A LOCAL home builder is making a ‘racquet’ about the opening of its new show home this Saturday, June 28, at Briarswood Village in Great Sankey.

To celebrate the launch of its Lancaster show home, McInerney Homes is holding a Wimbledon themed open day this weekend. Visitors will be treated to strawberries and cream, champagne and a spot of swing-ball tennis in the back garden.

If guests are worried about missing the third-round of the Wimbledon singles on the Saturday then McInerney’s sales executives will have the coverage on in the background - just in case of any major upsets!

A chance to explore the ‘ace’ Lancaster style house has been eagerly awaited by Warrington’s home hunters. Like Wimbledon, the Georgian inspired home mixes the best in tradition with the excitement a modern audience demands.

Carol Nomdedeu, sales manager for McInerney Homes North West, says: “The Lancaster style home combines the best of old and new. It’s the equivalent of the brilliant Bjorn Borg in his heyday playing tennis with a modern, state-of-the-art, aerodynamic, vibration-dampening, graphite racquet.

“On the outside the Lancaster draws inspiration from a traditional Georgian townhouse but inside it has a beautifully proportioned and contemporary interior, planned over three-storeys. It basically means that home buyers can have a traditional built and styled home with all the character and also the eco-benefits and finish of a modern family house. We’re so eager for people to explore this home because we just know they will fall in love with it.”

On the ground floor the Lancaster has an integrated garage, reception hall, a study/family room opening onto the garden through French doors, en-suite and utility room. The first floor has a modern fitted kitchen and dining area plus a light and airy lounge with French doors onto a Juliet balcony. The top floor boasts three double bedrooms, an en-suite and a family bathroom.

Briarswood Village features a mixture of two and three-bedroom houses in a wonderful and peaceful semi-rural location in Warrington. It is already a popular and vibrant community, offering value-for-money homes to suit most buyers, including first-timers and professional couples.

Prices start from only £153,995.

If you want to explore the new Lancaster show home then the ball is in your court; simply pop down to Briarswood Village from 10.30am on Saturday, June 28, and see some top-seeded tennis and a first-class home.

For more details about Briarswood Village call 0845 618 8133 or visit www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

A DUO of walkers has made good use of a new stretch of the Trans Pennine Trail (TPT) in Warrington to raise hundreds of pounds for The Shannon Bradshaw Trust.

Carol Nomdedeu and Tracey Lowe raised £300 for the Trust with the support of their colleagues and employer, McInerney Homes.

The pair pulled on their walking boots to trek a 10k stretch of the TPT, which included a restored part of trail by McInerney that links Knutsford Road with Thelwall Lane along the bank of the Manchester Ship Canal.

Mary Bonner, chairperson for the Shannon Bradshaw Trust, said: “We would like to say a big thank you to Carol, Tracey and McInerney for their support. Donations, fundraising and support from local businesses and their staff are absolutely vital if we are to continue to help children with life-threatening conditions, and their families, across the North West.”

The Shannon Bradshaw Trust was founded by Shannon’s parents, Patti and Alan. Shannon was a seven-year-old girl who bravely fought Aplastic Anaemia before her death, just 5 months after receiving her first diagnosis. Patti and Alan wanted to help others who have found themselves in similar situations and set up the Trust.

Carol, Field Sales Manager for McInerney Homes North West, said: “McInerney has been building new homes in Warrington for a number of years and over that time we’ve got to hear about the fabulous work of the Shannon Bradshaw Trust. So, we’re delighted to be in a position to support the Trust and raise a bit of money for their worthwhile cause.”

Tracey, also a Field Sales Manager for McInerney, said: “As part of our ongoing development of apartments at Williams Wharf, in Latchford, we are renovating a third-of-a-mile stretch of the Trail. A sponsored walk that included this stretch seemed the obvious thing to do to raise money for the Shannon Bradshaw Trust. It was hard work but we had a great day and it was well worth the effort.”

The TPT crosses northern England from the Mersey to the Humber running through Warrington and the cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield and Hull.

The Shannon Bradshaw Trust holds loads of events throughout the year. On August 24, lookout for one of its biggest events to date, ‘It’s a knockout’, held at Victoria Park. It will be a full day of action, fun and games for everyone, including fair ground rides, stalls, dance groups, bands, food and drink.

Companies across Warrington can sponsor this fantastic event or put forward a team by contacting Mary Bonner on 01925 407 058 or 01925 721892. Alternatively, email marybonner@bankofscotland.co.uk.

For more information about The Shannon Bradshaw Trust or to make a donation to please visit info@shannonstrust.org.uk.

Williams Wharf is a collection of stylish one and two-bedroom apartments on Thelwall Lane, overlooking the Manchester Ship Canal. The development is in a great location not far from Warrington’s town centre and the trendy high street of Stockton Heath. A brand new apartment can cost as little as £57,000 at Williams Wharf with McInerney’s ‘MyChoiceHomeBuy’ scheme.

If you require further information regarding McInerney’s Williams Wharf development, please call 01942 768 025 or log-on to www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

 

 

AFTER 500 bright orange balloons were released over Blackburn to mark the launch of Kensington Gardens, Crossfield Street, the balloon tags have begun to turn-up all over Lancashire.

The balloon race was organised by McInerney Homes to mark the start of sales of its first new-home development in Blackburn’s city centre. The balloon tickets have since been found in Blackpool, the Ribble Estuary, Southport and Poulton-le-Fylde.

Visitors to the development entered the free balloon race with the chance to win a family trip to the Chill Factor-e in Manchester or Alton Towers - if their balloon travels the furthest! Observant folks have until June 27 to find the balloon tags, which in the past have been known to travel as far as Ireland and France!

Tracey Lowe, sales manager for McInerney North West, says: “It was such a wonderful sight to watch the balloons released into the Blackburn sky. There was a really strong easterly wind, which probably explains why our balloons ended up on the West coast. It made for a great spectacle and a fitting way to launch Kensington Gardens.

“Boasting a location less than a mile from the town’s shopping centre, the development is practically at the heart of Blackburn. It features a total of 46 new homes including four-bedroom semi-detached homes, townhouses and 18 contemporary two-bedroom apartments. Prices start from just £121,000.”

Kensington Gardens lies within a Housing Market Renewal Area to the South East Area Development Framework. It will contribute to the Borough-wide regeneration and will greatly enhance the neighbourhood with a positive impact on the region’s housing provision.

Make a flying visit to Kensington Gardens Thursday through to Monday from 10.30am to 5pm or call 01254 674 515 for more information. Alternatively, log on to www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

STUDENTS at Darwen Moorland High School will not be going thirsty during their exams thanks to 250 gallons of water courtesy of a local home builder.

McInerney Homes who is responsible for the Belgrave Heights development on Bolton Road, has splashed out on more than 3,600 bottles of water to help fuel local students’ brain power.

Everybody knows that diet, sleep and water are vital for a strong exam performance and many studies by neurologists have confirmed that when you are dehydrated your mental performance deteriorates by 10%.

Chris Morris, head teacher at Darwen Moorland High School, said: "We want all our students to be refreshed and hydrated during exams.  Water is essential in keeping the brain alert and fully functional throughout stressful situations.  We are extremely grateful to McInerney Homes for providing this water to our students and we are confident that our students' achievements will be better than ever this year."

Each student last year got a bottle of water for their exam desk and the teachers noted that this initiative worked really well. In fact, the school had its best ever exam results last year seeing a 3% increase in results. The school is hoping for a similar success story for its 2008 candidates.

Tracey Lowe, sales manager for McInerney Homes North West, says: “McInerney is proud to be sponsoring the supply of fresh, bottled drinking water through-out the exam season and hope this helps optimise the pupils’ performance. We feel McInerney has a responsibility to the wider community and we are delighted to be in a position where we can support students in their learning environment as well as helping to improve Darwen’s living environment. We wish good luck to all those students sitting exams this summer.”

McInerney is building new homes at Belgrave Heights on the site of the former mill on Bolton Road. For more information please call sales on 01254 771 294 or visit www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

A LOCAL home builder is sponsoring Darwen Moorland High School’s very own secretary, Deborah Huddleston, to slip into her walking boots and raise money for Blackburn Hospice.

Together with friends Vicky and Gail Sharples and an estimated 1,500 other volunteers, Deborah will take part in the East Lancashire Hospice Summer Solstice Walk - an intensive 12 mile walk at 10pm on Saturday June 21.

The half marathon will start and finish at Ewood Park and take the sponsored walkers on a tour of the outskirts of Blackburn. To spur Deborah to the finishing line, McInerney Homes has sponsored her £100 to complete the walk.

Deborah says: “I’m really excited to be doing the walk. It’s a great atmosphere and it raises lots of money for a very good cause. The Hospice is a very special place and does a brilliant job, so, any support and donations will be highly appreciated. I would like to thank McInerney and everyone who has sponsored me for their generous offers and their help will go a long way. I wish luck to all the other walkers and I’ll see you at the starting line.”

Blackburn Hospice offers palliative care to patients with advanced and progressive life threatening disease - particularly those suffering from cancer - and support for their relatives and carers in an atmosphere of calm with tenderness, care and quiet efficiency.

The hospice is the main specialist palliative care unit for the communities of Blackburn, Darwen, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, serving a population of some 385,000.

Last year’s walkers managed to raise more than £80,000 for the Hospice and everyone is hoping to better last year’s brilliant result.

Tracey Lowe, sales manager for McInerney North West, says: “We’re delighted to sponsor Deborah and we wish her and all the walkers the best of luck in their tough task. If the amount of money raised is even close to last year’s figure then it will be another successful walk.”

McInerney is investing in Darwen’s community by building new homes on the site of the former mill on Bolton Road. The development is called Belgrave Heights and is a collection of traditionally built houses and apartments just a two-minute walk from Darwen’s town centre. For more information call 01254 771 294 or click on www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

If there is anyone else who would like to sponsor Deborah then e-mail her at djf@darwenmoorland.blackburn.sch.uk. If you would like to take part in the summer walk then visit www.dubhosting.com/eastlancshospice.

WHILE the banks continue to tighten their lending criteria - despite Bank of England measures - new home developers are taking up the slack with some clever financial alternatives.

The banks have failed to pass on the benefits of interest rate cuts and the Bank of England’s £50bn worth of secured government bonds to home buyers. This has left new home developers with a list of eager home buyers unable to secure funding for their dream home. So, many have sought smart alternatives to assist home buyers.

For instance, McInerney Homes has just started a Government funded scheme that enables eligible applicants to receive between 15% and 50% assistance towards the purchase of a new home.

The scheme is called ‘My Choice Home Buy’ and is designed to help those who need that first home, a bigger one for a growing family or have limited funds. Unlike other schemes, the home buyer gets real choice to choose the mortgage lender and the McInerney home they want.

Stephen Grant, sales and marketing director for McInerney Homes North West, says: “We have people ready and desperate to buy a new home but if the banks won’t pass on the interest rate cuts and insist on big deposits, then our customer’s hands are tied. We’ve had to do the banks’ job for them with our ‘My Choice Home Buy’ scheme, which allows responsible and affordable borrowing with clear monthly payments.

“The scheme puts the home buyer in control and gives them the options they would normally have if buying on the open market. It’s simply intended to make home ownership affordable. It allows people to move out of rented accommodation and increases purchasing power to suit a buyer’s needs. Plus, participants don’t lose out on any market increases on the value of their home.”

At the home buyer’s discretion they can repay all or part of the ‘My Choice Home Buy’ loan one year after purchasing a new McInerney home. If the home owner does decide to sell, the loan will have to be paid back based on the share market value at the time of sale. Plus in the event that property values do fall, which is unlikely in the long term, the scheme will incur the fall too.

There is a low annual fee charged monthly at 1.75% on the ‘My Choice Home Buy’ loan, which will increase by the Retail Price Index inflation figure plus 1% annually. The scheme is part of the Home Buy Government-led initiative and to be eligible your household income must be less than £60,000.

McInerney is currently building new homes in Wigan, Warrington, Runcorn, Widnes, Newton Heath, Oldham, Darwen, Blackburn, Bolton, Bacup and Wrexham, for more information visit www.mcinerneyhomes.com.

To find out more about McInerney’s ‘My Choice Home Buy’ then call 01942 768 025.

Two local agents have been appointed at a major development in Telford.

Evans Estates and Nick Tart Estate Agents have been taken on by McInerney Homes at its Maddocks Grange scheme in Wellington.

The company, which is creating 149 new homes in Churchill Road, has also appointed Maitland Selwyn to provide sales staff for its recently opened sales office on-site.

Work is already well underway at the development with properties ranging from two-bedroom apartments through to three and four-bedroom homes. Reservations are now being taken off-plan.

John Heald said the appointments would ensure that all bases of the market were covered.

He said: "Our homes at Maddocks Grange will appeal to everyone from first-time buyers to those who are looking to move up the property ladder.

We have already received a number of enquiries and wanted to make sure that we had everything in place to deal with those.

That is why we have chosen to appoint two established and well-respected agents in the local area because we feel their knowledge of the market will be extremely useful.

And we also have a long-running relationship with Maitland Selwyn and they have always provided the very best on-site sales staff."

 

A new homes development in Walsall was the star of Channel Five’s ‘The Gadget Show’ after being chosen for a home security experiment.

Two show homes at McInerney Homes’ Beacon Wood development were used by ‘The Gadget Show’ team in a scenario to test alarm systems.

The scheme, off Hawbush Road, was selected because it has two showhomes next door to one another and made the experiment easier to carry out.

Jess Matthews, the director of The Gadget Show said: “We chose Beacon Wood because of the location and the style of the homes. They are excellent houses inside and out and we thought they would be perfect for our experiment.”

The alarms being tested were the AlertMe alarm and the X10 alarm, which are both wireless.

The alarm systems enable home owners to be alerted by phone if their alarm is activated while they are out and can also be programmed to control the lights in a home while residents are away to give it a ‘lived in’ look.

The aim of the experiment was to see how efficient these alarm systems are.

John Heald, sales and marketing manager for McInerney Homes West Midlands, said: “We were delighted to be approached by The Gadget Show and were keen to see the results of the experiment.

“The fact that both showhomes sit together is quite unusual and made their test much easier to carry out and much fairer on both systems.

“It gave the development some great national exposure and none of us could wait to see the final edit.”

A range of three and four-bedroom houses are on the market at Beacon Wood, starting in price at £149,950. They all include contemporary fitted kitchens and a high-quality finish throughout.

The showhomes are open from 10.30am until 5.30pm Thursday to Monday. For more information call 01922 494610 .

Pictured: The Gadget show team, from left, Suzi Perry, Jason Bradbury, Security Expert Michael Fraser & John Heald from Mclnerney Homes.

Potential homebuyers across the West Midlands are set to benefit from a major new Government scheme to make owning their own home much more affordable.

McInerney Homes, the company behind Beacon Wood in Walsall, Alice Court in Bilston and Hedgerows in Redditch, is adopting the new MyChoiceHomeBuy scheme at its developments.

The idea is to help people buy a property on the open market with a contribution from MyChoiceHomeBuy of anything of up to 50 per cent of the home’s value.

The mortgage is paid off in the usual way with a small monthly fee payable on the MyChoiceHomeBuy share.

The MyChoiceHomeBuy share can be paid back in stages or, if the home owner chooses, in one go. If the homeowner decides to sell – they pay the same percentage back on the value of the property at the time it is sold.

John Heald, regional sales manager for McInerney Homes, said the scheme would make new homes across the West Midlands affordable for many more people in the area.

He said: “We are delighted to welcome potential buyers looking to take advantage of this fantastic scheme.

“We believe it will assist thousands of people in the area to achieve the dream of owning their own new home and we will obviously help in anyway we can too.

“This has to be a first come, first serve deal as there is a set amount of funds for the scheme.”

A range of apartments and three, four and five-bedroom houses are on the market at Beacon Wood, Hedgerows and Alice Court. They all include contemporary fitted kitchens and a high-quality finish throughout.

For more information on McInerney Homes developments or the MyChoiceHomeBuy scheme call 01902 394 120.

When McInerney Homes needed some street names for the new development at Bishops Park on Sunderland Road, they asked Gateshead Council and the local children for help to instill some local knowledge.


The Children from Bede Community Primary School and St Wilfrid's Roman Catholic Voluntary Aided Primary School agreed to work in partnership with the Council and McInerney Homes in researching their community to create names for the new streets within the new development.


In return, the children were given brand new internet based software in the form of computer mapping that shows their community from present day to the 19th Century, and a tailor made web blog that they could use to record and discuss their thoughts with each others and with councillors and council officers.


Suggestions for names came in thick and fast as children researched their area, and in total over 200 entries have been made by the children.


The street naming project is the first of a series of community projects that link the schools and the new development together and the children will be involved in many more projects over the coming years.


Alan Murray of St Wilfrid's School said: "This project has encouraged the children to research the local history and environment. The support of McInerney Homes and Gateshead Council has been invaluable to the success of this project. We hope this partnership will continue to develop over the coming months"


Raymond Foster of Bede Community Primary School "The project has provided opportunities to use technology with real purpose and to contribute to Community development in a very constructive manner."


Picture shows: Stephen Ward from Gateshead Councils' Neighbourhood Management Scheme and Stephanie Storry from McInerney Homes'  Marketing department  encourage the children of Bede School & St Wilfrids School to put forward street names.


If you would like to look at the children's work please log onto: www.e-strata.org