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The HOUSE HUNTER This month FTB goes on the hunt with Kat and Frankie Pilcher who are on the lookout for their first home in north London
What we found…
THE LANDMARK PROJECT
THE OUT-OF-TOWN FEEL
Brent Terrace Brent Cross, north London
Harrow and Wealdstone Heights, north west London
Located in the heart of Harrow, with shops, restaurants, transport and parkland all within a few minutes’ walk, these new homes are all about convenience. The one and two bedroom apartments are set over 17 oors and are sleek and stylish, with smart, tted kitchens with integrated appliances and oor-to-ceiling windows in the lounge for optimum natural light. Though you have everything you need right on the doorstep, more shopping can be found in nearby Wembley, while lovely open countryside can be reached quickly by car.
The leafy borough of Barnet is home to this new collection of properties, which sits within what is set to become one of Europe’s largest regeneration projects. There will be around 7,000 homes here, plus open spaces, play areas, shops and health facilities, and great links into central London. These one, two and three bedroom apartments have been designed for modern living – the larger properties are arranged over two oors, with open-plan living areas opening to private gardens, two bathrooms and plenty of storage space.
PROFILE
Names Kat Pilcher, 28, and Frankie Pilcher, 32 Occupations Shop manager, trainee audiologist Maximum budget £250,000
Requirements A one or two bedroom apartment in the north London area with good commuter links to central London. Proximity to green spaces, cafe culture and convenient shopping facilities would be ideal
What they wanted…
Kat and I have been living in a shared house for a couple of years now, dreaming of – and saving towards – being able to buy our own place. We both work in central London, and love living in and going out in London, so we’d like to live within 30 minutes of the centre. Both of our families live north of London, so it makes sense to us to live in north London so they’re easier to get to. We’re pretty open to exactly whereabouts that may be, as we don’t have any particular ties to any area. We would like to be within walking distance of a tube or railway station. We also love getting out for a walk or run, and enjoying a long breakfast or lunch out, so having parks and good coffee shops and cafes close by would be ideal for us. We’ve saved hard and have a deposit of £30,000 which we believe will enable us to buy via shared ownership somewhere in the capital.”
originhousingsales.co.uk
lqhomes.com
*Based on a 25% share of the full market value of £455,000
*Based on a 25% share of the full market value of £325,000
What they thought…
Harrow isn’t too far from where we live at the moment, and what we like about the area is that in some places it can feel like it’s not really in London at all. Harrow on the Hill has such a pleasant country-town feel about it, and there are some really lovely parks in the area that would be great for weekend walks. Kat is a great artist and loves to draw and paint in her spare time – so the natural light ooding in from those big windows would be a seriously big bonus for us.”
We recently visited one of the brand new parks near Brent Cross, which had an amazing bakery and cafe, and we were really impressed with the regeneration in the area. This is a large project, with many community facilities. As well as health centres and shops, there seems to be a real focus on ensuring there’s enough green space for residents. The apartments look generously sized and the location is really good, with great access to roads and trains to the North. Very interesting food for thought.”
16 First Time Buyer April/May 2024
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