Back in 2016 property developer Capital & Centric got the green light to restore and redevelop the Grade-II listed Crusader Mill. The Manchester-based social impact developer set out to transform the 19th century former garment factory into a new city centre residence made up of 201 apartments.
The £25m development, which featured in the BBC2 documentary Manctopia, made headlines for giving locals first dibs on the apartments and banning investors, which led to Mancunians queueing from 7am in a bid to snap up a flat. But as work began the developer was hit with huge delays due to structural issues and the pandemic, and eventually the site's contractor went bust.
This left those who had reserved an apartment in the early stages waiting years until they were finally handed their keys. Ben Whiteley, 36 and Marc Chapman, 41, are amongst the first residents living in the brand new Piccadilly East development. The couple moved into their two-bed duplex in February this year, having paid their reservation fee back in July 2018.
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The pair spoke to us as part of our Where I Live series, where each week we hear from different homeowners across the region to find out about their home-buying journey, the costs involved and look inside to see how they've made their property their own.
Ben moved to Manchester back in 2004 for university and it was whilst studying he met Rochdale-born Marc. The couple got on the property ladder in 2007 after buying an apartment in the Northern Quarter - and lived there until 2021.
But it was in 2018 that the couple first took an interest in Capital & Centric's Crusader Mill development.
"We were in the market to move and we had a mailer through the letterbox about the development of Crusader which caught our eye," Ben, who works as a commercial interior designer, told the Manchester Evening News.
"They hosted a launch day on a Saturday in July 2018 and we decided to go down for a nosy. Straight away when we went into the building we thought it was really interesting."
Marc, who works as a GP, continued: "A couple of weeks after that we came and met the sales agent and had a look at some of the options. It was off plan so nothing was built yet.
"We decided on this one apartment and we got to see the space as it was before they’d done very little to it at all, it was all just an empty shell. We paid the reservation fee by the end of July then we went through all the usual stuff and exchanged contracts by October 2018.
"Then it was just a waiting game for it to actually be finished."
The couple, who have been together for 17 years, were originally expecting to move in into their new apartment towards the end of 2019, but the coronavirus pandemic put a spanner in the works.
"The first couple of years that we were waiting were absolutely fine because we knew we had bought off plan and that it would take time before it was ready. Obviously a conversion is never a quick job," explained Ben.
"However when Covid struck in 2020, building sites closed down and that was quite a stressful time for us and other buyers.
"There wasn't very much information being given about perceived delays. We appreciated that no one could foresee what was going on with the virus and how long it would last, but it was difficult not knowing what was going on with our property on the back of being locked down.
"Then, once we came through Covid, at the end of September 2021 the contractor went bust, so that added even further delays."
In the meantime the couple moved out of their Northern Quarter apartment and rented in New Islington until their Crusader Mill flat was ready, but that also came with challenges.
“We continuously got different dates of when the project would be finished and it was never going to tie up that we could complete the sale of our old place at the same time as moving into Crusader, so we put our flat on the market," Mark explained.
"We accepted an offer for it in October 2020 but because neither of us or the buyer were in a hurry, it just ticked over. But then in March 2021 the buyer suddenly said he wanted to complete as soon as possible which we couldn't really argue with because he'd been waiting for us. So in a matter of days we had to find somewhere to move to.
"With having not experienced the rental market in Manchester since university, we couldn't believe how fast it moved. We found a flat in New Islington that we thought looked alright, but there was a full day of viewings lined up. We basically had to say yes to it based on an online video tour."
Ben added: "At the time we only thought we were going to be living in it for a few months so we weren’t too bothered, but it ended up being for a year.
"To put everything in storage and live in a relatively small apartment with very little of our personal belongings was quite weird, especially as time went on."
Fast forward to February 2022 and the pair finally got the go ahead to move into their two-storey mill apartment - but their move-in date unexpectedly clashed with a holiday.
“We were going on holiday three days after we got the keys. We were lucky in the fact that we'd already made friends with somebody in the building whose partner was a decorator, so he started work whilst we were on holiday and our friends also helped get it ready," said Ben.
Marc added: "The holiday must have been booked 8 months before so it was never meant to coincide. But it did mean that when we got back and it was pretty much all painted and we could just start moving things in."
Waiting so long for their apartment to be ready turned out to work in the couple's favour in terms of renovating.
"As we’d been in the process for so long, we'd already decided on all of the colour schemes for each of the rooms. We'd already bought all of the paint so it was all ready to go," said Ben.
"Because we’d bought the apartment early, we also had a say on things like the design of the kitchen. We chose to upgrade the appliances, we decided to put in a wine fridge and we upgraded the worktops as well. We knew we were moving into a space that was tailored to our wants and needs."
Crusader Mill is packed with original features that have been retained from the 1830s from exposed brick, cast iron columns and wooden beams to high ceilings and huge windows.
With no two apartments the same, the couple said that it was these unique quirks that attracted them to their apartment - but unfortunately the pair ended up losing out on some original features.
"We originally bought it our apartment for £365,000 but then due to losing some of the original features, we eventually paid £334,000. Marc said.
"When we bought it off plan, there were two exposed wooden beams that ran through the lower floor. There was also a really nice bit in the guest bedroom where two beams joined together with some metal work. We were quite sad to lose that but we got it for less.
Marc added: “One of the reasons we went for this plot is because it includes the chimney as well. The chimney comes into the master bedroom and it’s above our roof space so you can look up to it out the windows. There’s also beams elsewhere and all of the exposed woodwork, so it didn't put us off.
“Looking at what is out there on the market now, I think we paid a very, very good price for what we have.”
Giving a tour of their apartment, Ben said: "The guest bedroom and the master bedroom are downstairs. The master has an en-suite and we've got a main bathroom as well. We've got quite a large hallway that doubles up as an office space, then upstairs in the eaves space is our kitchen living area which is all open plan."
Ben and Marc describe their interior style as 'eclectic' with a mix of vintage and unique quirks. The couple started a home Instagram account @crusadermill where they show off their distinctive decor.
"Our general look is quite eclectic. A lot of our friends say that our home is an extension of our personalities. We aren't necessarily scared of using colour and we think our apartment feels very homely," said Ben.
"We've got some brand new pieces that we've invested in and we've got things that we found in junk shops years ago and have moved over from our old apartment.
"It’s that thing of seeing the bones of something and not being scared just to go for it. Our interior style has evolved over the years, especially when you've been together for 17 years."
Despite the delays along the way, the couple say the journey was all worth it in the end.
“We absolutely love the apartment, it’s completely changed how we feel about our future. We always thought we might be here for five years and then move on but actually the apartment provides all of the space that we'll probably ever need" Ben said.
"The building also has an amazing community feel, we've met some great friends already. In our previous building in the Northern Quarter we probably only knew about two or three different residents but here I could probably count maybe 20 different people that we know quite well."
Marc added: “It really does have a great atmosphere. It is adult student halls in a way. In the summer everyone would be together in the courtyard having drinks or we'd all go to one of our flats. It's built up a really nice community already."
Giving advice for renovating Ben said: "I'd say really follow your own heart in terms of how you decorate. If you're drawn to a certain colour, then there's no reason why you shouldn't use it. There's no rules to decor, it should really be a reflection of you and your personality because otherwise it won't feel like home.
In terms of the homebuying process, Marc advised: “If you’re buying off plan, just be mindful that there can be delays. Ours was two and a bit years late. We got there in the end but whether it's buying a property or even just decorating, things always take longer than you expect them to."
Want to get involved in Where I Live? If you are interested in featuring in our weekly series, please email your name and details to phoebe.jobling@reachplc.com.
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