Unless you’re a property mogul, a footballer or a multi-millionaire, the chances of owning a swanky city centre pad, complete with balcony, floor-to-ceiling windows and top-notch services, are slim to none.
Yes, some of us might be able to stretch to a diminutive studio with no outside space or even a one-bedder with some generously-sized windows, but few of us could afford the complete package.
But now, thanks to a brand new development, a small revolution is slowly taking place that is helping first timers and owner occupiers get on the exclusive housing ladder.
Ask Developments’ Abito is located on the edge of town in Greengate, straddling Manchester and Salford, in an area which is about to benefit from a multi-million pound makeover. Just a few minutes from the city’s exclusive designer shopping district, it offers chic and modern living spaces with prices starting at less than £90,000 – considerably lower than the average city centre one-bedroom property.
So what’s the catch? Well, as long as you don’t mind compact living there doesn’t seem to be one.
Designed by Building Design Products (BDP) with architect Gavin Elliot and interior designer Jasper Sanders, each of the 256 apartments have been carefully and cleverly constructed to allow for maximum use of space.
Jasper said: “These properties are not crash pads where people will be spending one or two nights, they are homes. Developers keep making things smaller but they become very unmanageable – like living in a small caravan. It’s fine for a few nights but you can’t live like that.
“Our starting point was to create the most incredibly compact home that offers residents more for less.”
Each apartment is split into two areas – one for living and one for sleeping. They are all fitted with a fold-away bed and have bags of storage space. The bathroom has a large shower, toilet and basin while the kitchen has a combined microwave and oven, a two-ring hob, a sink, a dishwasher and a fridge freezer. All waste water and gases flow out through a silver ‘umbilical cord’ which runs throughout the whole building, concealing any ugly pipework thus making the rest of the room larger.
The multi-functional apartments all have their own balconies and make use of a generous 3.3m room height, with floor-to-ceiling windows to allow maximum use of light.
The seven-storey development is split into 200 identical 356 sq ft properties and 56 larger Abito + homes.
The larger apartments have more storage space as well as the added bonus of a walk-in wardrobe.
The bathroom is larger too while the kitchen has an island unit and a four-ring hob.
The entire scheme also incorporated a 24-hour concierge and a unique atrium. It’s a concept that has worked well, so much so that there’s only two standard properties left (prices start at £112,000) and 24 Abito + pads (these start at £142,000).
And such is the demand for properties, that a second scheme at Clippers Quay in Salford Quays is now underway. Despite being months away from completion, more than 200 of the 290 standard and larger Abito Duos have been sold.
So can we expect to see Abitos springing up across the country? It would seem so. Katie Dean, senior land development executive for Ask Life, Ask Developments’ residential arm, has been charged with the task of finding potential sites.
“We’ve got nothing in contract but we’re looking at places where there’s a need for a level of affordable housing.
“At the moment our primary focus is to see where, not how many, Abitos will work.”
So why has Abito been so successful? Katie said: “Primarily, its location, price and design – that’s why people have bought these properties.”
But can success be replicated elsewhere?
“Abito has a really flexible design which should be fairly easy to introduce into a new city,” said Katie. “In general, these properties are 20 per cent cheaper than your average city centre one-bedroom apartment and people aren’t going to believe what they can get for their money.”
