AFTER 12 years of living in city centre apartments Mark Higgins made the move to a house at New Broughton.
Right now Countryside Properties is currently offering its enhanced package of fixtures and fittings through the ‘Love Our Spec’ deal which as well as the usual white goods includes built in wardrobes in the master bedroom, flooring throughout and a garden that is turfed.
He wanted more space, his own car parking spot and most importantly his own garden.
You can imagine how pleased he has been with this decision for the past few days.
Mark, who works for the North West Ambulance Service, said: “It’s been brilliant. I have just chucked a rug out onto the grass and soaked up the sun.
“When the weather is glorious you can feel a bit hemmed-in in an apartment but here I just open up the folding doors from the living room and step outside.
“I cannot begin to say how lovely it is to have my own patch of green and I have been making the most of it.”
He used to co-own a big two bed in The Art House on Princess Street and liked being at the centre of things in the city but when it came time to moving on decided that this time he wanted a house.
He said: “Manchester City Council is only belatedly waking up to the fact that after a few years people get fed up of apartments and want a house but also want to remain close to the city centre. They are talking about encouraging developers to build houses now but it should have been thought about five years ago.
“I wanted to be to the north of the city and looked at schemes in Newton Heath and another in Gorton but I kept coming back to New Broughton. Its modern and well designed and close enough to the city centre.
“I lived off Trinity Way previously so I know this area and liked it and I also know someone who had bought a Countryside property and liked it and I think they have a good reputation for design and build quality.”
He opted for a three bedroomed Thames which has a large and well fitted kitchen to the right and a large open plan living/dining area behind with folding doors onto the garden. Upstairs there are two big bedrooms and a single and a bathroom with bath as well as a separate shower. There’s also a downstairs cloaks.
Mark said: “My friends are completely envious of it all, particularly the velux windows in the living area which make it really light. And the garden was already turfed and even had a small herb garden at the bottom when I moved in.
“It’s been a new experience for me, mowing the grass and learning about plants but I love it – it’s much better than battling with the students for a spot in Sackville Gardens.”
New Broughton
He bought under the Shared Equity deal which currently has the same style property at £127,950 and he only had to put down a 5% deposit, money he had from the sale of his apartment.
Mark, who originally hails from Warrington, said: “It really helped me make the move. I looked for the catch and talked to my parents about it but we cannot see a downside.
“And to be honest I was surprised I qualified. Like a lot of people I thought Shared Equity was only available to first time buyers but it’s not.”
Through Shared Equity, buyers own 100% of the property but only pay for an 85% share of the full price, with only a 5% deposit required. For a four-bedroom home with a garden, priced at full market value of £170,000, buyers need only pay an 85% share. This equates to £144,500, with a small deposit of £8,500 and monthly mortgage payments of just £643.
If you are not bothered about a garden and just want a place of your own you can buy a one bedroom apartment through shared equity for under £60,000 which equates to £66 a week on mortgage payments.
And buying was something Mark was keen to do.
He said: “I have previously rented but feel it is dead money. You are paying for someone else to own the property.
“Owning your own place also makes you feel more secure, you have a different mindset and you start to become part of the community.
“I have great neighbours, a couple who are doctors live on one side and people I actually knew previously live on the other side.
“I can walk into town in 20 minutes and use it as a warm up for the gym and its £5 in a cab home after a night out.
“There are big supermarkets five minutes away but the corner shop is always handy and the Matchsticks cafe is great for a Sunday morning breakfast when you just cannot be bothered yourself!
“And If I want more space than my own garden there’s Albert Park just up the road which is huge and Grosvenor Green Park.
“While I plan on making this my home for the next ten years I also think it will be a good investment. Countryside are doing a really good job here, not just with the design of the houses but the design of the streets and it will soon link up with the city completely.
“I love it all the time- but especially on a sunny day.”
Countryside argue that buying in New Broughton is significantly cheaper than renting in the city centre and you get an awful lot more for your money.
Sales and marketing director Peter Vella said: “The average rent for a two-bedroom property in Manchester is £878, and for less than this movers can purchase their own four-bedroom home at New Broughton Village. The high quality and affordability of the homes are making home buyers’ aspirations a reality and we’re delighted to see the community really taking shape.”
Right now Countryside Properties is currently offering its enhanced package of fixtures and fittings through the ‘Love Our Spec’ deal which as well as the usual white goods includes built in wardrobes in the master bedroom, flooring throughout and a garden that is turfed.
New Broughton Village has its own very good website where info and floor plans are clear or call into the site where you can wander round four show properties.
The Marketing Suite is open daily from 11am until 6pm at 151 Broughton Lane, New Broughton, Salford, M7 1UE.
