A further 23 one-bedroom apartments in the converted office block opposite the Eden Shopping Centre in Wycombe town centre are due to come on the market in mid-January.

A spokesman for Amersham-based developer Inland Homes said 40 per cent of the new properties being built at Castle House have already been sold through a previous release.
The conversion is part of the regeneration of the west side of Wycombe.

It will inject new life into the area stretching from the roundabouts at the bottom of Marlow Hill close to Bucks Uni and Wycombe Hospital out to the Desborough Road entrance to the Eden shopping centre. Not long ago this part of town was blighted by gas holders.

Inland’s planning director Mark Gilpin says you won’t recognise it by the time the scheme is completed.

Back in March when the masterplan was revealed, the developers anticipated the regeneration would take about two and a half years: “It involves building a much needed new link road and pedestrianised areas that will significantly improve the flow of traffic,” they said.

The actual site for redevelopment only covers slightly over three and a half acres which is why many of the buildings will be several storeys high. In all there will be an extra 15,845 sq ft of commercial space.

Along with new shops, restaurants, cafes, offices and car parks there will be a total of 239 new flats – 96 two beds, 137 one-beds and six studios. All will be for sale on the open market.

The apartments at Castle House are scheduled to be ready to move into next June. The building is currently being remodelled to create a smart address for future town centre residents.

The contemporary interiors include a designer kitchen with clean sweep of work surfaces and integrated appliances, smart bathroom (white suite, glass shower screen, Porcelanosa tiles, chrome ladder towel rail) smart oak foil internal doors, audio entry phone, pre-wiring for entertainment and communications systems and each apartment has an allocated spot in the car park.

Prices for properties in the January collection haven’t been released yet but register with the agents at JNP New Homes in Wycombe and you’ll be among the first to know when the flats are for sale. Help to buy will be an option for those who won’t own another property.

*The growth in house prices is expected to slow next year while uncertainty over the economy persists, according to Savills latest forecast.

Chris Moorhouse, head of residential sales at the Beaconsfield office says the predicted five-year increase – around 14 per cent – shows the continued strength in the Buckinghamshire market.

He said: “Over recent years we have continued to see good levels of buyers to the area from London as the excellent transport links into the capital make it viable to live in the Home Counties and work in the city.”

The analysts expect the property market generally to bounce back to its usual lusty self in 2019-20 as employment, wages and the GDP also recover.