Jim Blewett moved to his new flat at Twickenham Gateway just before Christmas last year and already feels very much at home here. We joined Jim on his sunny terrace one April afternoon to talk about his experience of buying a new property.
Born & raised in Richmond, Jim and his wife moved into a bungalow 14 years ago, just a short walk from Twickenham Gateway. After she sadly passed away Jim was looking to downsize and start a new chapter in his life, but to remain in his beloved TW1 postcode. He was specifically looking for a new built apartment as he didn’t want to spend time refurbishing or fixing things up. He had been watching the build progress since the beginning and only viewed one other property before deciding on purchasing his new home. What drew him to Twickenham Gateway was modern & high spec finish, German engineered kitchens and fitted appliances with an industry leading 5-year guarantee as well as the substantial outside space.
Jim told us “Living at Twickenham Gateway I have everything I need on my doorstep – perfect location with few minutes’ walk to the Thames and Church Street with many great pubs & restaurants; good shops i.e. Sainsbury’s, Waitrose. It is easy to get to the river or even Richmond Park from the development. I particularly enjoy cycling along the Thames, passing York House Gardens, Orleans House and Marble Hill Park along the way. Moving to Twickenham Gateway has made things a lot easier and I can just leave and go anywhere I want to without being worried about a thing! It just feels right!”
There are fantastic parks, recreation grounds, sports facilities and gyms, such as Virgin & Nuffield very close by. As part of Twickenham Gateway, a new riverside footpath is being created as a link to nearby Moormead Park, where you can play football and tennis. It’s just a two-minute walk. Life in Twickenham is all about the outdoors. Of course, the River Thames is one of the main attractions. From rowing and kayaking on the river to cycling and running alongside it, there are plenty of ways to get active by the water. Shopping is a treat too, with small boutiques, delis and interiors stores lining pedestrianised Church Street. And if you enjoy eating out, you are catered for from dawn till dusk, with cafés serving breakfast, riverside pubs for a long lunch, tea rooms, restaurants and bars to carry on into the night. It’s the perfect setting for catching up with friends.
Retired from TFL in 2011 where his one of his most challenging projects was working on the network infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympics, Jim went on to run a consultancy company that liaised between major utility suppliers and local authorities. He recently celebrated him 70th birthday in his new home and the immediate family who join him on his sprawling terrace loved the apartment and were all quite jealous, Jim happily reported to us.
As a long term TFL employee Jim enjoys using the public transport, the 24-hour bus service as well as the trains from the newly refurbished Twickenham station, which is part of the whole Twickenham Gateway regeneration by Solum. Jim feels the development is perfectly situated for his needs: ‘’I have easy access to games and events at Twickenham Stadium as well as being able to go on holiday via Heathrow which is so convenient to get to. I have great views of the Stadium, Richmond and even The Shard! I feel completely at home here and I am very much looking forward to this summer and enjoying much more at Twickenham Gateway and the area in general have to offer.”
Commenting on Solum Jim noted: “The team were really good; the whole process went as well as can be expected. Covid did get in the way of some of the usual arrangements i.e. a home demonstration but together with the customer care team we worked around it.”
Heather Littlejohn, Head of Sales at Solum Regeneration commented: ‘Twickenham has seen a steady stream of new buyers over the last year, as many purchasers such as Jim seek to achieve more square footage for their money and take advantage of the open green spaces and excellent transport links. Twickenham Gateway offers prospective buyers a unique chance to purchase highly specified, spacious apartment in the heart of one of London’s most desirable areas. With the newly launched show apartment, it is ideal for first time buyers, professionals and couples who will benefit from Twickenham’s convenient transport connections and shops, literally on their doorstep.”
Twickenham Gateway strikes a perfect balance between connected urban living and a sense of space and calm. The 5-storey building offers 39 one, two and three-bedroom apartments in Phase 1 with a range of dimensions from 527 sq. ft. to 1040 sq. ft. which would suit a variety of buyers’ needs. All apartments offer generous open plan spaces and have been designed for modern living, providing high quality German engineered kitchens, custom designed Italian bathrooms and award-winning Hyper optic broadband ensuring that residents are always connected.
Starting prices for the one-bedroom apartments are £470,000 whilst two-bedrooms start from £580,000 (at the time of writing the three bed had just been reserved). The apartments come with a 10-year NHBC warranty with a leasehold of 150 years.
For further information please contact Twickenham Gateway Marketing Suite Tel: 07568 129 639 or book a visit by clicking here.