Housing Expo to mount sales drive in bid to recoup 6m

ORGANISERS of Scotland's Housing Expo are preparing for a major event to help boost the sale of 24-eco homes so that 6 million of public money can be repaid.

Highland Housing Alliance, which led the expo project, has a deadline of April 2012 to sell the houses some worth in excess of 300,000 which are still on the market five months after the event closed.

The Expo, a development of 52 homes at Balvonie Braes in Inverness, showcasing sustainable and energy efficient design, was open to the public throughout August last year and attracted more than 30,000 visitors.

Yesterday it was revealed only one of the 24 homes built by the alliance has been sold but the organisation's chief executive Susan Torrance is unpreturbed.

Cash from each sale is to be returned to the public purse as part of an agreement with the Scottish Government, which underwrote the controversial housing scheme with 6 million of taxpayer's money.

As part of the deal, if the alliance fails to sell the homes, they will be converted to affordable housing either through low-cost ownership or affordable rented accommodation.

Mrs Torrance remains confident all the homes will sell by the time the deadline comes around.

"I would be extremely surprised if it takes longer than 18 months," she said.

"Not a lot of new houses are being built but people are still looking for new homes."

Whilst sales have been slow she revealed there have been expressions of interest from buyers in all the homes with some proving more popular than others.

She went on to reveal plans for a major event in April which would properly launch and market the expo homes for sale.

The alliance is waiting until spring because some work, such as laying roads and landscaping, is still to take place and it wants the site to be completely finished.

Prolonged snow and ice over recent weeks has caused some delays to the work schedule.

"What we want to do is really show off the houses to their best in April when all the landscaping is complete," said Mrs Torrance, explaining until recently some of the houses also still required work.

Ideas for the April launch, which will form part of the alliance's marketing strategy, include staging a farmer's market, fashion show, music event and competition giveaways at the site.

Mrs Torrance also revealed plans were in the pipeline to host a professionals' day on 18th March for architects, developers and other interested parties who may have missed the exhibition in August.

"Since the expo we have had umpteen folk wanting to see around the site," she said.

"This will be the last chance for folk to see around the houses."

The remainder of the expo development is made up of a further 20 affordable homes, built for local housing associations, and eight private houses funded directly by developers to the tune of 2.3 million.

Albyn Housing Society has sold 10 of its 11 homes and O'Brien and Robertson are understood to have sold each of their plots.