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Ikea ventures into flat-pack homes


Dr Kenneth Noisewater
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Ikea ventures into flat-pack homes

 

IkeaHomeC.jpg

 

Ikea is putting on sale flat-pack homes, with their own plot of land, at the furniture giant's store in Gateshead, Tyne & Wear today.

 

The timber-framed homes will be targeted at first-time buyers struggling to get on the property ladder.

 

The concept was pioneered in Sweden in the 1990s and has grown in popularity with more than 1,000 of the houses springing up each year across Scandinavia.

 

Home improvement enthusiasts, however, will be denied the ultimate DIY project since all the properties will already be assembled.

 

Known as BoKlok, the flats and houses will be eco-friendly, using renewable materials in the construction and featuring solar panels and geothermal equipment incorporated in the design.

 

All the properties will be south-facing to catch as much sunlight as possible to warm the house.

 

An area of land has already been set aside in the centre of Gateshead for an estate of around 90 of the DIY homes.

 

Flats cost between £100,000 and £125,000, two-bedroom houses cost £132,500-£139,500 and three-bedroom houses are on sale for £150,000.

 

Councillor David Napier, responsible for housing at Gateshead council, welcomed the development which, he said, was "an important contribution to the debate on affordable housing".

 

"Providing affordable homes is the Holy Grail for local councils and housing providers - but it is still one of the most difficult to achieve," he said.

 

"However, BoKlok offers new solutions to the problem because it concentrates much of the actual building work off-site and that substantially reduces the cost."

 

It is the first time flat-pack homes have been sold with their plots and demand is expected to be high. Ikea said it had already received a lot of interest from potential buyers.

 

First-time buyers earning between £15,000 and £35,000 will be prioritised in the allocation process.

 

Owing to the high demand, applicants could be called in for interview and a lottery eventually held to decide who gets the homes.

 

Ikea hopes to expand the project to 12 more sites over the next 18 months.

 

Neil Shaefer, a spokesman for Ikea, said: "Gateshead provided the launch because the council were so keen to get involved. Our developers are in talks right now and we're looking at sites in Glasgow, Edinburgh and also in London."

 

Buyers will have to consult with Ikea before they can sell the houses, giving the company the chance to vet future owners.

 

The first residents, expected to move in at the start of next year, will receive £250 worth of Ikea gift vouchers.

 

Anyone got their name down?

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The timber-framed homes will be targeted at first-time buyers struggling to get on the property ladder.Flats cost between £100,000 and £125,000, two-bedroom houses cost £132,500-£139,500 and three-bedroom houses are on sale for £150,000.

 

I doubt it for that price

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