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The team at Great Homes Limited is celebrating the win of one of the county’s most prestigious property awards, beating off stiff competition from major names in the housebuilding industry.
Its Sandringham Court development in Hadleigh, Essex, was named ‘Best Essex Development’ in the Daily Mail UK Property Awards 2005 at an awards ceremony at the House of Commons in London on September 30. It marked the latest stage in the growth of one of county’s fastest growing names in housebuilding.
“Sandringham Court has been a joy to develop,” says David Sparks, managing director of Chafford Hundred-based Great Homes Limited, of the development aimed at buyers of 60 years and over. “We were always committed to providing attractive, safe and secure homes for the many residents who have now made Sandringham Court their home, and to be recognised and win such a prestigious award for our work is really the icing on the cake. We are delighted.”
The Daily Mail UK Property Awards sought to recognise the ‘cream of the crop’ from the country’s developers, estate agents and property service providers. A panel of ten judges assessed each entry on a series of issues. The first criteria to be met involved a development’s location and how well it met buyers’ needs, along with how effective each individual site was designed in terms of providing good garden and communal space.
The judges then looked at the development’s architectural style, the quality of finish and the materials used, the effective use of space, lighting and practicality. Safety, security and the wellbeing of residents were also key issues in the judging process, as was how innovatively the project was marketed. The criterion was strict, but Great Homes Limited met the requirements on all counts.
The judges, which included Eric Pickles MP, shadow minister for local government, Paul Taylor, the vice-president of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, and Imtiaz Farookhi, chief executive of the National House-Building Council, along with interior design consultant and television personality Linda Barker voted Great Homes Limited’s Sandringham Court the very best Essex has to offer homebuyers.
Sandringham Court is located in Hadleigh’s London Road within walking distance of Hadleigh Castle Country Park and day-to-day amenities such as shops, a library, medical and dentistry practices, banks and building societies. It has car parking facilities, and there are good bus and rail transport links from the centre of the town too, meaning trips into nearby Southend, Rochford, Rayleigh or Benfleet are easy. Great Homes Limited’s choice of location was a key issue in the process to winning the award.
The judges also recognised the design features of Sandringham Court, both inside and out. A building of immense charm, it is a timber-framed building that uses only sustainable wood sourced in association with the Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA). The brickwork is one of mellow red combined with earthy cream, and the third floor features white weatherboarding. All materials used were chosen for their environmental properties and the fact that their use meant Sandringham Court would blend harmoniously with its surroundings.
Inside the 35 apartments, which are all now occupied with the exception of two one-bedroom homes that are currently on the market through agent Porter Glenny New Homes, there is a carefully considered layout and a high specification finish. Each kitchen, for instance, has a range of integrated appliances that include a double oven, hob, extractor hood and even a fridge/freezer and washer/dryer as standard, while the bathrooms are fitted with a Twyford ‘Chantelle’ sanitaryware.
One of the features of Sandringham Court that impressed the judging panel the most was its top-floor residents’ lounge. A tasteful raspberry and gold decorated lounge, it has an observatory-cum-conservatory to one end that has the most stunning view out over open countryside to the Thames estuary and the Kent coastline in the distance. It is where most of the friendships that have now evolved between the development’s residents began!
Safety and security were always a top priority in the design process, and Great Homes chose to install a CCTV entryphone system to the main entrance, along with an integrated fire alarm and a lift. It also provided a secure landscaped garden for residents to enjoy in safety, and, working with Peverel, a specialist care company, a 24-hour support and careline facility for use in the event of an emergency. Again, all features that impressed the judges.
The company is now building a similar development, Windsor Court, in Ashford, Kent, which will incorporate the same design, safety and security features that have proved such a success for Great Homes and made such comfortable homes for the residents of Sandringham Court.
For further information on Great Homes Limited’s award or their new development in Ashford, contact the company on 01375 484420 or visit its website www.greathomesltd.co.uk. For more information on the remaining two homes at Sandringham Court and a number of assisted ‘move-in’ packages contact selling agent Porter Glenny New Homes on 01708 725000.
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