weeks ready in

The first apartments to be completed at Dock28 are expected to be ready for residents to move into in October

how Author King’s Cross offers hotel-like facilities a half hour from the Wharf but at a premium price point

by Jon Massey

The seemingly unstoppable march of buildto-rent apartments in London continues with the recent release of 182 homes at Author King’s Cross. Why feature rental homes in north London in the pages of Wharf Life?

Well, while we’re great advocates for east London and living close to work, we also recognise some people prefer a bit of distance so we like to dip into other parts of the capital from time to time.

There are so many ways to get from Canary Wharf to King’s Cross via public transport that they are too numerous to list here – our current favourite being Elizabeth Line to Liverpool Street and using its unpublicised connection to Moorgate for a short trip on the Northern line – but suffice to say the journey takes about half an hour. The myriad routes also mean that if one does go down, there are plenty of other options to get from home to work.

So what is developer Related Argent offering renters? Well, Author isn’t cheap. Starting monthly rent for a one-bed is £3,275 while two and three-beds will set you back at least £4,375 and £7,615 respectively.

Incidentally, one-beds at Vertus’ build-to-rent offerings in Canary Wharf start at £2,620 – a difference of £655 a month or £7,860 a year.

Those who opt for the north and a commute, however, can expect 506sq ft (a whole 1sq ft more than Vertus’ 10 George Street scheme), with a bedroom, balcony, open plan living area and built in wardrobe and storage.

Author’s apartments are spread over three blocks ranging in height from three to 16 storeys and are centred around a courtyard garden designed by Urban

Fabric. The scheme features a ground floor amenity space designed by Conran And Partners with the inevitable Tom Dixon light fittings.

There are multiple residents’ lounges alongside a facility called The Nook which offers seating booths for dining or home working, a garden kitchen and a courtyard.

There’s also a fitness centre with a gym and studio space. Author also features a creche, a screening room with a popcorn machine, a private dining room and a coffee and wine bar. For animal lovers there’s also a pet washing area.

Transport-wise, King’s Cross is the nearest station for rail and Tube connections and the development also has bike storage and car parking spaces with electric charging points.

Located in York Way, the far side of Coal Drops Yard from the station, the developer perhaps has a canny eye on Google’s incoming workforce with around 4,000 employees expected to inhabit its vast 990,000sq ft, 11-storey landscraper a short walk to the south.

Should the tech types be tempted in, they will find homes at Author with the ubiquitous floor-to-ceiling windows and timber flooring, Samsung appliances in their fully integrated kitchens plus Smeg fridges, induction hobs and dual ovens. Bathrooms are finished in a monochrome colourscheme with marble tiling and mirrored vanity storage, while bedrooms feature ottoman beds to conceal stuff beneath the mattress.

Show apartments have been furnished by David Phillips with Nordic-style pieces to demonstrate how the properties could look.

The development also boasts an on-site management team who promise to support residents with tasks such as laundry, cleaning

We are committed to changing the UK rental experience for the better and have plans to expand our stock in the UK Tom Goodall, Related Argent and maintenance – a uniformed service with its employees available 24-hours a day.

The managers will also coordinate a calendar of residents’ events including chef’s nights, cocktail hours and catered happenings in the communal spaces.

Related Argent managing director Tom Goodall said: “We are excited to launch Author King’s Cross, our build-to-rent scheme in one of London’s most sought-after locations.

“We have led the redevelopment and rejuvenation of this area for the last 20 years and it is wonderful to now offer rental homes at King’s Cross.

“We are committed to changing the UK rental experience for the better and have plans to expand our stock in the UK across a range of large and smaller sites.”

The company has plans to develop further schemes in King’s Cross, Tottenham Hale and Brent Cross, delivering some 3,000 homes in total. Apartments at Author are expected to be completed later in the summer. Go to authorkingscross.co.uk for more information

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