Choice not the only attractive luxury

A small village development is offering buyers who appreciate the bespoke a chance to design the interior look of their property, discovers Kirsty Mcluckie

Buying a property from a small developer has some advantages over purchasing a one-size-fits-all home from a bigger company.

Bespoke developers will often complete a project to just before the fit-out stage to allow the homeowner to choose their fixtures, resulting in a unique property without having to self build.

Perth-based Highlight Homes are offering this arrangement at their Needburn Park development on the outskirts of the village of Methven.

Four detached homes have been built and three are available for purchase at the site, which is in a beautiful countryside location surrounded by rolling farmland. Unlike many developers, the sales prices, which range from £475,000 to £545,000, include finishes and the buyer’s choice of fitted kitchen, utility, flooring and bathrooms.

Buyers will also be able to choose the decor from a range of Farrow and Ball colours.

The houses come with a high specification of oak staircases, galleried landings and local Perthshire stonework. Each will be fitted with a Sonos sound system, woodburning stoves, solar panels and underfloor heating.

Highlight Homes director Allan Quinn says: “It is a great location, within five miles of Perth city centre and so handy for commuting and to get to the A9 and Stirling, Glasgow and Edinburgh. It is also five minutes walk from the shops in Methven, so even though there is a rural feel you can walk to the pub or pop out for a meal.”

The four homes are set down a private drive and behind electric gates which open on to a central monoblocked courtyard, but each has its own private landscaped garden. Each house has five large double bedrooms, four bathrooms, two of which are ensuites and a double garage.

The open-plan accommodation has floor-to-ceiling windows in the lounge and dining areas, bringing in ample natural light.

Quinn says: “The three available are all finished to plasterboard stage and so buyers can choose tiles, bathrooms, kitchens, flooring even down to stoves, skirtings and fascias. Buyers will be getting exactly what the finish want – and we don’t charge extra.”

There is good schooling in the area with a number of local primary schools and secondary schools as well as Ardvreck and Morrison’s Academy in Crieff, Glenalmond College, Strathallan, Craigclowan, and Kilgraston in the private sector all easily accessible.

The target market, Quinn says, is definitely family buyers. “The excellent private schools close by means we are expecting to sell to people with children.

“But the accommodation is flexible, so if you don’t need five bedrooms we can also redesign a room as a study.”

The three properties are unique in design. The Tay is 330sqm and priced at £545,000, the Dean is 300sqm and £495,000 and the smallest and lowest priced is the Isla, at 240sqm and £475,000.

The 13 solar panels on each of the house types should ensure that utility costs are minimal, and there is the added attraction of highquality insulation throughout.

To see what can be achieved with the decor, the fourth property was completed as a showhome, but it was so impressive that Quinn’s co-director bought it. Quinn says: “He was looking to move and knew that he would be unlikely to find anything this good in the area.”

Completion for the three remaining properties should take around six to eight weeks, once the buyer’s preferences are known.