First time buyers choose Harborne Central
Harborne Central’s location, quality, affordable prices and future investment potential is proving a hit with first time buyers, reports developer Birmingham Properties Group.
Carly O’Donnell age 26 and Neil Welch age 27 had rented a Victorian terraced house in Harborne for a year, having settled in Birmingham after graduating from university. The couple frequently walked past Harborne Central in the early stages of construction prior to the launch, but presumed the apartments would be beyond their affordability bracket. Once the show home had opened and prices were released, Carly and Neil discovered that they could afford to buy a two bedroom apartment with a terrace. Not only would the purchase save them money compared to renting, they were also excited by the future investment potential.
Carly O’Donnell comments: “We moved into Harborne Central last month and we are over the moon with our apartment. We’ve got two double bedrooms, a big living room and crucially a separate kitchen. We love cooking, so having a separate kitchen keeps cooking aromas away from the living area. Our private terrace leads out onto the communal garden area and we can’t get over how quiet it is, given the fact we are right in the heart of Harborne.
“I work in the centre of Birmingham, but Neil travels a lot with his job, so the proximity of Harborne to the M5 and M6 was important to us when we first came to Birmingham. We love the village so much we didn’t think twice about buying here when we got the chance. We had looked at the prices of some terraced houses close to Harborne High Street, but they were all more than we could afford, meanwhile what we have here is a beautiful brand new luxury apartment. The underground car park is a huge asset as parking can be quite tricky throughout Harborne, but we never need to worry about finding a space now, as we did when we were renting.”
Located on Harborne High Street, in the heart of the popular suburban village, phase one of Harborne Central, comprising 20 apartments and penthouses, sold out ahead of target early this year. Phase two, which also comprises a mixture of one and two bedroom apartments with a variety of layouts to choose from, is also achieving a rate of sale that is well in excess of other new apartment schemes.
One bedroom apartments are priced from £148,995, while two bedroom designs are available from £170,000. All properties currently on release at Harborne Central fall under the £250,000 threshold, meaning first time buyers benefit from the new stamp duty exemption policy. A number of apartments are now available for immediate occupation.
In total, Harborne Central comprises 64 apartments and penthouses and 16 contemporary townhouses within two distinctively shaped buildings. All apartments at Harborne Central benefit from at least one parking space, with a number of larger two bedroom apartments and penthouses having two allocated spaces in the secure underground car park. Several apartments feature full or Juliet balconies and the three spectacular penthouses each have their own terraces and views of leafy Harborne and beyond.
John Tebbutt, managing director of Birmingham Properties Group comments: “While the residential property market is on the road to recovery, it is still a challenge for first time buyers to get a foothold on the ladder because of the high deposits required by mortgage lenders. However, with the cost of renting often exceeding the cost to owner-occupy a home, a number of first time buyers have been determined to gather the funds for their mortgage deposit in order to buy at Harborne Central. Property prices have been steadily creeping up for many months now, especially in prime areas such as Harborne, so it is clear to see the future investment potential.”
Harborne Central’s specification features include custom designed kitchens with built-in appliances, luxury bathrooms with white designer sanitary ware and fitted wardrobes to all bedrooms. Security features include audio entry phones, NACOSS approved security alarms and allocated parking within the basement, secured by a remotely operated gate. Residents also benefit from professionally designed, landscaped external courtyards.
For more information, visit the Harborne Central show home and marketing suite on Harborne High Street, open Thursday to Monday 10am – 5pm.