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AT T R A C T I V E , A C C E S S I B L E , A F F O R D A B L E H O M E S

Shared Ownership

and Help to Buy

LOOKING TO BUY

YOUROWN

HOME?

REASONS TO BUY

NOT RENT

ANDREA McLEANgives her views on design, buying a first home and affordable housing

‘Now I’m paying less for a brand new home with an extra bedroom’ says Carla

TV Presenter

MADE MORE AFFORDABLE

JULY/AUGUST 2015

A LEATHER SOFA FROM FURNITURE CHOICE

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n The latest affordable developments in your region n Who to ask and where to find an affordable home n Advice on legal and mortgage matters from specialistsn Information about shared ownership, New Build HomeBuy, FirstBuy, and all low cost home ownership schemes

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HOME OWNERSHIP FOR ALL?This issue of homefocus has quite a number of references to

‘the circus’…why? Well, just like the circus, home ownership is

intended for everyone. First time buyers, couples and families

from all walks of life.

But new data from the Generation Rent Report has found home

ownership is becoming elitist! The proportion of potential first time

buyers saving for a deposit has dropped 6% compared to three

years ago with many now given up on their dreams of becoming a

home owner..

That’s where shared ownership and Help to Buy come in! They

are Government sponsored schemes helping bring opportunities

within the reach of those buyers on more modest incomes.

At the risk of belabouring the comparison, the circus big top has

a safety net. With shared ownership, there’s a safety net too; a

financial interview to make sure that buyers buy as much as they

can afford but no more!

In fact there are rules, regulations and good practises to cover

many aspects of buying through shared ownership and Help to

Buy. Some people find them a bit off-putting. But just like the circus

safety net, they are there to prevent damaging accidents. Right

throughout this issue of the magazine, you’ll find examples of

those who successfully ‘walked the tightrope’ to home ownership.

I hope you’ll take inspiration from them and find your way to a

home of your own.

Happy home hunting

Jeffrey Gritzman • Publisher

ISSN No 1470-0360

ADVISORY PANELMaddie Cross LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY

Dave Evans BE CREATIVE LONDON Tony Harker GENESIS HOMES

Dave Lakin GRAND UNION HOUSING GROUP Trevor Morley DIRECTION LAW

Yvette Ruggins SOUTH PARK ASSOCIATES

Isabel Saville CONCORDIA HOUSING CONSULTANCY

Simon Scott ORIGIN HOUSING

Sharon Shaw MARTIN SHAW CONSULTING

Richard Stone CENSEO LTD

Helen Towner HOMES AND COMMUNITIES AGENCY

Greg Warner-Harris SPECTRUM HOUSING GROUP

Chris Winfield LONDON BOROUGH OF BRENT

EDITORAlex Randell

e-mail: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS & GENERAL ENQUIRIESJulie Baugh Tel: 0203 096 7141


PUBLISHER Jeffrey Gritzman Tel: 0203 096 7141


PUBLISHED BYGraid Publications Ltd, 1 Kings Hall12b Kings Road, Westcliff SS0 8LR

Tel 0203 096 7141

DESIGN & PRODUCTIONJohn Eldridge Design Associates

Website: www.homefocus.co.uk

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www.twitter.com/homefocus

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Supports the aims of homefocus

Publisher’sComment

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2015 3

34

26

13

Hot properties 12 London A selection of affordable homes in the Capital

16 East & south-east And some in the east & south east region - as defined by the Homes & Communities Agency

20 South Affordable properties in the south

24 Midlands And some in the midlands

28 South west Finally, find affordable homes in the south west corner of the country

Just for you 3 Publisher’s comment Home ownership for all?

ContentsJULY/AUGUST 2015

Buying Guide 6 Destination home ownership Say goodbye to the rental circus

8 Home ownershipNot just for high flyers

10 Stop clowning around Compare the cost of renting and buying

42 Finding your place on the ladderShared ownership and Help to Buy bring buying opportunities to different all kinds of people

46 Time to buy When the developers and local authority invest in an area, it may well mean…time to buy!

Celebrity Status 34 In Conversationwith TV presenter Andrea McLean who says ‘home ownership ‘is a choice that everyone should be able to take part in’

Where next? Homefinder DirectoriesOr search affordable homes at www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you

54 Introduction

55 Shows and Events

56 Property Listings

60 East and South East

61 South West

62 London 64 Midlands 65 South 66 Legal Directory

THE SMARTER WAY TO HOME OWNERSHIP IN LONDON OUTSIDE LONDONShared ownership is a cost effective way of getting your own property. You buy a 25%-75% share, with a mortgage and deposit, and then pay rent on the remainder. It’s often cheaper than renting the same property, with the bonus of owning part of it.

Genesis offers a wide range of homes available for shared ownership across London and Eastern England. Not only are those properties affordable, they’re designed to a high standard. Call us today to find out just how easy and affordable your next move could be.

*Starting prices are for a 25% share of the property. Eligibility requirements apply, please call us for more information. Details correct at time of going to press. Images representative only

Jessops At New Providence Wharf, Docklands 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments From £96,188*

Zenith House, Colindale 2 Bedroom Apartments From £90,000*

Factory Quarter, Hammersmith & Fulham 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apartments, Prices To Be Confirmed

City Park West, Chelmsford 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments From £46,250* Stoke Quay, Ipswich 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments From £23,125*

For more details or to view a property call

0800 954 5633 genesishahomes.org.uk

Contact us... E-MAIL: [email protected] PHONE: 0845 474 4734

MAIL: homefocus magazine 1 Kings Hall, 12B Kings Rd Westcliff SS0 8LR

Lifestyle 38 Naturally neutralNeutral colours can add a sense of calm to any room

44 Super StripesBring bold colours into your home, …with stripes

Competition 52 CompetitionWin a Leather Sofa from Furniture Choice

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25

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Great Advice 32 Never mind the b****cksShattering a few shared ownership myths and misconceptions

36 Juggling financesSome examples of what sort of property your income will get you under shared ownership and the Help to Buy schemes

40 Money, Money, Money Get yourself ready to get the best possible mortgage

48 Moving ChecklistWho to tell you’re on your way

50 Ask the Experts How to sell your share when you’re ready to move on


F ed up watching the high flyers in their mansions. Or paying rent to

clowns so that you finish up paying their mortgage instead of your own? Wondering why you have to do financial acrobatics each month when you have nothing to show for it?

You might still be living at home, or perhaps you’re already renting, maybe recently left a relationship without enough equity to buy another place. Wouldn’t it be great if you owned a home of your own?

Well, it could be possible and here is something that will help you pack your trunk but avoid the rental circus.

There are schemes that allow you to buy just a percentage of your home, and still move in. Collectively, these schemes are called low cost home ownership (LCHO) and they’re designed to be affordable, which means you not only do you get to live in ‘The Big Top’, but you’ll have something left over, to buy candy floss and ice cream at the interval!

No need to move aroundIf you’re ready to stop moving around and be part of the community by buying your own home, LCHO is a great idea. You’ll need a smaller mortgage and a smaller deposit than you probably expect. In many cases, it works out cheaper than renting a similar property privately.

Once you’ve found your own place through LCHO, it’s flexible enough to change with you when your circumstances alter. You can buy more of your home – in shared ownership this is called staircasing, and in most cases you can staircase until you own 100%. For equity loan schemes, you can pay off some or all of the equity loan. And when you come to sell, there should be a ready-made list of people who are hoping to buy through LCHO in your area. People who are in the same position you’re in now - keen to become home owners for the first time.

The Ringmaster The majority of LCHO schemes are backed by the government so the help you receive will be there for the long-run. It’s unlike renting privately, where your landlord could end your tenancy even if you’ve paid your bills on the dot.

The Ringmaster for the LCHO process is a Help to Buy Agent. These are organisations appointed by the government

to promote and co-ordinate LCHO in a particular area, and there’s a list of them of page 54. Outside

of London your Help to Buy Agent will process your application so you don’t

need to apply to every housing association, and they have a list of every government-funded LCHO home in their area. In London, things are slightly different, but there’s still a LCHO online portal

to get you started. Wherever you are, Help to Buy Agents will help run the show.

Three ringed circus There are three LCHO ways to

get onto the homeownership ladder and the scheme to go for depends on your personal circumstances. There’s no

guarantee that all options will be available to you,but where there

is a choice, your financial situation will dictate what’s offered. There are

more details of the specific schemes on the next two pages, but essentially they are:

Shared ownershipAlso known as part buy/part rent. This works by allowing you to buy a share of your home and pay a subsidised, capped rent on the remainder, which is owned by a housing association. You’ll be expected to buy the largest share you

Say goodbye to the rental circus!

TIME TO PACK YOUR TRUNK?

Buyer’sGuide

can afford –but don’t worry, the key word there is ‘afford’, so you’ll be able to discuss what share is right for you.

Equity loansYou own 100% of your home, but only have to cover a percentage of the cost initially with your mortgage and deposit. You can defer the rest for a while as it’s covered by an equity loan. There’s nothing to pay on the equity loan for a few years, and the scheme you choose will determine whether you pay any interest after this and when you have to pay the loan back.

Save to buyThere are two options offered by housing associations that will help and encourage you to save towards a deposit for a home. Rent to buy will allow you to pay a reduced rent on the understanding that you will buy that specific home in due course and intermediate market rent will provide you with a reduced rent to save for a deposit to buy elsewhere.

The oohs and aahs You may have already heard of LCHO but thought ‘it’s just for people with specific jobs or it’s social housing by a different name.’ Well, you couldn’t be more wrong! It’s home ownership, and you’ll take on all the responsibilities, and have all the benefits, that go with it. LCHO is designed for a whole range of people who’ve been otherwise priced out of the market.

The first time buyer schemes such as shared ownership and resales are appropriate for anyone with a household income LESS than £60,000 (£71,000 if you’re looking for one or two bedrooms in London and £85,000 for three bedrooms or more). And for Help to Buy, the criteria is even wider.

You COULD be eligible for the schemes if…• You’re a first time buyer• You’ve owned a home in the past but don’t own one now • You need to buy a home of your own for the first time, for example after a relationship breakdown

• You own your own home but it’s far too small for your needs. For example, you might have two children in a one-bedroom flat and can’t afford to buy somewhere bigger • You can’t otherwise afford to buy a suitable home in the area you need to live in• You’re working even though it’s not full time (you’ll have to show that you earn enough to cover your housing and living costs though. And you might be able to count long-term benefits towards your income)• You’ve got a large chunk of money to put down (for example if you have equity from a previous home after a relationship split and use that towards buying your share outright. Again, you’ll have to show you have enough coming in to cover your housing and living costs).

You’re NOT eligible for shared ownership if...• You already own a home that you’re living in and it’s adequate for your needs• You can already afford to buy a suitable home of your own in your area

You’re NOT eligible for any affordable home ownership scheme if...• You want to buy a property to rent out. LCHO funding is there to help people to buy a home, not to become a landlord• You already own a home and now want to help your adult child or children to get on the ladder. You can help them with their deposit BUT it’s your children who would have to apply and be eligible. • CCJ’s or a bad credit rating make it unlikely that you can pass financial assessments



Scheme type Shared ownership Help to Buy Save to Buy

Scheme name New Build Resales Help to Buy Equity Loan Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee

Rent to Buy Intermediate Market Rent

YOU CAN FLY HIGH TOO

You buy the share of your home you can afford (between 25% and 75%) and pay a subsidised rent on the remainder. You can buy more shares over time until in most cases you own 100% of your home. You may see shared ownership referred to as part buy/part rent.

These are properties that have already been bought through shared ownership in the past, and where the owners are now looking to sell their share and move on. You buy the share they are selling and pay a subsidised rent on the remainder. You might see resales referred to as ‘existing shared ownership’.

Available on newly built properties up to a value of £600,000. You buy 100% of your home but only have to pay for 80% initially. The rest is covered by an equity loan from the government. There’s nothing to pay on the equity loan for the first five years, after which there’s a small interest charge.

Designed to make 95% mortgages available to a wide range of people. More importantly it means that you only need to raise a 5% deposit. These mortgages will be available on new and older properties costing up to £600,000.

This is available on selected new developments and gives you the opportunity to rent the home you wish to buy at a reduced rate, on the understanding that you’ll buy it through shared ownership within a specific time. In London there’s a similar scheme called Rent to Save, ideal if you want to buy a home in the city.

Offers you the chance to rent a brand-new or refurbished home or a home that is being re-let for a reduced rent. The rent charged is usually around 80% of the rent that you would expect to pay if you were renting from a private landlord

SURE-FOOTED Ideal if you live in an area where prices are high as you only need to buy the percentage you can afford (just as long as it’s over 25%). This means you need a smaller mortgage. It’s also perfect if you don’t have much in the way of savings as you only need to find the deposit for the share you’re buying.

Not limited to recently-built homes so properties are likely to be in established communities and you may have a wider choice of styles. The rent element is almost always lower than on new build because of controls on the amount the rent has been allowed to increase each year.

Great if you can almost afford your home but don’t have a thumping great deposit to start you off. You only have to find a 5% deposit. Not restricted to first time buyers, and doesn’t have the same income restrictions as shared ownership, so you can use the scheme to move to a larger home or one in a more expensive area.

It’s perfect if you can afford a mortgage for 95% of your home, but don’t have a large deposit. And as it’s available on existing properties as well as new ones, you can still benefit even if you want to live in an older home or somewhere that’s seen no new homes for a while.

Perfect if you can demonstrate that you could afford to buy 25% of your home, but are not in a position to do so straight away – for example you earn enough for a mortgage but don’t have a deposit saved. It gives you a chance to put down roots and move into your new home sooner.

Great if you’re looking to rent for the short term whilst building a deposit to buy your first home.

SAFETY NET As with the most of the schemes on these pages, the properties are all new-builds, which might not be to your taste. If you’re looking for period features, though, you might find a shared ownership home that’s a conversion of an older building.

You’re unlikely to be able to buy a smaller share than the previous owners are selling, though it may be possible to buy more. And you’re buying someone else’s taste in décor – though it’s fun to change it!

You still have to be able to afford 80% of your home with your mortgage and deposit, so if you live in a very expensive area house prices could still be out of reach.

You still have to be able to get a mortgage for 95% of your home, so might not be right for you if you want to live in an expensive area.

There are very few Rent to Buy properties available, and no more are planned outside London. You have to be disciplined to use the discount on your rent to save for your deposit.

This is a shorthold tenancy agreement only, initially covering just 6 months, after which the agreement can be extended.

BUY FROM JUST 25% WITH A SMALL DEPOSIT

WIDE CHOICE NOT JUST FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS

FOR HIGHER WAGE EARNERS

SAVE TO BUY THE NEW HOME YOU’RE LIVING IN

TYPICALLY 20% LESS THAN MARKET RENT

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Email: [email protected]

HOME OWNERSHIP:NOT JUST FOR HIGH FLYERS There are a number of ways to become a homeowner! This page gives you an at-a-glance reference to all the low cost home ownership (LCHO) schemes on offer, so if you find a home you like, you can check out the key points of the scheme.

What percentage of the home you need do you think you could buy with your deposit and mortgage?

Finding the right LCHO scheme can be a bit daunting, so focus on this question...

Scheme type Shared ownership Help to Buy Save to Buy

Scheme name New Build Resales Help to Buy Equity Loan Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee

Rent to Buy Intermediate Market Rent

YOU CAN FLY HIGH TOO

You buy the share of your home you can afford (between 25% and 75%) and pay a subsidised rent on the remainder. You can buy more shares over time until in most cases you own 100% of your home. You may see shared ownership referred to as part buy/part rent.

These are properties that have already been bought through shared ownership in the past, and where the owners are now looking to sell their share and move on. You buy the share they are selling and pay a subsidised rent on the remainder. You might see resales referred to as ‘existing shared ownership’.

Available on newly built properties up to a value of £600,000. You buy 100% of your home but only have to pay for 80% initially. The rest is covered by an equity loan from the government. There’s nothing to pay on the equity loan for the first five years, after which there’s a small interest charge.

Designed to make 95% mortgages available to a wide range of people. More importantly it means that you only need to raise a 5% deposit. These mortgages will be available on new and older properties costing up to £600,000.

This is available on selected new developments and gives you the opportunity to rent the home you wish to buy at a reduced rate, on the understanding that you’ll buy it through shared ownership within a specific time. In London there’s a similar scheme called Rent to Save, ideal if you want to buy a home in the city.

Offers you the chance to rent a brand-new or refurbished home or a home that is being re-let for a reduced rent. The rent charged is usually around 80% of the rent that you would expect to pay if you were renting from a private landlord

SURE-FOOTED Ideal if you live in an area where prices are high as you only need to buy the percentage you can afford (just as long as it’s over 25%). This means you need a smaller mortgage. It’s also perfect if you don’t have much in the way of savings as you only need to find the deposit for the share you’re buying.

Not limited to recently-built homes so properties are likely to be in established communities and you may have a wider choice of styles. The rent element is almost always lower than on new build because of controls on the amount the rent has been allowed to increase each year.

Great if you can almost afford your home but don’t have a thumping great deposit to start you off. You only have to find a 5% deposit. Not restricted to first time buyers, and doesn’t have the same income restrictions as shared ownership, so you can use the scheme to move to a larger home or one in a more expensive area.

It’s perfect if you can afford a mortgage for 95% of your home, but don’t have a large deposit. And as it’s available on existing properties as well as new ones, you can still benefit even if you want to live in an older home or somewhere that’s seen no new homes for a while.

Perfect if you can demonstrate that you could afford to buy 25% of your home, but are not in a position to do so straight away – for example you earn enough for a mortgage but don’t have a deposit saved. It gives you a chance to put down roots and move into your new home sooner.

Great if you’re looking to rent for the short term whilst building a deposit to buy your first home.

SAFETY NET As with the most of the schemes on these pages, the properties are all new-builds, which might not be to your taste. If you’re looking for period features, though, you might find a shared ownership home that’s a conversion of an older building.

You’re unlikely to be able to buy a smaller share than the previous owners are selling, though it may be possible to buy more. And you’re buying someone else’s taste in décor – though it’s fun to change it!

You still have to be able to afford 80% of your home with your mortgage and deposit, so if you live in a very expensive area house prices could still be out of reach.

You still have to be able to get a mortgage for 95% of your home, so might not be right for you if you want to live in an expensive area.

There are very few Rent to Buy properties available, and no more are planned outside London. You have to be disciplined to use the discount on your rent to save for your deposit.

This is a shorthold tenancy agreement only, initially covering just 6 months, after which the agreement can be extended.

BUY FROM JUST 25% WITH A SMALL DEPOSIT

WIDE CHOICE NOT JUST FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS

FOR HIGHER WAGE EARNERS

SAVE TO BUY THE NEW HOME YOU’RE LIVING IN

TYPICALLY 20% LESS THAN MARKET RENT

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Email: [email protected]

Between 25% and 75%

Shared ownership could be right for you

Around 70% or more

Consider Help to Buy or an equity loan

100%, but I can only afford a 5% deposit Check out the mortgage guarantee schemes

I haven’t got enough for a deposit yet Time to start saving! Or take a look around for a try before you buy option

Buyer’sGuide

HOME OWNERSHIP:NOT JUST FOR HIGH FLYERS



F or some of us, renting is absolutely the right thing to do. It gives freedom and flexibility.

But if you’re serious about putting down roots and being part of the community, there’s nothing like owning your own home. It’s not just that you can decorate it as you want and have the security of knowing that you’re in control. You might find that buying through low cost home ownership (LCHO) could mean paying out less each month than if you rent. And who’ll be laughing then?

The figures on the next page show some typical comparisons from around the country. And in some of them, buying a minimum share works out less than renting a comparable property. It all depends on you being able to come up with that all important deposit. But before you tell yourself how much of an obstacle putting together a deposit can be, take a look at the deposits required for LCHO. Just 5% of the full amount for Help to Buy deals and only 5% of the share you’re buying under shared ownership. So buying may be more viable than you think.

With LCHO, you’ll also be able to afford a reasonable lifestyle too. The affordability checks that housing associations insist on before offering you LCHO mean that rather than paying every penny you earn just to keep a roof over your head, you’ll be able to get by comfortably.

So, if being a homeowner is what you really want, but you think that renting is a sensible stop-gap, just check and work through all of the figures first.

TIME TO STOP

CLOWNING AROUND?Getting your first place can be a hoot. Bed-sit, flat share, singles flat, private rent. All great fun. But if you want to avoid a ‘financial pie in your face’, take a serious look at the cost of renting compared to buying!

‘It’s nice to be on the property ladder having been forced to rent for so many years’


Architect Clementine Griggs, 30, was desperate to get on the property ladder in her home city of Chichester but didn’t think it was possible, until she discovered Affinity Sutton’s shared ownership apartments at Graylingwell Park; a development that combines new-build and renovated properties set in parkland.

Clementine had originally looked at two-bedroom apartments with the intention of buying with someone else, but it didn’t happen. A while later she worked out that on her own, she could afford to buy a share of a refurbished, one-bedroom apartment in a renovated section of the development’s original building.

‘I loved the apartment from the moment I saw it,’ says Clementine, ‘It’s a period property so it looks very pretty, but inside it is equipped with high quality modern fittings and has a great open plan living place.’

Through shared ownership, Clementine purchased a 35 per cent share of her new home for £60,375 (full market value £172,500). She currently pays £700 a month to cover her mortgage repayments and rent on Affinity Sutton’s share of the apartment. It’s far less than she was paying while renting. ‘It’s so nice to finally be on the property ladder having been forced to rent for so many years,’ said Clementine.

RentvBuy

Check the figures in your area…We’ve done a bit of checking around, and compared the price to rent a typical two-bedroom property with the cost of buying outright with a 95% mortgage, buying different shares through shared ownership, and buying through the 80% Help to Buy equity loan scheme. So do the sums and see if it’s time to stop clowning around.

Deposit Mortgage Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm Total monthly costs

Shared Ownership 25% share £3,600 £68,400 £400 £495 £895

Shared Ownership 50% share £7,200 £136,800 £800 £330 £1,130

Help to Buy 80% equity loan) £14,400 £216,000 £1,263 £0 £1,263*

Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee £14,400 £273,600 £1,599 £0 £1,599

Renting Privately - - - £844 £844



25% share £6,325 £120,175 £703 £870 £1,573

50% share £1,2650 £240,350 £1,405 £580 £1,985

80% Help to Buy equity loan £25,300 £379,500 £2,219 £0 £2,219*

100% buy £25,300 £480,700 £2,810 £0 £2,810

Private rent - - - £1,736 £1,736



25% share £1,650 £31,350 £183 £227 £410

50% share £3,300 £62,700 £367 £151 £518

80% Help to Buy equity loan £6,600 £99,000 £579 £0 £579*

100% buy £6,600 £125,400 £733 £0 £733

Private rent - - - £569 £569



25% share £2,600 £49,400 £289 £358 £647

50% share £5,200 £98,800 £578 £238 £816

80% Help to Buy equity loan £10,400 £156,000 £912 £0 £912*

100% buy £10,400 £197,600 £1,155 £0 £1,155

Private rent - - - £977 £977



25% share £5,537 £105,213 £615 £761 £1,376

50% share £11,075 £210,425 £1,230 £507 £1,737

80% equity loan (Help to Buy) £22,150 £332,250 £1,942 £0 £1,942*

100% buy £22,150 £420,850 £2,460 £0 £2,460

Private rent - - - £1,302 £1,302

Chichester £288,000

Tooting £506,000

Plymouth £132,000

Birmingham City Centre £208,000

Bushey £443,000

The small print We’ve used an average repayment mortgage over 25 years at 5% to get our figures. Deposit amounts are 5% which reflects what is available in the market at the moment. Please note that Help to Buy Guarantee Mortgages are NOT available in conjunction with LCHO schemes. But we have used 5% deposits for 100% purchases assuming that the mortgage will be attained using a Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee. Rent for shared ownership is based on 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year (we then divide this by 12 to get a monthly rate). Private rents and property prices are based on averages in the area, taken from popular property websites not specific properties.* Please note that with a Help to Buy equity loan, you will be paying back some interest from year 6 onwards.

A major new development, Watermill Lane, is being launched adjacent to the North Middlesex Hospital. And Newlon Home Ownership is offering 28 one and two-bedroom apartments and 2 three-bedroom houses for shared ownership.

Each home has high quality finishes, smart layouts with open-plan living areas and large windows and all have been carefully designed to produce modern, energy efficient homes. All the apartments benefit from a balcony or winter garden

Incorporated into every home are wood laminate flooring to living areas,

Valley Park and Pymmes Park. First option will go to applicants

who live within the London Borough of Enfield.

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the Capital be more cost effective than renting or commuting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on pages 57 & 58 and helpful contacts on our London homefinder, pages 62 & 63. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

London

WATERMILL LANE Edmonton, prices and shares tbc

Want to know more? Then email [email protected] with the name of the development that interests you in the subject line and don’t

forget to include your contact details. Or you can visit www.homefocus.co.uk.

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.0%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6. Please note: monthly outgoings do not include service charges

www.homefocus.co.uk/Watermill-Lane

hallways and kitchens; with carpets to all bedrooms. Kitchens are by Moores from the Maida range and feature Bosch integrated appliances including fridge freezer, washing machine, dishwasher and a Zanussi hob and oven.

Satellite/terrestrial TV points and a secure door entry system are installed and Watermill Lane has some on-site parking.

The area is well served by bus routes, with Silver Street Overground Station a short distance away. Nearby are new and refurbished shopping centres, local amenities and attractive green space at Lee


London Properties

L&Q@GREENWICH PENINSULA Greenwich, prices and shares tbc

JESSOPS BUILDING New Providence Wharf from £93,688 for 25%

If jumps in house prices are anything to go by, then Greenwich is one of London’s most happening areas at the moment. And making it more affordable for those who would like to own their own home there, is L&Q’s mix of one and two-bedroom shared ownership apartments on the Greenwich Peninsula.

This is the first phase of L&Q’s development, a second phase is due later in the year with 34 apartments available across the two phases.

Dubbed ‘London’s ultimate village’, Greenwich Peninsula will transform 190 acres of marshland to deliver 10,000 new homes, 150 retail units and 48 acres of open green space, all set along 1.6 miles of prime Thames waterfront.

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Greenwich Peninsula” in the

subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/

Greenwich-Peninsula

Currently available on a shared ownership basis from Genesis, is Jessops Building in New Providence Wharf where a selection of one and two-bedroom apartments has been designed to a contemporary specification.

The homes are spacious, accompanied by balconies to most apartments, perfect for al fresco dining through the summer. Kitchens feature fitted units offering integrated Bosch

ELIZABETH WHARFRepton St E14 from £92,500 for 25%

Elizabeth Wharf is a car free development available via shared ownership from Currells.

This is a new residential development in up-and-coming area, right by the amenities of Mile End Park and the Regent’s Canal. An elegant footbridge carries you over from Salmon Lane to bustling Limehouse and leafy Mile End Park. And Riverside promenades along the Thames are a short walk away.

On offer are sixteen one, two and three-bedroom apartments set in a contemporary six storey building with

appliances including dishwasher and washing machine, granite worktops and chrome finishes. Bedrooms are spacious, and all rooms enjoy full height windows for plenty of natural light, balconies.

A hub of activity, New Providence Wharf is becoming a destination in its own right.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £374,750Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £93,6885% deposit: £4,685 • Mortgage on share*: £520Rent on remaining share**: £644 • Total costs: £1,164

Interested? Email [email protected] with

“Jessops Building” in the subject. Remember to include

your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Jessops-Building

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6. Please note: monthly outgoings do not include service charges

a secure two-stage, dedicated entrance.The development is on the edge of

traditional residential streets and green open spaces, including Whitehorse Road Park –next to 10th century St. Dunstans – and Stepney Green Park, with its ever-popular City Farm.

First option will be given to those currently living or working in Tower Hamlets.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £370,000Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £92,5005% deposit: £4,625 • Mortgage on share*: £514Rent on remaining share**: £636Total costs: £1,150


“Elizabeth Wharf” in the subject. Remember to include


Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Elizabeth-Wharf


Carla Rosser, 31, faced a common dilemma. She was desperate to escape

spiralling rent, but wanted to live close to her work and couldn’t afford the high property prices

Carla’s answer was to buy through shared ownership and she purchased a two-bedroom at XV11, Thames Valley Housing’s development in Tooting. Carla says ‘I’d been renting a one-bedroom apartment in Streatham Hill but rising rent was pricing me out of the area. I’m often on call with my work for the NHS

Blood and Transplant service at St George’s Hospital, so moving further out would have made life difficult’

The full price of Carla’s two-bedroom apartment, with off-street parking, was £380,000. She put down a £55,000 deposit and her 45% share cost £171,000. Her monthly outgoings are £1,101, made up of a £492 mortgage, £478 rent on the share she doesn’t own and service charges of £130.

‘The rent for my one-bedroom flat was £1,183 each month, says Carla, ‘now I’m

paying less for a brand new home with an extra bedroom, and I own a large share of it too’.

Carla also benefits from a new Thames Valley initiative – Shared Ownership PLUS which allows Carla to buy an extra 1% of her property each year over the next 15 years, potentially increasing her ownership to 60%. The cost of the extra share payments are predetermined so can be included in Carla’s budget and she can buy her home gradually at a pace she can afford.

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on pages 56-59. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or you could call 0845 474 4734

‘I’m paying less for a brand new home with an extra bedroom, and I own a large share of it’

Carla Rosser

Previous situation: Renting

Scheme: Shared ownership

Location: Tooting

Provider: Thames Valley Housing


London Properties

THE VILLAGE E17 Walthamstow, from £96,250 for 35% (provisional price & share only)

VISIONGrahame Park, Collindale from £188,000 for 80%

Metropolitan Home Ownership is offering shared ownership at its new development in Shernhall Street, set between highly fashionable Walthamstow Village and the tube station.

Designed as two low level blocks to fit in comfortably with their surroundings, the shared ownership block will cover three floors and provide 6 one-bedroom apartments, 10 two-bedroom and 5 three-bedroom apartments.

A new phase of one, two and three-bedroom Help to Buy homes has been released by Genesis at Vision, part of the ongoing Grahame Park development in Collindale.

The homes are finished to an exacting standard with sleek, modern kitchens featuring granite worktops. Stainless steel appliances, including oven and microwave, and integrated white goods, combine style with practicality.

SAFFRON COURTE1 from £118,531 for 25%

Saffron Court is a new residential development in the heart of Spitalfields, close to the vibrant hub of Shoreditch. And Currell is offering a range of one and two bedroom apartments in this modern, six storey building with dedicated entrance, private amenity space, landscaped area, cycle parking and two children’s play areas.

All the apartments include a stylish interior specification, with some offering private balconies and patio areas. The development also provides a car club scheme for residents.

White bathrooms with chrome fittings are complemented by floor tiling and a heated towel rail.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £235,000 Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £188,0005% deposit: £11,750 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,030 Total costs: £1,030

Interested? Email enquiries@homefocus.

co.uk with “Vision” in the subject. Remember to

include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Vision


Saffron Court is located on Pedley Street, close to Shoreditch station. A footbridge carries you over to bustling Cheshire Street and Brick Lane. The green spaces of Allen Gardens and Weavers Fields are a short walk away.


Interested? Email [email protected]

with “Saffron Court” in the subject. Remember to


Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Saffron-Court

A good bus service runs to Walthamstow Central and the tube and the overground station takes just over 15 minutes to Liverpool Street.

The Village is close to nurseries, primary and secondary schools and colleges. There’s a health care centre just across the road from the development and whilst we hope you never need to use it, Whipps Cross Hospital in close by.

First opportunities will be offered first, to those people already living or working in Waltham Forest.



“The Village” in the subject. Remember to include your

contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Village




East & South East

Homes for singletons, couples and families are on offer through shared ownership at Heart of Medway’s St Andrews Park development in Halling.

A total of 38 homes is available and range from two, three and four-bedroom houses, and one and two bedroom apartments. All of the homes feature stylish fitted kitchens with integrated appliances, along with allocated parking.

Set in the picturesque North Downs,

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the east and south east be more cost effective than renting or commuting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on pages 56 & 57 and East & South East homefinder on pages 60 & 61. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

ST ANDREWS PARK Halling from £73,750 for 25%

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year. *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6. Please note: monthly outgoings do not include service charges

St Andrews Park is close to the historic Medway towns and is surrounded by countryside and a beautiful blue chalk lake. Halling has its own train station, post office and convenience store as well as a local farm shop and two pubs.

Despite its delightful rural setting, Halling is far from remote. Its railway station provides high speed rail links to

London, while the nearby A228 gives swift access to the M2 and M20.

There is an infant and primary school within the village and the local secondary schools are Sir Joseph Williamson’s, Rochester Grammar School and the Robert Napier School.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £295,000 • Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £73,750 • 5% deposit: £3,688Mortgage on share*: £410 • Rent on remaining share**: £507 • Total costs: £917

www.homefocus.co.uk/St-Andrews-Park


East & South East Properties

HIGHWOOD GREEN Marden from £320,000 for 80%

Golding Homes is offering shared ownership on a range of two and three-bedroom houses and two-bedroom apartments in a Redrow built development in Marden.

Named after the local World War One pilot Sidney William Highwood, Highwood Green is a classic, rural setting and offers a wonderful mix of traditional Kentish village life and modern living.

Commuters can reach London in 55 minutes from Marden station and travellers to further afield will find fast connections

BRIDGEWATER GARDENS Hoddesdon - prices and shares tbc

Overlooking New River and just a short walk to Rye House Marsh Nature Reserve, B3 Living is offering shared ownership (via its agent Red Loft), on 23 one and two-bedroom apartments at Bridgewater Gardens in Hoddesdon.

Each apartment has a contemporary design, with emphasis on light and good use of space.

The development is close to Rye House Station which has a direct service into Liverpool Street, taking commuters to the heart of the city in less than three quarters of an hour. Broxbourne is a 10 minute drive away where, where the fast service into Liverpool Street is even quicker.

The local area is all part of the Lee Valley Regional Park.

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Bridgewater” in the subject.

Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Bridgewater

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year. *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6. Please note: monthly outgoings do not include service charges

to the Channel ports and Paris via nearby Ashford International.

A pre-school and primary school is within walking distance of Highwood Green, together with access to Cornwallis Academy, Highweald Academy and the Maidstone Grammar Schools for older children.

First options will be given to those applicants with a local connection to Marden.


with “Highwood Green” in the subject. Remember to


Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Highwood-Green

WATERLOO HOUSE Walton-on-Thames from £150,000 for 60%

Waterloo House is a development of one and two-bedroom apartments just over a mile from the centre of Walton-on-Thames, and Thames Valley Housing is offering them on a shared ownership basis.

An attractive four-story building, Waterloo House is characterised by soft red brick and cream render and set in landscaped grounds on Mayfield Road, a short stroll from Walton-on-Thames train station and easy commuting to London.

Each of the apartments is highly individual, with a choice of different layouts and all the homes feature an

open-plan living/dining/kitchen area that maximises the space.

Thames Valley is also making available their Shared Ownership PLUS scheme, a controlled and low cost way for buyers to increase their share each year.



with “Waterloo House” in the subject. Remember to


Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Waterloo-House


Retired graphic designer Grahame Dudley, 67, previously lived in a

three-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Iping and says, ‘As I owned that property with my ex-wife I was unsure whether I would be eligible for shared ownership but I was advised that this was not the case’.

Graham was able to purchase 33% of

his one-bedroom refurbished apartment at Affinity Sutton’s Grayingwell Park for £53,000 and just pays £378 per month in rent to Affinity Sutton on the remaining share. His total monthly outgoings are considerably less than the average rental cost in Chichester or West Sussex

Grahame is pursuing a BA degree in fine arts and found the ascetic side

of Grayingwell Park very appealing; ‘It’s a very beautiful development. The architecture and materials used in the building work have clearly been carefully considered and it shows,’ says Grahame. ‘The high windows and ceilings throughout the apartment flood the rooms with natural light and give every room an astounding sense of space.’

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on pages 56-59. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

Graham Dudley

Previous situation: Homeowner before relationship split

Scheme: Shared ownership

Location: Chichester

Provider: Affinity Sutton

Help to Buy Agent: Helptobuyese.org.uk

Grahame Dudley wanted to get back on the property ladder and rebuild his life



East & South East Properties

TONGHAM COPSE Tongham from £320,000 for 80%


KINGLEY GATELittlehampton from £61,500 for 30%

Taylor Wimpey is offering Help to Buy on three and four-bedroom houses at Tongham Copse, an attractive cul-de-sac location in a peaceful setting. All the homes are completed to a high standard specification and are backed by a two-year Taylor Wimpey warranty as well as the usual 10-year NHBC guarantee.

Tongham Copse is within walking distance of the village centre and its shops and pubs, while a wider selection of shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities can be found in Aldershot, a short drive away. Young families will find a choice of schools close to home.

For commuters, the A31 is a few minutes drive away for links to Farnham and Guildford, while Aldershot railway station offers direct services to London Waterloo.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £400,000 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £320,000 5% deposit: £20,000 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,754 • Total costs: £1,754**

Email [email protected] with “Tongham Copse” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Tongham-Copse

Affinity Sutton is offering two and three-bedroom houses on a shared ownership basis at Kingley Gate in Littlehampton. All homes enjoy a private garden and two allocated parking spaces.

Littlehampton combines the British seaside with all the conveniences of a modern town, including a range of shops, bars and restaurants. There’s plenty to do on a day out as the historic Arundel Castle is nearby and Littlehampton’s harbour, situated at the end of the River Arun, allows for a scenic walk down the seafront.

Trains from Littlehampton station to Chichester take 23 minutes while trains to Brighton take just 43 minutes. First opportunities to buy will be given to those living or working in Arun.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £205,000 • Minimum share: 30% • Cost of share: £61,500 • 5% deposit: £3,075 • Mortgage on share*: £342Rent on remaining share**: £352 • Total costs: £694

Email [email protected] with “Kingley Gate” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Kingley-Gate

APPLEBY GROVEWelwyn Garden City – prices and shares tba

Hightown Homes has a small number of three-bedroom houses, two-bedroom apartments and just one two-bedroom coach house available for shared ownership on the east side of Welwyn Garden City. And singletons, couples or small families that buy there will benefit from great local amenities, and a wealth of sporting and recreational facilities.

The Campus on The Parkway provides a wide range of entertainment, and just a short drive away is The Howard Centre, John Lewis Department Store, two large supermarkets, restaurants, bars and pubs.

Welwyn Garden train station in The Howard Centre, provides direct train services into Kings Cross (under 30 minutes) and Moorgate (less than an hour) and going north, services Hitchin and Stevenage.

Email [email protected] with “Appleby Grove” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Appleby-Grove


South

Lovell is making Help to Buy available at Repton Grange in Brentry, north Bristol, in a range of homes suitable for singletons, couples, families and downsizers. Right now, just three-bedroom houses are on offer but before too long there will also be two and four-bedroom houses and a coach house.

The three-bedroom town houses provide a car port and parking. On the ground floor is a sleek kitchen/breakfast

area with French doors to the garden, dining room, hall and cloakroom. Moving to the first floor, you’ll find the spacious living room, family bathroom and bedroom three, while on the top floor is the master bedroom with en-suite and fitted wardrobe and the second bedroom.

Repton Grange is within easy reach of

central Bristol, as well as being close to the M5 –right by the Cribbs Causeway retail park. The area has plenty of green space and outdoor attractions and is just two miles from the historic village of Westbury-on-Trym.

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the South be more cost effective than renting or commuting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on pages 59 and helpful contacts on our South homefinder, page 65. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

REPTON GRANGEBrentry from £258,400 for 80%



Three-bedroom house: Full value: £323,000 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £258,400 5% deposit: £16,150 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,416 • Total costs: £1,416***


www.homefocus.co.uk/Repton-Grange

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2015 21homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2015 11

South Properties

OAK COURT Bristol from £415,996 for 80%

LIMES PARK Basingstoke from £126,000 for 80%

The last family, five-bedroom ‘Stratford’ style remains at Barratt’s Oak Court development in Bishop Sutton near Bristol. Suited to those moving up the ladder, Oak Court is available with Help to Buy.

The ground floor includes a spacious lounge and a light and airy kitchen - with family area. Upstairs is a master bedroom with dressing area and en suite, two further bedrooms and an attractive bathroom.

On the second floor are two additional bedrooms and a shower room. The home also features a double garage and two parking spaces.

Bishop Sutton is, a small village within the Chew Valley. The development offers easy access to local amenities.

Five-bedroom house: Full value: 519,995 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £415,996 • 5% deposit: £26,000 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £2,888 Total costs: £2,888***

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Oak Court” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Oak-Court

Taylor Wimpey has one and two-bedroom apartments on offer at The Sycamores at Limes Park in Basingstoke.

A two-bedroom apartment, for example, features an open-plan kitchen/living/dining room, an en-suite master bedroom, a second double bedroom, a main bathroom and handy storage cupboards located off the entrance hallway. The property also benefits from allocated parking and access to a communal garden outside.

Limes Park is located off Park Prewett Road and the development forms part of the wider Park Village on the north-western fringes of Basingstoke, with the town centre just two miles away.

Open countryside is just a stone’s throw away, offering nature trails and opportunities for woodland walks and cycling.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £157,500 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £126,000 • 5% deposit: £7,875 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £875 • Total costs: £875***

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Limes Park” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Limes-Park


THE CEDARS Reading prices to be confirmed from 35%Southern Home Ownership is offering shared ownership at their new development, The Cedars, in Reading. The 14 one and two-bedroom apartments, and the 3 three-bedroom houses all have a bright, modern, high spec finishes.

The Cedars is sited in a leafy, green suburb of Reading, off Tilehurst Road, with easy access to Reading town centre, and the good news for commuters is that Reading’s main railway station will get you to London Paddington in less than half an hour. Being just off of the M4, there’s also great road links to London and the South West. And a half hourly coach service will get you to Heathrow Airport in around 40 minutes.

All Saints Junior School is just three minutes from The Cedars and Prospect Park is close by.

Interested? Email [email protected] with “The Cedars” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Cedars

For 25 year old nurse Katie Glover, Affinity Sutton’s shared ownership

scheme at Graylingwell Park has done more than help her get on the property ladder, it’s also relieved her of a long commute to work and given her independence.

She says, ‘I was living with my parents in Southampton to save up for a deposit and the commute took up so much time and wasted lots of money. From Graylingwell Park it only takes me about 10 minutes to

walk to work, so I have more time to myself.’Katie, who works at St Richard’s Hospital

in Chichester is now able to be with her friends and work colleagues, rather than spend time on the train. ‘Most of my friends are local so it’s a lot easier now for me to meet up with them after work,’ she says

Katie purchased a 30% share in her one-bedroom apartment at Graylingwell Park for £46,650 (full market value £155,500), putting down a £7,000 deposit. She pays

£200 a month in mortgage payments and a further £360 to Affinity in rent. It’s less than the average for renting a one-bedroom apartment in the area.

‘I saw the apartment and thought it was perfect,’ says Katie. ‘I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford anything else like it. Thanks to shared ownership I was able to move out of my parents’ home a lot quicker than I had planned and I’ve got my independence at last!’

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on pages 56-59. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or email [email protected]

‘I’ve got my independence at last!’

Katie Glover

Previous situation: Living with parents

Scheme: Shared Ownership

Location: Graylingwell Park

Provider: Affinity Sutton

Help to Buy Agent: Helptobuysouth.co.uk


MANSFIELD PARKSouthampton, prices tbc for 80%

CORINTHIANBath Riverside from £100,000 for 40%

Available through Help to Buy, Lovell is offering a new development, Mansfield Park, which will be launched off-plan, any time now.

This attractive development off Exford Drive will feature a range of homes suitable for first time buyers, families and downsizers including one and two-bedroom apartments and three and four-bedroom houses.

Mansfield Park is within three-and-a-half miles of Southampton Parkway railway station, the M27 and Southampton airport.

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with

“Mansfield Park” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Mansfield-Park

Bath Riverside is Bath’s newest residential quarter and Corinthian is the latest block of apartments to be marketed there: Curo Homes is offering one and two-bedroom apartments on a shared ownership basis.

Each apartment offers a versatile open-plan living/kitchen/dining area and spacious family bathrooms with one or two bedrooms. All apartments come with an allocated parking space.

When completed, Bath Riverside will be a vibrant community with around 2,000 homes, a new primary school, student accommodation and a choice of cafés.

The development is a five minute walk from a supermarket and ten minutes from Oldfield Park railway station.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £250,000 • Minimum share: 40%Cost of share: £100,000 • 5% deposit: £5,000 • Mortgage on share*: £555Rent on remaining share**: £343 • Total costs: £898

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Corinthian” in the

subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Corinthian


South Properties




homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2015 23homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2015 11

Midlands

Lovell is offering Help to Buy in the second and final phase of their Caldon Quay development, a waterside setting with high-quality homes.

A number of two-bedroom apartments are available in Beech House in the very heart of the development, plus just one ground floor canalside apartment, overlooking the water and with its own private entrance on offer.

All apartments have their own dedicated

parking space and master bedroom with en-suite facilities and a contemporary kitchen including an integrated fridge-freezer, brushed steel chimney hood and Bosch hob and double oven.

Located off Ridgeway Road, Caldon Quay is perfectly placed for the entertainment and excitement of the city

centre, while the soothing waterfront setting is ideal for unwinding when you need a rest from the bright lights

For train travellers, Stoke-on-Trent railway station is only a mile from the development.

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the Midlands be more cost effective than renting or commuting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on pages 58 and Midlands homefinder on pages 64. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

CALDON QUAYStoke-on Trent from £83,960 for 80%



One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £104,950 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity £83,960 5% deposit: £5,248Mortgage on 80% equity*: £460 • Total costs: £460***


www.homefocus.co.uk/Caldon Quay


Midlands Properties

EDEN VALLEY Walsall from £99,960 for 80%

BELGRAVE RIVERSIDELeicester from 80% prices tbc

Situated just over a mile from Walsall’s centre is the Eden Valley development where Lovell is offering Help to Buy on two-bedroom homes.

The two-bedroom Keinton mid-terraced style house has two parking spaces, and features a kitchen with Bosch oven and hob, cloakroom and a spacious living/dining room with French doors to the garden.

Featured (and a little more expensive) is the ‘Gayton’ end terrace home with a surprising amount of space and driveway parking for two vehicles. This home offers

Westleigh is offering Help to Buy on the third phase of their new homes at Belgrave Riverside at Ross Walk in Leicester.

The development has transformed the former British Union Shoe Machinery head office into a desirable residential development, close to the city centre and Wesleigh is providing a mix of two, three and four-bedroom properties in two and three storey styles forming terraced town house street scenes.

THE LEYSWellingborough from £39,750 for 30%

Metropolitan is offering attractive two and three-bedroom family houses in Wellingborough, available through shared ownership.

All of the light and airy homes feature fitted kitchens, incorporating integrated Bosch and Smeg appliances and oak worktops. The fully fitted bathroom has a heated towel rail and each home comes with a downstairs w.c, carpet and tiles throughout. The living/diner leads into a rear garden and outside, is allocated parking (two spaces for the three-bedroom homes).


Rail links from Wellingborough will get you to into London St. Pancras (47 minutes), Nottingham (65 minutes), Corby (20 minutes) and Leicester (30 minutes).

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £132,500Minimum share: 30% • Cost of share: £39,7505% deposit: £1,898 • Mortgage on share*: £221Rent on remaining share**: £213 • Total costs: £434


with “The Leys” in the subject. Remember to include


Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Leys

a generous living room with French doors to the garden and attractive kitchen/dining room with kitchen appliances including a Bosch hob and oven.

Eden Valley has an established community with plenty to offer locally and excellent transport links connecting you to the motorway network and the rest of the West Midlands.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £124,950Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £99,9605% deposit: £6,248 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £548 Total costs: £548***


“Eden Valley” in the subject. Remember to include your

contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Eden Valley

Parking courts have been created at the rear of homes to minimise their influence on the street scene and also to maximise privacy and security for vehicle owners.

The development is located off the A607 Belgrave Road, within a short walk of the Golden Mile and within easy reach of local amenities, Abbey Park and Leicester city centre.


with “Belgrave Riverside” in the subject. Remember

to include your contact details. Or visit www.

homefocus.co.uk/Belgrave-Riverside


With the cost of house prices in the capital rising so quickly, thousands

of young professionals have left London in search of a more affordable life. Ayo Bakare, 24, bought a brand new three-bedroom Barratt home at the Kings Rise development in Kings Norton.

Ayo, an Investment Consultant, moved from London Capital to the Midlands

due to work and says that without using the Help to Buy scheme, he wouldn’t have been able to afford a brand new home, ‘I have saved a lot of money by buying a home in Birmingham rather than in London. The Help to Buy scheme has proved to be a blessing as without it, I don’t think I would have my own house.’

Ayo continued; ‘Having lived with my

parents, it’s great to have all this space and independence. I am used to the hustle and bustle of city life and you still get that in Birmingham, but the great thing is that the countryside is never too far away which is very different from what I am used to.’

Kings Rise offers a range of three and four bedroom houses priced from £199,950 (that’s £159,960 with Help to Buy).

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on page 56-59. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or email [email protected]

Ayo Bakare

Previous situation: Living with Parents

Scheme: Help to Buy

Location: Birmingham

Provider: Barratt Homes

Help to Buy Agent: www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk‘Without Help to Buy, I don’t think I would have my own house’


Midlands Properties

Help to Buy isn’t just for first time-buyers and Rippon Homes are offering this more affordable option on a range of three and four-bedroom homes at their development at Deerlands Road in Wingerworth.

Featured is the ‘Westminster style four-bedroom family home comprising a sitting room with feature bay window, a separate dining/family room and a large breakfast kitchen with French doors opening onto the south facing, private garden.

Upstairs, two of the bedrooms include fitted wardrobes, the master bedroom has an en-suite and there is also a separate family bathroom. Outside is a garage with driveway and parking space for three cars.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £259,950 • Minimum equity: 80%Cost of equity 207,960 • 5% deposit: £12,998Mortgage on 80% equity*: £731 • Total costs: £731***

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Kings Meadow” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Kings-Meadow

KINGS MEADOW Wingerworth from £207,960 for 80%

GOODWIN PARK Kidderminster from £119,960 for 80%

Barratt Homes’ new development on Stoney Lane, Kidderminster features a range of three bedroom homes available with Help to Buy.

Ilustrated is the The Barwick style semi-detached family home. The ground floor comprises a lounge and dining area, with French doors leading to the rear garden, a fully fitted kitchen with family breakfast area, plenty of storage space and a useful cloakroom. Upstairs is a master bedroom with en suite, two further bedrooms and a family bathroom.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £149,950 • Minimum equity: 80%Cost of equity 119,960 • 5% deposit: £7,498 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £657Total costs: £657***

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Goodwin Park” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Goodwin-Park

To find out more call:

0845 600 3674 or email: [email protected] www.orbithomes.org.uk

Terms and conditions. Percentage shares offered vary by development and are subject to personal financial circumstances. Following a full financial review applicants will be offered the maximum share they can afford.

Full details are available from Orbit Homes.

With Help to Buy Shared Ownership you purchase a share in a brand new home and pay a subsidised rent on the part you don’t own.

Orbit Homes has developments of new homes right across the South East, Midlands, and East of England.

So whether you’re looking for a one bedroom apartment, a two bedroom house or a three bedroom family home we’re here to help you get your feet on the property ladder.

Do you need help to buy a new home?

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%. *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6. Please note: monthly outgoings do not include service charges

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6

Taylor Wimpey is offering Help to Buy on a selection of houses, in Newton Abbott.

Illustrated is the three-bedroom semi-detached ‘Flatford’ style home with living/dining room opening through French doors to the private rear garden, plus a spacious kitchen/breakfast room and a guest cloakroom located off the entrance hallway.

Upstairs, the landing leads to an en-suite master bedroom, plus two further

bedrooms and a family bathroom, while outside, the property benefits from driveway parking for two cars.

Hele Park is located on the western fringes of Newton Abbot where families have a choice of schools for children of all ages within easy reach, including Canada Hill Primary School, which is rated

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the south west be more cost effective than renting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on page 59 and our South West directory on page 61. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

HELE PARK Newton Abbott from 172,600 for 80%

South West


forget to include your contact details. Or you can call 0845 474 4734.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £216,000 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £172,8005% deposit: £10,800 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £947 • Total costs: £947***

outstanding by Ofsted and Bradley Barton Primary and Newton Abbot College, which are both rated ‘good’.

Newton Abbot Railway station provides direct services to Plymouth, Exeter and London Paddington.

www.homefocus.co.uk/Hele-Park


South West Properties

BARNHILL GATE South Gloucestershire from £73,000 for 40%

LAVENDER GROVE Farmborough, Somerset prices tbc for 80%

Set right on the edge of the Cotswolds, these contemporary two and three-bedroom properties are just a stone’s throw from the historic market town of Chipping Sodbury and its thriving high street.

Built to a high spec by developer Bloor Homes and made available by Merlin Housing with their own equity loan scheme, each property will feature an open-plan kitchen/dining room, fitted kitchen and at least one double bedroom.

Outside, each property will benefit

Lovell is offering 15 three and four-bedroom homes with Help to Buy at Lavender Grove in Farmborough, north-east Somerset.

The new homes will come with the reassurance of a 10-year NHBC warranty and will be designed and built with Lovell’s signature Style, Quality and Value.

The development’s location, around eight and a half miles south west of Bath and just over eleven miles

DUKES RISE Shepton Mallet from £131,160 for 80%

Bloor Homes is offering a range of two, three and four-bedroom homes under the Help to Buy scheme in Cannard’s Grave Road, Shepton Mallet.

The properties all boast large open-plan living areas, high quality fitted kitchens and spacious double bedrooms. Each of the homes has a landscaped garden at the front and a single/double garage, carport or driveway.

Shepton Mallet is full of history, with a variety of listed buildings, a beautiful Parish Church and evidence


of a Roman settlement. The town centre provides a mix of shops, restaurants and cafes, with an excellent selection of well performing schools, supermarkets and health services. The M4 and M5 are within easy reach.

Four-bedroom house: Full value: £163,950 Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £131,160 5% deposit: £8,198 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £719 Total costs: £719


“Dukes Rise” in the subject

Remember to include your contact details. Or visit

www.homefocus.co.uk/Dukes-Rise

from its own private garden and off-street parking space.

The homes are a short walk from Yate Shopping Centre’s shopping complex and are ideally placed for local schools and other community facilities.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £182,500Minimum equity: 40% • Cost of equity: £73,0005% deposit: £9,125 • Mortgage on 40% equity*: £373Total costs: £373***


with “Barnhill Gate” in the subject. Remember to


Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Barnhill Gate

from Bristol make this a great choice for commuters looking for a high-specification home in an attractive village with easy access to the A39 and A37.

Farmborough is a friendly and thriving community with an Ofsted ‘Outstanding’-rated village school.


with “Lavender Grove” in the subject. Remember

to include your contact details. Or visit www.

homefocus.co.uk/Lavender-Grove


Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on pages 56-59. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or email [email protected]

First time buyers Ashley and Chelsea Evans, and their nine month old

daughter Nevaeh, had been looking for just the right property for ages, one that was affordable, child friendly and big enough for them to grow into.

So they were pleased when they found Locking Parklands, an award winning development of homes offered by St Mowden. This new community on a former RAF site, is tucked behind mature woodlands, enjoys views over beautiful open parkland, and is less than 15 minutes from the Weston-super-Mare seafront. Chelsea said: ‘We’d been looking for a house for over a year, but when we saw the green spaces on offer at Locking Parklands we knew the development would be a safe, welcoming and beautiful

place to bring up our daughter’.Chelsea acknowledges that getting a

mortgage and saving for a deposit is a struggle for the majority of young families nowadays so, when the St Mowden sales office told them about the Help to Buy scheme, they were keen to check it out and see if it was a feasible option.

Chelsea and Ashley looked at two and three-bedroom homes, all with high or vaulted ceilings and large windows and great external facades – all gains from the previously military style of the RAF buildings. They settled on a three-bedroom terrace house, with a designer kitchen, open plan dining and living areas, and high quality fittings throughout.

‘Purchasing under Help to Buy has

meant that we have been able to buy a larger house than we were originally looking at. The extra space is great when you have a baby in the house, especially the open plan living, and it means we can really start planning for our future. The St. Modwen Homes sales team took us through the process step by step, explaining everything along the way and helping us decide what options worked best for our own situation. I would certainly recommend Help to Buy to other people searching for a new property, it really has helped us buy our perfect home.’

When complete, Locking Parklands incorporate a district centre will shops, a library, school and additional leisure facilities

Ashley and Chelsea EvansPrevious situation: Renting

Scheme: Help to Buy

Location: Weston-super-Mare

Provider: St Mowden Homes

Help to Buy Agent: www.helptobuysw.org.uk

‘we have been able to buy a larger house than we were originally looking at’


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Taylor Wimpey has a range of three, four and five-bedroom houses available through Help to Buy at Penn An Dre in Truro.

Shown is the five-bedroom detached ‘Chelmsford’ which features a spacious kitchen/breakfast/dining room opening through French doors to the private rear garden, plus a large living room, a study and a guest cloakroom located off the entrance hallway. All of the new properties feature energy-saving measures as standard, including highly efficient boilers and central heating systems, low-energy lighting and appliances, plus high-quality double glazing and insulation.

There is a choice of primary and secondary schools close to the new homes, and for commuters, Truro railway station offers direct services to Penzance and Plymouth.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £228,000 • Minimum equity: 80%Cost of equity: £182,400 • 5% deposit: £11,400Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,000 • Total costs: £1,000***

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Penn An Dre” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Penn-An-Dre

PENN AN DRE Truro from £182,400 for 80%

South West Properties

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year *** Help to Buy property. Interest on equity loan starts after 6 years

QUAY WEST Poole from £124,000 for 80%

Burton Property has one and two-bedroom apartments at Quay West in the heart of Poole – available with Help to Buy.

The four-storey building is stylish and each home has an open-plan layout of the living/dining/kitchen area to create a light, airy space. The designer kitchen is well equipped with integrated appliances, including a hob, oven, microwave, fridge/freezer and washer-dryer.

All of the homes above the ground floor have balconies and, even though Quay West is in the heart of the town, some of the upper floor apartments have sea views. There is allocated car parking for all of the apartments, together with additional visitor spaces.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £155,000 • Minimum equity: 80%Cost of equity: £124,000 • 5% deposit: £7,750 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £680Total costs: £680***

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Quay West” in the subjectRemember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Quay-West


Shared ownership homes are just tiny starter flats…Some of them may be starter homes, but they’re not tiny… In fact, they have to meet higher standards of space, storage and eco-efficiency than typical new builds, so you’re actually getting more home for your money.

You have to earn a lot.Well, buying a home does cost... but then so does renting. If you look at the comparisons on page 11, you’ll see that buying through shared ownership should work out less than if you were buying the full cost of the home or renting privately.

But you can’t earn too much!Shared ownership is designed for first time buyers, specifically those that can’t stretch to buying the home they need without a little leg up on the ladder. So you’ll need to earn enough to sustain a mortgage and other household outgoings, but earn less than £60,000 per year. You can earn more in London and still qualify, reflecting London’s higher prices.

You have to have savings.You’ll need to have enough to cover removal costs, setting up home costs and of course, you need your deposit. That’s the case when buying any home. But here’s something. With shared ownership you only need 5% of the price of the share you’ll be buying – not of the full price of the home. Now doesn’t that change things?

NEVER MIND THE

B* * * * CKsHERE’S SHARED OWNERSHIP...Have you ever been put off from doing something you wanted to do, or worse, stopped yourself from doing something that might have worked out well for you, because of what others might say? Well, here’s some of the things we’ve heard about shared ownership… and how we see them.

With apologies to the designers of the Album of the same name by the Sex Pistols


Myths & Misunderstandings

They tell you how much you can afford and what share to buy! Housing associations have always given their buyers an affordability check to make sure they don’t over-stretch themselves financially and try to borrow more than they can pay back.

Time was when mortgage companies would lend people huge amounts, and we all know the results of that! And it led to the Mortgage Market Review to make sure that everyone, not just shared owners, undertake a sensible assessment of what someone can pay back.

You have to live or work in the same borough as the property you want.A new-build property is quite often available first to local people. But after quite a short period of time, it is opened up to others. And anyone may apply for an existing or resale shared ownership property.

Housing associations won’t allow me to have a pet.That’s the case for most leasehold properties, shared ownership or not! In some circumstances, if the property is a house or a ground floor property with a garden/patio a small pet would be allowed.

Is buying shared ownership more complicated?Buying any property isn’t easy. That’s why there’s a whole industry of conveyancing solicitors and independent mortgage advisors (IFAs). And some specialise in shared ownership transactions. Use a specialist who not only understands the process of buying a shared ownership property but has done it so often that they can explain it to you in layman’s terms.

Buying is ok, but what happens when you come to sell. Shared ownership reflects the market. When the market is good, it’s good for all properties - when it’s bad, then it will be bad for shared ownership too. The one difference is that your housing association will have first opportunity to find you a buyer. When the market is good, they’ll have a ready-made list of those people wanting to apply and in difficult times, they are still honour-bound to try to find you a buyer in a few (usually 8) weeks.

B* * * * CKs Mortgages are hard to getIt’s no harder to get a mortgage for a shared ownership property than it is any other. Especially since the recent Mortgage Market Review has laid down guidelines for anybody getting any sort of mortgage.

Housing Associations and specialist mortgage advisors have been working hard to make sure that mortgages are available and the result is that shared ownership buyers are far MORE likely to be able to get a 95% mortgage than other first time buyers.

Rent AND mortgage – isn’t that more expensive?Not really, that’s why we refer to it as Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO)! If you buy through shared ownership you’ll have a mortgage on the share you buy, and pay a subsidised rent on the share you don’t, so it generally works out less per month than renting privately, and definitely less than buying the full 100% of your home.

Shared ownership? Does that mean sharing with someone else?No! Although you can, if you want to!

You’re sharing the ownership of your home with the housing association, and you’ll pay them rent on the share you don’t own. Plenty of people buy their shared ownership home with a friend or sibling though. But no one from the housing association will move in with you, and they won’t move another family in either! It’s the ownership you share, not the living space.

Isn’t there more form filling to do? Probably not and the result is being able to find a home of your own. Outside of London, you will have to register with a Help to Buy Agent and what this means is that you don’t have to track down and register with every housing association in your area. You just fill in ONE set of initial registration forms, undergo ONE basic affordability and eligibility check, not the same thing over and over for every organisation.

In London, things are a bit different, less centralised. But it’s perfectly usual to register with Rightmove and Zoopla and then give your details to every estate agent they redirect you to. So if you’re in the market to buy, you’ll be used to form filling.


McLEANTV PRESENTER

ANDREA


Inconversationwith...

Scottish television presenter Andrea McLean is best known for her roles presenting on GMTV, and more recently as the co-anchor on ITV’s daytime chat show Loose Women. But there’s more to Andrea than being a presenter, she is also a journalist who writes about interiors and DIY for several newspapers and magazines so we were delighted when she agreed to chat with us.

What attracted you to being a TV presenter, and what do you like most about what you do?I didn’t plan to be a TV presenter, it just kind of happened! I was a features journalist working for press agency when a chance came up to be a presenter. It sounded like fun, I had nothing to lose so I quit my job and gave it a go. 20 years later and I’m still giving it a go! What I love about my job is that every day is different. Either I am interviewing a TV star, or discussing politics or laughing about kids, no two days are the same.

When did you buy your first home, what was it like, and what made you choose it?My first home was a one and a half bedroom flat in south London. It was hugely exciting, as when I first moved to London I lived in a bedsit so small you couldn’t fit a bed in it - I slept on a mattress in an alcove above a cupboard! So having my own home to cherish was a really big deal. It was more than I could afford at the time and I stretched myself, but it was worth getting on the property ladder as one year later the area suddenly boomed and it doubled in price. It was that first lucky move that started me off in the property market.

What do you believe are the most important aspects of a home?It has to work for YOU. If it makes you feel good and ticks all your boxes then it is the home for you. Everyone has different likes, dislikes and needs, so if you find something that makes your heart sing when you see it, get it. House buying is a hugely personal thing, not just a practical one, and I think if you write a list of the practical things that you need for a home; budget, bedrooms, garden, closeness to transport - whatever they are - and you find something that feels right and ticks most of them, then get it. It’s your home, not a handbag, you can’t just take it back if you change your mind, so your gut feeling counts for a lot.

What is your vision/opinion on the lack of affordable housing in the UK? I fully agree with the regulations that every new housing development has to include affordable homes, because otherwise first time buyers will hugely struggle to own their own home, and this removes the choice to buy. I think it is a choice that everyone should be able to take part in if they wish, whether it is part or full ownership. I also think that renting good quality affordable homes is an option to be explored, as long as tenants and landlords are protected and treat each other respectfully.

What advice would you give to those looking to purchase their first home?Always look for a home that you can add value to, whether it’s just through decorating, or eventually adding rooms with an extension. Don’t just look at the house for today, think how it can work for you tomorrow. Will it grow with you, is it on a desirable street that will increase in value, is it near good transport links and good schools? All these things are much more important than whether you like what colour a room is painted. Those changes can be made yourself, and don’t even have to cost much. Save money where you can by buying good quality second hand furniture and safe electrical goods from charity shops such as BHF Furniture & Electrical stores. I always keep an eye open for bits and pieces that can be upcycled and brought back to life, as well as things that work just as they are.

Tell us about what you are currently working on and what’s next for you?I’m hosting ITV’s Loose Women twice a week at lunchtime - a job I love! I also write interiors columns for The Mirror. I’m currently working with the British Heart Foundation to promote their furniture & electrical stores to encourage people to shop in them and donate their unwanted furniture, which helps raise funds for research into heart disease. You can find out more about what the stores offer and how to donate at bhf.org.uk/shops


Ready to juggle? Our article - Money, money, money on pages 40 & 41 will help you achieve a good credit rating and suggest good ways to juggle your money.


JUGGLING FINANCESRent, food, going out,

fares, clothes, little treats, they all have

to be juggled each month. It’s about as easy as...keeping the balls in air while riding a unicycle!

If you want to get serious about becoming a homeowner, you not only need to know how to juggle, you need to know what sort of home your income will buy you. So we’ve asked our Mortgage expert Richard Stone to give us some examples of what people in different situations can get for their money.

Every mortgage application/loan is different and takes into account all kinds of things including your outgoings and spending pattern as well as your income and savings, and of course, if you have children, then a number of mortgage lenders will also reduce the amount they feel you can direct to repaying the mortgage.

So to keep things simple and consistent Richard, in his examples, has said that up to 45% of your take home pay can be used towards housing costs eg mortgage, rent and service charge. Remember that shared ownership homes always have some level of service charge and with Help to Buy, it’s only leasehold properties (apartments for our purposes here) that attract a service charge. Additionally, the total loan amount should not be more than 4.5 times the household income.

Single person on household income of £30,000

Shared Ownership

Price £285,000 Mortgage payment £394

Rent £490 Service charge £120

Monthly total £1,004



Monthly total £895

Help to Buy

Price £230,000 (House) Mortgage payment £1,004



Price £200,000 (Apartment) Mortgage payment £874


Monthly total £994

Disclaimer: These calculations have been provided as a general guide and should not be relied upon to support an individual transaction. The interest rates, rents, service charges and net income calculations are simply shown as an indication of costs and do not relate to a specific scheme or situation. For accurate information relating to personal quotes please contact a specialist mortgage advisor with experience in affordable housing.

Typically, your pay after tax and national insurance tax is around £2,240 each month.

45% of your take home pay is £1,008 and would buy you a 25% share of a £285,000 shared ownership home, a £230,000 Help to Buy house or a £200,000 Help to Buy apartment. You will need a £3,563 deposit for the shared ownership home as opposed to £11,500 for the Help to Buy house or £10,000 for the Help to Buy apartment.


BuyingPower

JUGGLING FINANCES

Couple (no children) on household income of £50,000(Main earner £30,000 with a second income of £20,000)

Couple + 2 children on household income of £78,000*

(Main earner £60,000 with a 2nd income £18,000)

Shared Ownership







Shared Ownership


Rent £1,031 Service charge £150





Help to Buy




Price £300,000 (Apartment) Mortgage payment £1,310

Rent £0

Service charge £150


Help to Buy




Price £450,000 (Apartment) Mortgage payment £1,965



Terms used in the calculations: The figures have been prepared on the basis of a repayment mortgage over a 25 year term. The rate of interest used in the examples is 5% which is higher than current mortgage rates available. The shared ownership figures have been based on a minimum share of 25%, assuming a 95% mortgage and a 5% personal deposit. The Help to Buy figures have been based on a mortgage equivalent to 75% of the full purchase price and a 5% deposit of the full purchase price with the remaining 20% being provided by the Help to Buy scheme.The shared ownership rent has been based on 2.5% and the service charge is a shown at a typical level. Both these sums will vary on a property specific basis.

Typically, this couple’s take home pay is around £3,347 each month.

45% of your take home pay is £1,506 and would buy a 25% share of a £420,000 shared ownership home, a £340,000 Help to Buy house or a £300,000 Help to Buy apartment. You will need a £5,250 deposit for the shared ownership home as opposed to £17,000 for the Help to Buy house or £15,000 for the Help to Buy apartment.

You could buy a 25% share of a £400,000 shared ownership home, a £300,00 Help to Buy house or a £260,000 Help to Buy apartment. You will need a £5,000 deposit for the shared ownership home as opposed to £15,000 for the Help to Buy house.

Typically, this family’s take home pay is around £4,787 each month.

45% of their take home pay is £2,154 and would buy a 25% share of a £600,000 shared ownership home, a £490,000 Help to Buy house or a £450,000 Help to Buy apartment. You will need a £7,500 deposit for the shared ownership home as opposed to £24,500 for the Help to Buy house or £21,000 for the Help to Buy apartment.

* outside of London, households earning more than £60,000 are not eligible for shared ownership

Neutral colours and

natural materials can add

a sense of calm to any

room. By decorating with

just a few neutral shades

at a time and then adding

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of home. In addition to

the few accessory ideas

we’ve collated here, you

could consider installing

natural flooring such

as seagrass or sisal, or

perhaps even making

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NeutralNATURALLY

Items available from www.dunelm-mill.com


HomeStyle

1 Natural rope knot weighted doorstop £16 www.tch.net

2 Water Hyacinth extra large storage basket £59 www.wovenhill.co.uk

3 Umbra Woodrow waste bin £20 www.redcandy.co.uk

4 Woven circular rug £14.99 www.hm.com/gb

5 Kitson round dining table £89 www.made.com

6 Natural wood lantern £49.50 www.thefarthing.co.uk

7 Tamky stool £40.69 www.urbanara.co.uk

8 Rose & Grey natural seagrass basket £28 www.debenhams.com

9 Whitewashed wooden bird ornaments £20 www.tch.net

10 Zena natural rattan lampshade £27 www.diy.com

11 Gold crochet cushion £40 www.frenchbedroomcompany .co.uk

12 Home word block clock £14 www.next.co.uk

3

11

12

2

1

5

6

8

9

10

4

7



MONEYMONEYMONEYThe budget planner on the right hand page will help you work out your income and outgoings each month so you’ll know how much you can afford to pay in mortgage (or mortgage and rent on a shared ownership property). And if you need to build up a deposit, it will also help you work out how much you can save to put towards it. But the rest of this page will help you get the best mortgage deal available by making sure your credit rating is as high as possible.

Credit ratingsA below average credit rating will affect the mortgage terms you’re offered or perhaps even lead to your mortgage application being turned down altogether. And there’s no way round it. When you apply for a mortgage, the lender will carry out a credit check which provides them with a breakdown of all historical financial transactions held in your name. This records how much you have borrowed and how you have dealt with each commitment, i.e. are you a good payer and have you paid on time? This check also provides a “credit score” to help the lender make a decision on your application. Unfortunately, the scoring systems aren’t published and differ lender to lender and product to product. But we do know that the higher your score, the better chance you have of obtaining a mortgage and being offered a good interest rate.

Easy steps to maximise your credit score • Obtain a copy of your credit report (the 3 major agencies are Experian, Equifax and Callcredit) and check the content. The reports can occasionally contain mistakes.

• Check with your council to see that you are on the electoral roll. Not being on the electoral roll reduces your chances of being accepted.• Try to pay off existing debts before you apply, or at the very least reduce them by as much as possible.• Don’t miss or make late repayments on any loan, credit card or utility bill. Missed or late payments can stay on your credit file for up to 6 years and can play havoc with your chances of obtaining a mortgage.• Keep within your bank overdraft limit and preferably keep in credit for at least 6 months prior to applying for a mortgage. Lenders will ask to see between 3 and 6 months of your most recent bank statements and if you have overstepped your authorised limit this is likely to lead to an automatic decline.• If you’ve never had credit before, it can be difficult for a lender to assess you. Consider taking out a credit card, make a couple of purchases on it each month and repaying them in full within the prescribed time limit. This will help to build a good credit history.• Having too much credit available can work against you. Close any accounts you don’t need or use anymore. • Lenders want to see a settled financial history so don’t take out any loans or new credit cards shortly before applying for a mortgage.• It’s not always easy, but avoid a job change immediately prior to submitting a mortgage application. Before agreeing to a loan most mortgage providers like a borrower to have held a job for a few months to show that a steady income is being received.

Before you worry about location, location, location, think about money, money money! Money for your deposit, money for your mortgage and money to get through each month.


BUDGETPLANNERGet to grips with your finances and plan to have a little left over each month to build a deposit or to buy those finishing touches for your home. Budget on a monthly basis, even if it’s an annual bill. This handy planner will be useful when your mortgage lender asks you about your outgoings. Go to www.homefocus.co.uk /Budget_Planner and download an electronic version to print off as many as you need.

MoneyMaestro

1 – Income

Wages or salary (net after deductions)

Partner’s wages or salary (net)

Tips, commission or overtime

Other earnings (net)

Maintenance/child support

Working Tax Credit

Children’s Tax Credit

Child Benefit

Any other benefit income

Interest on savings

Other income

TOTAL INCOME (BOX 1) £

2 – Housing and utilities

Mortgage payments

Rent

Other loans on your home

Council tax

Service charge and/or ground rent

Buildings/contents insurance

Life or redundancy insurance

Water and sewerage rates

Gas

Electricity

Other fuel costs

Other housing costs

TOTAL HOUSING COSTS (BOX 2) £

3 – Important expenditure

Telephone and internet (including mobiles)

Credit card payments

Loan repayments

Maintenance payments

Pension

TV licence

HP or rental payments (car, tv etc)

TOTAL IMPORTANT COSTS (BOX 3) £

4 – Everyday expenditure

Food & Drink

Housekeeping

Travel & fares

Car expenses (tax/petrol/servicing etc)

Childcare (nursery/minder/babysitter)

Children (pocket money, activities, events)

School meals

Pets (food, vet’s bills, insurance)

Cigarettes and other ‘vices’

Clothes and shoes

Household items (repairs etc)

Health costs (dentist, optician, prescriptions)

TOTAL EVERYDAY COSTS (BOX 4) £

5 – Other expenditure

Religious and charitable giving

Entertaining, eating out

Holidays

Hobbies (activities, gardening, books etc)

Gifts (eg birthdays)

Christmas or festivals and presents

Courses and professional fees

Catalogue/mail order payments

TOTAL OTHER COSTS (BOX 5) £

6 – Your budget

Total income BOX 1 £

Housing costs BOX 2

Important expenditure BOX 3

Everyday expenditure BOX 4

Other expenditure BOX 5

Total Outgoings

(add boxes 2,3,4,5 & 6) BOX 6 £

MONEY LEFT OVER (BOX 1 – BOX 6) £

FINDING YOUR PLACE ON THE

LADDERLots of people think that low cost home ownership (LCHO) is a great opportunity but it can’t be for them…can it? Surely it’s only for council tenants? Or keyworkers? Well, you’d be surprised at the different sorts of people who climb onto the home ownership ladder thanks to shared ownership and Help to Buy.

Iain and Kelly Biggs Couldn’t get a mortgage Even after years of living with their parents and saving hard to get the deposit they needed to start a new life together with their son in their own home, Iain and Kelly Biggs were unable to get the mortgage they needed to buy on the open market. And faced with rising private rental prices it looked like their options were limited.

So Kelly’s mum did some research, discovered shared ownership and pointed them to Red Loft, the sales agent for Hounslow Homes. And then all of that hard saving paid off! The couple were able to put down a substantial deposit and raise a mortgage on a 50% share of a two-bedroom apartment with private balcony in Feltham.

And they’re excited, ‘knowing that each month we are contributing towards a property that we could own outright one day.’


Laura and Jonathon WillisWanted an extra bedroom, without the extra cost!With the arrival of their daughter, Laura, a nursery practitioner and Jonathon, a senior liaison officer, needed to move from their two-bedroom home into something more spacious and child friendly. The question wasn’t where to move, but how could they afford another bedroom?

The couple consulted a mortgage advisor and their local Help to Buy Agent (Midlands) and based on the information they gained about Help to Buy, they chose a three-bedroom home on a Bellway development in Cannock.

So here’s the difference: to buy their three-bedroom home ordinarily, Jonathon and Laura were looking at paying an extra £500 each month, but with Help to Buy, the couple needed to find only £50 each month!

Jonathan said, ‘We were amazed at how it can make moving house more affordable.’

Sahira AhmedStarted by buying 25% and then bought the rest…In 2011 and with a deposit of just £1,400, Sahira Ahmed was able to buy a 25% share of a two-bedroom, Affinity Sutton apartment in Southampton. Three years later, Sahira, now aged 29, had saved up enough to put down a further deposit and increase her mortgage sufficiently to buy the remaining

BuyerProfile

Will these stories inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on

pages 56-59. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-

near-you. Or email [email protected]

75% of the property. This process of buying more shares is called staircasing and allows shared owners to change their situation along with their changed circumstances. Now that she owns the apartment outright, she no longer pays rent to the housing association.

Previously living at home with her parents, Sahira could have gone on to rent, but says. ‘I didn’t want to be paying off someone else’s mortgage whilst struggling to save myself. Through shared ownership I could afford to live independently whilst investing in my own property’

Sahira plans to stay in her apartment while continuing to build her savings in order to buy a family home when the time comes.

Richard and LucyHelp to Buy meant less time savingResearch fellow Richard Sheridan, 28, and primary school teacher, Lucy Le Chat, 27, met while they were at university in Birmingham and after graduating, Richard stayed in Birmingham to do his PhD, while Lucy moved back home to Northamptonshire to work.

When they first looked at buying a place together they found it just wasn’t affordable, so Richard ended up moving in with Lucy at her parents’ home so they could save up for a deposit.

‘Help to Buy has made a massive difference because we didn’t have to save for so long,’ says Richard, ‘Without it we wouldn’t have been able to afford to move – we would still be saving up.’

The couple started off looking at two-bedroom houses but quickly realised that Help to Buy would put a three-bedroom home on the Taylor Wimpey development at Butterfield Gardens in Rugby within their budget.


Printed striped curtains £19.95 www.houseofbath.co.uk

Outdoor living accessories

www.george.comSUPER STRIPESIf you like bold colour and are looking for a simple way to bring it into your home, then why not

consider stripes. Whether used on a decorative backdrop such as wallpaper or more subtly on accessories, stripes can help create an illusion of space. Vertical stripes on walls help draw

the eye up which will heighten a room, whilst horizontal stripes can widen a smaller room. So if your living space is in need of an injection of colourful fun try adding one of these.


HomeStyle1

1 Bright striped screen £75 www.arthouse.com

2 Lexington original striped towels £39 www.amara.com

3 Breton striped lamp £45 www.next.co.uk

4 Esprit Samba striped rug from £109 www.modern-rugs.co.uk

5 Organic striped cotton lamp shade £35www.ochreandochre.com

6 Nashua bed linen from £49 www.urbanara.co.uk

7 Colours, Kensington Striped Wallpaper £12.81 www.diy.com

8 Striped wall hanging £4 www.tigerstores.co.uk

9 Horizontal block stripe cushion £32 www.oliverbonas.co.uk

10 African woven cone bowl £17 www.stuffofdreams.com

11 Stripe platter £16 www.houseoffraser.co.uk

12 Stripes storage bag £8.50 www.idyllhome.co.uk

2

3

5

4

76

8

10

9

11

12


EVERYONE WINS!Research shows that residents of regenerated areas tend to display a real sense of belonging to the new community and benefit from a reduction in anti-social behaviour. There’s also a ‘halo’ effect which spreads to the neighbouring areas – they too benefit from the improvements. Developers, housing associations and the local authority invest in a community and everyone wins!

Here, we’re focusing on the regeneration in Wembley, but there are regeneration spots all over the country and if you can identify large scale investment, you could find yourself excellent value in house prices. It’s not always easy to spot, but you’re unlikely to go too far wrong by looking for places where coffee shops are being planned, or boutique shops that’ll bring in a new trendy audience of shoppers, workers and residents; areas that will last and that people will be proud of.

LONG TERM PLANNINGSome regeneration schemes are phased over many years, and early buyers can get good deals on more affordable homes, although they may have to put up with the inconvenience of being close to a building site for a while.

Back in 2007 the London Borough of Brent set a target of 11,500 extra homes by 2026 with half of those new homes set to be affordable and around 3,450 earmarked for shared ownership. The early buyers may be the ones who will see their properties rise in price the most, and each phase will incorporate low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes that will give people the chance to become home owners sooner than they hoped.

WHEN THE DEVELOPERS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES INVEST IN AN AREA, IT’S

Ever play the word association game? We give you a word and you say whatever pops into your head? Try Wembley. What did you come up with? Cup Final, Rock Concert? Live Aid? Well for locals, Wembley brings the reply…Regeneration. And that means bringing the area to life with improved facilities, better transport, new commerce and more opportunities for first time buyers.

TIME FOR YOU TO BUY!


Regeneration

Salim Isaf was privately renting a two bedroom flat with a friend, when his landlord served them notice, so Salim began searching for another property in Wembley to rent. But it proved really difficult to find a property which he could afford.

So Salim changed tack and looked to see if he could buy a home through one of the low cost home ownership (LCHO) schemes. Octavia’s Elizabeth House development in Wembley was still under construction at the time but fitted the bill and Salim reserved an apartment off plan.

Salim stated that without LCHO there is no way he would have been able to purchase a property. In fact, ‘I would not have considered buying any time in the near future, I would say at least 3-5 years.’ But he continues, ‘The figures that were put to me were so affordable compared to privately renting.’

SHARED OWNERSHIP SAVED SALIM 3-5 YEARS OF SAVING


Finally, after all the searching and dealing

with mortgage advisors and solicitors, you’ve

exchanged contracts and have been given a

date to move in!

And then you get to thinking… ‘Who do I

need to tell? What do I need to find out? What

about moving all my stuff?’

Supposedly, moving home is one of the

most stressful things you can do. But the actual

process doesn’t have to leave you sitting up in

bed at night, eyeballs out, panicking because

you haven’t told the library your new address!

So take a deep breath, make yourself a cup

of tea and have a quick browse through our

moving checklist. We’ve come up with all the

people you generally need to inform about your

move – if you have extra people we haven’t

thought of, we hope you remember to tell them!

Consider yourself reminded by homefocus…

Pack it in!It’s a fact of life that you ALWAYS have more

‘stuff’ than you ever believed possible! Now is

a good time to weed out things you don’t want

any more – if you think you might be able to

sell them put them all in a separate box marked

‘Sell’ so you don’t unpack it and put it all away

again when you get to your new place!

It goes without saying that you should use

strong boxes – and don’t make them too heavy

to lift! Use smaller boxes for books, photo

albums and other heavy items or they might as

well be bolted to the floor – and mark on top

that they’re heavy to stop you doing yourself an

injury when you try to pick them up. Label each

box clearly with the contents and which room

it’s to go in. Surprises are lovely, but unpacking

nineteen boxes the day you move in just to find

the TV remote is beyond the pale…

The MoveFirst of all, have a look at how much you have

in the way of possessions. If you’re in furnished

rented accommodation, or live with family and

aren’t taking much in the way of furniture it can

be cheaper to move everything yourself. Just

enlist anyone you can find to help, particularly

if they’ve got transport. A friend with a van is a

very good friend indeed when you’re moving. If

you don’t have this luxury, then renting a van is

likely to work out cheaper than a removal firm.

If you’ve got lots of furniture to move, then

professional movers are essential. Look for ones

that are members of the British Association of

Removers (BAR) which has a code of practice

that protects you and your possessions. Get at

least three quotes and make sure your contents

insurance covers moving – get it set up for your

new place to cover it if need be.

If you’ve got children or pets it can be less

stressful to have them looked after by someone

else on the day. Keep all the essentials (we’ve

called it your ‘First Night Kit’) in one box and

make sure you know where it is! If you make

sure your bed is one of the first things you put

together when you get to your new home you

can just collapse on it, exhausted, at the end of

the day – and leave all the unpacking until the

next morning!

CHECKLISTMOVINGPRACTICAL PLANNING FOR MOVING DAY


4 WEEKS BEFORE…n Complete a change of address form at the Post Office to re-route mail (www.royalmail.com)

n Inform magazine subscriptions and clubs of your new address and moving date

n Decide which items you’re keeping and which you can chuck or donate to charity

n Notify water, gas and electricity suppliers to have your services turned off at your present address

n Arrange for utility connections at your new home

n Contact your new local authority about schools and colleges in the area

n Notify schools, churches etc of your impending move

n Notify your own and research alternative doctors, dentists in your area and liaise with your hospital if you’re undergoing any regular treatment

n Check parking arrangements at your new home and apply for permits if necessary

n Get to know your new area and work out the best routes to work and school. Check out www.upmystreet.com to find out more

n Book removals company or arrange help from friends, van rental etc

3 WEEKS BEFORE…n Request packing materials from your removals company, or buy some if you’re doing it yourself

n Return things you’ve borrowed from friends

n Start to run down the contents of your freezer

n Arrange to transfer home insurance, or set up new policies to begin the day you move in. Arrange transit insurance if necessary

n Research car boot sales to get rid of stuff you’re not taking with you

2 WEEKS BEFORE…n Discontinue regular services such as newspapers, window cleaners etc

n Arrange to have your satellite dish moved to your new property if necessary

n Arrange to discontinue your phone service and broadband and have it installed at your new address

n Arrange to transfer your TV licence to your new address (www.tvlicensing.co.uk/moving)

n Complete the relevant section on your car registration document and licence and send them to the DVLA (more info at www.dvla.gov.uk)

n Call your vehicle insurance to keep cover valid. The price may change due to the new area, new parking arrangements and type of home you’re moving into

1 WEEK BEFORE…n Arrange to transfer bank and savings accounts

n Tell credit and store card companies your new address

n Finish up your frozen food supply or give it away

n PACK!

n Find and label keys

n Send out change of address cards, text messages and Facebook or MySpace alerts

n Notify relevant authorities in your old and new areas regarding council tax and electoral registration

1 DAY BEFORE…n Defrost and thoroughly clean the fridge and freezer

n Take down pictures, mirrors, non-essential curtains and blinds

n Disconnect your cooker, washing machine and dishwasher

n Confirm minders for children and pets

ON MOVING DAY…n Make sure you personally take cash and jewellery with you

n Lock all windows and doors when you leave

When you’re due to move there always seems like an endless list of things to do, people to inform, boxes to pack and things to organise, so here’s a helpful guide to make sure you don’t forget anything…

People to telln Friends and family

n Post Office

n Inland Revenue

n Schools and colleges

n Local councils

n House insurance company

n Electricity and gas suppliers

n Water and sewerage companies

n Telephone company

n Internet supplier

n Satellite/cable TV provider

n TV Licensing

n Banks and building societies

n Credit card/store cards

n Doctor

n Dentist

n Car insurance company

n DVLA

n Car breakdown company

n Library

n Milkman

n Newsagent/magazine subscriptions

n Sports and social clubs

n Church/place of worship

n Children’s clubs

First night kitn Kettle

n Mugs, cutlery, plates, glasses

n Coffee, tea, milk, sugar, water

n Washing-up bowl and liquid

n Rubber gloves

n Map

n Vacuum cleaner/dustpan and brush

n Tea towels and cloths

n Toilet roll

n Bin liners

n Towels/soap/shampoo

n Lightbulbs

n Candles and matches

n Fuses

n Screwdriver

n Local takeaway menus!

n Bottle of champagne

OnTheMove

If you’d like a copy of our moving checklist to help you tick off the organisations you’ll need to tell you’re moving, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk/Moving_Checklist and download a copy to print off and stick on your fridge!


I’m looking to buy my first flat through shared

ownership but worry about

how to sell it on if I get a new

job somewhere else. How do I go

about it?Writes Tanith Roberts from Maidstone

It’s a query that comes up a lot.

There’s a load of help when

you’re buying, but will someone be

there when you come to sell.

We asked people with experience to

give us their views.

Can we help?Got a question but don’t know anyone in the

know? Send it to us at [email protected]

and we’ll put it to our panel of experts. Or

maybe we’ll find someone who has personal

experience to answer your query. It could be a

legal question or a financial issue or a general

query about low cost home ownership. We’ll

do our best to find you some great advice.

S elling your shared ownership home when you own

less than 100 percent of it, is known as a ‘resale’ or

assignment, and is a very simple process.

If you’re going to sell your share, first inform the

housing association, usually in writing, of your

intention. A valuation will then be carried out by

an independent surveyor, and the property will be

marketed through the housing association, who will

assist you right throughout the process.

There is usually an initial eight week period when

the housing association will try to sell the property to

their list of registered and eligible applicants but if the

property doesn’t sell during this period, you can sell it

privately or through an agent.

Shared ownership offers great flexibility to first

time buyers as you can buy additional shares in

the property as your circumstances change. This is

called ‘staircasing’ and ultimately allows you to own

your home outright and means you no longer need

pay rent to the housing association. The staircasing

process is very straightforward, and lots of people do

it every year.

When it comes to selling, if you decide to sell your

property and you have staircased fully, right up to

100%, then you can simply sell your property in

whatever way you choose.

HOUSING ASSOCATIONCOMMENT

ASK

TH

E EX

PERT

SSimon ScottChair London Home Ownership Group


THE LEGAL SPECIALIST’S ADVICE

SHARED OWNER’SEXPERIENCE

The legal process when selling your share, is no

different from selling a non shared ownership

property. What is different, is that you must comply with

the terms of the shared ownership lease in relation to

whom the property can be sold to and that’s why the

housing association will ask to market the property for

you, for a set period of time – usually eight weeks.

To get the process started, the lease requires that you

inform the housing association by written notice that you

wish to sell so that it can then nominate a purchaser. The

legal phrase is ‘assignment’ of the property and this is the

term used for the transfer of your interest in the lease to

someone else.

You will need to appoint a solicitor to act for you in the

sale and repayment of your mortgage - a number of

them advertise on pages 66-67. Your solicitor will prepare

a contract and answer any enquiries raised by the buyer’s

solicitors and will also liaise with the housing association.

You will sign a ‘Transfer’ and this is the document which

‘assigns’ the property into the name of the buyer who will

become the leaseholder in place of you.

When contracts are exchanged, meaning that all sides

agree to the transaction, a completion date will be set

and on that date the property will be assigned to the

buyer and your mortgage repaid. You will also be liable

for payment of rent and service charges up to the date of

completion.

E ight years ago, Stephen Rockley was a trainee

barrister looking to buy his first home. His first

move was put his budget and the area he wanted to live

into a property portal and, he says ‘The only result it

came up with was a car parking space in West London!

This was going to be difficult unless I could bag myself

a shared ownership property’.

Find a shared ownership property was exactly what

Stephen did, buying a 40% share in a brand new

apartment in North West London. As Stephen climbed

the career ladder, changing jobs and improving his

income, he was able to change the level of ownership

in his apartment, staircasing to 50% ownership and

reducing the amount he paid in rent to the housing

association.

In a further change of circumstances, Stephen got

married and with the extra salary, they were able to

‘staircase up to 100%’, meaning that Stephen and his

wife now own the apartment outright. Stephen says ‘The

whole staircasing process, from start to finish, took less

than three months. It was pretty simple, involving filling

out a few basic forms and sorting out a mortgage for

the remaining 50 percent’.

Stephen’s circumstances have changed again. He

says ‘We have just had our second child, and so are

outgrowing our two bedroom property, so we are looking

to move up the property ladder to somewhere bigger.’

Owning the property outright allows Stephen to appoint

an estate agent and sell the home in the usual way.

ExpertAdvice

Stephen RockleyNow he can sell to anyone

Barbara Paul RobertsDirector, New Homes Law


A LEATHER SOFA FROM FURNITURE CHOICE

WIN



homefocusCompetition

The living room is the heart of the

home, the place you go to put your

feet up and relax at the end of the

day. In many homes it has multiple

uses, doubling up as a children’s

play area or with a dining set at

one end. Whatever its main use,

undoubtedly the most important

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sofa!

At Furniture Choice you can

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peace of mind.

Need something new to sit on in

your living room? Introducing the

Sienna 2 seater sofa, the perfect

To be in with a chance of winning simply answer the question below:The Sienna 2 seater sofa is available in how many colours?A: 5B: 1C: 3

How to enter:

Email your answer, along with your name, address, and sofa colour choice to: [email protected] don’t forget to include ‘Furniture Choice Comp’ in the subject line, or go to www.homfocus.co.uk/competitions The winner will be picked at random from correct entries.

The winner will be picked at random from correct entries.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS • The closing date is 10th September 2015• The Editor’s decision is final• No purchase necessary• There is no alternative cash prize• We accept no responsibility for entries not received

combination of style and comfort.

A great all-rounder, it’s as suited to

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If you’d like to see Furniture

Choice’s wide range of living,

dining and bedroom furniture,

please visit

www.furniturechoice.co.uk

WhereNext

homefinderWHERE NOW? If you’ve got the feeling that affordable or low cost home ownership (LCHO) can help you, then here’s what to do next

Step 1 – Get registeredIf you want to buy through shared ownership or Help to Buy Equity Loan you should register with your local Help to Buy Agent. They’ll process your application to make sure you’re eligible for the scheme and provide you with a list of all the LCHO properties on offer in your area. It’s a little different in London but there’s still an online LCHO portal to point you in the right direction. Or you can go to www.homefocus.co.uk/register and be taken to just the place you need to be. The homefocus website will help minimise the amount of duplication you have to go through and offer all kinds of practical help.

Step 2 – Work out how much you can affordThere’s no point falling in love with a place only to find out that it’s way above your price bracket. Outside London, your Help to Buy Agent will take you through a basic financial check, just to confirm that you’re eligible for shared ownership and/or Help to Buy and will give you an indication of how much you’re likely to afford. The figures will be more closely reviewed later on in the process. In London, your housing association will go over the figures with you once you’ve found a home you like. No matter where you live, we advise that you go to a specialist financial advisor who understands the LCHO market inside out.

Step 3 – Home huntingNow for the fun part. Take a look at some of the affordable homes around, including the ones we feature in our regional property sections from page 12 of the magazine. There’s a fuller list on pages 56-59 or at www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or you can go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Search where you’ll get directions to a full listing of LCHO properties in the region you’re searching.

Step 4 – DetailsGetting down to the nitty- gritty! Once you’ve found the home you want, and whether you live in London or not, you’ll formally apply for your home through the housing association or developer and they’ll give you a more detailed affordability check, often asking an independent financial advisor (IFA) of their choosing to find out how much you can afford.

Step 5 – Check the small printIf all goes ahead, then you’ll need to get in touch with a solicitor to take you through the legal side of buying a home. We advise using one with experience of LCHO transactions and you’ll find a list of them advertising on pages 66-67 of the magazine.

Step 6 – Get movingSorry, but there’s still more practicalities to go through before the excitement of moving into your own home, like telling DVLA to change the details on your driving license or registering with a new doctor, letting the bank know your new address and organising schools for your children. If you’d like a helpful checklist to make sure that you let everyone (who needs to know) that you’re on the move, go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Moving_CheckList and download a printable pdf.

Your steps to making all the right moves…


n London n South n South West n East & South East n Midlands

HERE’S THE KEY To help you on the way to getting the keys to your own door...

We’ve colour coded our development sections on pages 12-31 and our homefinder property listings on pages 56-59, to make finding a property in your area a little easier. The key is as follows:

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Call homefocus on 0845 474 4734 e-mail [email protected] or Facebook us at www.facebook.com/homefocus

LOOK FOR THE LOGO! For most of England, the government-backed schemes will have the Help to Buy logo - so wherever you see it, you’ll know that there are LCHO options available.

In London you should look for the First Steps logo!

Your local HELP TO BUY AGENT will have a comprehensive list of all LCHO properties in your area. That includes shared ownership new build, shared ownership resales and Help to Buy properties. You can visit their website as listed below, or if you’re not sure which is the correct one for you, go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Help_To_Buy_Agents and be redirected. homefocus will help make sure you get to the right place.

LONDON www.sharetobuy.com/firststeps

SOUTH www.helptobuysouth.co.uk

SOUTH WEST www.helptobuysw.org.uk

EAST & SOUTH EAST www.helptobuyese.org.uk

MIDLANDS www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk

REST OF THE COUNTRY Homefocus magazine doesn’t cover the north of England, but if you go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Help_To_Buy_Agents, then you will be redirected to the appropriate website.


ShowDiary

FORTHCOMINGEVENTS

Can we help?

Don’t forget you can contact homefocus if you’ve got a question about low cost home ownership or are interested in any of the properties we’ve featured. Just call us on 0845 474 4734

or e-mail us at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to help!

Until the next issue of homefocus… happy homehunting!

FIND OUT ABOUT EVENTS NEAR YOU!

HELP TO BUY DROP IN EVENT – SEVENOAKSThe Council Offices, Argyle RoadSevenoaks15th July 2015 3pm – 7pm

HELP TO BUY SOUTHBristol International Balloon FiestaAshton Court Estate6th – 9th August.Stands D2 & D3

The London Homebuilding & Renovating ShowExcelLondon25 – 27th September 2015

HELP TO BUY DROP IN EVENT – GRANTHAMSouth Kesteven District CouncilCouncil Offices, St Peters HillGrantham NG31 6PZ1st July 10am – 3pm

HELP TO BUY DROP IN EVENT – LINCOLNCity Hall, Beaumont FeeLincoln LN1 1DD2nd July 10am – 2pm

Ocean Housing Shared Ownership eventChurch Meadows, 3 The SidingsSt Newlyn East TR8 5FB11th July 10am – 4pm


PropertySearch

Location Name of No of Type of Available Provider Development Units Properties From

EAST & SOUTH EASTwww.helptobuyese.org.uk Arlesey Albone Avenue 12 3 bed houses Coming Soon Stonewater HomesAshford Oakfields 6 2 & 3 bed houses November Orbit HomesAshford Chilham Place 4 3 bed houses February Orbit HomesAshford Wellesley View 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonAshford Meridian House 1 3 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonAylesbury Oasis at Buckingham Park 1 1 bed flat Now Hightown HomesAylesbury Abbotswood Park 8 1 & 2 bed flats Now Hightown HomesAylesbury Mayberry Place 2 3 bed houses Now Hightown HomesAylesbury Mayberry Place 3 3 bed houses Now Hightown HomesAylesbury Mayberry Place 2 3 bed houses Now Hightown HomesAylesbury New Berry Vale 2 3 bed houses Now Hightown HomesBasingstoke Swanwick Walk 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonBexhill on Sea The Point Phase 2 8 1 & 2 bed flats Now Orbit HomesBiggleswade Kings Reach 9 1 & 2 bed flats Late Summer AragonBognor Regis Harrington House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBrighton Super B 53 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Hyde New Homes Brighton One Hove Park 30 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Hyde New Homes Brighton Portside Mews 8 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Winter Affinity SuttonBroadbridge Heath Wickhurst Green 5 2 bed houses Launch 2015 Southern HousingBroadland The Pastures 19 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesBroadland Clover Chase 4 3 & 4 bed houses Now Orbit HomesBuxted Totease Mews 1 3 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCanterbury Chantry Club 16 1 & 2 bed flats 2016 Orbit HomesChatham Admirals Place 8 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 bed houses Now Orbit HomesChatham St. Marys Island 24 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 & 4 bed houses Late 2015 Orbit HomesChelmsford City Park West 9 1 & 2 bed flats Now Genesis Housing Chichester The Old School Apartments 14 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonChichester Affinity Sutton at Graylingwell Park 22 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonChichester Bleaches Court 2 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonChichester St Margarets 8 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonChichester John Rennie Road 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCranleigh The Cranes 12 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonCrowborough Sherlock Shaw 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCroydon Hampton Mews 10 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesDover Church Lane - Deal 21 2 & 3 bed houses February Orbit HomesEast Grinstead Birch House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonEast Grinstead Overton Court 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonEastbourne The Old Pump House 20 flats & houses 2016 Orbit HomesEastbourne Churchdale Road 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonEastergate Brooks Nursery 4 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonEpsom & Ewell Ethel Bailey Close 6 2 & 3 bed houses March Orbit HomesEpsom & Ewell Hollymoor Lane 9 2 bed flats March Orbit HomesFaygate Kilnwood Vale 10 2 & 4 bed houses Launch 2015 Southern HousingGillingham Hayter House 2 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonGuildford Rivett-Drake Close 1 2 bed house Now Affinity SuttonHalling Phase 2 - St Andrews Park 4 3 bed houses Now Red LoftHalling Phase 3 - St Andrews Park 18 1 & 2 bed flats September Red LoftHalling St Andrews Park Phase 2 31 1 & 2 bed flats, 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now Heart of MedwayHamstreet Lancaster Gardens 5 2 & 3 bed house Now Hyde New Homes Hastings Sycamore Chase 7 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesHastings Archery Road 26 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses February Orbit HomesHatfield The Frythe 19 2 & 3 bed houses Winter Affinity SuttonHatfield Princes Gate 13 2 & 3 bed houses, 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonHaywards Heath Hardham Close 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonHemel Hempstead Gade Place 1 1 bed flat Now Hightown HomesHemel Hempstead Oatridge Gardens 3 2 bed flats Now Hightown Homes

AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES

HERE’S JUST A FEW OF THE HOMES IN YOUR AREA

NEAR YOU!



PropertySearch

LONDON

www.helptobuyese.org.ukHertsmere Pelham Court 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonHoddesdon Bridgewater Gardens 23 1 & 2 bed flats Now Red LoftHorsham Novatis 25 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed house Jan-18 Orbit HomesHorsham Broadbridge Heath 10 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses February Orbit HomesHove New Church Road 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonIpswich Stoke Quay 59 1 & 2 bed flats Now Genesis HousingKents Hill Bedgebury Place 2 3 bed houses Now AragonLewes Quibell House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonLewes Yew Tree Court 10 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonLittlehampton Kingley Gate 8 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonMid Suffolk Castle Fields 6 2 & 3 bed houses 2016/2017 Orbit HomesMilton Keynes Yorkshire Close 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonNewton Leys Dickens Lane, Newton Leys 1 3 bed house Now Hightown HomesNorwich St Annes Wharf TBC 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 & 4 bed houses 2017 Orbit HomesOxted Affinity Sutton at Meridan Square 2 2 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonRamsgate Westwood Cross 78 TBC 2016 Orbit HomesRochester Summerson Close 2 2 & 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonRother Moleynes Mead 7 2 & 3 bed houses 2015 Orbit HomesSandy Sunderland Road 1 1 bed maisonette Now AragonSevenoaks Dunton Meadows 49 1 & 2 bed flats Now Orbit HomesShenley Brook End Garthwaite Crescent 1 3 bed house Now AragonSt Albanns Day House 1 2 bed flats Now Hightown HomesSt Albanns Oriel Court 1 1 bed flat Now Hightown HomesStevenage Sharp Court 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonUpper Caldecote Biggleswade Road 1 3 bed house Now AragonWadhurst Farthing Hill 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonWainscott Miller Way 8 3 bed houses Now Heart of MedwayWestcliff-on-Sea Salisbury Mews 2 3 bed house Now EstuaryWhitstable Wicketts End 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonWorthing Frobisher House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonYapton Emerald Gardens 3 2 bed houses Now Stonewater Homes

www.sharetobuy.com/firststeps Acton Factory Quarter 27 1 & 2 bed flats Now Genesis Housing Barnet Axis 6 1 & 2 bed flats Now Origin HousingBexley Erith Park TBC 2 & 3 bed houses, 1 & 2 bed flats Now Orbit Homes Bow Bow River Village 25 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Launch 2016 Southern HousingBow The View 4 2 & 3 bed flats Coming soon East ThamesBromely Hardwick House 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBromley Manor Lodge 16 1 & 2 bed flats Coming 2016 L&QBromley Archery Lane 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBromley The Berry Fields 11 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonBromley Hornbeam House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBromley Krueger House 2 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBromley William Petty Way 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBromley Windsor House 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCanada Water Quebec Quarter 69 1 & 2 bed flats September L&QChigwell Wanti Terrace 5 1 & 2 bed flats Coming soon East ThamesCricklewood Gladstone Village 32 1 & 2 bed flats Autumn OctaviaCroydon The Point 35 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonCustom House DNA 7 3 & 4 bed house plots (custom build) Coming Soon East ThamesDocklands Jessops at New Providence Wharf 45 1 & 2 bed flats Now Genesis Housing Ealing L&Q @ Liberty Quarter 11 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QEaling The Garden Court Apartments 2 3 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonEaling The Garden Court Apartments 4 2 bed wheelchair accessible flat Now Affinity SuttonEaling 45 Queens Walk 4 2 bed flats Now Viridian HousingEnfield Bolingbroke Park 50 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now L&QEnfield Watermill Lane 30 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed maisonette Now Newlon Home Ownership Epping Arboretum Phase 2 15 2 & 3 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now L&QFitzrovia Cleveland Street@Fitzroy Place 14 1 bed flats Now OctaviaForest Hill City Walk 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonGreenwich Ordnance Place 10 1 & 2 bed flats Autumn L&QGreenwich L&Q @ Greenwich Peninsula 34 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QGreenwich L&Q @ Platinum Riverside 14 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QGreenwich L&Q @ Enderby Wharf 41 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now L&QHackney The NE5T 6 1, 2,& 3 bed flats Launch 2015 Southern HousingHackney The City Mills Phase 2 117 1, 2, 3 & 4 bed flats Now L&QHarold Wood Kings Park 24 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now East ThamesHarrow Charter Court 26 1 & 2 bed flats Now MetropolitanHarrow Chandos 15 1 & 2 bed flats Now Origin HousingIsle Of Dogs Triangle E14 8 2 bed flats Now Gateway Living Isle Of Dogs Parkland Place 5 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Coming Soon East ThamesIslington The Fable Apartments at the Lexicon 70 1 bed Winter Affinity Sutton


PropertySearch


LONDON

MIDLANDS

www.sharetobuy.com/firststepsIslington St Luke’s Centre 7 1 & 2 bed flats Winter Affinity SuttonKensal Green Retro Bosworth Road 8 1 & 2 bed flats Now OctaviaKensington Grand Union Centre 22 1 & 2 bed flats Winter Affinity SuttonLewisham L&Q @ Greenland Place Phase 2 TBC 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Autumn L&QLewisham Thurston Point 42 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now L&QNew Barnet The Approach 5 1 & 2 bed flats Now Origin HousingNewham Chobham Manor 8 1 bed flats, 3 bed houses Coming 2016 L&QOrpington Amethyst Court 3 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonOrpington William Petty Way 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonPaddington Merchant Square 1 1 & 2 bed flats Now OctaviaPutney Plaza Gardens East Putney 34 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now OctaviaRedbridge Westview Drive 9 2 bed flats Summer/Autumn MetropolitanRomford Victoria Road 24 1 & 2 bed flats 2016 EstuarySouthwark Harvard Gardens 27 1 & 2 bed flats Spring L&QSouthwark L&Q @ The Arc TBC 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now L&QSouthwark 169-173 Blackfriars Road 10 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonStonebridge Spring South 27 1, 2 & 3 bed flats September Hyde New Homes Stratford Stratford Gate 52 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QStratford East Plaza 22 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now East ThamesTottenham Rivers Apartments 65 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Newlon Home Ownership Tottenham Rivers Apartments 35 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Coming soon Newlon Home Ownership Tower Hamlets The Dockyard 17 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now East ThamesWaltham Forest Shernall Street 21 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Summer/Autumn MetropolitanWaltham Forest The Edgewood Collection 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 bed houses Coming soon East ThamesWalthamstow Stadium Place 99 1, 2 & 4 bed houses, 1,2 & 3 bed flats, Now L&Q 3 bed maisonettesWandsworth Spectra Apartments 1 1 & 2 bed flats Now OctaviaWembley Westside Court Forty Avenue 2 3 bed maisonettes Now OctaviaWoolwich Cannons Corner 24 1 & 2 bed flats Now Hyde New Homes Woolwich The Liberty 98 2 bed flats - over 55s Now Viridian Housing

www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk Barford Leafield Mews 4 2 bed bungalow, 2 & 3 bed houses TBC Orbit HomesBedford West Wixham 10 2 & 3 bed houses September Orbit HomesBedworth Milliner Court 10 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Bidford upon Avon The Waterways 5 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesBidford upon Avon Friday Furlong 5 2, 3 & 4 bed houses May-16 Orbit HomesBidford upon Avon Bramley Way 5 2, 3 & 4 bed houses September Orbit HomesBirmingham All Saints Square 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBishops Itchington Hendry Place 3 3 bed houses October Orbit HomesBishops Itchington Gaydon Road 8 2 & 3 bed houses May-16 Orbit HomesBlaby Grace Road 5 2 & 3 bed houses April Orbit HomesBrackley Radstone Grange 5 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesBrackley Radstone Fields 27 2 & 3 bed houses 2015-2016 AragonBromsgrove Church Meadows 10 2 & 3 bed houses, 1 & 2 bed flats Now Stonewater HomesBurton Latimer Glade Gardens 8 2 bed houses Late 2015 Orbit HomesBurton-upon-Trent Steeping Place 18 2 & 3 bed houses October Orbit HomesCoventry Grange Road 18 TBC Jan-18 Orbit HomesCoventry Cromwell Gardens 10 2 & 3 bed houses March Orbit HomesEast Northamptonshire Newland Road 4 2 & 3 bed houses Jun-16 Orbit HomesExhall Burbages Lane 15 2 & 3 bed houses Aug-16 Orbit HomesGreat Witley Great Witley 2 3 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesHarborough Road Kibworth Meadows 12 2 & 3 bed houses Jun-16 Orbit HomesHinckley Brook Approach 8 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesKenilworth Common Lane 7 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesKettering Waterside 11 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesKettering Westhill 4 2 bed houses March Orbit HomesKettering The Gateway 20 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesKettering West Glebe Road 20 2 & 3 bed houses April Orbit HomesKineton Kineton Mews 11 2, 3 & 4 bed houses January Orbit HomesLeamington Spa Elm’s Point 9 2 & 3 bed houses November Orbit HomesLeamington Spa The Priors @ Chesterton Gardens 17 2 & 3 bed houses September Orbit HomesLeicestershire Bridle Way 16 2 & 3 bed houses November Orbit HomesLeicestershire Forest House Lane 6 2 & 3 bed houses December Orbit HomesLong Marston Beaufort Mead 29 2 & 3 bed house, 2 bed m’ettes, Now Orbit Homes 2 bed coach houseMarkfield Mineral Quarter 10 2 & 3 bed houses September Orbit HomesMiddleton Cheney Waters Lane 1 2 bed house Now AragonNorthampton Carey Fields 14 2 & 3 bed houses May-16 Orbit HomesNorthampton Studland Place 15 2 & 3 bed houses April Orbit HomesNorthampton Woodvale Gardens 5 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesNorthampton Heritage Park 9 2 & 3 bed houses Late 2015 Orbit HomesNuneaton Viscount Place 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesPineham Butterfly Gardens 37 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesPinvin The Green, Pinvin 2 2 bed houses November Stonewater HomesRuddington Wheatley Fields 12 2 & 3 bed houses Coming soon Stonewater Homes



MIDLANDS

SOUTH

SOUTH WEST

www.helptobuymidlands.co.ukRugby Lower Street 76 TBC Late 2016 Orbit HomesRushden Woollard Gardens 8 2, 3 & 4 bed houses December Orbit HomesShipston on Stour Hornsby Close 2 2 & 3 bed houses October Orbit HomesSilverstone Paddock Close 1 2 bed bungalow Now AragonSmethwick Windmill Heights 5 2 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesSouth Northamptonshire Stonecutters, Roade 10 2 bed houses Sept/Oct Orbit HomesSoutham Banbury Road 12 2 bed flats Jul-16 Orbit HomesStafford Effinch Lane 11 2 & 3 bed houses January Orbit HomesStockton Jubilee Fields 3 2 & 3 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesStratford-upon-Avon The Chapelry 15 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now Orbit HomesStratford-upon-Avon Loxley Road 10 2 & 3 bed houses January Orbit HomesStratford-upon-Avon Milestone Road 8 2 & 3 bed houses February Orbit HomesStratford-upon-Avon Birmingham Road 5 2 & 3 bed houses April Orbit HomesThrapston The Sidings 28 1 & 2 bed m’ettes, 2 & 3 bed houses January Orbit HomesTutbury Castle Keep 16 2 & 3 bed houses March Orbit HomesWarwick Hawkes Meadow 18 2 & 3 bed houses September Orbit HomesWellesbourne Ettington Mews 18 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now Orbit Homes

www.helptobuysouth.co.ukColeford Thurstans Rise 6 2 & 3 bed Houses November Stonewater HomesEast Hampshire Kingdon Mews 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonEastleigh The Hub 9 2 bed flats & duplex, 2 & 3 bed houses Now First WessexEastleigh Surrey Court 20 2 bed flats September First WessexFreshwater IOW Freshwater Fields 10 2 & 3 bed houses Now Spectrum Housing Gosport Alver Village 9 1 & 2 bed flats Now First WessexGosport Chamber House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonGosport Issac House 2 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonGosport Whiston House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonHavant Nursery Fields & Manor Farm 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now First WessexLee-on-the-Solent Sea Crest Gardens 5 2 bed houses Now First WessexPortsmouth Southdown View 24 2 bed flats Now First WessexPortsmouth Southdown View 10 2 bed flats Now First WessexSouthampton Montague Place 1 2 bed flats Now First WessexSouthampton Mayflower Mews 8 1 & 2 bed flats Now First WessexSouthampton Hawke House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonSouthampton Centenary Quay 22 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Spectrum Housing Southampton The Cloisters 18 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonSouthampton Queensway 12 2 bed houses, 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Stonewater HomesStanford in The Vale Poets Place 4 2 & 3 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesWest Hanney Elderberry Close 1 2 bed house Now Stonewater Homes

www.helptobuysw.org.ukBristol Maytrees 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonLyme Regis Woodberry Down 5 2 bed houses Now Spectrum Housing Motcombe The Paddock 5 3 bed houses Now Spectrum HousingPlymouth Maple Walk 9 2 & 3 bed houses Now Spectrum Housing Poundbury South West Quadrant 2 3 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesTaunton Monkton Heathfield 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesTeignmouth Marine View 3 3 bed houses TBC Spectrum Housing Wareham Worgret Road 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now Spectrum Housing Weymouth Pemberley 1 2 bed house Now Stonewater Homes

PropertySearch

Interested in any of the properties listed?

Call 0845 474 474 or email the name of the property to [email protected]

homefinder East & South East


homefinderEast &South East

from Hightown Homesshared ownership

Get on the property ladder with

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Grand Union Housing Group comprises: Aragon Housing Association,MacIntyre Housing Association and South Northants Homes


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If you want to find out about your government funded housing options, contact your local Help to Buy Agent.

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and we’ll do the rest. Remember to include your name.

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Properties available now on ashared ownership basis.

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Follow us on and

INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE

PROPERTIES IN

HOMEFOCUS?Email the name of the property to [email protected]

and we’ll do the rest. Remember to include your name.

legaladvice

Buying a new home requires essential legal

advice…contact a solicitor who specialisies in shared

ownership transactions

homebuyersGUIDE

Established over 60 years, Wiseman Lee has a dedicated department dealing with all Homebuy schemes, Resales, Staircasing and all Housing Association Schemes.

Please contact one of our team for further information, advice and a quote for costs and disbursements:

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Here at the Advertising Standards Authority, we judge ads on whether they’re harmful, misleading, or offensive. Not on whether they’re funny, clever or they look good. Which is just as well, really.

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