LUVTHECITY COMPETITION
Manchester love birds win free luxury apartment for a year to build nest egg
A couple from Manchester have won their dream home free for a year at one of the city’s newest developments thanks to a once-in-a-lifetime giveaway by Luvthecity.com, in partnership with ISIS Waterside Regeneration, Galaxy Manchester and the Triangle Shopping Centre.
The winners, James Gilhooly, 23 and his girlfriend, Jenny Maloney, also 23, previously rented accommodation in the city centre, but from the beginning of March are living for one year rent free at ISIS’s award-winning
Islington Wharf situated in one of Manchester’s most up-and-coming city centre areas.
The couple will begin their new life at Islington Wharf in style as the sophisticated one-bedroom apartment has been furnished to an exceptionally high-standard by Manchester-based company,
Loft Interiors and offers panoramic views across the city centre. They will also have all utilities bills and council tax paid for the entire term by
Luvthecity.com, saving them almost £10,000 in estimated annual rent and bill charges.
The competition,
Pin To Your Pad, launched at the beginning of January on
Galaxy Manchester saw almost 3000 listeners head down to the Triangle Shopping Centre to collect a specially designed key-ring which could be unlocked using a unique six-digit winning code. The correct code was announced live on air at the end of the month and the winner announced.
Comments James, a teacher at Abraham Moss High School:
“My girlfriend called me at work on the day the competition launched and asked me to pick up a key-ring on my way home as she’d heard about the competition. I told her there was no point and that we’d have more chance winning the lottery! She eventually convinced me and I‘m obviously so glad she did.
“It was perfect timing as we’d been renting an apartment and our tenancy was up and I was going to renew it the day we found out we’d won. I was in a meeting with my Head of Year that morning and had forgotten the winning pin was being announced that day. My phone rang about four times and I hung it up but then I realised it could be the radio station so I stepped outside to answer it and they told me we’d won.”
“We’d been looking to buy a place of our own over the last few months but couldn’t find anywhere we liked or could afford so we’d decided to just carry on renting. Now not only will we not be wasting money on rent, we’ll actually be able to save for an entire year towards buying a place ourselves.”
“When we first came to see the apartment, we were really impressed by the communal garden, especially having lived in an apartment block before where it felt hot and stuffy in the summer and isolated and grey in the winter. We can’t wait to enjoy a summer barbeque or two here, but we’ll have to have several house warmings before then as many of our friends are dying to see inside our new home.”
This elegant waterside location is set to transform over the next few years, with future plans for the area including a new school, children’s play area, crèche, shops and work recently began on site for a new Metrolink connection at Islington Wharf, due to open in 2011.
Hollie Reynolds from Islington Wharf is delighted at the couple's win:
“We know how difficult it can be for first-time buyers to afford their first home or for purchasers to move up the ladder, so we wanted to offer the chance to live for a year free at Islington Wharf allowing a lucky winner to save money and experience life at this contemporary, waterside development. Congratulations to James and Jenny and we welcome them to Islington Wharf!”
Islington Wharf
Islington Wharf gave away this luxury apartment for a year. The development launched in 2008 and has already seen more than 50% of its apartments sold or reserved. Islington Wharf is located in up-and-coming Ancoats and benefits from a communal garden which was transformed last year into a public art installation courtesy of architects Amenity Space
http://www.islingtonwharf.co.uk/
Luvthecity.com
Luvthecity gave Manchester residents chance to live the dream - a year's free living in a city centre apartment. Luvthecity is Britain's only city centre property site. They advertise city centre apartments for sale and for rent and are expanding across Britain throughout 2010
http://www.luvthecity.com/index.aspx
Galaxy Manchester
Pin To Your Pad was run by our competition partners, Galaxy Manchester. Listeners heard about the prize daily on Rob Ellis' Breakfast Show from 6am where Rob, Wingman and Rachel talked about how lovely the apartment was and even moved in there for a day!
http://www.galaxymanchester.co.uk/
Loft Interiors
Loft Interiors furnished the winning apartment. They offer a complete range of furnishing solutions for rented or buy to let investment property. Based in Manchester, we help landlors, letting agents and developers to quickly furnish rented property with affordable, quality, furnishings
http://www.buytolet-furnishings.co.uk
Triangle Shopping Centre
All the entrants for our Pin To Your Pad competition came to the Triangle Shopping Centre in central Manchester to collect their keyrings and see what the winning apartment would look like. Check them out here...
http://www.trianglemanchester.co.uk/