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Contemporary living at The Nurseries in Lewes from Blue Sonic

Life in Lewes isn’t all real ale, morris dancing and fireworks. These days the county town has taken on a sophisticated new mantle and this is clearly expressed at The Nurseries, a small, new development of modern family homes with a difference.

I met developer Andrew Newton for a guided tour and to find out exactly what he has done to make this project that bit more special. First impressions in the property business can make all the difference and the first thing I notice is how clean and tidy the development is. Andrew is quick to explain why. ‘‘The houses, although designed by my team here in the UK, are constructed in Germany and arrive almost finished. The foundations are prepared in advance and on the day the walls are raised into position, secured and the roof fitted.

Within 24 hours the building is secure and weather-tight, the windows in place and all to a very exacting standard.’’ I have to admit that on close inspection the finish is immaculate. “We also needed only one labourer on site for the entire build whereas a conventional build might require six on a project this size.”

It’s all impressive as a concept, but how do they match up as homes?

Immediately I see that they do – very well indeed. I walk into one of the larger format houses and at once feel at home. There is a sense of space but also a sense of logic to the layout. Andrew is pleased that I have noticed. ‘‘I use a method involving a bottle of wine.

I give each member of the team a set of the plans and a bottle of wine then send them home. I ask them to imagine they are arriving at the new design with that bottle of wine and walk through the plan as if it is real life, working out where they put the wine down, what they do next, where they open it, where they drink it. It makes them think about how they might use the house.

We then gather our ideas and thoughts, things that we all agree on are integrated into the final design, the siting of plug sockets and light switches. It may sound odd but it really has worked and we have made very few changes on the actual build after that initial period of design and research.”

I continue to look around and the evidence is there. I enter a room and the light switch is exactly where I assume it would be. I look at the walls and sockets are where I would like them. The kitchen makes culinary sense, the spaces and surfaces practical, the appliances logically configured. I see how the method has been put into play and how it has paid off.

But with the best plans and intentions, has he created homes that you would like to live in? I certainly feel comfortable here, the larger format has impressive rooms, stylish spaces that are generous and there is a breathtaking master bedroom suite in the beamed eaves of the house. I like it yes, but I decided to get a second opinion from someone who has already moved in. Ginny Bryant and family are already living at The Nurseries and I asked her what it was that clinched the deal. ‘‘We were extremely impressed with the finish of the property.

There is a real sense of light and space, this is a very airy home. I fell in love with the large practical balcony off the kitchen with space for proper dining outside, and we have already made use of that and the patio below for barbecues. The top floor with its space and light was exactly what we were looking for, and we had a sense that Andrew had worked to create a very special kind of home.

At all time his company Blue Sonic have been very accommodating of our needs, and the slight changes in the specification that we required, and the aftersales service has been extremely good. We are delighted and already love our new home.’’ A very satisfied customer and a discerning one who felt that her own requirements had been dealt with properly.

Before leaving I slip into one of the other formats, there are four in total, and find a house designed on far more open lines but again with a real sense of versatility and style. As a foodie I fall in love with the expansive kitchen and dining layout and foolishly start to imagine I am living there and planning parties.

There is something very attractive about these homes that has me wanting to move in. Whether it is the quality of finish, the eye for detail – from door furniture to bathrooms – or simply the fact that they have been designed with modern living in mind. I say modern but it’s certainly not at the expense of comfort and the team have definitely taken the very best of traditional home design and incorporated it into these striking new homes.

What impresses me most is the sense of generosity, generosity of space, rooms that work on every level, brilliantly efficient modern windows that look traditional but open surprisingly wide, amazing sound proofing and insulation, a downstairs cloakroom that you could swing several cats in. Blue Sonic also offer options for clients to choose from when it comes to the detailing, both inside and out.

The entire project looks so good that I ask about the eco-credentials, suspecting that once again he will have achieved the best standards here. Andrew is quick to point out that at all stages he has done his best to not only match required standards but to exceed them, far exceed them. And once again I am convinced that this is a developer, who has been prepared to go the extra mile in creating smart modern homes for clients, who will expect the very highest standards.

At the present the first phase of this project is completed but he is already working on the plans for the next part of the site and given his success in efficiently bringing these attractive properties to the market he will no doubt do the same in the adjoining space, thus improving the entire area.

The Nurseries are situated on the Uckfield road running south east out of Lewes but the town centre and mainline railway station are only a short walk away. The new improved road system just through the Cuilfail tunnel makes links to surrounding towns extremely simple and Lewes itself has excellent facilities in all sectors from schools and shopping to dining out – and of course the best real ale for miles around.

The Nurseries, Lewes
from £299,950 to £450,000

Mishon Mackay
City Land & New Homes
Tel: 01273 829320

Oakley Residential
Tel: 01273 688881
Show Home Open Saturday to
Monday 10 – 5 or by appointment

This entry was posted on Friday, September 19th, 2008 at 2:48 pm and is filed under Dream Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.