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WE’RE such busy bees nowadays, aren’t we? Going out for dinner, drinks, lunch, travelling, climbing the career ladder, going to gigs and all the rest of it.
That being said, research by Centrica Hive shows we’re being increasingly tempted to stay in.
According to their Quality Time survey, we are more likely to spend our time with loved ones at home than we were five years ago — not to mention more likely to share a meal at a relative’s or a friend’s house, more likely to help each other with chores and DIY, and less likely to visit the cinema.
Well, why bother going out when you could be showing off your hosting prowess in your new pad with a barbecue, your fave spag bol or a showstopper dish?
This feeling has changed how people approach buying a home, according to Bruce Burkitt, founder of Property Experts. ‘In my experience, there has been a lot more emphasis on living space recently, as people are watching their disposable income more closely,’ he explains.
With that in mind, here’s a selection of homes perfect for some stay-at-home entertaining to give you some food for thought.
Just don’t forget to pop a dress code on the invites…
Landmark Pinnacle, E14
If you’re looking for a new-build with amenities quite unlike any other, Landmark Pinnacle has what you’re after. The entire 27th floor of this 75-storey tower is taken up by a vast garden square, set to measure more than 8,700sq ft. The western half of the garden (top) provides a calm, civilised social space, with sofas and benches set around specially selected trees, shrubs and plants.
The other, eastern side has been designed as the perfect adventure space for kids, with overgrown paths, play areas and activity tables. The building comes with plenty of other amenities: a cinema on the first floor, a gym and lounge and private dining room on the 56th, and a roof garden that can be exclusively reserved by residents for parties and events. As for the flats themselves, clear sightlines across the Thames to the west and Canary Wharf’s south dock to the east means it’s not just the top floors that get the panoramic views. From £480,000 for a studio apartment, landmarkpinnacle.com
Noma Isleworth, TW7
Consisting of 51 bright one, two and three-bed apartments in a converted office building, this development comes with a riverside garden. Each home has a balcony, and the open-plan living spaces are ideal for hosting. From £320,000 for a one-bed apartment with London Help to Buy available, nomaisleworth.co.uk
Hackney Gardens, EC2
Set in a gated community with communal gardens landscaped with elegant, mature trees, these new homes benefit from spacious, open-plan layouts decked out with a high-spec finish. Hotel-style bathrooms and underfloor heating come as standard, while vast windows bring in heaps of natural light. The Duplex Collection offers a mix of elegant two and three-bedroom homes with a fantastic open-plan living space featuring doors leading onto a private garden — perfect for entertaining family and friends. Hackney Gardens is moments from Hackney Central and Hackney Downs stations, for speedy transport links across London. From £825,000, stonerealestate.co.uk
The Makers, Nile street, N1
The Makers is a 28-storey development in the ever-popular Shoreditch, with 160 two and three-bed apartments, as well as studios. Residents will benefit from communal facilities including a screening room, two landscaped garden terraces, a gym, treatment rooms and three lounges. The apartments have welcoming, open-plan living spaces with floor-to-ceiling windows in the tower block. The top-floor family duplexes have access to large private roof gardens — making it the ideal place for summer drinks gatherings with friends and family. From £600,000, no Help to Buy available, themakers shoreditch.com
Landmark Place, EC3R
This could be your last chance to buy one of the six remaining penthouses in this Barratt Homes development at Tower Bridge. Right on the riverside within the City, these two and three-bedroom homes give you phenomenal views of London and the Thames and provide a super spacious living environment ideal for get togethers. Homes here also come with a 20-metre pool, fitness centre and a grand old concierge service, so you’ll feel very well looked after. From £2.5million, barratthomes.co.uk
The Assembley, Hounslow, TW3
Spread across six buildings, this collection of 131 homes sits around a landscaped garden, which makes it perfect for those wanting to host a barbecue or an afternoon with friends. Comprising one and two-bedroom apartments, the layout is very much open-plan, offering space for everyone to gather. Just eight minutes from Hounslow East tube station, this development also promises quick and easy access from all parts of the capital to entice friends for that Masterchef-style dish you’ll be rustling up. From £315,000 for a one-bedroom apartment with Help to Buy available, countrysideproperties.com
Gasholders, London, N1C
The extraordinary residents’ roof garden in this super-cool development offer superb views of London and the perfect entertaining space for those wanting to capture that internet-shattering Instagram shot. It has been designed by RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medal-winning landscape architecture practice Dan Pearson Studio. What’s more, each of the nine elegant penthouses at this revamped landmark behind King’s Cross also has its own roof garden, a discrete and sophisticated exterior space with views of King’s Cross and beyond — so if you’re able to bag one of those puppies, literally everybody you know will be hankering after a dinner invitation. From £825,000, gasholderslondon.co.uk
Bellworth Close, Maidenhead, SL6
Nestled in a riverside location on the fringe of bustling Maidenhead and adjacent to the picturesque village of Bray Wick, Bellworthy Close is a collection of nine homes set on a quiet landscaped cul-de-sac. Located just 20 minutes from Zone 1, the development offers a choice of detached or semi-detached homes, which are perfectly proportioned for spending quality time together in, plus with the spacious gardens it would be rude not to get the barbecue out for some sizzling summer dinner soirées. They’ve just launched an elegant four-bedroom show home, too, so go have a look. From £925,000 for a four-bedroom home, vanderbilthomes.co.uk
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