Points Cross is a striking new development close to Leeds city centre – find out why it could be the perfect place for you to call home.
Points Cross is a trio of new buildings that are rising from the ground on the South Bank, an exciting and notably different new development from Guinness Homes. What is it that makes them unique? Well, apart from the proximity to the vibrant centre of Leeds, there’s a fabulous mix of homes available, and they’re all part of a Shared Ownership scheme, meaning you can get get a taste of city centre living with a relatively low deposit.
Be a part of the vibrant South Bank
The South Bank area of Leeds has really come alive over the last few years, and Points Cross is the next piece of the jigsaw. Just minutes from where all the action is going on in the city centre, it’s a new neighbourhood set around a grand piazza. Three apartments blocks – Bridge Point, Compass Point West and Compass Point East – make up the first phase of Points Cross, providing a mix of thoroughly modern apartments and duplexes.
If you haven’t been down to the area recently, you’re in for a big surprise. When they’re finished, these contemporary-looking blocks will be just one element of a masterplanned development, with plans for gardens, cafes, a yoga/wellbeing studio and easy access to the city to boot. For those who work in the centre of Leeds, it’s a chance to get some much-needed work/life balance – you’ll be able to commute in mere minutes.
Another unique part of Points Cross is that it’s a Shared Ownership development, the very first of its kind in Leeds. Guinness Homes, the people behind it, have been established since 1890 as a housing provider, with an emphasis on community-led housing in areas that need development – and the arrival of Points Cross is really going to help regenerate a former brownfield site and breathe new life into a now up-and-coming area.
It’s a place built with an ethos of work, rest and play – there’s space and proximity here to let you do exactly those things. Outdoor areas give you room to live, while the neutral palette of the homes gives you a blank canvas to make your mark. And the eligibility criteria for Points Cross – more of which later – means that the people who live here own the homes. No second home investments, no buy-to-lets standing empty. It’s a place to really call home.
There’s a home here for everyone
This landmark project offers a mix of property types that’s designed to help foster a real community spirit. One, two and three-bedroom apartments are available, alongside three-bedroom duplexes. That means there’s a place for you here whether you’re living solo, in a couple, planning a family or if you have a family already. The vitality of city living is for everyone and Points Cross has been planned with that in mind.
The duplexes provide the generous space a family needs, while the grown-ups get their own en-suite and balcony. And for the whole brood? A private garden terrace for al fresco space that’s rare this close to the city. The apartments, meanwhile, are all about natural light, modern features and open-plan living, with a genuine sense of space. City views fill your large windows, making you really feel part of Leeds.
Inside, the homes are all sleek, common-sense modernity. Fully-fitted kitchen units, integrated dishwasher and fridge freezer, a three-part pull-out recycle bin and a black induction hob with stainless-steel extractor. Homes are carpeted and finished in matt white, bathrooms are tiled in ceramics, with heated towel rails. But you don’t have to keep your house that way – when you move in you can put your stamp on it right away.
Step outside and you’ll be struck by the central square that really draws the community together, while the landscaped space, a resident’s podium garden and a planned cafe will bring the area to life. It’s not just the city that’s close by – there are nearby places to eat and drink, there are places to work and study, with excellent education close-by too – the neighbouring Ruth Gorse Academy is rated ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted. This is somewhere you can really build a life.
How Points Cross can help you access the housing market
Points Cross is only available with Shared Ownership, which isn’t just great news for first-time buyers, but also for those who need a family-sized home and are having trouble moving on the open market. This government-backed scheme sees you buy a percentage of a home, complete with a deposit and mortgage, and then you pay rent on the unpurchased share, along with service charges and sometimes ground rent. But it’s your place to decorate and make your own – and you decide when to sell.
If you’re struggling to pay the going market-rate rent, see rent as a waste of money, or if you’re struggling to get the 10% deposit needed on a full-priced property, this really opens up the market to you. With Shared Ownership at Points Cross, you just pay 10% deposit on the share you own – so if your 25% share of a £300,000 home was worth £75,000, you’d pay just £7,500 deposit rather than £30,000. If you’re priced out of the normal market, it makes a home of your own more accessible.
Guinness Homes will run through all of the eligibility criteria with you, to make sure you’re not stretching yourself – you’ll also get access to expert advice and a panel of mortgage brokers. Shared Ownership may give you the opportunity to grow equity. You can later choose to buy a bigger share of your home, or sell your share by talking to your housing provider.
With the government’s Help to Buy scheme having ended on 31st October 2022, this is one of the few ways to get access to an affordable home with your name on it. You’ll need less than £80,000 household income to be eligible and if you do already have a home, you have to sell it. Points Cross is designed as a place for people to put down roots, and if you get in early, you’ll be one of the pioneers of a buzzing new Leeds district.
The first phase of homes at Points Cross has now been released. Find out more and see if you could be in a brand-new shared ownership home by Summer 2023.
Shared Ownership application & eligibility criteria apply and is subject to change.
