Terraced and semi-detached homes built for servicemen and women at Norfolk’s RAF Marham are going on sale.
The first release of former married quarters at Field View go on sale on Friday after being refurbished by Annington Homes.
All of the two and three bedroom homes have new carpets, flooring, new fencing to the rear gardens and come with allocated parking.
The sale comes as more homes built for military use are sold off either when bases become redundant, or in the case of RAF Marham, because of less demand as personnel use the Forces’ Help to Buy scheme to get on the property ladder.
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A report earlier this year stated that as of March 31, 2020, there were 49,400 military-owned properties, 300 fewer than last year and 10,500 of those were vacant.
In 1996, the Ministry of Defence sold most of its married quarters estate to Annington and agreed to rent the homes back for up to 200 years.
But it did not foresee just how much property prices would rise. Next year sees a review of the rent agreement which could see costs rise for the MoD.
Although Annington owns the freehold for the properties, as the leaseholder, the MoD decides when the properties are sold.
A spokeswoman for Annington said: “We see many current and former service personnel choosing to buy our homes in order to remain close to the base.
“When the MoD deem any units surplus to their requirements and subsequently release them back to Annington, it results in the return of the homes to the open market.”
Tony Oulds, branch manager at William H Brown in Swaffham, the selling agent, said: “These homes are a great opportunity for first time buyers to get on the property ladder without breaking the bank. A lower-than-average price figure does not have to equate to lower-than-average standards.”
Louise Saunders, sales and marketing manager at Annington, said: “The homes available at Field View offer prospective homeowners the unique opportunity to buy a house nestled in the Norfolk countryside at just a fraction of the average price.”
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