Orlando Reid is setting the tone this year for marketing co-living inspired developments with the launch of Lofthaus in central Preston on the 12^th January.  The city has been proclaimed the number one place to live and work in the Northwest by PwC; in 2023, Money Supermarket ranked Preston first as the best place to raise a family, and it is deemed the top city for entrepreneurship in the Northwest. 

Cheshire family-owned development company, Belgravia are very at home in this vibrant region and in touch with what buyers and investors want – driving the initiative of creating community inspired co-living developments for people of all ages, who want an affordable flexible home and a more connected lifestyle with a broad choice of amenities, managed services and first-class technology under one shared roof.

Construction of Lofthaus is scheduled to begin in April and will be one of Belgravia’s most dynamic developments, designed by David Cox Architects to reflect the dramatic local landscape.  It will be the tallest residential building with 22 storeys centrally located in the city’s Market Quarter and University Gateway, dramatically mirroring the local landscape’s terrain and form.  Lofthaus will offer 307 apartments from studios to one- and two-bedroom flats and penthouses.  Studios start at around £99,950 and the most expensive corner penthouse with two bedrooms is available for £435,050. Construction is planned over 18 months and due for completion in Q4 2025.

Preston’s accessibility via road and rail has helped to put it on the property investor’s map. The city is intersected by four motorways – M6, M61, M55, M65.  It takes just 40 minutes by car to get to Manchester and Liverpool with rail services taking around 35 minutes.  London and Glasgow are on direct train lines taking two hours. For breathtaking scenery and country escapes, The Yorkshire Dales and Lake District are just 45 minutes’ drive away.

Baljit Arora, Managing director at Orlando Reid commented: “Lofthaus will be catering to the escalating demand for co-living spaces in Preston as a place-making community destination in one of the most exciting areas of the city.”

In the last 12 months, Preston has seen property prices increase by 21% according to Zoopla, Dataloft and Land Registry.  It’s modern university UCLAN has been ranked top in the Northwest for five consecutive years, and similarly for five years, The Times has named it best for the student experience – it has a student and university staff population of 60,000.  Currently, UCLAN is in the 6% of the world’s best universities. 

Belgravia’s Chris Newell said: ”Lofthaus reflects the type of development that has long been a successful residential model in the Far East and other major cosmopolitan cities. This is now gaining traction in the UK as millennials, professionals and students embrace a vibrant community lifestyle in a space that can flexibly respond to their changing needs.”

 www.orlandoreid.co.uk

VONDER EVOLVES INTERNATIONAL CO-LIVING CONCEPT : Vonder, the global co-living brand, is expanding its international portfolio with the launch of two new projects in Dubai, Vonder City Walk and Vonder Bluewaters. Combined, these properties will comprise over 250 stylish apartments launching in a series of stages starting from later in May.

Located within Dubai’s famous City Walk, an upscale urban shopping and dining destination, Vonder City Walk is situated among a design-inspired neighbourhood in the heart of Dubai and is in walking distance to the renowned Jumeirah beachfront. Overall, the site will offer 150 units including a selection of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, with floor-to-ceiling windows that capture Dubai’s iconic skyline. Vonder City Walk offers an impressive lifestyle space for residents to live, work and play with onsite amenities such as a fully equipped private gym, a 24/7 concierge service and a stunning rooftop terrace and pool for Vonder members to enjoy.

The second property, Vonder Bluewaters, is located on the impressive man-made island of Bluewaters. The complex contains a selection of high-end one, two and three-bedroom apartments with luxurious design and breath-taking ocean views. Raising the bar one step higher, Vonder Bluewaters also offers Vonder tenants an outstanding communal swimming pool.

Similar to other Vonder locations across Europe, all the Vonder apartments in Dubai come fully furnished with the sophisticated comfort of a contemporary urban design that compliments the open plan kitchens and living spaces. The rent is paid via a one-all-inclusive bill for a hassle-free living experience.  Members of Vonder City Walk and Vonder Bluewaters will also have access to the brand’s global community via the Vonder app that allows them to easily connect and interact with other Vonderers around the globe, in addition to a regularly updated programme of community and networking events.

Commenting on Vonder’s expansion into Dubai, Tomer Bercoviz, CEO of Vonder, said: “Our co-living concept has been working brilliantly in Europe and it is the right time for us to bring it to the Middle East as well. Dubai is an attractive destination for remote workers and digital nomads due to its status as a global financial hub and its proximity to both Europe and Asia. Currently there’s no similar product like Vonder in the local market and we’re proud to be pioneering the co-living revolution in Dubai.

“We have seen how relocation or moving to new cities can be a stressful and difficult process, especially for the younger generation that require flexibility in when they move. Our fresh take on co-living offers young professionals the ideal living platform, allowing them to live in safe, comfortable, and thoughtfully designed living complexes with flexible rental terms and a strong sense of belonging. We’re excited to be launching two new sites in Dubai with a third major flagship project due to launch later this summer with 300 apartments within the Dubai Marina. We are looking forward to seeing our global community grows.” The Dubai openings strengthen the growth of Vonder’s global co-living brand of over 30 locations across London, Berlin, and Dublin, with the US coming later this year.

VONDER EVOLVES INTERNATIONAL CO-LIVING CONCEPT

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