Grainger, the UK’s leading provider of rental homes, is to develop its second build-to-rent scheme in Bristol following the success of its first.
The London-based firm’s 194-apartment Hawkins & George scheme at Finzels Reach is fully leased less than four months after opening its doors. 
Now Finzels Reach developer Cubex Land has selected the firm to forward fund and acquire a second scheme – Millwrights Place, a 16-storey property with 231 apartments opposite Finzels Reach.
When the plans for Hawkins & George were announced earlier this year, it became the first of a new style of housing development for Bristol, having been successful in London, Manchester and other major UK cities.
More than 2,000 such apartments are expected to be developed in Bristol over the next two years to help meet spiralling demand for housing.
With leasing targets far exceeded and 100% of the properties now reserved. Hawkins & George has welcomed its first residents who are now settled in and calling the modern waterside apartments home.
The purpose-built development is providing much-needed quality, private rental accommodation in the city centre with a unique offering of professional onsite management, flexible and secure tenancies, communal areas and a host of amenities.
The scheme is made up of two distinct buildings – Hawkins Lane and George’s Wharf – featuring 194 studio, one and two-bedroom apartments in total, both furnished and unfurnished.
Residents benefit from a range of amenities included in the rent such as an on-site gym, wi-fi, a residents’ lounge, a roof terrace with views of the Bristol skyline, bike storage and co-working space.
Grainger’s resident services manager for Hawkins & George, Salima Cherrad, said: “We are so pleased with how much interest we received in the development – our residents are quickly building in numbers and it’s clear a very positive, happy and supportive community is coming together here.
“The Hawkins & George Resident Services team is looking forward to the first events we’re organising for the residents to get to know each other and fully take advantage of the fantastic amenities on offer at the development.”
CEO Helen Gordon said: “There is a huge undersupply of high-quality rental accommodation in the UK with more and more people – young professionals, couples, families, etc. – looking for rental options providing a comfortable, high-quality home where they can put down roots but have the flexibility to move, upsize or downsize when plans change.
“With Grainger’s build-to-rent developments, our customers are looking for high-quality, sensibly priced accommodation that is close to both work and personal interests, with both shorter- and longer-term options to suit their lifestyles, where services such as Wi-Fi, concierge and gym membership are part of the package.
“This is very much what we have to offer with Hawkins & George and it’s fantastic to see we’ve struck a chord with the Bristol rental market.”
Pictured: Alice Bradshaw-Smith, who moved in to a furnished one-bedroom apartment in the George’s Wharf building of the development in July
