Success breeds success for WhatHouse? Award winners

With deadline for entries to the WhatHouse? Awards 2020 approaching, we’ve asked some of last year’s winners what awards success means to them and the business.

Steven Boyes, chief operating officer of Barratt Developments, who collected the award on the day: “We are enormously proud to be the current WhatHouse? Housebuilder of the Year. The award underlines the high standards that our teams deliver day-in and day-out, and supports our vision to lead the future of housebuilding by putting customers at the heart of everything we do. After what has clearly been an unprecedented few months for everyone in the country, it is great to be back building and selling homes, looking after our customers and driving the business forward again.”

Mark Booth, managing director of Hayfield said: “Being crowned the UK’s Best Small Housebuilder when Hayfield was only a few years old was one of the proudest moments of my career. It has generated such pride throughout everything that we do. The reputation and credibility that we now have in the marketplace – on the back of winning this award – prompted us to commit £70m of investment in three new development starts as soon as the easing of the Covid-19 lockdown begun. We have everything crossed that our winning streak stays with us!”

Liana Canavan, sales and marketing director at CALA Homes (West): “Last year we won silver for Best Interior Design at the WhatHouse? Awards and we were absolutely thrilled. The WhatHouse? brand is iconic and so well-known, not only within the property industry, but amongst homebuyers too. It’s a huge seal of approval and recognition of the design and specification of our homes. We believe it further endorses the CALA brand and reputation and provides our purchasers with even more confidence going one step further in assuring them of the high specification and quality on offer when buying a CALA home.

“The award in 2019 was for our flagship development in South Lanarkshire, Riverside at Bothwell, for our 3,800-sq-ft ‘Waterstone’ house style. This unique home was bespoke to this exclusive development, however, the standard of interior design is consistent across all our show homes, helping purchasers to visualise living in a CALA home of their own. With many flagship developments in progress at CALA Homes (West), we will definitely look to enter the WhatHouse? Awards again in the future.”

Mark Swaddle, marketing manager at Spitfire Bespoke Homes: “The WhatHouse? Awards have helped us to establish our brand by developing consumer confidence. Being named as Best Small Housebuilder and Best Medium Housebuilder in the past has not only helped to reassure would-be purchasers, but has also been a useful tool for promoting Spitfire Bespoke Homes within the sector, attracting employees and suppliers alike.”

Angela McKimmie, sales and marketing director at Rangeford Villages: “We were delighted to win our first WhatHouse? Award last year and be recognised for all our hard work. The awards attract entries from hundreds of companies across the UK, so we were very proud to be presented with silver and aim to win more in the future. Since Wadswick Green’s opening in 2015, we have continued to invest in the village facilities, as well as develop more contemporary homes within the extensive grounds. Winning the WhatHouse? Award really helps us showcase Wadswick Green’s unique offering.”

Markus Kendall-Young, group head of sales and marketing at Catalyst: “At the 2019 WhatHouse? Awards we were delighted to win two Silver awards in the Best Regeneration Scheme category for two markedly different developments – Southall Village, West London, and Kite Meadows in Princes Risborough. Southall Village is an ambitious project delivering 922 homes to one of London’s most exciting first-time buyer areas, whilst Kite Meadows is a rare countryside regeneration scheme, consisting of 74 two- to five-bedroom houses, in an affluent Buckinghamshire town. Winning such a prestigious award certainly led to a rise in consumer interest, intrigued to know what made these schemes stand out against similar regeneration developments in nearby areas. It also helped to inspire our own team, receiving a very well-deserved accolade for their tremendous work.”