HUNDREDS of house hunters are chasing apartments at one of Edinburgh’s most in-demand new property developments – which includes penthouses boasting jaw-dropping views across the capital’s skyline.
Ahead of its official sales launch today (Friday, September 8), agents Savills received more than 600 separate inquiries for the 67 St Bernards project, making it the most highly anticipated development the estate agent has seen in Edinburgh.
Prospective buyers will be given virtual tours of the properties using the same cutting-edge Unreal Engine software used in hit video games such as Fortnite and Final Fantasy series, providing hyper-realistic CGI walkthroughs of the apartments.
It’s one of the first times the tech has been used by a property developer in Scotland.
Award-winning urban regeneration specialists Kelvin Properties‘ development of 36 private apartments, with a mixture of one, two, and three-bedroom properties, is well under way.
Apartments in upper floors – including the penthouse properties – have views stretching across the historic Edinburgh skyline as far as the iconic Calton Hill, Arthurs Seat, Edinburgh Castle, and beyond.
The stunning six-storey high-spec development, designed by multi-award-winning architects CDA, involves the transformation of a site formerly home to the Edinburgh Furniture Initiative (EFI) into a thriving community in Canonmills – on the edge of Edinburgh’s world famous UNESCO New Town District.
Properties at the development, set for completion next summer, went on sale today (Friday, September 8).
Ben Di Rollo, a property expert at Savills, believes the level of interest far outstrips any development in the city, and is a sign of the continuing strength of the Edinburgh property market coupled with a shortage of quality new-build properties.
He also hailed the build quality and local amenities of the ‘stand out’ Kelvin Properties development.
He said: “Demand for 67 St Bernards is greater than anything we’ve seen in the capital for some time, and is driven by the exceptional properties in an area of the city which is growing in popularity.
“The development contains beautifully designed spaces that meet the needs of a broad range of buyers – duplexes for families, one beds for young professionals, two and three beds for upsizers, and penthouses for downsizers – that’s all of the incredibly high standard the market has come to expect from a Kelvin Properties development.
“The economic factors impacting the UK, whilst are impacting the market in Edinburgh, it’s not quite having the same effect, where there is a clear lack of housing supply for increasing demand. The city has always operated in something of a bubble in this regard, and consistently outperforms the rest of the UK. We’re seeing that in action at 67 St Bernards.”
Among its impressive features will be balconies, roof terraces, and a showpiece south-facing landscaped communal residents’ garden rich with biodiversity.
There will be a further 12 affordable homes situated at the development as part of the project accessed via their own private stairwell.
As well as solar panels and rain gardens, the development will offer secure bike storage and electric vehicle charging points in a secure ground-floor car park.
Marc Taylor, director at Kelvin Properties, said the development brings desirable new properties to the Edinburgh market at a time when they are in high demand.
He said: “We’ve been blown away by the level of interest in 67 St Bernards – our first development in Edinburgh.
“The city has a clear need for high-quality, modern, properties of this kind, and it falls firmly within our aim of regenerating former industrial and brownfield sites into thriving communities to meet it. We believe this strategy aligns very well to the newly adopted NPF4 planning policy framework.
“The standard of living 67 St Bernards will offer will add so much to the Canonmills community, and we look forward to bringing this exciting development to Edinburgh.”
The 67 St Bernards development is due for completion in summer 2024.
To find out more, visit the 67 St Bernards website.