MCR Homes Sells 78 Unit Apartment Conversion in £12m Deal

MCR Homes has announced the sale of its Broadwater Apartments development in Worthing, West Sussex, to LRC Group, for £12m.

The 53,000 sq ft former EDF Energy building was transformed by the Manchester-based company’s parent, MCR Property Group, last year into a mix of 78 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments.

All units have since been fully let and LRC Group has acquired the entire scheme as a going concern within the private rental sector.

LRC Group is committed to maintaining the former office block as a tenanted development and residents have been notified of the change in landlord.

The two acre site incorporates a landscaped internal courtyard, provides parking for 78 cars and is just a short walk from Worthing’s historic seafront, beach and town centre.

MCR Homes continues to expand its residential footprint throughout the UK and is on track to deliver thousands more homes in 2021.

The LRC transaction – advised on by Avison Young – was agreed as property website Zoopla recorded the biggest increase in rental demand in cities across the UK since its index began in 2008.

Michael Fenlon, director at MCR Homes, said: “MCR spent 18 months transforming what was a redundant office building into a new community of high specification apartments.

“The regeneration of this site has been an outstanding success for the local community.

“The LRC Group’s demonstrated track record in property management and tenant relations now makes them the ideal landlord to take over the development.”

Mital Patel, senior acquisitions and asset manager at LRC Group, said: “While all the talk during the pandemic was about how demand had risen for bigger homes with more outdoor space, there remains huge demand in the private rental sector for spacious one- and two-bedroom apartments situated within easy reach of public transport.

“Broadwater Apartments allows for flexible, dynamic living in one of the UK’s most vibrant seaside towns, and we are looking forward to getting to know our new tenants and building on what MCR has achieved.

“LRC continues to have a strong appetite to acquire similar residential properties across major cities and towns across England.”

Taken from The Business Desk

COVID-19 Statement

Ensuring the health and safety of our employees and customers remains our absolute priority as we market properties for lettings and sales during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MCR Homes team will assist with their usual expertise, enthusiasm and commitment to providing the best possible customer care.

During these uncharted times, ahead of any meetings, viewings, or other face-to-face interactions, you will be asked four questions to assess any risk involved in your meeting with our employees.

The questions that will be asked ahead of any meeting are:

  1. Are you or any member of your household displaying either of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, namely a high temperature or new, persistent cough?
  2. Have you or any member of your household returned from a foreign country within the past 14 days?
  3. Have you or any member of your household come into direct contact with anyone showing either of the symptoms associated with COVID-19, a high temperature or new, persistent cough?
  4. Have you or any member of your household been self-isolating within the last 8 weeks in accordance with Government guidelines?

If you answer No to all 4 of these questions, your risk will be recorded as low. If you answer No to questions 1-3 but Yes to question 4, if the self-isolation was more than 4 weeks ago, your risk will be recorded as medium. If the isolation was less than 4 weeks ago, or you answer Yes to any of the other questions, your risk will be deemed as high.

We are only able to meet face-to-face and arrange viewings on properties with people who we assess as low risk and we will follow the strictest social distancing guidelines as set out by the Government’s Ministry of Housing.

If we assess you as medium or high risk, we will discuss alternatives and employ technology such as video conferencing to conduct the meeting or show you around a property, where we will be your eyes through the use of a smartphone or tablet.

Points of reference for viewing properties for sale or to let:

  1. Viewings are strictly scheduled and controlled; we will not carry out any ‘open house’ or ‘block’ viewings.
  2. Viewings will be restricted to two people only and we request that all follow the strictest social distancing guidelines as set out by the Government’s Ministry of Housing.
  3. There will be no person to person contact (e.g. handshaking) and viewers are encouraged to wear face coverings prior to arriving for a viewing.
  4. Gloves will be worn on viewings and hand gel will be available at appointments.
  5. Viewing appointments are to be kept as short as possible – preferably no longer than 10 minutes, with a cut-off at 20 minutes.
  6. We must allow a minimum of 20 minutes between the end of an appointment and the commencement of the next.

We strongly encourage buyers to view properties virtually in the first instance whenever possible, and only physically visit properties which they have a strong interest in.

Leasehold ban proposed for new-build houses

The government is seeking to end ‘long-term financial abuse’ by some developers who are selling new-build homes on a leasehold basis.

Leaseholders typically pay ground rent to the freeholder, but can be caught out by clauses allowing for dramatic increases in these fees.

Ground rent typically rises in line with inflation, but in some cases, the owner of the freehold has set a faster pace or has sold the freehold to a private investment company without informing the homeowners.

A recent government report found that 4 million private homes in England are leasehold, which equates to 1 in 5 five homes.

Communities secretary Sajid Javid today proposed the plans for all developers to be prohibited from selling all houses as leasehold.

“What we’ve seen, in the last few years especially, is a huge increase in the number of houses, not flats but houses, that are being sold on leasehold terms for no good reason.” He Said

“And worse still, once they’ve been sold, those people that have bought those houses are then subject to ground rents that are ever escalating.

“These are just being used as another income stream by developers, not in the interest of consumers.”

The leasehold system that has been around for many years, typically applies to blocks of flats but the trend for new-build houses being sold on the same system has risen in recent years.

The House Builders Federation, whose members deliver around 80% of the new homes built each year said: “The industry is committed to working with all parties to ensure that the terms on which leasehold homes are sold are fair and work for the homeowner”.

“Buying and selling apartments on a leasehold basis is a long accepted form of ownership and provides security for people with communal facilities. There are instances where houses need to be sold on a leasehold basis, for instance where land has been acquired from local authorities, other public bodies or the Crown on a leasehold basis.”

While there is an acknowledgement from the Government that where there are shared facilities, such as in the case of apartments, there is a justifiable reason for them to be leasehold; MCR Homes have for a while now, recognised that some developers aggressively ramp up ground rents.   All of our leasehold apartments however, are in line with RPI and therefore only increase in line with inflation.

MCR Homes welcome any new industry legislations ensuring that all of our clients can feel confident when using our residential or investment services.

MCR Homes sets out 2019 expansion plans

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Unprecedented two-year growth with a deliverable pipeline of £2.9 billion GDV

MCR Homes, the sales arm of MCR Property Group, has unveiled its ambitious growth strategy for 2019 following a successful second year in business.

Since its inception in January 2017, the company has seen unprecedented growth delivering sales across schemes nationwide.

Driven by MCR Property Group’s strategic land acquisitions, which total £2.9 billion GDV, MCR Homes has more 14,000 homes in its immediate pipeline for 2019.

The company’s developments are located throughout the UK and will be targeted primarily for first-time buyers and end users, with Help to Buy available.

Several high-profile schemes are set to be launched by MCR Homes in 2019, including:

  • The company’s £275million landmark New Monaco development in Birmingham, which will see the delivery of 1,009 new homes on a seven-acre site in the city centre
  • A £65million, three-phase development, The Old Works in High Wycombe, bringing 275 new homes to the commuter town
  • The £60million redevelopment of Manchester’s Hotspur Press, including the sympathetic restoration of the original buildings, the construction of 171 apartments in a 28-storey mixed-use tower and a new public realm
  • Trafford Plaza, a £40million 174-unit residential scheme that will see the creation of one of Trafford’s first high-rise residential towers

MCR Homes also operates within the Build to Rent and Private Rented Sector markets under its soon to be launched property management division, Regency Living, which taps into the UK-wide demand for high quality, managed rental accommodation.

There are more than 270 units across a number of developments already lined up to benefit from the additional services offered by Regency Living.

To bolster its growth, the company recently appointed Christopher Pullan and Matthew Walsh as co-heads of marketing.

There will be a significant recruitment push at MCR Homes in 2019, with plans to add up to 70 new sales and marketing positions at its Manchester headquarters and in London.

Chris Taylor, managing director of MCR Homes, said: “In just two years, we have established our position as a leading player in the UK property market, achieving these truly impressive sales figures in the process.

“Our emphasis for 2019 is to build on the strong foundations laid by our talented team, while generating increased sales and attracting greater levels of national and overseas investment.

“Despite the spectre of Brexit, the UK remains a prime property hotspot, attracting major overseas investment. Our development pipeline in London and key locations nationwide, including Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh, presents unrivalled opportunities for investors on a global stage.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Regency plans luxury homes on Alderley Edge nightclub site

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]MCR Homes is aiming to complete a 12-home development in Alderley Edge by autumn this year as the scheme’s detached houses hit the market for at least £1m each.

Regency, part of the MCR Property Group, will build the development through its in-house construction business, and will deliver a mix of detached and semi-detached homes, all of which are single-storey.

Designed by Coda Studios, the development just off the A34 also includes woodlands and a lake over a 4.5 acre site, which formerly housed the 18,000 sq ft Yesterday’s nightclub.

The detached homes are on the market for between £998,000 and £1.2m and prices for the other properties start at £350,000.

Chris Taylor, managing director at MCR Homes, said: “Our expert planning team scrutinised every detail to ensure the creation of a pioneering and beautiful development, while guaranteeing minimal visual impact on the North Cheshire green belt landscape.

“Alderley Edge is one of the most desirable locations in the North West, and this special collection of distinguished homes further demonstrate the wealth and diversity in this sought-after area. We expect demand for the properties to be high.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

MCR Homes launches luxury penthouse apartments in Norwich

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Property consultancy firm, MCR Homes, part of the MCR Property Group has extended its city-centre Norwich development, Grosvenor House, with 14 luxury penthouse apartments.

The 14 purpose-built properties, offering an average of 932 sq ft for a three-bedroom apartment, form part of a roof extension to the original scheme. The extension takes the residential development on Prince of Wales Road from 65 to 79 units.

Placed on floors five and six, prices start from as low as £259,950 for a two-bed apartment and £304,500 for a three bedroom. As an investment, prospective buyers can expect an annual yield in the region of 6.5%.

Situated on the top two floors of the six-storey development, all penthouse units are fitted to a high-quality specification, including quality Bosch kitchen appliances and laminate flooring as standard. Balconies are available on select apartments, which provide stunning views of Norwich.

Grosvenor House was overhauled in 2017 to create a mixed-occupancy development for those seeking affordable, city-centre living accommodation. In easy reach of Norwich Railway Station, the former commercial block is placed near local amenities, with Riverside Entertainment Complex just a five-minute walk away.

Chris Taylor, managing director of Manchester-based MCR Homes, said: “Norwich is a real hub for growth at the moment, with expanding sectors in research, development and technology. The city’s gross value added (GVA) increased faster than that of London, Manchester and Bristol in the last quarter of 2017.

“There has been great interest in Grosvenor House, with high demand in the area pushing occupancy to over 60% already. It’s great to see young professionals and families settling in this desirable, city-centre location and benefitting from our competitive pricing and payment plans.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]