Small but perfectly formed

Buying your first-ever flat in London? Look for new developments if you don't want to sacrifice style for price, says Mary Wilson

If you are holding out before buying a first-time flat in the London area in the hope that rumours of a price crash are true, you could miss out. Although some of the more ambitiously priced developments may well have been trimmed to more realistic levels, new-build apartments where the developers feel they have got it right are sticking to their price tags.

If you are holding out before buying a first-time flat in the London area in the hope that rumours of a price crash are true, you could miss out. Although some of the more ambitiously priced developments may well have been trimmed to more realistic levels, new-build apartments where the developers feel they have got it right are sticking to their price tags.

You certainly don't have to be left out in the style stakes if you're a first-time buyer looking for a one-bedroom flat in or around London for less than £200,000.

Closest to central London is Bow Central, a Berkeley development in Ordell Road, E3. Sixty per cent of the 146 very contemporary apartments are one-bedders and these have been interior designed by Attol Architecture - a young firm run by Mark Taverner and Jo Love.

"We wanted to create an image which aimed at first-time buyers working in the city" says Mark. "We concentrated on the amount of quality we could provide within scope of price, so chose things which felt solid when you touched them and looked good instead of giving a flimsy, small-scale look."

To achieve this, they have put in "mansized" architraves and substantial hinges, used good-quality flooring and concentrated on the little details, right down to having specially made door handles in chrome with satin chrome centre, so they don't show finger marks.

Bathrooms have grey or bamboo-coloured mosaic tiling and glass screens with white cantilevered suites, front doors and walls of common areas are painted in subtly different hues of blue, the pictures on the walls have been either taken by themselves or designed by artistic friends and - reminiscent of some of the most expensive developments in central London - each floor number is etched into a circular piece of glass.

"We also wanted the open-plan kitchens to look more like a wall of built-in furniture rather than being too kitcheny" says Jo, "so the top unit is one long horizontal cupboard with the door lifting upwards, instead of wall units and we put in aluminium effect splash backs and a worktop with a "grainy" look to give it an industrial feel".

The development is on the site of the old rubber and plastics factory and along with other regeneration projects, is bringing life into a previously rather run-down area. Buyers so far have been a mixture of out-of-towners, who are getting jobs in the City or Docklands and a few private investors. Prices for one-bedroom apartments start at £180,000; if you reserve a flat on the 25 September special incentive day you'll get a 5 per cent cashback.

At Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, SE18, a major regeneration scheme of 72 hectares, where over 1,200 new homes are being built, Berkeley is converting a number of warehouses as well as building new apartments with the latest phase being called Reflection. One-bedroom apartments were available at £165,000, but now can be bought from £200,000 (with stamp duty being paid on all purchases by the developer). The building is set round a central lagoon and the apartments have steel and glass balconies, Cuisine Schmidt designer kitchens with granite worktops and Villeroy & Boch bathroom suites.

If you're prepared to commute a little further afield, you can buy a large one-bedroom flat with its own garage at Ingress Park in Greenhithe, Kent, for under £150,000. This is an impressive Crest Nicholson development, backing on to the river Thames, where a new 72-acre community is being created.

Vikki Miller, 29, a management accountant, bought one of these 'FOGs' (flat over garage) three months ago. She had been living with her parents and this was her first purchase. "I like the space in the flat, the rooms have good dimensions and I especially liked the integral garage, which is very unusual for a flat" she says. Vikki was also taken by its modern feel.

The one-bedroom flats are light and bright with stainless steel door handles, Hansgrohe taps in the bathrooms and for only a little extra, solid granite work tops and Shaker-style kitchen units. The next launch of apartments will start at £145,000 for a one-bedder with garage. Incentives include 5 per cent cashback, carpets, stamp duty being paid or extra white goods included, depending on which flat is bought.

Although it currently takes 45 minutes by train to London, once Ebbsfleet station opens in 2007, it will take only 17 minutes to reach London, and two-and-a-half hours to Paris. "Lots of buyers have said they are really looking forward to that," says sales manager Helen Devey.

Close to the centre of Chelsmford, Essex, Telford Homes is building Aquarius Riverside, a development of 24 one and two-bedroom flats, overlooking the River Chelmer. This is a conversion and extension of a former office block and the flats look good with kitchens by Urban Myth, stainless steel Smeg appliances and sand- blasted glass splashbacks. Bathrooms have Hansgrohe fittings and ceramic tiling. It takes only 30 minutes by train from Chelmsford to London and prices start at £150,000; Telford will pay legal fees.

Bow Central: 020-7321 2122

Reflection: 020-8331 7272

Ingress Park: 01322 385050

Aquarius Riverside: 087 087 20987