Investors and home buyers will be given a one-on-one remote planning session with one of IKEA’s interior design specialists
Barratt London has announced a major collaboration with retailer IKEA, making it incredibly easy for Middle Eastern investors to buy, furnish, and benefit from favourable rental rates in the Capital.
IKEA has long been the first port of call for people looking to furnish their new home, and Barratt London’s homes have equally been a viable investment opportunity for many from the Middle East region thanks to the location of Barratt’s developments and the appealing return on investments thanks to buoyant rental rates. The new collaboration will minimise the groundwork for investors looking to make their property rental ready from distance.
Landlords will have the opportunity to choose from three specially commissioned furniture sets from IKEA. The custom-curated sets will allow investors to furnish their rental properties with the latest modern and stylish furniture designs. Packs will range in price from AED26k – AED52k, which includes furniture, linens, window dressings, home accessories and kitchenware.
Stuart Leslie, International Sales and Marketing Director at Barratt London said: “As the biggest housebuilder in the UK, we’re always thinking about how to make our properties work best for our range of buyers. For investors, this collaboration will allow them to buy and furnish a home to help enhance their investment and maximise returns quickly. With strong demand for rental properties continuing, landlords must offer tenants high-quality homes that stand out.”
“Whilst for our overseas homeowners, we can now not only provide support in selecting a property but ease the process of creating a stylish home away from home without necessarily needing to be present on-site to make choices. We have worked closely with IKEA to select products and options that can evolve with each of our buyers in mind.”
Michael Hawkins, London Area Manager, IKEA UK, says: “At IKEA, we always strive to create better homes for the many and are dedicated to making sure that our product ranges are created in a way that meets the ever-changing needs of our customers. This exciting collaboration with Barratt London will enable us to do just that, and we look forward to reaching new homeowners with this range of beautiful and affordable furniture.”
Design choices
All room sets will follow a Scandinavian look, with two following a modern style and the third focussing on a more traditional design.
Flexibility and sustainability are at the heart of design choices for each IKEA furniture pack – products have been specially chosen that can adapt to trends and life changes. These include the modular VIMLE sofa and its removable, washable cover, so investors can quickly change and update. Customisable wardrobes from the PAX range, an adaptable TV unit and a stainproof dining room table can all be found in the packs. Each product has been designed for longevity, with the collaboration working for investors, first-time buyers, and second-steppers.
Thought has been put into providing multiuse options to make the best of space-efficient homes. An example is the VITTSJÖ dressing table which can begin the day as a vanity station and double up as a work-from-home station for those doing their 9 – 5 from home.
IKEA’s best sellers can also be found in each pack – including the classic white MALM bed and clever underbed storage. Charlotte Markham, IKEA for Business Leader, IKEA London, explains:
“We sought to use furniture from our core ranges, which will have their own perennial lives. We built these packs around the products that are already in high demand, for example, we know that 80 per cent of people buy grey sofas, so we made sure these were included as an option.”
Charlotte continues, “I’m a real believer in letting a space evolve and having products that can do so with you. The beauty of these packs is that they can be changed to suit every lifestyle.”
How it works in practice
Launching in-store at IKEA’s Wembley and Greenwich stores from 15th March 2023 – there will be the option to view furniture in various room setups and to get creative using an interactive design element on Barratt London’s floorplans. For confirmed Barratt London buyers, there will be the opportunity for an hour-long remote planning session with an IKEA interior design specialist to help design and customise their new home. Convenience is at the heart of this collaboration; buyers won’t need to assemble the furniture themselves as this will be included in the cost of the pack.
The show apartments at both Hayes Village, Hayes UB3 and New Mill Quarter, Wallington SM6, have been specially recreated to showcase the IKEA furniture sets in situ. Charlotte comments: “For each show apartment, we created a unique space that would match the feel of the home and played with colours and textiles” – for Hayes Village, an apartment with its own balcony, green cushions were chosen to “bring the outside in”. She continues, “We have incorporated popular, modern and traditional styles across the show apartments and furniture packs, which can all be mixed and matched to suit all tastes.”
Purchasers at any of Barratt London’s 13 sites across the capital, in locations including Bermondsey, Wandsworth, Hendon, Mill Hill, Wembley, Acton and Harrow, will be able to tell their own stories and design a home that works perfectly for their lifestyle and personal tastes from this month too.
Homes at Hayes Village, where one of the IKEA show apartments is available to view, start from AED1.4 million for a one-bedroom apartment. Set next to the Grand Union Canal and surrounded by nine acres of green space but a stone’s throw from new Crossrail station Hayes & Harlington, Hayes Village is an exciting new community forming in west London that was once home to the former Nestle Factory.
In South West London at New Mill Quarter, two-bedroom apartments are priced from AED1.7 million. The development has an on-site supermarket and is located adjacent to Hackbridge station, which offers fast train links to London Victoria in under 30 minutes, as well as 143 acres of green space at Beddington Park. The vibrant areas of Croydon, Wimbledon and Kingston are also within easy reach of the development.
