Brand New Homes - Meridian End, Peacehaven

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Bovis Homes, Meridian End, Peacehaven

Peacehaven, originally christened Anzac-On-Sea, is a young village only beginning its life in 1914. Plots near Telscombe Cliffs were sold cheaply; perhaps due to the location being so isolated. During World War One, there was never enough time, money or supplies to build, which resulted in little consideration or thought going into the architecture. After the war however, development continued at a good pace with plans to make the village into a modern seaside resort. By 1924, Peacehaven’s first hotel was built. Unfortunately, this hotel is no longer in use. Peacehaven’s attempts at transformation from post war settlement to holiday resort can be seen through the many bungalows lining the roads within the town.

Nowadays, Peacehaven is a thriving town with The Meridian Centre being its focal point. The centre includes shops, a community hall, library and health clinic. Peacehaven also offers a £1.5 million Leisure Centre which provides a range of indoor activities. For those who love the outdoors there is a Sports Park for bowls, football and outdoor basketball or alternatively, nearby coastal walks and the South Downs with its breathtaking scenery.

I was driving East along the coast past Brighton where I came across signs directing me towards Meridian End. I was intrigued by the name of the site so followed them to see what was on offer and whether they could provide me with a beautiful new home. Following the signs, I was directed most of the way to the site. After realising at the end of Arundel Road that I must have passed the site, I did a U-turn next to another up and coming development. Reaching one mini-roundabout along this road, I luckily saw the site to my left and headed towards the entrance. I drove along the newly built road where many of the properties at the entrance and outskirts of the site had been sold, perhaps because the centre of the site is still being developed for the last remaining houses.

I found the sales office by following the road through to the end. I was greeted by a welcoming sales negotiator in a cool and light sales cabin, which had information displayed on the walls and included textile and colour charts to enable purchasers to add a personal touch to their new home. She talked me through the site layout and what was available, found out my current situation and we headed off to see a three bedroom show-home. Some of the new homes are already lived in and personal touches have already been added and for this reason, I felt confident as I entered The Beardsley.

I was filled with a sense of calm and femininity when we walked through the door where I saw beige carpets, white furniture, crisp walls with pale pink features throughout. My first concern however was the cloakroom. It was well-tiled with a unique boarder and was a fairly good size; however the doors of the cloakroom and front door over-lapped which meant that there wasn’t much room to move. We carried on through to the lounge which was a very good size, well lit and included a white-trimmed fireplace.

The kitchen is located just off the lounge towards the back of the house. The first thing I noticed as I entered the kitchen were the double doors opening onto the south-facing gardens. Again, the décor was light and bright with white floor tiles, light brown cupboards, light coloured tiled splash-backs and dark worktops. It’s a favourable size and large enough to fit a round kitchen table in to use for breakfast or meal times. If the properties are bought at the right stage of construction, the new owner is given the choice of worktops, floor tiles and splash-backs which will all be in place ready for when they move in. It was clear from the little signs dotted around the kitchen that the houses were built with eco-friendly considerations. As standard, the kitchen comes with a fridge/freezer, washer/dryer, dish washer, hob and oven.

We walked up the stairs to the bedrooms, which I found to be a little disappointing. Although they were well designed, I think that space was an after-thought. The master bedroom was furnished with a double bed and a chest-of-draws with touches of pale pink in the curtains and painting. The bedroom comes with an en-suite and fitted cupboards, but it seemed that there wouldn’t be much room space for too much else. Bedroom two and three also come with fitted wardrobes but there was a real lack of space in either one. Bedroom 2 would have been a real squeeze to try and fit a double bed in, whereas bedroom three was decorated for a young child with a child sized bed and chair. I’m not convinced that a single bed would fit in comfortably. The bathroom however was a good size and offered a nice tub to soak in.

What you get for your money:
Prices from £174,950 for a two bedroom “cluster” house …
Prices from £224,950 for a three bedroom terrace …
Prices from £299,950 for a four bedroom detached house …
Prices from £259,950 for a five bedroom detached house …

Location, location, location:
A short stroll to nearby amenities, restaurants and pubs, close to the Meridian Centre, stone’s throw from the Sports Park, 5 miles to Brighton Marina, a few miles to Newhaven.

Best feature:
Close to nearby amenities, beautiful country views, in a quiet and peaceful location.

Worst feature:
Will it take a long time to create a community spirit? The building works have been postponed until more sales have been taken, so will the building works cause problems for those who have moved in to the nearby properties?

Contact the sales office: 01273 589269
• Location: 7 of 10 (Easy access by roads and to amenities)
• Product: 5 of 10
• Sales Negotiator service: 10 of 10 (chatty and knew the specs and local area)
• Value for money: Good for both first time buyers and for family homes

Overall: Peacehaven has easy access to the nearby cosmopolitan city of Brighton which offers great entertainment and leisure facilities …

Have you visited Meridian End, Peacehaven? Do you agree with our ‘Show-home Show-case’? Post Your Comments

Landlords Beware - EPC’s are coming

Is 1 October 2008 imprinted on your mind?

Landlords beware - Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) will be mandatory for any property offered for rental after this date.  EPCs will help new tenants to know what bills they should be expecting to pay, but also identify where Landlords can make ’savings’ and their property more energy efficient.

Landlords - take note!

• An EPC is mandatory for all new lets
• The EPC must be available to prospective tenants before they view your property
• Before a new tenancy starts, tenants must be supplied with a copy of the EPC
• An EPC will not be required for a renewal of a tenancy
• The certificate is valid for 10 years
• If the landlord carries out any improvements to the property, an EPC can be renewed

As a Landlord you

• can carry out certain works for which you may be able to claim a Landlord’s Energy Saving Allowance by setting certain expenditure up to £1500 per property against your income tax
• are not required to carry out any of the works suggested by the EPC

For more information or ideas to save you money check out Communities or Energy Saving Trust.

Do you have any advice for Landlords setting up their EPC’s?  Comment NOW.  No time to lose!

Property buying in bad times …

The housing market (and a lot of people involved in it) are experiencing troubled times.  But we all know that a cyclical downturn will eventually lead to an upturn.  If you’re looking to make money from property you’ll recognise this and make the most of the opportunities.  Is the market going to fall further? Should you buy now or hold out even longer?  It’s anyone’s guess but you don’t need to use guesswork - start with the right ‘foundations’ and you’ll get pay-back in the longer term.

One of my best suggestions - and borne out by our own recent research - is to find those people who are motivated to sell - through financial difficulty, family break-up, relocation needs (you can probably think of other reasons yourself).  Keep your purchase ‘non-emotional’ and make an offer accordingly - if they don’t bite, walk away and find another opportunity - they usually come up. 

If you’ve bought a property since March 08 we’d love to hear how your purchase went.  Post your comments.