Debut takes centre stage

Tue, Oct 25th 2005, 11:00

REDROW’S award-winning Debut @ Willans Green in Rugby has taken centre stage yet again by scooping a prize for Best Starter Home.

The company’s Debut range of homes earned the spoils in the Best Starter Home category at this year’s Birmingham Post House Design Awards, and with prices from just £54,995, the winning entry is firmly targeted at first time buyers. The accolade was presented at a glittering dinner at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre recently and brings the total number of awards bestowed on Debut to three.

Commenting on the winning entry, the judges said: “It is so good to see something of this quality and so refreshing that these are designed to price keenly.”

David Campbell-Kelly, managing director for Redrow Homes (Midlands), says: “I am really proud to accept this award for Debut on behalf of everyone at Redrow. It is the culmination of a lot of hard work for a great many of our staff.”

Redrow’s Debut range at Willans Green launched in May, when home buyers literally queued to be among the lucky ones to snap up their own property. Investors are prohibited from buying a Debut home and almost 90% of the Rugby properties were sold in one day to genuine first time buyers. Now many of those first time buyers are living in their new homes and enjoying the lifestyle that comes with it.

Willans Green features just over 100 properties, in one and two-bedroom designs. The properties are built from lightweight steel frame and using modern methods of construction, with communal heating and hot water systems and a host of other cost-saving measures.

Redrow has also created a community with a sense of place and neighbourly spirit, through clever layout of the homes at Willans Green, set around communal squares and landscaped areas instead of private gardens. This has the dual benefit of stimulating greater community interaction and saving owners the responsibility of tending their own gardens.

David continues: “Debut homes boast a fresh modern design, with sloping high ceilings, lots of window space to let light flood in and a contemporary layout. Two-storey homes have the bedrooms on entry level and the main living area upstairs – all appealing aspects to the young first time buyers trying to get on the property ladder.”

Success in the Birmingham Post House Design Awards follows a top national prize from the Daily Mail UK Property Awards, and also comes after Debut at Willans Green achieved an Eco-Excellent rating from the British Research Establishment (BRE) – one of only 20 or so schemes across the UK to achieve the top rating to date.

Purchasers have the option of allowing Redrow to retain 10% shared equity in the property as an interest-free fixed sum for up to 10 years. The customer has total flexibility how they pay this back – via occasional lump sums, monthly repayments or in whole at any time. In addition, a single monthly service charge covers all external maintenance, as well as water, gas and electricity use and buildings insurance.

At Willans Green, only a small number of the larger two-bedroom Debut homes remain for sale, with starting prices from £103,995. For more information, call the Redrow sales consultant on 0845 676 0282.

Redrow is also celebrating after receiving the green light to bring Debut to Birmingham. Plans to build more than 130 Debut homes at Reed Square, Castle Vale, were given the go-ahead by Birmingham City Council officials and Redrow is launching sales for these one and two-bedroom properties in December. For more information please call: 0845 676 0292.