The 2024 split for Shepperd’s View service charge is circa £5000 + VAT and the Estate premium is £2000 + VAT, subject to RPI year-on-year.

The split for Deanesly Point is circa £2945 + VAT and the Estate premium is £2000 + VAT, subject to RPI year-on-year.

The service charge covers and includes the day-to-day management, health and safety, and security as well as ongoing maintenance and repairs for the communal areas and facilities on the estate. For Shepperd’s View plots, this includes the Hurricane Spa.

The Estate Premium is an annual fee as stipulated in the land purchase contract that helps to maintain Habitat First Group's investment interest in the property, for the provision of facilities and services moving forward. The service charge is a non-profit making pot; what goes in goes out, and if there is a surplus at the end of the year, a credit is returned to the owners. A sinking fund also helps pay for big-ticket items.

In conjunction with the Estate premium, there is also a Conservation Charge (circa £65). This is a fund to contribute towards local conservation and community projects in accordance with the agreement.

Yes, the property can be purchased through a limited company. Please seek advice from a trusted source.

Canoe stores are available from £23,000 + VAT and boat stores from £38,000 + VAT. Rental of each is available from £3,000 and £5,000 PA respectively.

This depends on several factors, such as how often you want to use the property, particularly during peak season. For example, a mixed-use (personal and rental) 4-bed property might achieve in the region of £50,000 per annum. We would be happy to prepare a projection for your preferred plot and design.

This depends on the location of the property and how much construction surrounds it. Typically, we allow bookings at weekends for heavy construction areas to begin with. If a property is in the last phase of a village, this means it can be rented out sooner. Shepperd’s View presents an ideal opportunity for those looking to recoup quickly on their investment.

Habitat First Group has been liaising with Dorset Council regarding their proposals to apply a 100% Council Tax premium for second homes, under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023, c.55 Section 80. The Government has proposed an exception to Council Tax premiums for holiday homes, as set out in its July/August 2023 consultation.

Our understanding is that regulations will be put in place to prescribe exceptions to the Council Tax premiums and that guidance will be issued to Billing Authorities shortly.

Habitat First Group believes it is the right conclusion that homes restricted to holiday use are an exception and not subject to increased Council Tax. Therefore, it endorses the Government's proposed exception to the Council Tax premium for homes restricted to holiday use.

The group has requested reassurance from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, via constituency MPs, that this exception is established in the forthcoming regulations.

There is a homeowner representative group at Silverlake who meets with the Estate team on a quarterly basis to run through service charge management and future ambitions for Silverlake.

There are a range of finance options for a holiday home at Silverlake. We would be happy to recommend a broker with many years of experience working with holiday homeowners at Silverlake so that you can explore the options.

A huge benefit of buying a holiday home at Silverlake is that with our new build designs, you only pay Stamp duty on the land / plot purchase at the reduced tariff of commercial non residential rates. The build value is also VAT free.

For a resale purchase you will need to check the HMRC website under The higher rates from 1 April 2025.

Should you wish to generate some additional income and let out your holiday home to guests, we can also cover that for you with marketing and holiday let management through Habitat Escapes, the official holiday company for Silverlake, Dorset and Lower Mill Estate.

The services on offer at Habitat Escapes can cover all aspects of holiday let management for a hassle-free experience, including managing changeovers, taking bookings, organising housekeeping and marketing your property to ensure it receives bookings year-round. Find out more about holiday letting with Habitat Escapes.

We advise using one of our recommended build partners. One of our partners Conservation Builders Ltd, has built over 500 homes at Habitat First Group Developments over the previous 20 years.

When building with CBL, properties will include a full 10-year NHBC warranty and a 2-year builder's warranty from CBL starting from the issue date of the certificate. CBL are based on-site and easily contactable if needed.

New regulation larger property designs include fibre to the property, air source heat pumps, underfloor heating throughout, V+B sanity wear, Siemens appliances, fully fitted kitchen with Silestone worksurfaces and aluminium glazing units.

The Retreat includes photovoltaic panels, EV charger and Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR), but does not include an air source heat pump.

The designs are set by their planning; there are sometimes options to look at orientations and design substitutions on plots. These have to be drawn by an architect and would require returning to planning. The property designs are subject to planning permission, building and sustainability regulations.

Occasionally there is capacity to make revisions, but the costs of any redesign would be payable by the client.

Architects, building regulators, and planners might need to be involved, so this could be an option. However, these requests are not always approved.

CBL, our recommended builders, can offer an array of sensitive approaches to enclosing your garden at the bespoke stage.