New Homes Week: A City & Country new home will stand the test of time

New Homes Week: A City & Country new home will stand the test of time

A family-owned business with over 60 years of experience, City & Country is an award-winning heritage developer with a reputation for creating outstanding new homes that are both contemporary and timeless, characterised by a superior specification and attention to detail.

As we mark New Homes Week, we take a look at our stunning collection of unique new homes, in some of the UK’s most spectacular locations including The 1840, St George’s Gardens in south west London and Manningtree Park in Essex, near picturesque Manningtree, which featured in the Sunday Times Best Places to Live.

Exceptional Quality as Standard

We are passionate about building high quality homes, intelligently designed to suit the needs and lifestyles of today’s buyers. Every home is thoughtfully crafted, combining contemporary design with traditional craftsmanship and materials. City & Country’s homes reflect a range of styles, from the informal and vernacular to more formal and classical, with architectural detailing that lends elegance and distinction. Creating lasting value is at the heart of our decision-making.

Our developments are designed by heritage architects while all finishes are chosen by a team of skilled interior designers who specifically chose styles and fittings to match the design of the properties, surrounding architecture and demographic of the local area. On selected City & Country homes, if purchased off-plan, buyers can choose their finishes from a range of high-specification choices.

For example, at Manningtree Park, our newest development, the specification includes kitchens crafted from FSC-sourced timber with Silestone worktops and integrated appliances, 100% textured wool carpets as well as Amtico flooring plus beautiful Laufen fittings and Vado brassware paired with carefully selected porcelain tiling in the bathrooms.

From generously tall windows allowing natural light to flood the rooms to sliding doors linking inside and outside spaces, every home is carefully designed to echo the finer details of traditional architecture and offer the very best in contemporary living. Buyers can rest assured that City & Country’s new homes are characterised by the same exceptional standard for which our heritage conservation projects are known.

 Energy Efficiency

With energy bills increasing from April, new homes offer clear advantages in terms of energy efficiency and will save owners an average of more than £3,000 a year in energy costs, according to the Home Builders Federation Watt a Save report. The HBF also finds that  just 4% of older properties achieved an A or B EPC rating, compared with 85% of new properties.  Additionally, new build homes emit just a third of the carbon released by an older property.

It is no surprise then that a further HBF report, Get on with Living  finds the lower utility bills and running costs associated with new build homes are a significant draw for 53% of the population. New homes delivered by City & Country have energy efficiency features including high levels of insulation and efficient double glazing, smart thermostats giving maximum control, low energy lighting and reduced water consumption, while many offer provision for electric car charging.

Peace of Mind

Compared to buying an older property with unknown maintenance and upgrade costs, buying a new home from City & Country offers peace of mind. The HBF report finds that 7 in 10 people expect to pay less than £30,000 upgrading an older property while a more realistic cost exceeds £70,000 – not to mention the time and disruption involved. It is no wonder that their research suggests the prospect of low maintenance is the second most common driver with 41% of homebuyers claiming it would encourage them to buy new.

For further reassurance, our homes come with 2 years’ defects liability and 10-year structural warranties.

Offering a different peace of mind, we take security and safety seriously with intruder alarms and mains operated smoke detectors, as well as and smart doorbells to a range of homes.

Changing Lifestyles

The Covid-19 pandemic fundamentally changed our lives in several ways, particularly the switch to working from home for many and it seems some form of hybrid working is here to stay. Almost half of working adults worked from home during the pandemic and 84% of those workers expect to follow a hybrid working model going forward, according to the Office for National Statistics. Of the working adult population earning more than £40,000, 38% have adopted hybrid working and more than three quarters (78%) of those working from home in some capacity reported an improved work life balance (ONS).

While many enjoy the more flexible lifestyles that have come from this, it has also turned the spotlight on the way in which we live in our homes. Working at the kitchen table offers its own challenges and now, more than ever, people crave their own space in which to work. Studies are included in the design of some City & Country new homes, while each home offers the luxury of space and versatility that allows buyers to capitalise on this new lifestyle flexibility, whether it’s zoning an area or turning a spare bedroom into a work space.

We call it the art of living, ensuring our homes answer our purchasers’ needs every hour of the day.

Best of Old and New

City & Country new homes are in many cases tied to large-scale heritage renovation projects. For example, residents at the St Osyth Priory development in Essex benefit from the expansive parkland of a beautiful historic estate while enjoying brand new homes. At Burderop Park in Wiltshire, the new homes echo the tradition of estate villages with high quality design and craftsmanship, while surrounded by an historic estate and nestled within acres of parkland

Locations

At City & Country, we are particular about location. Manningtree Park, for example, lies in Constable Country known for its lush meadows, mills and rainbow-painted village houses and it is close to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It offers the best of coast and country living while the nearby main line commuter rail station offers travel to London in 56 minutes.

From the grounds of fabulous heritage properties such as St Osyth Priory and breath-taking coastal beauty spots such as Sanderling Reach on Mersea Island, to the glorious rolling acres of Burderop Park on the edge of the Marlborough Downs and the fashionable urban apartments of Factory No 1, part of a former tobacco factory conversion in gloriously cosmopolitan Bristol, our new homes are built in places we love.

It is no coincidence that we have several developments in areas celebrated for their heritage, scientific interest or outstanding natural beauty. With that comes a significant responsibility which is at the heart of our business. We recognise the importance of sensitively designing and siting these properties to add a new and attractive layer of history without detracting from the historic buildings or setting. We are passionate about adding value to special places.

Communities and places to meet

At City & Country, we understand it is not just about the buildings we call home but the communities in which we live. It is not enough to simply build new homes and move on; we actively seek to create community spaces, not because it ticks a planning requirement box, but because we are passionate about creating sustainable spaces with a strong sense of community.

At the heart of Manningtree Park, for example, there is a village square with a farm shop and café as well as a natural playground and an off-lead dog walking area. This provides an ideal meeting point and the chance to foster relationships with neighbours. Within the beautifully landscaped space at Burderop Park lies a private residents’ green which offers a wonderful hub for the new community, while at Factory No 1, there are series of beautifully landscaped terraces that belie the city centre location and offer residents a fabulous private sanctuary.

A helping hand for a hassle-free move

Several schemes are available to support homebuyers, such as  Unlock, which helps buyers obtain larger mortgages on new build properties up to £750,000, or Assisted Move, a service we offer to ease the sale of an existing property. We work with recommended independent financial, mortgage and legal advisors while our dedicated customer experience team strive to take the stress out of moving. There are also a wide range of tailored incentives available across our portfolio of developments, so please speak to one of our sales teams at the development of your choice to find out how we can help make your move more affordable.

Whether first time buyers, young professionals, families or downsizers, talk to our sales executives to find out how City & Country can help realise your dream home, from a city apartment to a cottage by the sea or a rural family haven.