Countryside Properties : OPEN PLAN LIVING A ‘MUST-HAVE’ FOR HOUSE HUNTERS

04/09/2017

Bright, open-plan living is a top priority for UK house hunters, as recent statistics show that buyers are looking for homes that offer modern, family-friendly layouts.

A recent survey by homebuilder Countryside found that 65% of buyers want a home that offers an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area, which suggests that the ideal layout for family living is changing.

After months of looking at properties around Manchester, Katie Turton, 30, and partner Mark Hindle, 34, were instantly attracted to the open-plan living aspect of the four-bedroom Glasson home at Countryside's Clarendon Place development, in Gee Cross.

Katie said: 'We love the fact that the house is open-plan. It's ideal for our family because we have a six-month old son, Henry, and the open-plan aspect allows us to enjoy more time together as a family, even if one of us is in the kitchen and the other is in the living room.

'We also have a large extended family so having an open-plan space makes it easier, and more sociable, when we have guests or are hosting a family gathering.'

The survey also found that 70% of house hunters want to invest in a home that comes with a fully fitted kitchen, including integrated fridge-freezers and ovens.

Katie, who is currently living in a rented two-bedroom apartment in Mossley, added: 'We happened to drive past the development one day so decided to take a look. Once we'd viewed the showhomes and spoken to the sales team, it became apparent that Countryside homes come with a very high specification and we were really impressed.'

The pair took advantage of the Help to Buy scheme to secure their home, which allows buyers to purchase a new house with just a 5% deposit, whilst receiving a five-year interest-free Government loan for 20% of the property's value.

Katie said: 'We can't wait to move into our new home, especially since there's going to be so much room and space for us to enjoy time together as a family!'

James Clark, Regional Sales Director at Countryside, commented: 'Customer feedback is a key priority here at Countryside, which is why our homes are built with modern family living in mind. Thorough research into what our customers want has shown that many families prefer open-plan layouts, especially if they have young children.

'The Glasson is a beautiful family home that's been extremely popular at this development. We hope that Katie and Mark enjoy their new home and wish them the best of luck for the future.'

For more information about the Clarendon Place development, visit www.clarendon-place.co.uk, call 0161 660 3907 or follow @Countryside_GM on Twitter.