Design standards for our homes .

The value of Options for Homes investment depends on the future value of the homes we invest in regardless if it is in our First Time Buyer, Divorced and Separated or Retired Renting sector. The resale value in 5, 10 and 15 years’ time is the key determinant of the value of today’s investments.

The question is how we ensure the future value is maximised? Obviously there are things we cannot control, such as the market, but there is much we can influence and control such as ensuring our developments are designed with the future in mind and how they will compete against other properties on the market at that time.

If we build down to the smallest minimum and our competitors begin to build larger properties that are more attractive then we are less competitive and the price (value) will fall to induce a sale. We see this happening now with developments designed and built 2 or 3 years ago remaining empty because other property is more attractive.

And anyway a small poorly designed home that is not the best we can achieve for our Resident Partner is hardly consistent with our Partnering philosophy.

The background of the current building and space standards is important in understanding the Joint Equity and Options for Homes approach to designing and building homes for people. More about the history of standards here

Briefly:- in the 1950’s, when the then Government ramped up council house building, they developed a set of housing standards that became known as the “Parker Morris” space standards. Whatever else they were, they provided spacious accommodation and were occupier friendly with minimum standards for each room with requirements for bathrooms and storage. Before Parker Morris bathrooms were often excluded to get costs and size down - unbelievable today.

 

In 2010 the GLA published their updated version of these standards to reflect changes in how we live since 1950. For example in 1950 we did not anticipate we would have 3 wheelie bins for every home and require more than 1 internal bathroom.

But Joint Equity have taken this further because of our long term investment horizon and have developed a set of draft standards for internal space for each room, amenity provision including storage space and sound transmission as well as bathrooms and ensuites, structural specification, media distribution, external space, and parking and access.

All our homes have adequate room for a family dining table that is big enough to have guests, our kitchens are well designed for family living, highly effective and efficient underfloor heating, large airy rooms, folding doors into the garden to bring the outside and inside together, master bedroom with ensuite, and a shower in the family bathroom. However, we also look to the future of communication and entertainment with cable connections to each room, wifi to all rooms and estate wide distribution of satellite TV.

We are on average 9.8% larger than the best current “public” standard.

Down load the latest version of the Joint Equity Design Standards here