PROPERTY developers, housing associations, conveyancers, estate agents and others who work within the housing industry were celebrating last week at the First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards at The Waldorf Hilton hotel in London. Rewarding and recognising the highest quality and design of new homes, and the services available to those getting on the housing ladder, the awards, now in their ninth year, were attended by the best in the property business.
The event on April 20, which was hosted by television presenter Jonnie Irwin, star of Escape to the Country and A Place in the Sun, celebrated the successes of winners across 18 award categories. A highly commended prize was also presented in each category.
Lynda Clark, editor of First Time Buyer Magazine comments: “This was our most successful awards event yet, with more categories and entries than ever before. Competition was definitely fierce, as so many within the industry are working so hard to help first time buyers find and buy their first homes. It’s really encouraging that so many amazing new developments are being built with the needs and aspirations of first time buyers very much in mind – although it certainly made the job of the judges very difficult.
“I want to congratulate all our winners and those who were highly commended, and to encourage them to carry on finding innovative ways to help people to get on to the housing ladder. Part of our reason for organising these awards is to encourage our readers to realise just how much is being done to help them achieve their goals, and to help them to stay positive that homeownership really is an achievable dream.”
The judging involved a panel of experts covering every aspect of the property business, including industry leaders from Mark Bastin Associates, Zoopla, bpha, Which? Money, Savills, Dawson Cornwell, Experian and IBI Group. The final decision from a short–list in each category was decided by readers of First Time Buyer Magazine who were invited to vote online for their favourite company or project.
Award results 2018
Best Small Development
Winner: Family Mosaic – Lennard Road
Highly Commended: Southern Home Ownership – London Lane
Best Urban Regeneration Project
Winner: L&Q and London Borough of Barking & Dagenham – Weavers Quarter
Highly Commended: Higgins Homes – Clissold Quarter ¬
Most Innovative Redevelopment of an Existing Property
Winner: SiteSales & Barnardo Developments Ltd – Barnardo’s Garden Village
Highly Commended: Leon House Croydon – Leon house
Best First Time Buyer Media Coverage
Winner: Metro Property
Highly Commended: Square Mile
Best Law Firm for Conveyancing
Winner: Lawcomm Solicitors
Highly Commended: Prince Evans
Best First Time Buyer Apartment
Winner: Joseph Homes – 43 Durnsford Road
Highly Commended: Clarion Housing Group – The Atrium at East City Point
Best Large Development
Winner: Catalyst – St Bernard’s Gate
Highly Commended: St. Modwen Homes – Locking Parklands
Best Website for First Time Buyers
Winner: Plumlife
Highly Commended: Miller Homes
Best Architectural Design
Winner: Peabody, Hill and Lyndon Goode Architects – Fish Island Village
Highly Commended: Taylor Wimpey East London – Aspext
Best Innovative Marketing Campaign
Winner: Oracle Group & The Media People – Shared Ownership Week
Highly commended: Thames Valley Housing – So Resi
Best Show Home
Winner: Broadway Living – Alton court
Highly Commended: L&Q and the Anderson Group – The Quarry
Best First Time Buyer Family Home
Winner: Lovell Partnerships Ltd – The Mill
Highly Commended: Octavia Living – Gladstone Village
Best New Development in the North
Winner: Riverside Home Ownership – Silverbirch
Highly Commended: Lovell – New Acres
Best New Development in the South
Winner: Peabody & Hill – Fish Island Village
Highly Commended: Barratt Homes and VIVID Housing – Chapel Gate
Best Estate Agent for First Time Buyers
Winner: SiteSales Property Group
Highly Commended: Belvoir Bromley
Private Developer of the Year
Winner: Regenta
Highly Commended: Magna Homes
Affordable Housing Provider of the Year
Winner: TVH
Highly Commended: Peabody
Judges’ Special Award for Dedicated Service to First Time Buyers
Winner: Kush Rawal – Commercial Director, Thames Valley Housing
Highly Commended – Lisa Westerman, Group Head of Sales, Plumlife