Edgewood Homes: defying the downturn
Bespoke luxury meets practicality in prefab homes that are easy on the eye and the environment
Edgewood is a collaboration between Milligan Gray and Griffner, the award-winning Austrian prefabricated homebuilder
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The American president Harry S Truman famously quipped: “It’s a recession when your neighbour loses his job; it’s a depression when you lose yours.” His observation reminds us that financial hardship is relative. A downturn is as much an opportunity as it is a threat.
Nonetheless, it takes bravery to launch a development of high-concept, luxury homes in the current climate. But developer Milligan Gray has done so with an Anglo-Austrian collaboration deep in the heart of Lanarkshire.
Based at Garrion Bridge in the Clyde Valley, Edgewood is a collaboration between Milligan Gray and Griffner, the award-winning Austrian prefabricated homebuilder. With homes for sale from £895,000 to £1.3m, Edgewood’s creators cannot be accused of pulling their punches.
As Milligan Gray’s Richard Prosser confirms, quality does not come cheap. A Griffner house is 30% more expensive than a conventional new-build — around £167 per square foot, as opposed to the £121 figure common to mass-market volume housebuilders.
Griffner uses similar factory technology to the German Huf Haus, but Prosser says the Austrians come out on top in the flexibility of their offer. While many homebuilders maintain a rigid control over what is erected in their name, Griffner creates bespoke solutions — and so if you want an extra bedroom, storage or office, that can be factored in.
Prosser explains that the sector’s business model is analogous to the luxury car market. “If Huf Haus are the Rolls-Royce, then Griffner are the Mercedes-Benz. Both co-exist together happily and appeal to markedly different tastes,” he says.
Designed in Britain specifically for Scottish tastes, the 17 ecofriendly Griffner homes will be constructed in the Austrian company’s factory before being shipped to Scotland. Griffner’s workforce will then assemble the homes on site in a matter of days.
Four house styles are available, ranging in size from 3,950 sq ft to 5,178 sq ft with up to five bedrooms. Each house can be built to order.
Those involved are pinning their hopes on the houses’ green appeal.
Selling agent Jennifer Goldie, of Savills, says: “Buyers are increasingly aware of the environmental credentials of their homes. Edgewood ticks the right boxes without compromising on style.
“Every effort has been made to make the homes efficient. For instance, the insulation material is Homatherm, which is made from cellulose, recycled paper and jute.
“They are also fitted with some of the most efficient heating systems available, making them cost-effective to run,” she says.
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