here ever since I saw it being built, but I had trouble selling my house in Selsdon and thought I had missed my chance.
"Although I was keen on purchasing an apartment I really had no idea that I would be able to afford a mews house until I sat down with the sales rep from Durkan and she told me what I could afford. The result is that I’m living in a £1million Docklands property for a quarter of the price."
Richard’s mews house has two bedrooms and two bathrooms (one en-suite), a cloakroom and off-street parking and is perfect for when his daughters, aged 17 and 15, visit. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood the living space with light and the purchase price included fitted appliances and a video entry-phone system.
"I wanted something modern, close to the station so it would be a good investment," says Richard, 46, who works as a cab driver. "And although I love gardening, I’m too busy for that now, so I didn’t want the responsibility of having to maintain outside space.
"This is the first time I have ever lived alone," Richard says. "I’m used to having the kids around, so it doesn’t feel very homely yet. But it’s my space, and I’m thrilled to be in it."
Bauhaus brings urban chic to Croydon. Each home has elegance and style built in, including contemporary Lemongrass kitchens with integrated stainless steel oven and ceramic hob, luxury bathrooms with ladder towel rails, interior-designed communal areas, a built-in Portico wardrobe to the master bedroom and a daytime caretaker service. The ground-floor foyer is a real design statement, created by the designer and sculptor William Mitchell, whose high-profile commissions include the Egyptian Room at Harrods and the Ritz in Paris.
The development is right on the doorstep is Croydon’s cultural quarter, where the shopping and entertainment facilities rival those of London’s West End. A short walk away is East Croydon station, which offers direct rail links to London Bridge and Victoria in under 20 minutes and, later this year, will be connected to the tube network via the extension to the East London line. The area will also benefit from the Gateway development next to the station, which will include a state-of-the-art arena.
Prices at Bauhaus start from £155,000 for a one bedroom apartment, £195,000 for a two bedroom apartment and £260,000 for a two bedroom mews house. Interested purchasers can visit the Bauhaus marketing suite and showhome seven days a week from 10am to 5pm. For further information or to arrange an appointment, visit bauhuas-croydon.com.
