"PERFECT Housewife" Anthea Turner and her husband are hoping to cash in on Chester's booming property market after buying £7m worth of apartments.

Imagine Homes, owned by Ms Turner's husband, Grant Bovey, has bought 42 of the 160 apartments being built near the town centre as part of a joint venture with a major bank.

The properties at The Quarter cost between £165,000 and £175,000 and Mr Bovey's company will act as letting agent for 42 apartments.

The two and three-bedroom apartments cost from £625 per month to rent; around 18 have already been taken.

Ms Turner, who along with her husband, is a director of the interior design company, Imagine Furnishings, which offers to furnish the flats at a cost of £7,000 for a one bedroom apartment and £9,000 for a two bedroom property.

Former Blue Peter and GMTV presenter Ms Turner most recently hit the headlines with her BBC series Perfect Housewife, which instructs others on housekeeping, Anthea Turner style. Each week she "mentors two desperately hopeless housewives", and some house-husbands too.

And according to the company website: "Imagine Homes have come up with a complete furnishings solution - Imagine Furnishings - who can fit out your investment from top to bottom, without you lifting a finger." It adds: "Imagine Furnishings have an exclusive deal with 'AT Home' a collection designed by Anthea Turner.

"What's more, our research shows that, on average, Imagine Furnishing properties are usually let within two to three weeks, much faster than poorly or unfurnished properties."

Mr Bovey has said he wants to make his company the largest buy-to-let organisation in the UK.

Last year he formed a joint venture with Bank of Scotland Corporate.

A £250m residential buy-to-let property investment fund called Veritas Investments was set up and it is this company which has bought up the properties in Chester.

Mr Bovey's company, Imagine Homes, has investments across the UK and has also invested in Liverpool's fast-moving property

market, with apartments for sale in the Unity Building in the city centre.

The company acquires property from developers - both local and national - and has significant input on design and specification throughout the building process.

Imagine Homes sells the residential properties and rents them back from purchasers for two years.

liammurphy@dailypost.co.uk