PROPERTY NEWS: Prices slashed to stimulate new homes sales

PROPERTY prices in a new development on Minehead’s North Hill have been slashed in a bid to stimulate house sales in the otherwise current gloomy economic situation.
Housebuilder Barratt is offering a ‘Buy of the week’ at its Clanville Grange development (pictured) which is 25 per cent less than the original asking price.
Using the company’s Dream Start scheme, plot 37, a Lytham-style apartment with two bedrooms, carpets, curtains, and parking, is available for £128,962 instead of its original price of £171,950.
Barratt Exeter managing director Tim Larner said: “Barratt is committed to getting first-time buyers onto the property ladder.
“Using our Dream Start scheme, they can buy a new home at 75 per cent of the price, with the other 25 per cent being deferred for up to 10 years.”
Mr Larner said in the past four weeks Barratt had reserved more 30 homes throughout the South West using the scheme.
He said: “We are still selling homes at a good level, and we have schemes in place to help everybody move to the home of their dreams.”
Further details about Clanville Grange are available from the sales office, which is open daily from 11 am to 6 pm, by calling 01643 709738 or logging on to www.barratthomes.co.uk.

PROPERTY: Clanville Grange developer offers free estate agency service

HOUSING developer Barratt is offering to act as a free ‘estate agent’ for anybody who wants to buy one of its newly-finished homes in Minehead.
The firm will sell a buyer’s existing property to ‘save them time, money, and hassle’ if they want to move to the new Clanville Grange estate, on Minehead’s North Hill.
Barratt sales director Caroline Hill said: “Appointing Barratt as your ‘estate agent’ to sell your house when you want to buy a brand new Barratt property may seem unusual - but more and more people are discovering it can be a smart way to buy and sell in one easy move.”
The housebuilder’s completely free agency selling service includes obtaining full market value for the buyer’s old home, and Barratt will also arrange and pay for a Home Information Pack and legal fees.
With the Clanville Grange development, Barratt is offering the service on a range of contemporary one and two-bedroom apartments.
Barratt arranges for an independent professional valuation of an existing house and agrees a realistic asking price before marketing it professionally, preparing sales literature, arranging advertising, and putting up a ‘For Sale’ board.
Once a buyer has been found, the sale is smoothly progressed, and when the new home is ready, the move goes ahead.
Mrs Hill said: “Our agency selling service has been popular for many years as buyers can secure the new Barratt home they want, on the plot of their choice, while we get on with selling their old one.”
Current availability at Clanville Grange includes one-bedroom apartments from £155,000.
More information on the agency selling service is available by calling 01643 709738 or logging on to http://www.barratthomes.co.uk/.

• Our photographs show (TOP) some of the Clanville Grange homes recently completed by Barratt and (BELOW) a typical bedroom on the estate. Photos submitted.

Lifeboat crew save deer from drowning

LIFEBOATMEN in Minehead were called to one of their more unusual rescue operations - to save a deer from drowning.
Coastguards alerted the lifeboat crew after receiving a call to say a deer had been seen entering the water off Culvercliffe on Thursday morning, January 31.
The station’s new Atlantic 85 Lifeboat was launched with helmsman Adam Bonar in command.
The crew arrived quickly spotted the young deer about 330 yards offshore and they could see the animal was extremely tired and distressed.
A decision was made to ‘coax’ it back to shore, where a team from Porlock Coastguards was waiting to retrieve it.
However, as soon as the deer reached land, it immediately returned to the water where the lifeboat crew again tried to encourage it to go ashore.
On the second attempt the startled animal made for some bushes just off the beach where it stayed for a time.
After the lifeboatmen again tried to catch the animal, it made a third attempt to swim away and this time the lifeboat managed to come alongside it and recover the deer and secure it to be carried back to the lifeboat station.
The deer stayed on board until the lifeboat was recovered and it was then checked over by a local vet.
Once the crew were confident the deer was in good health, although wet and tired, they took it to North Hill, Minehead, and released it.
Mr Bonar said: “We get called to a wide range of incidents but this was one of the more unusual.
“The deer proved quite tricky to recover and did not seem overly appreciative of its trip in a lifeboat.”

• Our photograph shows Adam Bonar with Paul Marsh and Richard Gay holding the deer. The fourth crewmember who was present throughout the rescue but is not pictured was Phil Sanderson. Photo submitted.