Room with a long-term view in Wembley
As well as being a home, property is often viewed as an investment and savvy purchasers are continually looking for the next ‘up-and-coming’ area where there is the prospect of substantial and rapid increases in value.
Elisabetta Barone, a university lecturer at Kings College, believes that she has identified an area with real potential and has recently bought at Quintain’s Wembley City scheme in Wembley, northwest London.
Originally from Italy but having spent a lot of her student and professional career in London, Elisabetta explains, “I am glad to have bought into Wembley early as I expect to benefit as the area is regenerated by Quintain. I was in London during the 1990s and saw what happened to the prices at Canary Wharf and I think the same could happen here at Wembley City, especially as it is expected to be an official Olympic venue. The plans for the shopping centre, the cinema and all the other things are very exciting and will mean that soon, I won’t have to travel for anything at all!”
At over 85-acres, Wembley City is one of the UK’s largest mixed-use new developments and in addition to a 10 screen cinema and the largest designer outlet store within the M25, will include cafes, bars and restaurants and a large variety of shops as well as offices, student housing, a luxury hotel and an apart-hotel. The development will offer residents everything they need for daily life, from cash machines and restaurants to groceries and gyms and is set to attract over 20 million visitors per year.
Elisabetta continues, “I had been house-sitting for a friend in the Docklands for over a year but wanted to find somewhere for myself that was new and affordable. Despite all the news about falling property prices in Canary Wharf, it was still too expensive for me and when I came to Wembley City, I found the same quality apartments for much less money.”
Having moved in to her one bedroom apartment in November, Elisabetta comments, “I am very comfortable living at Wembley City because the apartments are very functional and well designed, and I have a very easy journey to work – just 35 minutes from Wembley Park to Waterloo on the Jubilee Line. I also like it because I always feel safe: I am just five minutes walk from the tube station and know that the concierge is there looking out for you 24-hours a day.”
The apartments at Wembley City are elegant and modern and reflect the contemporary nature of the development: bathrooms are mirrored or tiled from floor to ceiling with steel baths and shaver sockets; stylish fitted kitchens feature ceramic tiling and quality branded appliances finished in brushed stainless steel; bedrooms feature built-in wardrobes, and all of the apartments have underfloor heating and access to outside space.
Wembley City is also one of London’s most technologically and environmentally large-scale developments meaning that all homes have access to a 100mb broadband connection, the fastest residential broadband in Europe, and the UK’s first Envac waste system, which transports waste off-site quickly and hygienically through a series of underground vacuum pipes.
For security and peace of mind, each apartment at Wembley City is provided with a digital video/audio entry-phone system and the main entrance doors can only be entered using a fob. The development also offers secure underground parking covered by CCTV and the only 24-hour concierge service in Wembley. Residents have a choice of transport links into central London including the Metropolitan (13 minutes), Bakerloo and Jubilee tube lines - in addition to the overland line from Wembley Stadium, motorway links and fast-track bus routes.
Elisabetta concludes, “The development is perfect for people like me who want a good quality new home that is close to central London but still affordable for the average Londoner. I do not want to move away from Wembley City and so when I grow out of this apartment, I hope to be able to buy a two bedroom in one of the later phases.”
For more information, visit the website at: wembleycity.co.uk
