Houlton named one of "the best places to live"

One of the developments we manage, Houlton, a thriving village near Rugby, has been named one of the best places to live in the South Midlands by Muddy Stilettos.

Built on the historic site of Rugby's iconic 1920s radio station - the very spot that made the world's first transatlantic telephone call back in 1927 - Houlton has grown from a fascinating slice of history into a thoughtfully designed, modern village that's now home to more than 850 residents, with plenty more on the way.

The Muddy Stilettos panel described Houlton as a "standout new Midlands address" with "sustainable design, leafy spaces and walkable streets" that "set the tone for modern village life." They highlighted the Grade II-listed transmitter building, now home to the award-winning Houlton School, and The Barn - the community hub buzzing with everything from yoga and salsa to Junior Bake Offs and toddler sessions.

Day to day, our team looks after the grounds and shared spaces at Houlton, so they stay as leafy and welcoming as the judges described. This means being on hand to sort out repairs quickly when something needs fixing, so small issues don't become big frustrations.

It also means genuinely listening to residents - through regular meetings, clear communication, and being responsive when people get in touch - so that Houlton doesn't just look like a great community, it feels like one too.

Recognition like this also speaks to a bigger point our Regional Director, Oliver Taylor, has made previously about how new developments are managed. Writing for Property Week, Oliver made the point that estate maintenance fees - the kind paid at developments like Houlton - shouldn't be confused with the so-called "fleecehold" practices linked to escalating ground rents.

These estate maintenance fees fund, amongst other things, the upkeep of important, shared spaces that in the past, would typically have been adopted and maintained by the local council to a lesser standard.

Done well, and with transparency about where the money goes, the estate maintenance fee model can deliver a genuinely higher standard than many council-maintained equivalents: more frequent grass cutting and grounds maintenance, quicker reactive repairs, and better-kept shared amenities year-round, rather than services scaled back to fit a tightening council budget.

Houlton is a great example of that in practice. The leafy streets, community gardens and well-maintained shared spaces that helped earn this recognition are the direct result of that ongoing investment - and a management approach residents can see, question, and shape. It's exactly the kind of outcome that clear, transparent management of privately owned and managed developments can help deliver.

Sam Goold, Estate Manager at Houlton, said: "Reading the judges' comments, it was lovely to see so much of what makes Houlton special being recognised - the community spirit, the green spaces, the sense that there's always something going on.”

That doesn't happen by accident. It comes from a real partnership between residents, the community team, and everyone working behind the scenes to keep the place running well day to day. Seeing that reflected in a national accolade like this is brilliant for the whole community, and it's a real privilege to be part of it."

Congratulations to everyone at Houlton on this well-deserved recognition. Here's to many more years of community spirit, leafy streets, and life buzzing with activity.