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www.asian-voice.comAsian Voice | 8th April 2017

Smita Sarkar

Business is to be conductedwith cold reason and logic –not with emotion andheart. Or so they say. But,Sanjay Shah is not just abusinessman. Friendshipand trust comes first to himand the story of the SimChem House deal inCheadle Hulme, GreaterManchester stands out inthe dog eat dog world oftoday’s real estate business.

This tale of friendshipbetween Sanjay and MartinSkinner, CEO of InspiredHomes and parent compa-ny Inspired AssetManagement, dates backone and a half years.Martin urgently needed£5m GBP to complete aproject and reached out toSanjay – who managed tofind £3m at short notice.The money was not enoughbut Martin rememberedthe gesture and the effortSanjay put in. Nine monthslater, Martin returned thefavour by offering a fewflats to Sanjay in the sameproperty at heavily dis-counted rates. While thetransaction was notinsignificant, the real bene-fit to the two seasonedbusinessmen was the bondsof friendship and trust thiscreated – a bond that hasendured to this day.

So when Sanjayapproached Martin withthe idea of redeveloping aformer office building inCheadle Hulme, all that heneeded to know was thatSanjay believed in the pro-ject. Although, Inspiredmainly focuses on Greaterand commuter London,Martin decided to take theplunge and immediatelygrabbed the opportunity –banking on Sanjay’s acu-men and the prospects ofthe UK’s Northern power-house. The deal was farfrom straightforward andwithout Sanjay’s personalintervention at the criticaltimes the acquisition of SimChem House would havefallen through.

Martin is not alone inplacing this trust withSanjay. Mirasa’s truestrength lies in the com-plete faith that Sanjay’spartners have in him. PavanBatavia (also of SynergyProperties in Dubai) andRajesh Virani needed littleproof beyond their mutualrespect, carefully cultivatedover the years, to invest inMirasa.

Property details Sim Chem House, nowcalled Fabrick, is located inthe sought-after GreaterManchester suburb ofCheadle Hume on WarrenRoad and has an estimatedGDV in excess of £25m.The development will pro-

vide impressive featuresand details including SmartNEST thermostats, 1 Gbbroadband by Hyperoptic,granite worktops, anddesigner kitchens and bath-rooms. There will be aconcierge service, WiFiready residents’ lounge anda roof top terrace with seat-ing and a bbq area. As adeveloper, Inspired typical-ly focus on high specifica-tion fixtures and fittings toensure longevity and min-imise maintenance costs forthe purchaser, whether theyare a first-time buyer withlittle disposable income or abuy-to-let investor lookingto maximise their returns.

"What we aspire to do isto provide affordable buthigh-spec, high-tech solu-tions for young profession-als typically between 20and 40. We like to build acommunity within thedevelopments we produceand encourage some tech-led growth," said Martin.

Inspired are able tooffer high quality homes atlower prices by using spacemore efficiently. Theirmicro-apartments aredesigned to feel more spa-cious than the squarefootage suggests by incor-porating hallway-freedesign and uniform open-plan living spaces. AtFabrick, studio apartmentsare 280sqft and cost£119,000; one bedroomapartments range from334sqft to 409sqft and arepriced between £129,500and £155,000; and the twobedroom apartments rangefrom 527sqft to 639sqftand are priced between£195,000 and £215,000.

"There's a lot of moneycoming into Manchesterfrom London. For returnson pounds per square foot,Manchester is the place toinvest," said Sanjay. "Pricesin Cheshire are going high-er, whether you’re buyingresidential or commercial,you cannot get an opportu-nity here – house prices justgo up, there is an acutehousing shortage and a lotof people who want to livehere."

The team have alreadysold 22 apartments beforeconstruction has even start-ed and the development

will be ready to move intowithin 15 months, that is,by the summer of 2018.

Fabrick sits conve-niently for commuters justmoments from CheadleHulme railway station,with direct trains toManchester Piccadilly injust 16 minutes andStockport in only six min-utes. Additionally,Manchester Airport, nowboasting direct flights toChina, is only around 10minutes drive away by carand is home to the new£800m Airport CityManchester developmentand its £130m 'ChinaCluster' set to be UK's firstairport city and a leadingbusiness hub in the region.

Sanjay and Martin donot know how Brexit willimpact property priceswhen the UK does finallyleave the EU, however bothagree that the ‘Project Fear’predictions made in thewake of the vote have failedto materialise. "Brexit canbe good if the country fol-lows their policies to dereg-ulate and reduce taxation,"said Martin.

“The weak pound hasboosted overseas interest,particularly from Chinaand India,” adds Sanjay.

Dream for GreaterManchester

Sanjay and Martin keep thepurchaser's interests inmind when embarking onnew developments."Martin is giving you a lux-urious apartment wherethere is a wow factor assoon as someone walks in,"said Sanjay.

"It's a catalyst for theirlives, they are stepping upand making their firsthome purchase. It feels niceto be able to help peopletake that step and providethat solution in the mostefficient way possible," saidMartin.

It takes courage todream in today’s propertymarket – but it takes muchmore to build those dreamson friendship and trustalone. Sanjay and Martin’sdream for GreaterManchester could well be aprecursor for a newapproach to bricks andmortar – cemented withthe warm human touch.

Inspired by friendshipLondon-based micro-apartment developer Inspired Homes debuts in

Greater Manchester – facilitated by Sanjay Shah of property investmentcompany Mirasa Limited. The property is all set to revolutionise the

city’s real estate landscape – but that is not what makes this deal special.

L to R: Rajesh Virani, Sanjay Shah & Martin Skinner

High Commissioner of India to UK, HE Y K Sinha met Indian Journalists'Association on Thursday 30 March over a working lunch at the Quilon restaurant. Hespoke on various subjects, including India's trade policy, importance of the diasporain the UK, and the upcoming visits of UK Ministers for bilateral trade negotiationswith India. He also said that post-study work visa for Indian students is very much apart of the bilateral agenda for India.Indian students were formerly given a right to work in this country for two years,

post graduation. This was scrapped by the Conservative government, when they cameto power. HE Sinha also spoke about the upcoming Vaisakhi celebration organised bythe High Commission of India for the first time on Sunday 30 April at SKLP Sportsand Community Centre in Northolt. The High Commissioner told Asian Voice, “Thisis the 350th birth year of Guru Govind Singh. This event will be a great opportunityto come together to celebrate the fabulous festivities.” They are expecting over 20,000visitors.

Mathru Vandanaa musical tribute to mothersThe programme delights audiences in Barking

and Tyseley Birmingham over the weekendAsian Voice and GujaratSamachar organised theBarking and Birminghamchapters of MatruVandana, a musicalevening to celebrateMothers Day and payhomage to mothers – overthe weekend on the 1st and2nd April.Rohit Patel and Pushpa

Patel from Ashiana co-organised Matru Vandanaat the Abbey SchoolBarking on 1st April on theauspicious day of ChaitraNavratri.Revered singer Maya

Dipak was flown downfrom India to delight theaudiences with an eveningof sugam sangeet in herversatile, distinguished andmelodious voice. Trainedin Hindustani Classical,Maya is a famed artist inGujarat and has been hon-oured with GauravPuraskar from the Gujaratgovernment for her contri-butions to the field ofvocals for Sugam Sangeet.Maya started the pro-

gramme with MaJagdamba Stuti “ya devisarvabhuteshu” and left theaudiences captivated byher songs on mathru van-dana in Gujarati, followedby famous Hindi songsdedicated to mothers.Maya she started singingtraditional folk garba songsfor Chaitri Navratri andthe audience reciprocatedby breaking into garbadance. The programmewas compared by theManaging Editor ofGujarat SamachaarKokilaben Patel.

Matru Vandana wasshowcased in Tyseley,Birmingham at the ShriHindu Community Centre

on April 2. The PresidentMukesh Ladwa declaredthat the temple requiredfunds for redeveloping the“Shikhar” of the templethat has been sitting in thechurch premises for thepast 35 years. Changing thelook to a temple wouldrequire £300,000. Out ofthis amount the trusteeshave been able to raise£115,000. In 1980,Hariprasad Vyas,Rameshbhai Patel, Dr Vajaand Mr ChadrakantPattani and CB had laid the

foundation of the HinduCommunity Centre- ShriLaxminarayan Mandir.The Karma Yoga

Foundation donated£5000 and Rs 500,000 toan education charity inIndia. Hemlataben Ladwadonated £2500 andHarish Dhokia fromCoventry donated £3501.

A scrumptious dinnerwas laid out for the guestsABPL could not be moregrateful for the overwhelm-ing response from thereaders and well-wishers.The food was sponsored byLataben Lodhia, and CBPatel took the opportunityto celebrate his andLataben's birthday at theevent.He said that he would

assist in all future fund-raising initiatives, whileMaya Dipak also declaredher willingness to come on

board to perform in fund-raising events. MatruVandana was organised inLondon at the BharatiyaVidya Bhavan on the 26thMarch and will be held inLeicester on April 7 andPreston on April 8.For further report, refer

to Page 18 and 19 ofGujarat Samachar.