Top Things To Look For In Modern Homes
Buyers’ remorse is a common affliction among many owners of old properties. Alas for all their charm there is no denying that they are a bit of a gamble. Some of us allow ourselves to get sucked in by period features, they whisper sweet nothings into our ears and prevent us from thinking straight. Unfortunately when we move in and become better acquainted with the property the things that made us fall in love with it become the things that we hate; we realise that the Georgian cornices are caked in paint, we can’t quite shake the feeling that the defunct fireplaces are in fact soot-gathering space-wasters rather than treasured testimonies of a bygone era, and the once-appealing sash windows only serve to remind us that we’re spending half of our annual income on central heating. Older properties are selfish lovers that require much Tender Loving Care and give little in return.
Owners of modern homes, on the other hand, enjoy mutual and loving relationships with their properties, they are not slaves to their homes, their homes service them. Now, I would like to share with you the sweet nothings that the modern home whispers in my ear:
A modern home for the modern family
To paraphrase Bob Dylan, times are changing. The needs of the modern family are different to those of yesteryear. Modern homes are designed with the modern family in mind i.e with multipurpose open-plan layout which enables members of the family to be together whilst pursuing different activities e.g one may cook whilst the other lounges and watches TV, not that I advocate such disparity in the delegation of household chores.
What lies beneath
When you buy a modern home you can rest assured that the plumbing and electrical systems are in tip-top condition. Replacing old lead piping can be a real headache and often not one that you bargained for.
Low maintenance
How nice it is to know that you don’t have to spend every weekend from now till kingdom come updating your property! Enjoy your new found freedom, the shackles of fascia-boards-in-need-of-replacement are off your feet, now dance!
Eco-friendly
Whilst the sheer joy of knowing we’re doing our bit for the environment is reason enough to buy a modern home, some of us are more persuaded by the amount of money it could save us on our energy bills. Whatever your reasoning, you’ll be delighted to know that quality modern homes install the latest insulation and energy saving devices and are therefore up to four times as energy efficient as older properties.
Safety first
Familiar with the adage ‘safe as houses’? Well it should be ‘as safe as modern houses’, you read it here first. Modern homes come with higher levels of security, with window locks and British Standard 5 lever locks to main doors. Some builders either pre-wire for a burglar alarm system, or fit one as standard. In addition, modern homes feature secure double glazed windows, fire resistant materials, circuit breakers and smoke alarms. These measures can help reduce house and contents insurance as well as keeping you and your family safe.
Up to date technology
Technology is there to make our lives easier so why soldier on without it? Modern homes are fitted with the latest appliances from fitted kitchens to complex wiring systems for home entertainment, just relax and enjoy.
No chain
No need to worry about upward chains, as soon as your modern home is ready you can move straight in. Pret a vivre, as the French might say.
Tailor made
Sometimes making do just won’t do, with a modern home you don’t have to put up with someone else’s tastes. If you reserve a home before building is finished then you can choose from a wide range of fixtures and fittings meaning that your house is bespoke to you. Some developers offer other choices or options at an additional cost. Most modern homes are decorated in neutral colours giving purchasers a blank canvas to work from.
So do away with buyers’ remorse once and for all and discover the delights of a modern home!
Harrison Schmitt writes on behalf of Environ Communities, an award-winning developer of architect designed contemporary modern homes. http://www.environcommunities.com
Oaks Hamlet is their latest village property scheme at Kings Hill near West Malling. http://www.oakshamlet.com
The Very Best and Most Exciting Place to Find New Contemporary Homes
Kings Hill is an exciting architect designed new town built on the site of the famous World War II airfield, near to the picturesque town of West Malling, has grown over recent years into one of the most sought-after places to live in the Southeast. It is a popular community where people can live, work and play.
With striking residential developments of new contemporary homes and an attractive business park, Kings Hill is a thriving community with its own community center and parish council. The architecture reflects people’s dreams and desires and homes vary from the traditional to cutting edge.
An emphasis on community has shaped the layout of Kings Hill’s public buildings and spaces with the safety of residents central to planning. This has resulted in an extremely safe and well-maintained environment. Cycle lanes and green pedestrian routes add to its ambiance. There are eye-catching sculptures and an exceptional level of landscaping to the roads. These together with generous public green spaces create an environment essential for a healthy lifestyle.
Kings Hill is undoubtedly a most desirable place to live, not only to bring up a family but for people of all ages. Part of any community is its schools and Kings Hill has two modern primary schools as well as a nursery school. The locality offers excellent grammar and specialist secondary schools. Some of the best independent schools in Kent are within easy traveling distance and part of the University of Greenwich is also situated at Kings Hill.
Health care is provided by a doctor’s surgery and a dental clinic, and not forgetting the other important members of the family there is also a vet. There is a chemist at the vibrant Liberty Square where you will also find a supermarket plus a range of other shops, cafes and restaurants. Here you will on occasion find European and farmers’ markets and here too is the Spitfire village pub with its beer garden for those long summer evenings.
Leisure and recreation are superbly catered for at Kings Hill. It has its own championship golf course and a David Lloyd Leisure Center offering tennis, squash, swimming, a gym and a host of other sporting pursuits. Cyclists have dedicated paths, there are green routes for joggers and youngsters have their own ballpark. You will be able to walk, follow the trim trail, go riding, grow vegetables on your own allotment, play games on the pitches and courts, picnic or just enjoy nature and muse at the dormouse bridge within the Heath Farm Country Park.
Cricket lovers will appreciate the cricket green overlooked by the proposed country pub and cricket pavilion. Indeed, it has been commented that Kings Hill has all the benefits normally associated with an exclusive ‘country club’ community. A short distance away is the Medway for those keen on boating or fishing. For more action visit the nearby Leybourne Lakes Water Centre where you can wind surf, sail, canoe or scuba dive.
Here at the heart of the Garden of England there is a host of beautiful gardens and historic attractions such as Leeds Castle, perhaps the most beautiful castle in the world, and the historic sites of Rochester and nearby Tunbridge Wells. The cathedral city of Canterbury can be reached in 40 minutes. The beaches of Kent and sailing marinas are also within easy reach.
For those who like to shop, why not visit the shopping malls at Bluewater, Hempstead Valley or McArthur Glen? Or visit the West End and enjoy an evening out before returning to the relaxed environment of Kings Hill. Whatever your pastime or leisure pursuit Kings Hill offers an exceptional lifestyle and is truly the place to be.
Environ Communities is an award-winning developer of architect designed homes in the tradition of ‘Grand Designs’. http://www.environcommunities.com
Oaks Hamlet is Environ’s latest development of new contemporary homes at Kings Hill. Learn more at http://www.oakshamlet.com
Re-Branding for a Contemporary Digital and Design Led World
Businesses re-brand for a number of reasons. Sometimes it is that a businesses identity has become outdated, sometimes it can be because a business has changed or grown and wants to show how it has changed to the rest of the world. No matter what the reason, the most important thing when re-branding a company is to get it right.
Be creative and Imaginative.
The first thing you should do is hire a great creative design team capable of not only meeting your company’s needs, but experts in taking your brand to another level. Don’t be afraid of change, change can be good and will help re-invigorate a tired, ailing or outdated brand, but remember to keep the spirit of what your brand was alive in some part. The amount to which you may do this, will depend on whether you are under-taking a full or partial re-brand.
A partial re-brand involves giving the companies identity a refresh or update. This could include slight or moderate creative design changes to colours, styling, and brand feel.
A full re-brand involves significant changes to most, if not all elements that make up your brand, even as far as the business name.
With either of these approaches you will want to look at re-designing all your company brochures, promotional material, display graphics, stationary and developing a new website.
Be Distinctive.
Make sure your new brand identity is both fresh, distinctive and attractive. Your logo and branding should meet contemporary design standards to make sure it is both appealing to your existing and potential customer base as well as versatile enough to meet modern demands. Use colours, styling, fonts and imagery that suit your market place, but give them a personal and imaginative twist with the help of your creative design team.
Think outside the box.
Throughout the re-branding process make sure you consult and take on board ideas from across your team, including company stake-holders and your top employees. If you are using an efficient and professional digital design, web and graphics agency as we suggest, they should be able to offer easy collaboration solutions via a trusted project management system and work flow.
Get your online web identity in shape.
Even in this age of digital innovation, some companies treat their websites and online presence as an after thought in any re-branding process. This is one of the biggest mistakes any one business can make. With the growing digital economy and with more and more people choosing the internet as their first port of call to find and determine which services, products or assets they will use or acquire, no business can afford to leave their online presence to chance.
We recommend that anyone looking to re-brand their company or start up a new one treat their website design and development as a priority. When employing your design team, you should make sure they have a proficient and capable web development team behind them.
Your new website should comply with web standards for greater search engine visibility and accessibility standards, so not only people with disabilities can access the site, but also people using any type of web browser. The website should be easy to use and navigate and offer rich functionality using a standards compliant content management system, e-commerce or blogging platform. Your development team should be able to provide you with both “Off the shelf” solutions and bespoke web development where required. See if your web design agency can also offer SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) services and copy-writing to make sure your websites text is primed with keywords to help you attract the top hits within search engines like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft’s Bing.
Make sure your website is hosted using a suitable hosting platform that provides optimal performance for both yourselves and your customers. The type of hosting you require will depend on a number of factors including storage capacity, bandwidth allowance, acceptable use policies and other important considerations such as email services and backing up of your data.
Another thing to consider is creating and sending out a regular HTML email newsletter campaign, to your pre-existing customer base. This way you can regularly keep them informed as to any new products or services you are offering or general developments in and around the company.
Rocket Base is a UK based multi-disciplinary digital design, web, graphics and branding agency who offer a wide range of creative and technical services. http://www.rocketba.se
A good example of a recent full re-brand by Rocket Base is that of Environ Communities. http://www.environcommunities.com