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Comer Homes founders discuss their ambitions for the future

Starting out as plasterers in their native Ireland, brothers Brian and Luke Comer have shed blood, sweat and tears to build one of the UK’s largest development companies, which specialises in bringing once revered historic buildings back to life and into sensitively crafted places to live.

Bdaily takes a moment with Co-Founder, Brian Comer, to find out more about the firm’s origins, past projects, pipeline and ambitions…

1. Established over 30 years ago, tell us what your first ambitions were for the business?

Luke and I started professional life as plasterers in Ireland before moving to London, which provided us with a deep knowledge of what is needed to produce high-quality homes, whilst instilling a strong work ethic that was crucial to us when setting up Comer Homes in the 1970s. It’s this intricate knowledge and understanding of the trade from the ground up that still runs through the business today, it inspires us to deliver the highest quality product that has a wide-ranging appeal from the middle to the prime market. We also have family at our core, with a number of the Comer family within the ranks, which helps us maintain and grow our ethos for quality and delivery that will last for generations.

2. What has the journey been like for Comer Homes?

We always planned to get as big as we could in property development and to source and create the best possible sites to deliver exceptional schemes that are iconic or benefit from local or historic significance. For us to get where we are today, it has been a case of trying hard, being close to the goal and ready to score. We like to think we can spot a site with potential and that is a skill that has allowed us to produce some of the largest and most successful developments in the UK and abroad.

Today, some of our developments such as Princess Park Manor, which is the conversion of a grand Grade II listed former mental hospital that was opened by Prince Albert, and Royal Connaught Park a landmark building that is a former Masonic School for Boys and has appeared in the backdrop of multiple films (including the Harry Potter series), are all local landmarks where we have been able to deliver exceptional homes that sell into the millions and to some very high profile individuals that not only want a home of the highest quality but to own a piece of history. It’s this that sets us apart in the industry, we spot potential in buildings or sites that we know we can restore to an even greater standard than in its prime or deliver schemes in a location that will set a new bar for residential developments in the area.

3. Your current schemes stretch across the UK, but you seem to stick to the prime suburbs when it comes to London is there any value left in prime central London?

Prime central London and the surrounding areas will always command a premium as people look to live within easy reach of the capital city and financial centre of the country. However, a huge spike in property and land values in the capital coupled with the recent pandemic, which has seen flexible working provide many with the ability to split their time working from home and the office, so they can move a little further out then would have done before has had a big impact on the market.

We have built schemes in central London before and recently launched the third phase at our Mast Quay scheme in Woolwich, however, a lack of space, as well as the high value of land means there is less incentive for developers who are now looking further out of the capital, whilst still within commutable distance to maintain that connection. We also specialise in the conversion of notable period buildings or expansive sites, so this naturally takes us to areas such as Bushey (Royal Connaught Park) or Chalfont St. Giles (Newland Park) where these assets are often located.

4. What is in the pipeline for Comer Homes in the coming months and years?

Newland Park is our biggest development to date and after a good few years of planning to get this right we’re very excited that homes are now on the market and the first residents will get to enjoy the expansive grounds very soon.

We also have some other very exciting projects in the pipeline, including Royal Brunswick Park, which is on the sizeable North London Business Park site in New Southgate, as well as the redevelopment of Carmel College, a former Jewish boarding school situated on an 80-acre site in Oxfordshire, with lakes and estuaries that lead onto the River Thames.

Most recently, we just acquired two exciting new sites in Luton, which adds to another planned development in the pipeline that will allow us to deliver more homes in this growing part of the country.

5. Newland Park is your flagship development and has just been launched to the market, what is on offer and who are these homes going to appeal to, do you think?

Occupying a prominent position on 200-acres of private gated grounds, that surround what was once a grand country house in Chalfont St. Giles, the first phase of homes released, includes 74 luxurious houses and apartments, which are priced from £695,000. Accessed via an impressive tree-lined driveway, the first collection of 10 semi-detached houses benefit from modern interiors, large gardens and ample private off-street parking. 64 apartments are also available, with open-plan spaces and generous outside space, whilst a high-profile luxury health and wellness facility is planned for the next phase.

Overall, Newland Park is a prime scheme, with a collection of high-end houses and apartments that we see appealing to a mixture of downsizers to young couples and families that want a taste of country living that is within easy reach of the Metropolitan line or a fast train into central London. Sales have started strongly, with a real mix of buyer demographics making reservations, so we believe the mixture of home types, as well as the wider amenities available truly have something for everyone.

For further information on the first phase at Newland Park contact the Comer Homes sales team or Hamptons on 01494 506 364, Email: info@newlandpark.com or visit www.newlandpark.com

For further information on The Comer Group and their latest projects, contact Tel: 020 8361 2424 or Email: info@thecomergroup.com

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