Buyers queue round block to snap up £7m of loft apartments

Eager buyers queued around the block to snap up newly-released loft apartments at Crusader, the Grade II-listed mill in the heart of Manchester

After the first tranche of 20 apartments was reserved by lunchtime developer Capital&Centric released a further 10 – taking the total sold to 30 with a sale value of more than £7m.

Wrapped in ‘DIBS’ hoardings, the mill became a hub of activity as hundreds passed through its doors. Owner occupiers praised the opportunity to get in first – securing a valuable piece of city heritage rather than losing out to investors.

Visitors soaked up the story of the mill, glimpsing the future with augmented reality headsets, room layouts and apartment finishes, whilst sipping beer from local breweries.

Adam Higgins of Capital&Centric said: “We knew there was a buzz building around Crusader, but we couldn’t have predicted the sheer level of excitement from the people that walked through the door.

“It was a pleasure to see this beautiful old building alive with people once again – people that ultimately cannot wait to live here and make it their home.  That’s not something I’ve seen in Manchester for a long time.

“It is clear that people want design, high quality and a back story. Crusader offers that in spades and it was a real validation to see people share in our passion for the building.”

Higgins’ colleague Tim Heatley added: “People were queuing from 7am to make sure they got in first.  We’ve not seen that since the pre-recession days of 2007. It shows that we’ve struck a chord with people who really want a piece of Manchester they can call their own.

“It was awesome to see future neighbours swapping phone numbers and discussing what drew them to the mill.  That’s what it’s all about for us.   Real people and real communities who care about the places they live.

“We’re fired up to get on and deliver Crusader for our first new residents and can’t wait to welcome more further down the line.”