A landlord lifestyle at Old Saint Michaels
With increasing VAT and interest rates restricting cash-strapped first-time buyers’ budgets even further, causing sales figures to drop by 4% this year*, desperate purchasers are finding innovative ways to negotiate the difficult property market and buy their all-important first home.
Renting out a room is becoming an increasingly popular way for canny buyers to share the burden of monthly mortgage payments, with reports of nearly 200,000 British households taking in lodgers last year**. Award-winning restoration specialist, City & Country Group, is providing a brilliant opportunity for one such savvy house hunter to overcome the tricky property market and purchase an ideal home for sharers, at its popular Braintree development, Old Saint Michaels.
7 Whitmore House is a 797 sq ft apartment which - boasting two large double bedrooms and two separate bathrooms - offers ample space for a buyer and lodger to share. As a new build property on the grounds of the restored former hospital, built in the same red brick style as the stunning Grade II Listed buildings that surround it, this stylish apartment boasts all the trappings of a contemporary home in a unique and historically important setting.
David Walker, Head of Sales and Marketing at City & Country Group, comments: “At City & Country Group we understand how difficult it is for first-time buyers to save the money for their first home and are pleased to be able to offer a range of apartments like 7 Whitmore House, which offer space for a lodger, creating the perfect opportunity for cash-strapped buyers to get on to the property ladder. We take pride in our ability to combine the most up-to-date design trends with the traditional heritage of the development buildings, and 7 Whitmore House is no exception to this. Designed to a superior standard, the modern interior décor provides a complementary contrast to the historic significance of the apartment’s surrounding period buildings, creating the opportunity for residents to enjoy a life of convenience without compromising on style.”
David continues: “Old Saint Michaels has proven extremely popular with a wide variety of buyers and, with its open-plan spaces and modern furnishings, 7 Whitmore House is as equally suited to young first-time buyers wanting a stylish pad as it is to downsizers seeking a hassle-free lifestyle away from the crowds.”
7 Whitmore House has been designed to the highest specification and offers an all-inclusive specification that allows purchasers to enjoy an easy move. The apartment boasts modern interiors decorated in neutral hues to emphasise the amount of space, and create a sense of effortless style. Engineered oak flooring, high quality carpets and ceramic tiling run throughout, creating a sophisticated theme, and both the main bathroom and ensuite boast beautiful white Laufen sanitaryware and Hans Grohe chrome fittings.
The apartment is centred around the open-plan kitchen, living and dining area which is the hub of the property and - benefitting from large windows that create a bright and airy atmosphere - is a great space for entertaining friends and family. Featuring a bespoke high-gloss kitchen complete with a varitety of integrated stainless steel appliances, this apartment is a showpiece for contemporary interior design and is sure to be popular with those wanting a home to impress.
An exclusive gated community, Old Saint Michaels is built around a network of pretty courtyard gardens which – kept in pristine condition by a separate management company - enable residents to enjoy all the benefits of living on a large estate without any of the usual maintenance responsibilites. Situated only a mile from all the shops, cafes, restaurants and bars of Braintree town centre, and with nearby Braintree station providing an achievable commute to London Liverpool Street of just under an hour, 7 Whitmore House affords residents the luxury of living in a quiet setting away from the crowds, whilst remaining close to all the modern amenities of urban life.
7 Whitmore House is priced at £235,000. Prices for other apartments at Old Saint Michaels start from £125,000 for a one bedroom and £195,000 for a two bedroom, whilst one-bedroom houses start from £167,500 and two bedroom houses start from £270,000. For further information, please contact the City & Country Group sales suite which is open daily from 10am to 5pm.
* guardian.co.uk/money/2011/jun/10/stagnating-house-prices-first-time-buyers
** thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23911057-londoners-take-in-lodgers-to-pay-mortgages.do
