On Friday 12th August we launch this highly anticipated development in Skipton
This outstanding development of stylish homes with 2, 3 & 4 bedrooms in the heart of Skipton will officially launch on 12th August, and we want you to be there!
We are looking to release the prices for our first phase of works early next week, all in good time for the launch. If you’re on our database, we’ll drop you an email once we have done so!
Although we officially launch on the 12th at 10.30am, we will be open all weekend (13th and 14th) and every Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday from thereon, 10:30am – 5pm.
The 12th will see the official launch of our marketing suite and all homes in phase 1, you’ll also get a good look at the site too from our dedicated viewing station.
Today, we launched our new website. It’s a project that has been a long time in the making. We scoured the internet, learnt from our competitors and tried to make the information on our homes as easily accessible and beautifully presented as we could.
The focus of the new website is big and bold imagery so you can really get a feel for our homes from the comfort of your current one. We have areas for construction progress and video content too so if you’re not on social media you’ll still be able to see all of the content we post there. It’s been built for desktop, mobile and tablet users alike so wherever you are you’ll be able to browse our homes.
A few of the features we’d like to SHOUT about….
The new homepage!
Site Plan
If our Sales Advisors had a pound for every time our customers queried what was sold and what was available, they’d have a very full jar! That’s why we have brand new site plans which show exactly which homes are available, which homes might be part of a future release and which homes are already sold, all at the click of a button (Please note there isn’t one on Parsons Meadow as there is only one home left!). The pinch and zoom feature doesn’t currently work on this technology but we hope it works well all the same!
Specification
We’ve streamlined our specifications. As with all our developments, there will always be variations to ensure our homes blend seamlessly into their locality. However inside, so we can make sure all of our specification is tried and tested, they in the most part remain consistent. So we thought it was time we gave you a flavour of our specifications before you even get to the development. You’ll be able to to read about our kitchens, bathrooms, elevations and more.
Interior Design
Love the Show Homes we create? Now you can easily request the selections we have used at your selection appointment as we’ve highlighted exactly what selections we have chosen on our new interior design boards. You’ll find these in our new bathroom and kitchens area within specification. (This will as always, be subject to availability).
Interior Design Inspiration
Images, Images and more images, and some video too!
We absolutely love our new galleries. They have space for images and video. Click into any image and you’ll also be able to see more details so you know exactly what we are showcasing. We’ve tried to create as much space for imagery as possible to showcase our homes in progress, finished kitchens and bathrooms and so much more. As mentioned earlier, there is a place for video too. They won’t always be professional and are often shot on our Marketing Manager, Vanessa’s iPhone, so you’ll be getting a real insiders look at our homes.
Past Developments
Want to know where we’ve made our mark? We’ve launched a brand new past developments page to enable you to see where we have built. We’ve often been asked this question so we’ve made it clear for you. We haven’t gone back to the day we were founded, but there is a good selection of our homes on there for you to see!
Your journey
We want you to be as knowledgeable as you can be on the sales process and although we think our Sales Advisors are fabulous, we thought it would be helpful if we documented the process for you in black and white. You’ll be able to get a feel for our sales process from the day you walk into our developments to the day you get your keys in our new ‘Your journey’ pages.
The Sales Process
Customer Stories
It’s your experience that matters which is why we’d like to hear from more of you about your new homes. The first person we spoke to was Phil at Kearns Village in Cowpe, but we hope to speak to many more of you. If you’d like to be featured, please email [email protected].
Our new hashtag!
Another way to be featured is simply to tag #mysphome and follow us on instagram. We’d love to see inside your homes as they are evolving.
There’s so much more to see on the website so why don’t you explore now. Click here to view our homepage.
Tell us about your experience of buying a Skipton Properties home?
I often walk around my home with a feeling of gratitude! We feel very lucky to live so close to nature in a wonderful home!
We felt welcomed by the site manager and sales staff from the get go. Michael gave us access before we were actually in contract which was a really nice touch for us and once the Sales Advisor took over the whole process really was a smooth one, we felt very looked after.
I often walk around my home with a feeling of gratitude! We feel very lucky to live so close to nature in a wonderful home!We felt welcomed by the site manager and sales staff from the get go. Michael gave us access before we were actually in contract which was a really nice touch for us and once the Sales Advisor took over the whole process really was a smooth one, we felt very looked after.
We like to think it’s our attention to detail that makes us different! How do you feel about the overall quality of the Skipton Properties build and the customer care you received having moved into your home?
It was clear to us throughout the build process that this was a high-quality house, and that certainly proved to be true!
There were inevitable snagging issues to follow but Rosie in the Customer Care team always dealt with any issues in a timely and professional manner, we couldn’t have been happier with the aftercare service we received.
Moving into a more eco friendly home was really important to us, and the insulation properties in a new home really appealed to us because of this.
Building communities is at the heart of what we do. What does this mean to you?
For the first couple of weeks we really went out of our way to meet different people from the village and the development itself. I actually found myself knocking on our neighboring properties doors soon after we had moved for a chat! Myself and four others are now part of a biking club, which is great considering the hills we are surrounded by!
The community has in fact grown post covid, we have made plans to build and better our surrounding ecology together, it’s really great!
We have the pond area just behind the development and we all really wanted to ensure the people in village know that it is there for them to use too!
Introducing Roger as our next Meet the Team addition
Roger is our Plant and Civils Manager and has been working for the company for 28 years, 10 of which were spent managing our quarry. Having first met our founder Brian, 30 years ago whilst working on one of his first developments as a subcontractor, they formed a close working relationship and the rest is history!
What is unique about the way we approach our groundworks?
It’s all about what our civils team achieve, our expertise and use of specialised machinery means we can manage sites with difficult topography, and sites that many other developers wouldn’t want to touch. Investing heavily in the correct machinery means that our team can achieve what feels like the impossible, from sloping, two-tiered topography to sites dominated by watercourses, demolitions, remediation’s or road infrastructures. A large aspect of our work is recycling and re-using materials on other sites.
Our developments often feel quite unique because of this, and our residents benefit from the character they have.
What is your favourite and most difficult development?
I don’t really have a favourite! Each development, whether it’s one of a difficult topography or not, has its own challenges and character, I find the difficult ones seem to interest me more! There are plenty that spring to mind; Bridge House Mills in Haworth, where we were faced with an vast amount of challenges, Victoria Fold in Sabden, with the need to divert the beck that ran straight through the middle of site and most recently, Ebor Mills in Haworth, which required full demolition prior to any work starting. The biggest difficulty I find in our work is the weather, something that is completely out of our control!
What is your favourite bit of kit?
There are too many! Excavators, Loaders, Graders, Trenchers and Bulldozers, our directly owned plant means we choose the right machinery for the job in hand!
Designed for working in confined areas while delivering digging performance, fast cycle times, balance and stability that rival conventional excavators, I do have fun with the Volvo EC 355 Excavator, it’s a great machine for heavy civils work!
The 30th April will be a day that will be forever etched in our hearts. It’s the day we lost our father and founder.
On the 25th May we gathered at the Coniston Hotel and heard speeches from friends and colleagues. If our father could have been with us we think he would have thoroughly enjoyed the celebration, and that it was, a celebration of a character who many had grown to love, despite his to-the-point nature! The overarching theme of those who spoke about him was that he was a man driven by his values. A man who came from nothing, but had big dreams. Those values are what drives us at Skipton Properties. Brian set out to build better and we’ve done that for over 35 years. Sarah and I will be honouring our father each and every day to ensure these values continue to flow through the company.
Charity has always been one of those values so in honour of our father we raised almost £5,000 for Manorlands Hospice from friends, family, colleagues, suppliers and contractors. We’re doubling it and will be donating a whopping £10,000 to the charity. From Sarah and I, we’re like to say a BIG thank you to all those that donated. As well as a further thank you to all of your kind words you’ve sent. It really has meant the world to us.
Today, I thought I’d personally write this post and owing to the fact we’re a family company, share a few of our family through the years.
We are looking for a new addition to the team. You’ll join our Sales Manager and Marketing Manager to form the core support for our sales in our Head Office in Cross Hills.
We need someone dynamic, who works really well in a team and is able to take on new and exciting tasks with ease.
You’ll be assisting the team in delivering an excellent customer experience for our homebuyers. From the moment they walk through the door of our Marketing Suites until they get the keys to their home.
Your benefits:
The annual salary is £21,000 plus a performance related bonus
There’ll be opportunity for personal development and progression
Access to the company physio, pension and more employee benefits
A little about you!
You will be a whiz with Microsoft Office, including both word and excel
An eye for detail
Strong communication skills and the ability multi-task
A confident speaker, with a customer focused outlook
Previous experience in a customer facing role would be beneficial
You will work well in a team with a ‘muck in’ approach, being flexible and highly resilient
You must have a strong work ethic, working well under pressure with excellent organisational and administrative skills and the ability to meet deadlines.
A UK driving license will be required to carry out development visits
A little about the role (it isn’t exhaustive!):
Monitoring sales progression including review of reservation documents to ensure information is complete.
Legal chasing on a Tuesday and Wednesday when our Sales Advisors aren’t in the office, reporting any issues to the Sales Manager in order to quickly resolve them.
Organising Customer Care Snagging prior to handover of our homes, liaising with the Construction Manager and Directors.
Ensuring all notes on our sales system are clear, concise and portray the latest on each sale.
Ensuring the sales database is kept up to date, including adding or removing discontinued products to the selection area.
Approval of all selection forms before they are distributed to Site Managers, including checking for stock levels/discontinuations and accuracy. Raising any issues with the Sales Manager and Ordering.
Ensuring information on site is present and correct, and liaising with the Sales Advisors to ensure they have all they need.
Regularly checking the website for accuracy/presentation to assist the Marketing Manager.
Liaising with estate agents on sales.
Checking all plans against construction specifications.
Being the main point of contact for all new sites, discussing potential homeowners requirements so that when a Sales Advisor is assigned we have full information about their position and affordability.
Assisting the Marketing Manager in taking progression photos on site to use for our portfolio and to be able to properly vet the photos/information that goes out to customers.
Assisting the Sales Advisor on the handover of properties on busy months/holiday/sickness.
Preparing head office handover information in conjunction with Customer Care.
Admin duties related to sales and marketing.
We’d like to hire someone a fantastic candidate as soon as possible and encourage those applying to be ready for interview. As this is a new role in the business we are offering a temp to perm contract. The temporary contract would run for 6 months and would be reviewed at this point.
Your working hours would be Monday – Friday 8:30-5pm, with the occasional need for weekend work during launch events (this might be a few times a year).
Apply here. We look forward to receiving your application!
£2560 raised for our charity partner, The Principle Trust
We continued in the footsteps of our late founder over the weekend, raising money for our charity partner, The Principle Trust at the Dragon Boat Race at the Coniston Hotel. We’ll admit though, we don’t think Brian would have got in the boat! The team didn’t make it all the way, but it was a close call in the semi-finals. As they say, it is the taking part that counts, especially when it is for such a worthy cause.
A BIG thank you to our team members who were happy to take themselves a little less seriously for the day. Special thanks go to our Quantity Surveyor, John, AKA David Bowie, who looked especially fetching in his red wig!
We help two families a month take some time out of their every day by partnering with the Principle Trust. We’ve committed to support them all year round, by donating each and every month, but also by focusing our fundraising initiatives on the charity.
We thought it fitting to share one of our meet the team interviews with one of Brian’s very first hires, Alan Massie
Alan has worked with Brian for 32 years and has been by his side decade after decade, first joining the company as a bricklayer and moving through the company to Site Manager. Alan has had a long career in the building industry and has been an instrumental member of the team. To date, he’s probably had a hand in building over 1500 homes.
What is it like to work for Skipton Properties?
I’m proud to have worked for Skipton Properties for over 30 years. You don’t work for someone for that length of time without having an enormous amount of respect for the family and their values, the team they have built, and for our homeowners. Many changes have taken place over three decades but Sarah and Caroline still live and breathe those values.
What is your most significant professional achievement working for SP?
Working alongside Brian, assisting him to make Skipton Properties the company it has become. I can think of no professional title that fits that working relationship.
You’ve worked here now for 32 years, what has kept you here for so long?
The love of the Construction trade I learnt from a 16yr old apprentice brickie through to becoming a Site Manger. The comradeship between BV and his staff that moulded us to be the best, to build the best homes and do it with pride.
What is the most interesting and involved project you have worked on so far?
We’ve taken on a lot of interesting and difficult projects over the years that many companies would walk away from. Ebor Mills and the conversion of three traditional workers cottages have to be the most difficult, yet interesting renovation to date. Seeing the beautiful renovation of the first building, The Warehouse, and seeing our customers make them home, makes it all worth it.
What was your first development?
The first development I worked on as a bricklayer was Balderstone near Preston where we converted 5-6 barns to new properties. The first site I was a Site Manager was Waterside at Oxenhope where I won my first site manager award and a top 100 award with the NHBC. BV went on to win The Region Award for the site across the road a few years later.
It was with profound sadness that we announced the passing of our father and founder on the 30th April 2022. Brian was a man who loved a celebration and certainly liked to raise a glass at such events. Instead of a traditional funeral and wake, we will be having a private cremation for family only and later we will be celebrating his life at the Coniston Hotel.
All that knew Brian are welcome at the celebration. Join us in the Bannister Suite at the hotel between the hours of 1 and 4pm on Wednesday 25th May. We invite you to join us to raise a glass to Brian and share in some of our memories of him. There’ll be a guest book at the event that we encourage you to share a few of your thoughts in so please look out for that. We’ll also be preparing a few buffet bites.
In lieu of any flowers we are encouraging donations to Sue Ryder’s Manorlands Hospice. You can bring a little change on the day or make a donation here.
Brian felt sport provided an avenue for children and young adults to learn perseverance and discipline. It’s the reason why he supported Wharfedale Rugby Club and many other sporting institutions for much of his life. Our heartfelt thanks go to the President of the club, John Spencer, for these touching words.
‘Members of our club are so sorry to hear that Brian Verity passed away on 30th April. Our sincere condolences go to Linda, Sarah and Caroline and their families.
Brian was impressed by the values which Wharfedale Rugby Club offered to young people in the sporting world. We often hear about principles of discipline, inspiration, stimulation, encouragement and quality of performance. These were all aspects of rugby to which Brian thoroughly subscribed.
In days when serious sponsorship was in its infancy, Brian had no hesitation in offering Wharfedale substantial financial support to enable us to compete at a level which was probably well above that which was justified by our geographical situation, competition from other sports and our comparatively small population of rugby promise. But Brian had faith. He visited us on a very regular basis as well as supporting other clubs and charities which met his criteria. The result is that, despite intervening turbulence and difficulties, we were able to build a foundation that was strong enough to survive any tribulations thrown at us.
Brian was always encouraged by his dear wife, Linda, who was an ever present guide and who gave equal support, and his two daughters, Sarah and Caroline.
Brian’s business acumen was amply illustrated by his success in founding and developing Skipton Properties, a company which now thrives in a challenging market and which Sarah and Caroline continue to promote successfully. One can fully understand why Brian thought that core values in rugby are just as relevant to the commercial world.
Brian was often direct and tenacious in his communications but his attitude was usually based on humour. I recall vividly introducing Brian to Sir Clive Woodward at a post match dinner at Twickenham when England had lost and when Clive was the head coach. Brian told Clive unmercifully that his selection was wrong, his game patterns were appalling and the decision making on the field was hopeless! He was probably right – and laughed about his approach immediately afterwards.
We have shared great memories with Brian and Linda and extremes of emotions.
We are so thankful for the huge encouragement that Brian and Linda have so freely given to us. Our performances on the field, as a total club, at the end of the season, and the character that is so evident, are an appropriate tribute to Brian’s invaluable contribution over the years. We are privileged to acknowledge Brian’s spirit and understanding.
