Family homes up for grabs from just £45k
14 September 2010
Previously derelict and boarded up post-war semi-detached houses in Meir have been given a dramatic upgrade and transformed into desirable, contemporary family homes now available for sale via the government’s shared ownership scheme.
The Woodlands show home will be launched on Friday September 17th and Saturday September 18th from 11am-4pm. Residents are invited to view it at 29 Woodville Road from 11am to 2pm so they can see for themselves the high standard of finish and transformation these properties have gone through.
A total of 16 high-grade, low-cost three-bedroom semi-detached homes are available to buy from just £45,000 (based on a 50% shared ownership basis). Full price is £90,000.
Four of the 16 homes are now complete with the rest released in phases throughout the autumn and early into 2011, offering people on lower incomes in the area a real chance of stepping onto the property ladder in style.
They are being sold through Plumlife, a government appointed not-for-profit company, part of the award winning Great Places Housing Group.
The homes have been ambitiously revamped to meet the demands and lifestyles of modern family living, featuring light flexible living spaces, quality hi-spec fitted kitchens and bathrooms, downstairs toilet, off-road parking and gardens to the front and rear.
Superior, timber framed double glazing, top grade insulation and brand new heating systems ensure the homes are much more energy efficient, cheap to live in and environmentally friendly.
The Woodlands has been developed in partnership between Great Places Housing Group, RENEW and Stoke-on-Trent City Council, as part of the wider, dynamic regeneration of the area. The launch of the new properties follows large-scale investment in the Meir neighbourhood, which now boasts The Crescent Primary School and new Children’s Centre, both rated “outstanding” by Ofsted.
Matthew Harrison, deputy chief executive of Plumlife, said: “There is a real need in the area for bigger family homes that are affordable as well as desirable – particularly with the current credit crunch. The shared ownership scheme gives people the opportunity to commit to a relatively small mortgage and pay rent on the rest. This takes the pressure off them to come up with a huge deposit, one of the main problems facing buyers today. Even with the rent on top of the mortgage, monthly payments are still less than if you were buying outright.”
Councillor Mervin Smith, Stoke-on-Trent City Council cabinet member for city development, said, “Schemes like this are important in creating affordable family homes which can cater for existing residents, as well as providing opportunities for people thinking of moving to the area.
“Regeneration in is well underway, with work on the city’s new bus station starting in March, the city centre Tesco store and Potteries Way extension completing in November, and a brand new sixth form college at the University Quarter. New housing will complement any existing and future regeneration, so it’s exciting seeing the scheme opening its doors in Meir.”
To see an image of The Woodlands, please click here.
