WEST IS BEST!

Greenside is a beautiful new development from Optivo (now Southern Housing) in the pretty leafy suburb of Roehampton, sitting directly adjacent to Richmond Park Golf Course, right where Richmond Park meets up with Putney Heath and Wimbledon Common. Lynda Clark discovers that Greenside really does offer the best of town and country living

On a Saturday, I frequently get the train to Putney where I walk to Fulham to watch the football – yes, I am a season ticket holder to most people’s amazement, but I love it! Every time I go there I am always looking in the estate agents’ windows to see if there is a home which I could afford as it’s a very special area and one I would love to live in. So, when I visited Greenside I was more than impressed. It isn’t very often you get the opportunity to buy an affordable shared ownership home in such a perfect location.

Offering one and two bedroom apartments, each with their own balcony or terrace, the development is surrounded by beautiful landscaping and has an enclosed courtyard. It truly does feel a long way from the hustle and bustle of London but is on the doorstep to Richmond Park with its spectacular 40-acre Victorian woodland, Wimbledon Common which will appeal to sporting enthusiasts with 10 full-sized football pitches and Putney Heath, all offering wonderful walks and cycle paths to enjoy too.

Greenside is also well served by rail with Putney station (Zone 2/3) nearby where it takes just 21 minutes to London Waterloo and the District Line tube from East Putney with a 20-minute journey to Paddington. There is a bus stop almost directly outside, which is serviced by three bus routes. For drivers, some apartments come with parking and everyone will be provided with car club access for 12 months and there is also a secure communal cycle storage.

The homes themselves are really luxurious – spacious and so full of light, even on a dull winter’s day! Kitchens come with integrated appliances including an oven and hob, extractor hood, fridge-freezer, dishwasher and washer-dryer, which is located in one of the hallway cupboards. I thought the bathrooms were sumptuous and I particularly liked the ceramic tiles on the walls and floor and the very useful heated ladder towel rail. The two bedroom apartments come with a lovely en suite.

The open-plan kitchen/diner/sitting room is large enough to accommodate a dining table and there is even room for a desk, perfect for anyone who is working from home. One of the aspects that really stood out was the amount of storage, including a very large cupboard in the hall with useful shelves and lots of space to store all those items you need to hide away. You seriously can never have enough storage space and this certainly ticked all the boxes!!

The weekly shop can be done at the ASDA superstore which is just a 10-minute walk from Greenside, and there is a plethora of cafes, bars and restaurants nearby. Highlights include the Wimbledon Farmers’ Market every Saturday, Putney Arts Theatre where you can watch everything from Shakespeare to young performers theatre, Kingston upon Thames which is a shopper’s paradise and Barnes which is home to the spectacular London Wetlands Centre – there truly is something for everyone.

Greenside is a unique development –when I visited I felt I was deep in the heart of the country but in reality, I was on the doorstep to all the action of south west London. These homes offer a quality of life that everyone aspires to and, if I could, I would snap one up tomorrow!

Prices for a one bedroom apartment start from £112,500 for a 30% share with a full market price of £375,000.

For more information email, sales@optivo.org.uk or call 0800 012 1442, optivosales.co.uk