You may have seen the report in today’s Times newspaper about Leeds, a much debated city which seems to have retained a perception for a few years now that there’s a massive case of oversupply, something the report author claims is simply untrue.

One of the areas of the report that caught my eye was the reference to the fact that the recession and constraints on consumer finance mean that owner occupiers are buying for the long term. It also claims that investors are buying tenanted properties rather than off plan. The author says that this is down to investing for ‘longevity’. If this is the case, and it’s a trend that this report substantiates, then what Leeds really needs is high quality, good size homes that appeal to a broad audience, not just single dwellers.

It’s something we’ve focussed on at Saxton in the East Bank area of the City – a scheme that’s referenced in the report. At Saxton, where we’re converting two former council blocks, we’ve made efforts to create homes, not profit-maximising flats. We’ve expanded the size of the original floorplates, extending outwards to create more spacious apartments. We’ve catered for customers who want outdoor space too - ground floor homes offer private gardens and next year there’ll be allotments available. Furthermore there’s also extensive communal garden space planned, with lush landscaped areas for residents to enjoy. In bringing the more traditional suburban elements into the City we believe that we can add value and help people buy for the long term.

The report also makes reference to the fact that properties need to be well managed and that’s something we too have recognised, the majority of homes in our portfolio are now managed by our in house team.

One final point is that we believe in making high quality homes affordable and that’s why at Saxton, using our relationship with the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency we are offering HomeBuy Direct. It’s a scheme which offers customers an interest free loan for up to 30% of the property’s value, enabling people to buy at Saxton for as little as £70,000 and then staircase into it.

If you’re interested in Saxton or HomeBuy Direct drop us a line at live@urbansplash.co.uk.