Make a move to Thorney!

With the Thorney showhome officailly open (and looking lovely), now would be a good time to take a drive to the lovely village of Thorney and start exploring the opportunity of buying a new Larkfleet home there.

Thorney Meadows is a development of three, four and five bedroom home, located just eight miles outside Peterborough - a growing city that offers great shopping, dining and transport links!

A new home in Thorney is also within easy reach of the nearby towns of Market Deeping, Whittlesey, Wisbech and Spalding.

Sitting at the heart of the village, Thorney Meadows offers fourteen exclusive property types with 3, 4 and 5 bedrooms. These new homes will appeal to people seeking stylish but affordable living in a new family home.

Thorney has a post office, village store, library, chemist, medical practice, pub and restaurant - and the Thorney Lakes golf course is nearby. Village life is busy and vibrant with numerous interest groups - with the historic Tank Yard being home to several of them.

For more details, you can call the sales office on 07824 327351 or visit the stunning howhome at Woburn Drive.

How to plan your garden

Whether you are planning an entire new garden for your new home, growing your own foods, creating a safe area for the kids or planning the perfect space to entertain, getting the garden right is vital if you want to make the most of the outdoors during the summer months.

To help you on your green-fingered journey, we have put together some helpful tips and advice that will see your outdoor space turned into a green haven in no time - or those of you who are less ‘green inspired’ can find out how to maintain a simple-to-manage garden.

Planning your garden in a new build

When you buy a brand-new home, as standard, the front garden is usually turfed and the back garden is left untouched except for top soil.

As with most new projects, preparation is key so get out the pen and paper, laptop or tablet and start your research by asking yourself what kind of garden would you like to create? What will be the main requirement for your garden? Do you want a large planting area to show off a wonderful variety of flowers and colour? Do you want to grow your own fruit and vegetables? Maybe you want somewhere for the kids to play safely.

The list really is endless but by thinking about what your garden will mean to you, you will be ready to create the perfect outdoor space for yourself and/or your family.

B&Q offers some great step-by-step guides and advice on planning a garden.

If your budget allows, you can employ a professional gardener or landscaper who will take care of everything for you from design to planting.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) offers some good advice on what you need to consider when hiring a gardener/designer/landscaper.

If you want to design the garden yourself, think about how much sunshine it gets and at what time of the day. Make sure you do plenty of research and get some practical advice – experts at your local garden centre are often happy to help. You can find an abundance of magazines, blogs and websites that will both inspire and offer useful advice.

  

Grow your own food

Growing your own food has never been more popular as home-owners are opting to turn their green spaces into a self-sufficient food haven.

If you want to grow your own fruit and vegetables, the best advice is to start small with herbs and then you can build up to a mini-market in the garden! Once you have tackled the ease of herbs, you can then start on strawberries, tomatoes and other tasty totally organic food!

Seeds are easily available and it really is quite simple to start. You just need soil, water and some containers to germinate the seeds.

For a step-by-step guide on what to grow and when, visit www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own.

How to create the perfect garden space for entertaining

If you want your garden to be an extension of your home, entertaining al fresco will be at the top of your garden priority list.

There is now a fantastic choice of garden furniture and accessories - so all that is required from you is the fun and creative role of colour and accessory matching.

Do you favour a coastal look with neutral soft furnishings and cool wooden accessories? Or maybe you would like your garden to look like a vibrant Mediterranean dream with multi-coloured throws and bright plant pots. Whatever your style, check out Pinterest for some cool and creative ideas. You will need an account but once you have signed up (it’s free) you can start to explore design ideas that will make your garden as unique as you are.

What should I plant in my garden?

You need to make sure that you choose the right plant for the right place. Some plants/flowers are much happier with a little bit of shade whereas others will quite happily flaunt their petals in the sunshine. Do you want the garden to be full of colour in spring but also have some presence of life in the autumn too? Think about what works well and when.

The RHS has published a fantastic month-by-month guide of what you can plant and what jobs you can do monthly.

How to create a simple-to-manage garden

Not everyone can or will want to be out in the garden every day tendering, pruning, watering and trimming! If this is you, you will want a garden that can still be enjoyed but with little maintenance.

If this is the case, you are best having a nice lawn with a few plants that require little water so that you don’t have to be out there daily during the summer months. Hardy evergreens, once established, will require little care. 

Accessories such as fairy lights always make the garden look amazing in the evening so instead of focusing so much on plants, a good idea would be to look at garden ornaments and ways you can make your space look dazzling without the need to do very much gardening!

Make a move to luxury at Langham Barns

If you're looking for a new home near Oakham, you might want to consider making a move to Langham Barns.

Langham Barns is a stunning collection of four exclusive and luxurious timber framed properties located in the pretty Rutland village of Barleythorpe.

Barleythorpe is just a five minute drive from Oakham which is a charming Rutland market town and a popular place for families to set up a new home.  With its great choice of schools, shops, places to eat and drink and surrounding countryside, it's no wonder Oakham and the surrounding area is a popular place for new home buyers.

The Langham Barns development, built as part of the Larkfleet Exclusives portfolio, offers either two or three bedroom properties built to the highest standard of traditional craftsmanship and outstanding attention to detail.

For more information on Langham Barns visit www.larkfleethomes.co.uk/langham-barns-oakham .

Do you know how to break the housing chain?

For many of us, once we've made the decision to buy a new house, we want to start the moving process as soon as possible. However, many people can find themselves "stuck" in a housing chain.

A housing chain is a sequence of linked house purchases, with each being dependent on the others before anyone can proceed with their propety sale.  

The longer the chain, the greater the chance of something going wrong. A ‘break’ anywhere in the chain means no-one can move.

Being in a chain is not only stressful but it can also be expensive. Non-refundable mortgage fees, survey costs and solicitors’ fees may all be lost if someone else in the chain pulls out.

You might even lose your dream home if you are not able to buy when you planned to do so and the seller finds another buyer. Then you really are back at the start of the house-buying process all over again.

Read below for some helpful ways of breaking the chain.

Selling your property before you buy

If you want to buy a new home and be completely ‘chain free’ you could consider selling your home first. If you have time on your side and don’t feel the pressure to sell quickly, you might be in a better place to accept the offer you want rather than feel you ‘have to go for it’.

Use a bridging loan

Bridging loans are designed to help people complete the purchase of a property before selling their existing home by offering them short-term access to money. However, they are usually provided at a high rate of interest.

Extending the mortgage on your existing home

If you don’t want to be stuck in a housing chain, you might consider extending the mortgage on your existing property and using that money as a deposit on your new home.

Part exchange

Part exchange  is when one item is traded against another. It is most commonly used when people want to buy a better car or property.

The existing item is used in value against the new item you want to purchase and is taken as ‘part payment’.

If you want to buy a new house, you can part exchange your existing property.

Make sure you carry out plenty of research and seek the advice of professionals before you make a decision because breaking a housing chain can come with some risks,

Larkfleet's decorating top tips!

The newspapers are comparing the UK to Spain, offices have turned into ovens and the postie finally looks acceptable in shorts. 

Welcome to British summertime!

The best thing most of us want to be doing right now is very little but, once the heat has settled, you might want to start thinking about decorating the home in time for autumn and, dare we say it, Christmas.

We're a considerate bunch at Larkfleet Homes and we've put together a few ideas that will help to inspire you when it comes down to those all-important home improvements, 

Read below for top tips on how to decorate your new home, decorating on a budget, reusing what you already have to make a whole new impact, last-minute decorating and decorating in style - no expense spared!

Work with your builders

If you reserve your new home early enough – before the builders have bought the paint, tiles, kitchen units and other things they will use in your house – it is often possible to specify more colourful decoration that suits your own style. 

Just ask!

Decorating your new home

  

The first thing you need to do once you have made the decision to decorate your new home is make a list. This list should include all the things you currently own and all the things you will need to buy such as paint brushes!

Once you have your list ready, set a budget so you know exactly what you are working with. It will be easy to get carried away - which is great if you can afford to, however, if you are on a budget, you won’t want to be left with any last-minute spending. 

Do your planning one room at a time and make sure you know your room dimensions. 

Now you are ready for the fun part of actually decorating your new home.

You will find plenty of top tips online and we would recommend you start with Homebase for advice on the practical side of decorating such as what paint is best to use and how to apply it for a perfect look.

Decorating on a budget

The word ‘budget’ is never one that makes home-owners feel too great but it is a word that they use a lot. When decorating on a budget, please remember that you really don’t need to spend a fortune to make your home look like a million dollars. In fact, many bloggers now make a decent living repeating this mantra.

Set a budget and stick to it. Budgeting is fun and it can be a real buzz when you realise how well you have managed to transform your home whilst saving some pennies too.

Reuse, recycle but look brand new!

Reusing “old” stuff to look brand new is now a super trend and not just amongst those on a budget. It really ticks the box for the environmentally friendly and creative individuals amongst us.

Some people might look at a worn chest of drawers and want to throw them out whilst others might see it as an opportunity to get arty and messy and create a totally unique piece of furniture.

Last-minute decorating

In an ideal world, we would all be living life like extras in an inspirational M&S advert but that is not reality. Sometimes the little one might go a bit crazy with the pen, your in-laws have decided to pay you a last-minute visit or you have had a room ruined by some other disaster. If this happens to you, the best thing to do is relax and take stock of the situation...and then call a professional to sort out the mess! Try this site Rated People - it will help you find the right person for the job!

Decorating in style – no expense spared!

If you are lucky enough to be in the position where the sky is the limit when it comes to financing your decorating then you can have some serious fun.

If you enjoy decorating and want to take ownership of the project, you will not be short of blogs, websites and magazines which will help you on your new home mission. Keeping up with current trends has never been easier and if you are the creative type, you can even start your own trends!

Start with Ideal Home – a great source for all things homely and for top decorating trends. Simply type it into Google and start your fun search!

Have fun and do feel free to post us your pictures on the Larkfleet Facebook page! 

We'd love to see them!

x

Karl Hick is finalist in IoD East Midlands Director of the Year awards!

Karl Hick, CEO of The Larkfleet Group of Companies, has been shortlisted as a finalist at this year’s prestigious IoD East Midlands Director of the Year awards.

Karl won the award in 2015 when he was named as overall East Midlands Director of the year.

The regional winners will be announced on Friday 23 June at the Nottingham Conference Centre and these will go forward to the IoD’s national Director of the Year awards which will be made on Friday 22 September at the Lancaster London Hotel.
 

Karl said: “It is a great privilege to be acknowledged once again for my continued dedication to the Larkfleet brand.

 

"I was delighted to win the East Midlands Institute of Directors ‘Director of the Year’ title in 2015.

 

"Many of the things talked of in the future tense in 2015 have now come to fruition and are providing the basis for further growth and development for the business, for the team and for me personally.

 

"I know it is a cliché but this award – if I were to win again – would be an accolade for the whole Larkfleet team. People throughout the group have worked hard to bring us through the recession into our current situation where we are expanding across the UK and into our first overseas operations.

 

“It has been a great year so far with the Larkfleet Homes and Allison Homes brands both going from strength to strength in an uncertain market. Winning this award will further add to our successes.”

 

The IoD awards are well known as being the ‘top business awards scheme, which recognises excellence and enterprise in the boardroom’.

 

Well done Karl. We have our fingers crossed for you!

Fancy a job with Larkfleet?

Would you like to start a new career with Larkfleet Homes? We are currently recruiting for various roles in construction so now might be a great time to jump on board and jump-start your career with a top housing developer.

 

We are currently recruiting for the following roles:

• Branch Manager  This position is in a busy builders merchants that has recently been modernised with a complete refit. You will need to have good knowledge of the building industry along with the materials used. You will also need to have the ability to look after many customer accounts. A proven track record of management in the industry would be an advantage.
• Land Buyer You will support the land managers in the identification and acquisition of sites, assisting in project acquisition from identification, offer, contract, purchase, planning to pre-start on the sites acquired.

• Sales Administrator You will be responsible for managing customers passed on by the sales team – starting with reservations through to the exchange of contracts and legal completions whilst ensuring that the customer receives a smooth and professional experience.

• Contract Managers  You must have proven experience within the volume residential sector with a suitable track record for multi-development management in a fast-paced environment.

• Telehandler/Forklift Drivers  You must be CPCS qualified and suitably experienced within the residential housing sector.

• Experienced Residential Site Managers  You must have relevant proven experience within the volume housing industry of delivering quality homes to agreed build programmes whilst maintaining excellent presentation and safety standards and first class customer care.

• Quantity Surveyor Reporting to the Commercial Manager, you will be responsible for the commercial activities on four/five sites in the region.

• Assistant Site Manager  Applications will be considered from tradesmen with relevant experience and also graduate trainees who have completed HNC/HND in building/ residential studies, or are in the process of completing a degree in a construction-related discipline.

• Scaffolders  Castlebuild Scaffolding, part of The Larkfleet Group of Companies, is looking to employ excellent scaffolders to join its established and award-winning team.

• Sales Executive  This position as part of a sales team is based in a sales and marketing suite on a new housing development selling properties off-plan to prospective clients and helping them through the house buying process.

• Assistant Sales Manager You will assist the Head of Sales in this interesting role.

For full details on all the above roles and how to apply, please visit http://www.larkfleethomes.co.uk/careers/.

Doddington Grange - Just launched!

If you're looking for a new home, you should seriously consider making a move to the beautiful village of Doddington and in particualr, Doddington Grange -  a new timber-framed Larkfleet development.

Doddington is within easy reach of Cambridge and Peterborough and the newly launched Doddington Grange development offers a wonderful selection of four and five bedroom family homes. Refered to as a 'vibrant and traditional' village, Doddington lies within the heart of Cambridgeshire fenland.

The village is great for those that like to play an active part in village life with a great choice of clubs and interest groups on offer and each year the local community puts on a carnival and sports day. It's also a great place to buy a new home if you enjoy your countryside walks. There are many footpaths in and around the village. 

If you have little ones, there are numerous nursery, primary and secondary schools both very locally and further afield in nearby March, Wimblington and Chatteris. Further and higher education is catered for by centres in March, Ely and Cambridge.

 

So has this tempted you? As an added extra, if you reserve off plan, you will receive £500 towards your legal fees!

Visit www.larkfleethomes.co.uk/doddington-grange for more details or you can call a sales advisor on 01354 654 545.

Larkfleet donates model house to New College Stamford

The Larkfleet Group of Companies has donated a model house toNew College Stamford as part of its continuing programme of support for the local community.

The scale model of a typical timber-framed house built by Larkfleet Homes can be taken apart and re-assembled working to a set of drawings which Larkfleet has also supplied.

A similar model was recently donated to students at Greater Peterborough UTC (GPUTC). Larkfleet is one of the main sponsors of GPUTC and takes a great interest in the college and its students.

The model house, built and designed by Karl Barfoot of Kestrel Timber Frame, has proved extremely popular with students studying built environment courses at GPUTC. Now a duplicate of the model will be enjoyed by students studying construction courses at New College Stamford.

Larkfleet Homes joint managing director Helen Hick said: “It was a great pleasure to hand over the model house to New College Stamford and further strengthen our links with the college.

“At Larkfleet we believe it is vital to invest in the future of young people, especially those interested in a career in construction. The model house is just one more way in which we are supporting the next generation of construction professionals.”

Receiving the model house at an official presentation was Janet Meenaghan, the principal at New College Stamford.

Janet said: “New College Stamford greatly values its long-standing and positive relationship with Larkfleet Homes. 

"Our students already benefit in many ways from the partnership, from apprenticeship training and work experience opportunities to site visits. 

"We are delighted to receive Larkfleet’s gift of a scale model timber-framed house, designed and built to the latest, environmentally-friendly specifications. 

"The model house is accompanied by a set of blueprints which will enable our students to take it apart and reassemble it. It will be a valuable addition to their learning programmes at college.”

 

The model will also be used to make some practical points about communications. In one test using the house the plans are held by one group of students in one room and the model is with another group in a separate room. One student from the planning group has to carry instructions to the construction group in a time trial to see which team of students can correctly build the house most quickly.

It's another donation from Larkfleet!

We just can't stop helping people here at Larkfleet HQ and this time we've donated £4,000 to Cottesmore Millfied Academy in Oakham.

The cheque was presented by (pictured, right) Sam Hart (Larkfleet's sales director) to Rachel Thomas (left) who is the headteacher at the school.

Some of the money will be used to purchase benches for the children to enjoy in the school gardens.

If you are wondering why the kids are wearing 'construction clothes' in the pictures, well they were also donated by Larkfleet for them to keep, much to their delight! In fact, it was rather funny and cute watching the children still wearing their hats as they left in cars!

The cheque was presented at the Buttercross development in Oakham which offers a stunning range of two, three, four and five bedroom properties in beautiful surroundings.

If you would like to find out more you can call one of the sales team on 01572 72 22 62.

Is it time to be bold with your wallpaper?

Continuing our series of interior design ideas, this week we've decided to look at wallpaper. When it comes to wallpaper, there's never a shortage of designs and colours to choose from - there's a design for each and every taste!

However, as much as the variety is there, if you are a trend follower, you can always rely on trending designs and patterns. This season, we hear at Larkfleet Homes that we're now becoming bigger and bolder with our patterns.

Your wallpaper can say a lot about your taste and individuality, so think wisely before you choose it and try to think of it like choosing a piece of art. 

Alongside big and bold patterns, there's a real trend for pretty patterns, trails and birds, textures and decadent shimmering finishes. 

Remember that not only is it vital that you get the right design for your personality but also where you display your artwork (wallpaper!). Wallpapers no longer have to sit on single feature walls. Contrasting skirting boards and painted woodwork in brighter, punchy hues have become more popular and are a fantastic way to bring together heritage patterns in a contemporary way.

Your home is your castle so make sure it identifies who you are as a person and have fun with big and bold patterns!

Is time to revamp your bedroom?

There's something about the summer time that puts us at Larkfleet Homes in the mood for a change. The change in weather can inspire many of us to throw away the old and bring in the new and what better way to treat yourself this summer than with a wonderful new bedroom. Or even an old bedroom with a few adjustments so it feels brand new!

So start with a spring (summer clean). Enter the world of the bottom draw in your cupboards. You know the one. The ' I'll just put it in there before it has a home' one, that before you know it, is full to the brim and is a nuisance. Face it! Clear it at and you will feel so much better after.

You can also buy some really lovely storage boxes with funky patterns that will suit your living space and tidy it up at the same time!

If you want your bedroom to be a place of calm and tranquillity, you need to choose the right colour that will help to create the right mood. You're best going for calming colours such as blues, greys and greens. 

Now all you need to create a perfect space is to add some little extras such as fresh flowers, scented candles, funky pillows and pictures of your favorite things, places and people!

Enjoy!

Larkfleet welcomes Adrian Green

Larkfleet Homes has strengthened its team with the appointment of Adrian Green as its new head of commercial.

Adrian has joined the team at Larkfleet Homes to manage the commercial department and brings with him a wealth of experience to focus on the long-term interests of the business.

 

Helen Hick, joint managing director of Larkfleet Homes, said: “We are delighted to welcome Adrian. He will be developing, leading and managing all commercial activities of the business.
 

“The company is developing more and bigger sites in 2017, up and down the country, and the expansion of the team is testament to our growth."

 

Adrian said: “I am delighted to join Larkfleet. I have worked in the construction industry for 30 years and I will bring this experience along with my forward-thinking approach to the team.

 

“It is an exciting time to join the business as it continually expands its developments in the UK.”

 

Outside of work Adrian enjoys keeping fit and enjoys rugby having previously played, coached and chaired a club.

 

Larkfleet Homes is continually looking at new approaches to business and 2017 so far has proved extremely positive with a record number of new developments being planned.

 

The business also continues to support local communities with an ongoing programme of sponsorship, support and engagement with charity events, schools and sports clubs.