Archive for 2009
December 11th, 2009
Snowmen, Christmas trees and the twinkling of Santa’s sleigh in the night time sky are just some of the pictures drawn by children at Braishfield Primary School for a Christmas competition held by award winning property developer Banner Homes.
Pupils in both the Infants and Juniors were asked to draw a picture of their dream home in a Christmas setting, allowing the children’s imaginations to run riot. Banner Homes received an overwhelming response and had pictures ranging from colourful igloos to country cottages encapsulated in snow.
After much deliberation, one winner and two runners-up from both the Infants and Juniors were chosen. The overall winners in both the Infants and Juniors were: Jared Meade (age 8), who drew a colourful igloo and Alex Robinson (age 4), who drew a wonderful house complete with Christmas tree. The runners-up were: Daniel Windibank (age 10) & Zeffron Stevens (age 7); and Mabel Alen (age 7) & Archie Jenkins (age 6). The winners received a £40 voucher and cuddly toy whilst the runners up received a £15 voucher.
All the winning, runners-up and a selection of other entries will be displayed in Banner Homes’ sales office at Casbrook Fields, which is located a few minutes down the road from Braishfield Primary school.
Nicki Dennis, Sales and Marketing Director for Banner Homes Wessex says;
“We are overwhelmed by the huge amount of time and effort each child has put into their entry. Choosing a winner was extremely difficult and the competition exposed a lot of talent from the children. We had a great time looking at the competition entries and would like to thank the teaching staff for their support and encouragement. We are looking forward to displaying the entries in our sales office over the Christmas period.”
Caroline Carter-Frost, Head Teacher at Braishfield Primary School, comments: “The children had great fun working on their pictures and their enthusiasm for the subject really shines through in their pieces of work. We are very proud of all the children’s entries and a big well done to the winners.”
Casbrook Fields is a selection of three, four and five bedroom homes set within the breathtaking Test Valley and situated just outside the charming village of Michelmersh. Reached via a quiet country lane, these homes are perfect for individuals looking for a haven offering stunning sights and peaceful living. The brand new show home at this development is now open allowing house hunters to see for themselves what it has to offer.
Prices for the first phase at Casbrook Fields start from £445,000 and rise to £585,000. The new show home is open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5pm. For further information please contact the sales advisor on 0870 899 0576 or visit the website www.bannerhomes.co.uk/casbrook-fields
December 4th, 2009
Its official the countdown to Christmas has well and truly started – packs of Christmas cards are now stacked high on shops’ shelves, Christmas markets are in full swing and Christmas adverts are everywhere. With Christmas fast approaching, there is no better way for getting into the festive spirit by decorating your home. Luckily, Dee Hawkins, in-house interior designer for Banner Homes, reveals how to liven up your home in time for Christmas without emptying your wallet.
“One of the best ways to start decorating your home is to identify a theme which you can then translate throughout the home”, Dee explains. “It could be a white winter wonderland; traditional, old-world Christmas or a sleek, monotone look, but by having a unified theme it will help your festive decorations flow from room to room or from tree to fireplace.”
It is important to take colours into account when choosing decorations, Dee suggests: “Focus on the colours you have in your home year round and select complimentary colours that will bring out the seasonal time of year. If your home has warm colours, it would be best to choose golds and reds for decorations, rather than icy whites and silver which are better suited to cold colours such as blues and purples.
Dee comments: “When starting to decorate a room – identify a focal point for your decorations and then work around this, for example in the living room a fireplace makes an ideal starting point. By picking out a feature, it will allow the room to look elegant and well balanced.”
She continues: “Simple decorations can really add a touch of sparkle to a room. An easy way of doing this includes filling bowls, glass vases or baskets with baubles or fairy lights – these can make a really eye catching coffee table or entrance hall piece. Pinecones, fruits and nuts can also look great displayed and the latter also prove to be a great snack.
“Don’t forget to plan the dining table for Christmas lunch. A beautifully laid table makes everything more appealing. There are lots of great table decorations available these days. My advice is keep it simple. Use white crockery and table linen but dress it up with silver and red accessories.”
Candles also help to add a touch of festive ambience in the home. Dee comments: “There are a variety of scents available nowadays including ginger and cinnamon which always fill up a room with a great Christmas smell.”
With all this festivity going on indoors it would be easy to forget about the outside of your home. Dee suggests a couple of ideas to liven up the front of your home: “A beautiful wreath to adorn your front door always goes down well – whether this is handmade using holly and fern or a contemporary shop bought piece.”
Dee continues: “If you have large plants by your front door you may like to hang small Christmas tree decorations and fairy lights from them or simply attach some bows, to make an interesting focus when walking down the path.”
She concludes: “Whatever way you decide to decorate your home for the Christmas season the important thing is to have fun whilst doing it and make sure what you decide on is ‘homely’ and suits your needs. I wish you a very Merry Christmas!”
Banner Homes has two developments in Hampshire. Casbrook Fields is a selection of three, four and five bedroom homes set within the breathtaking Test Valley and situated just outside the charming village of Michelmersh. Reached via a quiet country lane, these homes are perfect for individuals looking for a haven offering stunning sights and peaceful living. The brand new show home at this development is now open allowing house hunters to see for themselves what it has to offer.
Prices for the first phase at Casbrook Fields start from £445,000 and rise to £585,000. The new show home is open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5pm. For further information please contact the sales advisor on 0870 899 0576 or visit the website www.bannerhomes.co.uk/casbrook-fields
Chilworth Heights is a gated development comprising eight stunning three bedroom apartments, 4 of which are duplex, set within just under three acres of picturesque woodland. Prices start from £450,000. Viewings for the last two remaining apartments are by appointment only, via the selling agent Goadsby on 02380 225412. For all sales enquiries please contact Banner Homes directly on 0844 8795 820. Alternatively, please visit the Banner Homes website www.bannerhomes.co.uk/chilworth-heights
December 4th, 2009
John and Elaine Kerr had been living in Bolton since leaving Scotland 16 years ago, however, with Elaine’s job located over 80 miles away, the commute was becoming a chore for her day-in, day-out. The couple therefore decided that relocating to an area closer to the Midlands would provide an ideal solution, allowing the family to spend more time together.John comments: “We owned a four bedroom home in Bolton and as such we were keen to find a similar size property in the Midlands. Initially, my wife spoke to some of her work colleagues about good locations to live and the area of Worcestershire was recommended. However, following a brief house hunt in the area it became clear that there weren’t really any suitable properties on the market at that moment in time. We therefore decided to extend our search to the ‘other side of the M5’.”
The couple were worried that their current home might take a while to sell given the current economic climate so as a result they weren’t keen to resume their search again until they had some firm interest on their existing property. As it turned out, a couple expecting their second child took an instant interest in the Kerr’s home, which meant that the couple soon found themselves in a situation of having to find a new home pretty quickly. John continues: “As we were located over a hundred miles away we carried out an internet search in the Warwickshire area, and it was then that we came across Banner Homes’ Chadwick Place development located in the Balsall Common. Just from taking a look at the house builders website it became clear that the homes available seemed to ‘tick all the right boxes’, plus the location looked great.”
John explains: “Our main criteria was to have a four bedroom detached home, in a small exclusive development – Chadwick Place offered this. When we visited the homes we were immediately struck by the size of the rooms available, all of which were generously proportioned and well laid out. The kitchen/family room that backed onto the garden was a particular selling point as it provided plenty of space for us to place a table and chairs in the room, something that our last home wouldn’t allow. Additionally, the fact that Chadwick Place is a gated development is a huge bonus for us as it allows our 5 year old daughter the freedom and security to play outside. The fact that we aren’t overlooked gives us plenty of space and privacy, something that many new homes developments are unable to provide.”
The Kerr’s were no strangers to new homes and in fact since there married life began this was to be their 3rd new build home. John comments: “We have always been attracted towards brand new properties as it makes the moving process that much simpler. The fact that we can move into a new home and put our own stamp onto the property almost immediately, is obviously enticing.”
John, commenting on the buying process: “Having lived up North all our lives, we had never heard of Banner Homes before. However, throughout the sales process we found them to be very helpful and obliging. Annette, the sales advisor, kept a very open dialogue with us and in fact we received feedback from Annette faster than our own solicitor. As we weren’t in the local area, Annette also helped us by taking measurements, allowing us to buy new furniture safe in the knowledge that it would fit correctly and be delivered on time to our new home.”
John concludes: “We have now been living in our new home for just over a month and are settling well into the area. Our little girl has settled in well to her new school, that is just a few minutes walk from the development and Elaine now has a much shorter commute to work, meaning she is less tired and has more time to spend with the family. We are very pleased with our new home and its location and look forward to raising our family here over the coming years.”
Located on the southern fringes of the sought after village of Balsall Common, Chadwick Place is a gated development that comprises just 13 luxury four and five bedroom detached and semi-detached homes all designed exquisitely and with exclusivity in mind.
The homes at Chadwick Place are designed with meticulous attention to detail and combine traditional craftsmanship with contemporary design to create the ‘homely’ feel that families desire. The development is ideally positioned close by to a number of primary and secondary schools including Balsall Common Primary School and Burton Green.
Additionally, the location offers plenty of pursuits to keep everyone from tots to teenagers occupied, ranging from local parks, tennis, cricket and rugby, together with a first class leisure centre and swimming pool nearby.
All homes at Chadwick Place offer space and flexibility for families of all shapes and sizes. Internal layouts vary spread across three floors. The living spaces are versatile and well planned, offering different zones in which each member of the household can live their lives, suiting growing families and those in need of space for visiting family and friends. Open plan kitchen/breakfast rooms feature French doors that open out onto the garden, creating a flow from inside to outside. For entertaining visitors, the ground floor also includes a separate sitting room, dining room, cloakroom and in some instances utility room. In most instances a study is also available on the ground or first floor. The upstairs areas boast four or five bedrooms including a large master bedroom with fitted wardrobes or walk-in dressing room, plus, sizable en-suite bathroom. One further bedroom also comes complete with fitted wardrobes and en-suite, whilst family bathrooms are located both on the first and second floor.
Only three properties remain at Chadwick Place. Prices start from £415,000 and rise to £485,000. The show home is open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5pm. For further information please contact the sales advisor on 01676 533892 or the selling agents Atkinson Stilgoe on 01676 535234. Alternatively, please visit Banner Homes’ website at www.bannerhomes.co.uk/chadwick-place
November 27th, 2009
Banner Homes have discovered a box bursting with Walsall history when the house builder started work on its Belwell Grange development located on Belwell Lane, Sutton Coldfield.When staff at the site started digging work on the piece of land, previously owned by well known and loved Councillor Herbert Smith and his wife Marilyn, one of the builders unearthed a wooden treasure chest that contained information regarding Herbert’s beloved pony, Dolly, that he had owned since a young boy. Dolly had spent her final years on this piece of land that had once been her paddock.
It emerged that after the pony’s death in 1957, Herbert had made a memory box in tribute to his much treasured pet, that he had buried on this plot of land unbeknown to his wife. The box was crammed full of information regarding the pony from a Eulogy that he had written, to rolls of photos documenting Dolly’s life.
Marilyn Smith comments: “It was a total surprise when Banner Homes contacted me regarding the memory box of Dolly, as I had no idea that my husband had made and buried such a tribute. It was lovely to see the photos once again and it allowed me to take a trip down memory lane. The pony had played such a big part in Herbert’s life and I know that she was very much loved and treasured until her death in her early 30’s.
“Herbert had always had a love of animals and our home ‘Chalford House’ was always full of pets including: lambs, ducks, geese, turkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish, and aviaries of birds. It seemed if an animal needed a home then our door was always open! For a lasting memento of Dolly to be found after all these years is very touching and I’m sure Herbert would be pleased that his memory box has re-surfaced.”
Herbert Smith, who became mayor of Walsall in 1964 and was made an OBE, lived most of his adult life in a large manor style property called Chalford House, with his wife Marilyn and their children, Lindsay and Julian.
Dolly was bought from a rag-and-bone man for £4 10 shillings when she was five years old; she came complete with the Governess Cart and harness. She was presented to Herbert when he was a small boy. For more than 25 years, he and the small pony became a familiar sight in the Walsall area.
As a memorial, until very recently, Dolly’s name appeared every spring – spelled out in snowdrops on her grave. The family have now replanted the bulbs at their new home, so the memory will always live on.
The Smith family finally left Chalford in 2007 after Herbert’s death, aged 84.Belwell Grange, the Banner Homes development now located on the stated piece of land is an up-market collection of just nine, stylish five bedroom detached homes situated in a gated development. Only three homes at the development now remain.
Prices at Belwell Grange start from £750,000 and rise to £975,000. The show home is open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5pm. For further information please contact the sales advisor on 0845 899 0565 or contact the selling agents Quantrills Estate Agents on 0121 354 9229. Alternatively please visit the Banner Homes web site at www.bannerhomes.co.uk/belwell-grange
November 17th, 2009
Jean Fuge had been living in a bungalow in East Horsley for the past 21 years; however the maintenance of this large home had begun to play on her mind. The time finally came when Jean decided that she needed to downsize homes and after a few months of house hunting she stumbled across Banner Homes’ Oakdene Corner development located on Between Streets in Cobham and it was here that she decided to call ‘home’.
Jean explains: “I had been living on my own in a three bedroom bungalow, complete with large garden, since my husband passed away 11 years ago. I had been fine maintaining the home for many years but recently I started to become concerned about the maintenance of the garden and the home in general. A few years previously, I had thought about downsizing but when ‘push came to shove’ and I started to look at new homes, I decided that it didn’t feel right giving up my bungalow. However, this time around it was different. I knew downsizing would make sense and I was keen to make that move.”
Jean comments: “The first apartment that I looked at was in Oxshott and was only a ‘granny flat’. When I thought about it, I realised, that I couldn’t downsize to that extreme and told my daughter that my new home would have to be something ‘special’.
“It wasn’t until I went to Cobham and walked past Oakdene Corner that I thought downsizing could become a reality. I went and took a look at the show home and was immediately captivated – the apartments available were really something ‘special’. The room sizes are lovely and spacious and the quality of the finish shone above the other homes I had previously visited. The thought of downsizing to an apartment at the development was appealing as it wouldn’t really feel like an upheaval as there was so much space available.”
She continues: “Additionally, my family were keen for me to move to a more central location and Oakdene Corner very much fits that criteria as it is just a few minutes walk from Cobham High Street. The location is ideal and although I still drive, it is nice to know that I wouldn’t have to rely on my car for getting around in the coming years.”
Jean purchased a two bedroom apartment at the development and has been living in it since early June. Jean says: “I’m settling into my new home really well and am enjoying making my new home ‘mine’. The fact that I can get the majority of my old furniture into my new apartment is a major bonus; even my large dining room table can fit into the space. In fact, since I have moved into my apartment a majority of my friends and relatives have said they would like to live here themselves.”
She concludes: “The move has meant that I don’t have to worry about maintenance of both my home and garden. I’m especially looking forward to next Summer when I can make use of the communal garden and it is nice to have a garden to look at and make use of, without having to do any of the maintenance work.”
Oakdene Corner is an elegant collection of 14, two and three bedroom luxury apartments situated barely two minutes walk from Cobham town centre. Over 70% of the homes at the development have now been sold.
The homes at Oakdene Corner offer spacious apartment living with living space ranging in size from 799 to 1432 sq ft. Additionally, every apartment at the development boasts the characteristics of a typical Banner home, from traditional craftsmanship to the latest technology, which has become synonymous with the Banner product. Each apartment features a professionally designed contemporary kitchen, the latest integrated appliances, granite work surfaces, stylish white bathrooms and en-suites and beautiful ceramic tiling.
All the properties at Oakdene Corner possess master bedrooms with en-suite facilities and built-in wardrobes to both the master and second bedroom, as well as high quality fixtures and fittings. The homes also contain a spacious lounge with most apartments including French doors opening out onto a patio, balcony or terrace, creating a flow from inside to outside. Furthermore, the properties provide plenty of room for entertaining and overnight guests.
Every apartment also benefits from one allocated parking space in the gated underground car park, which can be accessed by the lift from all floors. A telecom based entry system to the entrance doors also provides a strong sense of security.
Banner Homes is also offering purchasers the chance to minimise the delays and uncertainties that can be experienced when selling an existing property by offering its Tailored Home Exchange scheme at Oakdene Corner. The scheme allows purchasers to exchange their current home for a brand new Banner apartment regardless of whether or not the existing home is worth more or less than the new one. It allows the buyer to move comfortably into the home of their dreams whilst Banner arranges the sale of the old home, thereby allowing the buyer to bypass stressful delays, lengthy chains and the added expense of estate agency fees. Banner Homes even allows the purchaser a few days in their old home after legal completion to make the move as relaxed as possible.
Prices at Oakdene Corner start from £499,000 and rise to £580,000. What’s more if you reserve plot 2 during November you will receive: Stamp Duty paid worth £23,200, Legal Fees paid up to £2,500, 1 Years Service Charge paid up to £2,500 and 1 Years Ground Rent paid worth £400.
The show apartment is open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5pm. For further information please contact the sales advisor on 01932 860382 or the selling agents Savills on 01932 860382. Alternatively, visit the Banner Homes website at www.bannerhomes.co.uk/oakdene-corner