Explore The Great Outdoors With Brookworth Homes’ Distinctive Gardens And External Amenities

At Brookworth Homes, we believe that a luxury property is not only defined by its interior design, but also by the additional features that go into its construction which ensures that they are functional, durable but also aesthetically pleasing.

It’s for this very reason that we pay as much attention to the external elements of our properties, such as drainage, garden landscaping, driveways and garages, as we do to the lived-in parts of the home.

In this article, we'll explore some of these often overlooked external features to discover why the ‘Brookworth Homes Difference’ sets our properties apart from other new build developments.

Landscaping Features 

At Brookworth Homes, we take great pride in the landscaping features that enhance the external appearance and functionality of our homes.

At every Brookworth Homes development you’ll find high-quality materials and construction methods, complemented by carefully chosen plants to create stunning gardens and outdoor spaces that our clients can enjoy all year round. Some of these features include:

High Quality Top Soil And Turf

At Skylarks, we have used 150mm of top soil from the site itself and 50mm of high-quality imported soil to create a healthy base for planting in our front and back gardens.

Our top soil is rich in nutrients and organic matter, which promotes the growth and development of plants and flowers. We’ve also installed high quality turf in our front and back gardens, which is maintained leading up to moving in. Our turf is lush, green and durable, creating a good looking garden from the day you move in.

Full-length Patios

At Skylarks, we have also created 3.2m deep patios using Indian sandstone, which is a natural and elegant material and which stretches the entire width of the homes. 

Our patios are functional spaces that can be used for dining, relaxing or entertaining, as well as for adding pots and planters to create colour and interest to the rear garden. 

Capped Close-Board Fencing

We believe that the functionality and beauty of close-board fencing, with caps, can’t be beaten in terms of finishing off the edges of our gardens. 

This sturdy and attractive style of fence is made of high-quality timber and provides privacy and security. Our fencing is also treated to resist rot and decay and is capped to add a touch of style and elegance.

Mixer Taps 

We have installed mixer taps in our gardens which allow for a convenient way for residents to water plants and flowers in the garden or perhaps wash bicycles after a muddy bike ride. The warm water feature of mixer taps also makes them ideal for rinsing dirty hands after a spot of gardening or washing the family dog after a muddy walk. Our mixer taps are made of durable and corrosion-resistant materials to make them long-lasting, no matter what the British weather and busy life throw at them.

Garages & Driveways

At Brookworth Homes, we understand that a luxury home is not complete without a spacious and convenient garage and driveway. Here are some of the features that make our garages and driveways stand out.

Extra Width Garages

We have designed our garages to allow enough space for even the most generous family SUV’s and to prove it we’ve tested a Range Rover with its side mirrors extended and found it fits comfortably inside. 

As well as ample space for vehicles and storage, the garages at a Brookworth Homes development are equipped with power, data, lighting, PIR sensors, automated sectional doors and fully tiled floors. 

We have also installed a 7.2kW electric vehicle charger at the front of the garage, which has integrated dynamic electrical load balancing to prevent overloading the home's electrical supply. Fallout drainage to the front means your garage floor stays dry even after returning in the heaviest of downpours.

Future Proofing

Our garages have provision for future install of data cables, which allow you to connect your garage to the internet and use it as a gym, home office, hobby area or anything else you desire. You can also use the data cables to stream music, videos or podcasts while you work out, work or relax in your garage.

Fully tiled floors help to ensure that no matter what you decide to use your garage for, they’re easy to clean and maintain. The fully tiled floors also make the garage aesthetically pleasing and have the added benefit of being easy to keep clean. 

Driveways 

The driveways outside our garages are designed to be larger than average and have a minimum of 2 car spaces, with 3 cars or more comfortably fitting. Our driveways are also made of block paving, which is a durable and attractive material. 

Over 90% of the block paving we use is permeable, by using high specification BRETT Alpha FLOW Blocks. These are specially designed to allow water to seep through the gaps between the blocks and into the ground below, reducing the amount of surface water run-off and preventing flooding and pooling in heavy rain. 

For any areas that cannot be permeable, to protect the ground below, we use BRETT Alpha Blocks, which are impermeable. These are visually appealing with a rustic and weathered look that suit the homes and the surroundings.

They also come in different colours, such as brindle, charcoal and autumn gold, to match the impermeable blocks and create a stunning and unique appearance outside your home. 

Drainage Features 

One of the challenges of building a new development is to ensure that the entire site has adequate drainage systems to cope with heavy rainfall and prevent flooding and pooling issues when it does rain. 

At Brookworth Homes, we have invested in a range of drainage solutions to ensure that our properties and roads are well-protected from water damage and erosion. Some of these solutions include:

Permeable Block Paving

We have installed permeable block paving on our driveways, which allows water to seep through the gaps between the blocks and into the ground below. This reduces the amount of surface water runoff and helps to prevent flooding and pooling in heavy rain. 

Permeable block paving also has the added benefit of being extremely aesthetically pleasing, as it comes in different colours and styles to suit the house type and the surroundings. 

In the Brookworth Homes flagship development, The Skylarks, you will find BRETT Alpha FLOW Permeable blocks, which are specially designed for this purpose. These will also be found in our future developments, 

Specialist Drainage

We have installed Acco & French drains at the edges of any block paving and patios to reduce flooding and pooling and help water to easily flow away into the drainage systems. 

These specially designed drains, which are trenches filled with gravel and perforated pipes, collect and drain water away from the soil and are positioned at the edges of the garden specifically to improve drainage, reduce flooding and to help with water flow.

Retaining Walls 

We have constructed highly engineered retaining walls to help create usable gardens with a maximum gradient of 1:50. This means that our gardens are almost flat, but efficiently drain water into the drainage systems installed.

Retaining walls also add structure and aid in the planting process making the external space more usable and a more enjoyable place to spend time outside during the summer, and easier to maintain in the winter months. 

Under Road Soak-Away System 

At our latest Brookworth Homes developments, a large soakaway system has been installed to collect and store excess water under the road. The system is 5m deep at certain areas beneath the road and uses the naturally occurring chalk in the ground to help drain away the water. 

The cost of installing this system was between £500k and £1m, but we believe it is worth the investment as it reduces flooding and pooling in flash floods and heavy rain conditions. It also lowers the maintenance costs for the owners - making the properties more desirable and trouble free for years to come.

Additional Draining Points

As part of our meticulous design process, we modelled the road and curb layout to analyse where water will gather under flash flood conditions. Locations that are identified as possible sites for pooling of water, have had additional draining points installed.

These draining points are connected to the soakaway system under the road and help to divert the water away from the surface.

Want to find out more?

At Brookworth Homes, we are committed to creating luxury properties that offer homeowners convenience, comfort and style. If you’re interested in finding out more about our developments, please contact us via the website, Our show homes are available for visits from Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5pm. To book your appointment please call 01273 254054.