The North-South Divide – Do You Need a Luxury Kitchen Up North?

Ask any foreign visitor to name the places they have heard of in the UK and they will undoubtedly wax lyrical about London. There are of course plenty of beautiful places in the UK, but apart from the most obvious tourist attractions such as London, a lot of towns and cities in the north of England are largely ignored. This is a bit unfair really because counties such as Cheshire in the North West have lots to offer, which is why so many Premier League footballers choose to live there.

There is a common misconception that outside of London, luxury homes are few and far between. However, Cheshire is one of the luxury home hotspots in the north of England and if you are looking to rub shoulders with the rich and famous, but you don’t want to live in London, there are plenty of villages and small towns in Cheshire with more than their fair share of prestigious residents.

Prestigious Cheshire Residents

Cheshire is the ideal place to rub shoulders with the rich and famous, and you can bet that these people have luxury homes, fitted out with designer luxury interiors. Just a few of the most famous residents in the county include:

• Lord and Lady Ashbrook – They live in Arley Hall, one of the county’s main tourist attractions. The current hall dates back to Victorian times, and the beautiful gardens are just as famous as their home.

• Peter Jones – Owner of The Emmerson Group, Peter Jones residential development firm builds over 500 houses a year in the UK. He now lives in Alderley Edge, and enjoys the easy access into Manchester that Cheshire provides.

• Alex Ferguson – He may have stepped down as the manager of Manchester United, but he still lives relatively close to the ground. Based in Wilmslow, he is easily able to travel to Old Trafford on match days. Many Manchester United team members also live in Cheshire, with everyone from Rio Ferdinand, Wayne and Coleen Rooney, Peter Crouch, and David and Victoria Beckham making their home here.

• Mark Boler – Also living in Alderley Edge, Mark Boler is the boss of the Mere Golf Resort and Spa. The resort has recently undergone a £15 million luxury redevelopment.

Many of the rich and famous members of society are now choosing to live in Cheshire, instead of more ‘traditionally’ popular cities and counties down south.

Luxury Cheshire Kitchens

With so many prestigious people living in the county, a luxury kitchen will be a highly desirable feature if you are planning to buy a new home in Cheshire. In London, restaurants are plentiful and eating out is easy. Instead of slaving away over a top-of-the-range Aga, you can pop out to the Chiltern Fire House or some other designer eatery and enjoy a bit of celebrity spotting. Up north, there are not as many high profile restaurants, so a luxury kitchen is likely to be more important for entertaining and general everyday food preparation.

Designer kitchens beautiful enough to grace the pages of an interior design magazine are not cheap, but quality should always be the most important criteria when choosing a new luxury kitchen for your Cheshire home.

Kitchen Designs to Consider

• When looking at the best kitchens Cheshire has to offer, think about how often you plan on using your kitchen. Property in Cheshire is not as expensive as property in London and the Home Counties, so you should be able to spend a bit more on a designer kitchen if you are moving to the area.

• Look at natural stone or granite worktops as these instantly create a luxurious ambiance in a kitchen. Remember that choosing a kitchen worktop material is the most important decision you will make in your kitchen, so choose one that fits the luxury vibe, but yet is easy to clean and maintain.

• Lighting is also very important, so make sure you have enough lighting and don’t forget to add some feature lighting above dining areas or kitchen islands. Dimmer switches are ideal for setting the mood, though make sure you have bright lights above cooking appliances.

• Since you may wish to do lots of entertaining, consider an open plan kitchen with an informal dining area for low-key dinner parties or relaxed dining with friends and family. If you add a door from the kitchen into the garden, you will also be able to enjoy open air dining in the summer.

• Extra features such as wine coolers and espresso machines will no doubt come in very handy if you do enjoy entertaining. It is also worth investing in top quality appliances, too, if you want a truly luxurious kitchen.

Finding a Property in Cheshire

Whether you want to move to Alderley Edge or Wimslow, there are lots of properties in the county available for rental or purchase. Some houses will already be fully fitted with the latest in luxury design features, however others will need to be fully kitted out from scratch or renovated. Alternatively, you could also opt to build your own home so that it is designed in just the way you want it.

The best thing to do is to visit the county and check out a few different areas. This way, you can find one that is in your price range, but that you also like. Remember, Cheshire has good transport links, so no matter where you choose to live, you will have easy access into Manchester and other northern cities. Even if you can’t afford to live in a prestigious area like Alderley Edge, you can still have an amazing kitchen that any top chef would be proud to cook in! Cheshire might be a long way from London, but with so many luxury properties in such a small area, there really is very little difference between the two. So if you can’t afford London property prices, but you still want a beautiful home with a luxury kitchen, Cheshire should definitely be top of your list of places to live.