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homefocus

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

MONEY MANAGER

Strengthen your credit rating

Shared Ownership and Help to Buy

BUY YOUR OWN

HOMEJULES HUDSON‘Don’t over extend yourself financially’

‘Really pleased to have bought our first home after spending time renting’ says Inga and Greggory

Escape to the Country’s

MADE MORE AFFORDABLE

FIVE LITRES OF AIR PURIFYING PAINT

WORTH £150

JAN/FEB 2015

WIN

100 HOMES FOR SHARED OWNERSHIP SALE IN TOTTENHAM

LIVE THE HIGH LIFE

One bedroom apartments from £88,000 (40% equity of a market value of £220,000)

Priority will go to those living in the London Borough of Haringey

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST NOWwww.riversapartments.co.uk

Tel: 0800 058 2544www.newlonhomeownership.org.uk

Publisher’sComment

BUDGETING – BE RESOLUTEOk. Hands up! How many of you were definitely going to get fit

this year? Going to the gym, not just joining one! And how many

were going on a diet? Drinking responsibly? Stopping smoking?

Keeping to the speed limits? Now for the big one and the key if

you are planning to become a homeowner; how many of you are

going to budget properly to make sure you’ve built up a deposit

for that new home?

There’s no doubt that saving for a deposit is much more

achievable under the Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO)

schemes that we cover in homefocus. 5% through Help to Buy

and only 5% of the share you buy through shared ownership.

But saving for these reduced deposits still takes responsible

budgeting and good money management. Research from

money saving website, VoucherCodes Pro has revealed that the

majority of those buying or renting a property for the first time

after leaving home will underestimate how much their monthly

outgoings will be. And the research shows that on average, they

are underestimating by a whopping £200 per month! That’s nearly

two and a half grand a year or the deposit you’ll need if you buy a

25% share of a shared ownership property worth £200,000!

So if you want to be a homeowner in 2015, make your New Year’s

resolution to budget properly. It won’t be any easier to stick to than

any other resolution, but won’t it be worthwhile if the result is to

get the keys to your own front door? To help you kickstart your

budget you’ll find the homefocus Money Manager on pages 32

and 33. And throughout the magazine you’ll find loads of examples

of people that did save that deposit and became homeowners in

their own right.

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 Yvette Ruggins AFFINITY SUTTON GROUP

Isabel Saville CONCORDIA HOUSING CONSULTANCY

Simon Scott ORIGIN HOUSING

Sharon Shaw MARTIN SHAW CONSULTING

Richard Stone CENSEO LTD

Andrew Theoff DIRECTION LAW

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: 01622 772407


PUBLISHER Jeffrey Gritzman Tel: 01622 772407


PUBLISHED BYGraid Publications, Kent House, Romney Place

Maidstone, Kent ME15 6LHTel: 01622 772407

DESIGN & PRODUCTIONJohn Eldridge Design Associates

Website: www.homefocus.co.uk

www.facebook.com/homefocus

www.twitter.com/homefocus

homefocus

Supports the aims of homefocus

homefocus • JAN/FEB 2015 3

From house hunting

to house warming

34

26

27

Hot properties 12 South A selection of affordable homes in the south region of the country – as defined by the Homes & Communities Agency

16 East & south east And some from the east & south east region

20 MidlandsProperties in the midlands

24 London And some from the capital

28 South West Finally, some in the south west corner of the country

Just for you 3 Publisher’s comment Budgeting – be resolute

ContentsJANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015

Buyers’ Guide 6 Home Sweet Home Make it your own home. It’s possible through low cost home ownership

8 Compare the schemesWhich scheme works best for you?

10 Money to burn? Watch your rent payments go up in flames

40 Bringing an area to life Regeneration of an area gives everyone the chance to win!

42 Finding your place on the ladderLow cost home ownership brings buying opportunities to all kinds of people

46 Looking outside the box Try finding what you’re looking for in older properties or more established developments!

Celebrity Status 34 In Conversationwith BBC’s Jules Hudson. Jules, the face of Escape to the Country, says ‘don’t over extend yourself financially’

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

54 Introduction

55 Shows and Events and a Recruitment Opportunity

56 Property Listings

60 East and South East

61 South West

62 London 64 Midlands 65 South 66 Legal Directory

4 homefocus • JAN/FEB 2015

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

MAIL: homefocus magazine, Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6LH

Lifestyle 36 Red RevivalMost new-build décor starts with neutral colours, so splashes of red will energise your home

44 Bathroom PersonalitiesYour style reflects your personality. Homefocus offers some suggestions that will suit any budget

52 Competition Win Five Litres of Air Purifying Paint Worth £150

Great Advice 32 Money ManagerHow to help yourself to get the best possible mortgage

38 Ask the Experts The pros and cons of buying off-plan

48 Moving Checklist Who to tell you’re on your way

50 Never mind the b****cks The myths and misunderstandings about shared ownership

homefocus

36

18

52 WINTo 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?


Everyone wants a place of their own to call home. The key to their own

front door. Not their parent’s home where they grew up or somewhere rented, where they’re paying somebody else’s mortgage and living with someone else’s idea of décor. But their own home. And if you’re earning a reasonable amount each month, and have a little in the way of savings, there are deals to see you walking through your own front door sooner than you might think.

Get startedCollectively, these deals are known as Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO), and they’re designed to help you buy your home sweet home and leave you a little over to live your life.

Get started by looking at the comparative figures on page 11 for buying or renting homes around the country. And when you’re checking out the properties available through LCHO, shown in regional sections from page 12 onwards, you’ll see we give a guide for monthly costs, and the deposit you might need. As well as all the other reasons for wanting to buy your own home, you could find that it costs you less each month than renting privately.

The place to start is at your local Help to Buy Agent. In London, things are slightly different, but in the rest of the country Help to Buy Agents are organisations appointed by the government to promote and co-ordinate LCHO in a particular area. Think of them as the LCHO ‘one stop shop’. There’s a list of Help to Buy agents and the areas they cover on page 54.

The Help to Buy Agent will have the details of every new LCHO home on their patch and will deal with your application in the first instance. They will check that you’re eligible for the LCHO schemes, and give you a basic affordability check to see just how much you can afford. Once you’ve found a home you want, you’ll have

a more detailed affordability check through the housing association or developer you want to buy

from. In London, it’s slightly different,

because the responsibility for LCHO in the capital comes under the umbrella

of the Mayor. There’s still a one-stop-shop website to go to, but once you find a

property on there, you contact the relevant housing association or developer to take

you through the process. To take into account the high house prices in London, there are

different income thresholds for the first time buyer schemes - see ‘Ticking the right boxes’ on the facing page.

Buy with confidenceThe majority of LCHO schemes are backed

by the government, so you can be sure that the help you receive will be there for the long term. And unlike renting privately, where your landlord could decide not to renew your tenancy, LCHO means your home will always be there for you (as long as you pay the bills, of course!).

Making home ownership truly affordable starts at the beginning – with the deposit. For many people, saving enough to put down is the real stumbling block. But with LCHO, the deposit that you’ll be asked for will be less than if you try and buy in the traditional way.

Once you’ve found your home through LCHO, the schemes are flexible enough to suit you as your circumstances alter. You can buy more of your home until in most cases you own it outright – this is called staircasing. And when you come to sell, your Help to Buy Agent will have a ready-made list of potential buyers in your area. People who are in the same position you’re in now – keen to become home owners for the first time.

Two strong branchesThere are two basic types of LCHO scheme – shared ownership and equity loans. Both will help you get a place of your own, and the scheme to go for depends on your personal circumstances. There’s no guarantee that

HOME SWEET HOMESoft furnishings provide those finishing touches, but it’s the comfort of knowing it’s your own front door that truly makes a property a home.


Sounds good?

Check out the next two pages and see if one of

the LCHO schemes is right for you. You’ll find

examples of people that were able to buy an LCHO

home sweet home throughout the magazine.

both options will be available to you, although there are developments where both shared ownership and equity loans are available on the same development and even on the same property. 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 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.

Whole range of people 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.

Ticking the right boxesFor shared ownership, the eligibility criteria is pretty wide. And for the Help to Buy equity loan scheme, it’s even wider. For shared ownership, if you’re a first time buyer and your household income is less than £60,000 (£66,000 if you’re looking for one or two bedrooms in London and £80,000 for three bedrooms or more), chances are you’re eligible.

Buyer’sGuide

HOME SWEET HOMESoft furnishings provide those finishing touches, but it’s the comfort of knowing it’s your own front door that truly makes a property a home.

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 have two children in a one-bedroom flat – and you 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 if...• You already own a home that you’re living in and it’s adequate for your needs, or you own one but are renting it out• You can already afford to buy a suitable home of your own in your area• 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


There’s more than one way to get yourself on the housing ladder, and buying through Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO), opens up your options. This guide gives you an outline of all of the schemes on offer.

Scheme type Shared ownership Equity loans Mortgage Guarantee Re-sale Price Covenant

Scheme name New Build Resales Help to Buy Equity Loan Developers’ own schemes

NewBuy Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee

Discounted Market Sale

THE FABRIC 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.

Many private housing developers have their own equity loan scheme, and the details vary but in general you pay for between 70% and 90% of the value of your property, and the rest is covered by an equity loan. There’s often nothing to pay for this loan, but you’re expected to buy the remaining equity within ten years.

NewBuy allows you to buy a newly-built home with just a 5% deposit. The initiative is run through many of the larger housing developers, so you’ll find it available at some new developments.

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.

Allows you to buy a new build property at a discount against market value. For example, the purchase price may be 50% of current market value (the precise discount changes property to property), but when you sell, the same discount is applied to the current market value. So the discount percentage is carried forward forever.

MATCHING ACCESSORIES

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. There could be more flexibility with regards to who is eligible. There’s more about resales on pages 46-47.

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.

Good for anyone who is confident of their ability to buy the remaining equity within the timescale they need to. In addition, the eligibility criteria might be less strict.

It’s perfect for you if you can afford the mortgage for 95% of your home, but don’t have more than a 5% deposit. So you can get on the housing ladder without having to save for ages to boost your deposit. If you earn too much for some of the other LCHO schemes you might be able to buy through NewBuy.

Like NewBuy, 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.

Ideal in really high value areas such as central London. Particularly helpful if you can’t afford to buy on the open market or aren’t keen on paying rent.

THE PRICE YOU PAY

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 have to approach each developer individually as they don’t need to advertise their homes through the Help to Buy Agent. But if there’s a new development going up in your area that takes your fancy, it’s always worth asking about an equity loan scheme.

Not available in conjunction with other LCHO schemes. Generally only available from the larger property developers.

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 a very expensive area.

Only available on a small number of new-build properties. The scheme is still in its infancy and the number of lenders and the choice of mortgage products is limited.

BUY FROM JUST 25% WITH A SMALL DEPOSIT

WIDE CHOICE NOT JUST FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS

ASK THE DEVELOPER FOR HIGHER WAGE EARNERS

NOT JUST FOR NEW PROPERTIES

OPENS UP PRICE RESTRICTED AREAS

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Call homefocus on 0845 4744734 or e-mail [email protected]

HOME SWEET HOME


Buyer’sGuide

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 Equity loans Mortgage Guarantee Re-sale Price Covenant

Scheme name New Build Resales Help to Buy Equity Loan Developers’ own schemes

NewBuy Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee

Discounted Market Sale

THE FABRIC 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.

Many private housing developers have their own equity loan scheme, and the details vary but in general you pay for between 70% and 90% of the value of your property, and the rest is covered by an equity loan. There’s often nothing to pay for this loan, but you’re expected to buy the remaining equity within ten years.

NewBuy allows you to buy a newly-built home with just a 5% deposit. The initiative is run through many of the larger housing developers, so you’ll find it available at some new developments.

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.

Allows you to buy a new build property at a discount against market value. For example, the purchase price may be 50% of current market value (the precise discount changes property to property), but when you sell, the same discount is applied to the current market value. So the discount percentage is carried forward forever.

MATCHING ACCESSORIES

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. There could be more flexibility with regards to who is eligible. There’s more about resales on pages 46-47.

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.

Good for anyone who is confident of their ability to buy the remaining equity within the timescale they need to. In addition, the eligibility criteria might be less strict.

It’s perfect for you if you can afford the mortgage for 95% of your home, but don’t have more than a 5% deposit. So you can get on the housing ladder without having to save for ages to boost your deposit. If you earn too much for some of the other LCHO schemes you might be able to buy through NewBuy.

Like NewBuy, 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.

Ideal in really high value areas such as central London. Particularly helpful if you can’t afford to buy on the open market or aren’t keen on paying rent.

THE PRICE YOU PAY

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 have to approach each developer individually as they don’t need to advertise their homes through the Help to Buy Agent. But if there’s a new development going up in your area that takes your fancy, it’s always worth asking about an equity loan scheme.

Not available in conjunction with other LCHO schemes. Generally only available from the larger property developers.

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 a very expensive area.

Only available on a small number of new-build properties. The scheme is still in its infancy and the number of lenders and the choice of mortgage products is limited.

BUY FROM JUST 25% WITH A SMALL DEPOSIT

WIDE CHOICE NOT JUST FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS

ASK THE DEVELOPER FOR HIGHER WAGE EARNERS

NOT JUST FOR NEW PROPERTIES

OPENS UP PRICE RESTRICTED AREAS

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Call homefocus on 0845 4744734 or e-mail [email protected]

Buyer’sGuide

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

HOME SWEET HOME


F or some of us, renting is the right thing to do. But for most, 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. Nor just the fact it means you’re a grown up with responsibilities and a financial stake in your own future. As a renter there’s every chance you’re fed up with paying somebody else’s mortgage. And there’s one more key consideration and that’s straightforward finances. With low cost home ownership (LCHO), you might discover that you could pay out more each month by renting than you will when buying a small share. So if you don’t have money to burn, look into the impact that renting v buying could have on your monthly outgoings.

The figures on the next page show some typical examples. And in a couple 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 accessible 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.

If being a homeowner is what you really want but you’re thinking about renting somewhere as a stop-gap, this might prevent you from saving for what you really want. So getting your own home slips further and further away. And your rental payments will have gone in flames.

MONEYTO BURN?IS RENTING JUST WATCHING YOUR MONEY GO UP IN FLAMES?


Rent v Buy

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 what works for you.

‘Renting was preventing us from saving for our future’

Three years ago, Faye Simmons and her partner Greg Glagow were ‘Looking for a place to put our stamp on; a place to call home. We were also conscious that we didn’t want to continue to pay off someone else’s mortgage through renting as it was preventing us from saving for our future,’ says Faye. That’s when the couple came across shared ownership.

For Faye and Greg, this meant that they were able to buy a two-bedroom Affinity Sutton apartment at Falconers Court in Shoreham-by-Sea with a spacious sitting room and separate kitchen. They decided to buy a 75% share for £138,750, putting down a deposit of £7,500 – actually a bit more than the minimum 5% requirement.

Faye explains: ‘Investing in shared ownership really feels like a wand was waved for us. Three years in, we’re still reaping the benefits and we’re now in a place where we’re really excited to start a family.’ She added, ‘We would definitely recommend buying shared ownership and without it, we would still not be home owners. It was a really smooth process and the team at Affinity Sutton were fantastic throughout, we always felt completely up to speed with everything.

‘Living here we have endless local amenities right on the doorstep – good schools and leisure facilities and a buzzing high street with great shops and gorgeous eateries, what’s more we’re ‘next door’ to Brighton where there’s even more on offer. Another big bonus is that work is less than a five minute drive away for me. Greg gets the train in the morning and the transport links are really fantastic here, with London Victoria just 50 minutes away,’ says Faye.

Deposit Mortgage Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm Total monthly costs

25% share £2,788 £52,962 £325 £383 £708

50% share £5,575 £105,925 £650 £255 £875

80% Help to Buy equity loan £11,150 £167,250 £1,027 £0 £1,027

100% buy £11,150 £211,850 £1,301 £0 £1,301

Private rent - - - £813 £813



25% share £5,925 £112,575 £691 £815 £1,506

50% share £11,850 £225,150 £1,383 £543 £1,926

80% Help to Buy equity loan £23,700 £355,500 £2,183 £0 £2,183*

100% buy £23,700 £450,300 £2,765 £0 £2,765

Private rent - - - £1,513 £1,513



25% share £2,375 £45,125 £277 £327 £604

50% share £4,750 £90,250 £554 £218 £772

80% Help to Buy equity loan £9,500 £142,500 £875 £0 £875*

100% buy £9,500 £180,500 £1,108 £0 £1108

Private rent - - - £569 £569



25% share £2,625 £49,875 £306 £361 £667

50% share £5,250 £99,750 £613 £241 £854

80% Help to Buy equity loan £10,500 £157,500 £967 £0 £967*

100% buy £10,500 £199,500 £1,225 £0 £1,225

Private rent - - - £895 £895



25% share £3,588 £68,162 £419 £493 £912

50% share £7,175 £136,325 £837 £329 £1166

80% Help to Buy equity loan £14,350 £215,250 £1,322 £0 £1,322*

100% buy £14,350 £272,650 £1,674 £0 £1,674

Private rent - - - £952 £952

Southampton City Centre £223,000

Hornsey £474,000

Taunton £190,000

Stratford-upon-Avon £210,000

Lewes £287,000

The small print We’ve used an average repayment mortgage over 25 years at 5.5% 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). Service charge costs are not included. 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.


Southern Home Ownership is offering a collection of shared ownership properties at their new development, The Cedars, in a sought-after area of 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.

If you have a young family, Reading provides an excellent range of schools for both primary and secondary ages, including All Saints Junior School located just three minutes from The Cedars. The Whiteknights campus of the University

of Reading is just three miles away and is rated one of the top research universities in the UK. Prospect Park is close to The Cedars and ideal for a walk (or jog) with friends.

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, on page 65. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

THE CEDARSReading prices to be confirmed from 35%

South

Want to know more? 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 5.5%. **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

www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Cedars


South Properties


CENTENARY QUAY Woolston from £43,750 for 35%

WATERSIDE GRANGE Bracknell from £308,000 for 80%

Spectrum Housing Group is offering one and two bedroom apartments at the brand new development, Centenary Quay in Woolston on a shared ownership basis. Woolston is located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen.

This phase of the development consists of 2 one-bedroom apartments and 14 two-bedrooom apartments all built to a high standard, with excellent fixtures and fittings.This development will make an ideal location for people to live, work and relax. And a state-of-the art marine quarter will complete the look of the new complex.There is plenty on offer with shopping and leisure facilities enhancing this vibrant waterfront location, so there really is something for everyone to enjoy at this exciting regeneration project.

One bedroom apartment: Full value: £125,000 • Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £43,750 • 5% deposit: £2,188 • Mortgage on share*: £256 Rent on remaining share**: £187 • Total costs: £443

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

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Centenary-Quay

Just a few four-bedroom homes remain at Waterside Grange in Langley, and Taylor Wimpey is offering them under the Help to Buy scheme.

Styled The Rockingham, these town houses offer spacious living accommodation, light and airy living/dining rooms opening via a conservatory to the private rear garden, with a kitchen/breakfast area and a guest cloakroom completing the ground-floor layout. Upstairs, the first-floor landing leads to two bedrooms and a main bathroom, while two further bedrooms, one with en-suite facilities, can be found on the top floor. Outside, the property benefits from allocated parking.

The Rockingham is completed to a high standard specification, including energy efficient central heating, double glazing, and a fitted kitchen with integrated oven, hob and hood.

Four-bedroom house: Full value: £385,000 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £308,000 • 5% deposit: £19,250 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,773 • Total costs: £1,773***

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

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Waterside-Grange

WENTWORTH PLACEBinfield from £88,000 for 40%

Wentworth Place, a development of 21 new apartments is being made available for shared ownership by Thames Valley Housing.

Located on London Road in the village of Binfield, Berkshire, these smart two-bedroom apartments are just two miles from Bracknell, linking London by train in just over an hour.

The apartments are housed in an attractive three-storey building of warm red brick and cream render set in attractive landscaping, and are arranged in three groups, each with its own entrance. Each home has a large open plan sitting/dining/kitchen area and full-height windows flood light into the room. The Manhattan kitchen is very well equipped with fully integrated appliances: a ceramic hob, electric oven, dishwasher, washer/dryer and fridge/freezer. And every home has two bathrooms, one of which is an en-suite shower room.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £220,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £88,000 • 5% deposit: £4,400 • Mortgage on share*: £513 Rent on remaining share**: £303 • Total costs: £816***

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

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



Chris Lovett, a teacher, found it difficult to be optimistic about

buying his first home. ‘I was living with my parents as I thought I couldn’t afford a place of my own’, said Chris.

But Chris watched a new development, Selby Place, going up near to the school where he worked and found out that Radian was offering shared ownership there. This gave hope to Chris’ ideal of buying his own home and as soon as the development was launched, he arranged to view

the show apartment and floor plans, and he checked all the details. Then, he expressed interest in his preferred plot.

‘Selby Place is close to my work place and in the area I’d grown up in’, said Chris. ‘It also has all the day-to-day facilities nearby, including a pub within walking distance! The apartment has the room space and decoration I was looking for as well.’

Chris is now the owner of a brand new, two-bedroom apartment. With a deposit of just £2,450, Chris purchased a

35% share in his £140,000 home and pays just £400 in monthly mortgage and rent payments.

‘I hadn’t believed that after only 4 months I would have purchased and moved into my first home with very little hassle and worry,’ he explained. ‘My monthly mortgage payments are manageable and leave me with some money over at the end of the month to save and treat myself. The scheme is easy and exciting with the joy of being able to own your own home!’ said Chris.

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 thought I couldn’t afford a place of my own’

Chris Lovett

Previous situation: Living with parents

Scheme: Shared ownership

Location: Southampton

Provider: Radian

Help to Buy Agent: www.helptobuysouth.co.uk

CLOISTERSSouthampton from £50,000 for 40%

The Cloisters, situated in a leafy residential area, just two miles north of Southampton’s bustling city centre, is a new development where Affinity Sutton is offering 10 two and three-bedroom houses, and 8 one and two-bedroom apartments under shared ownership.

These contemporary homes have been designed to suit a wide range of buyers and Cloisters are positioned in a fabulous location, once the setting for Poor Clares Convent. Each home comprises a high-specification kitchen with integrated appliances including a fridge/freezer and washing machine/tumble dryer, fitted carpets and an allocated parking space.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £125,000 • Minimum share: 40%Cost of share: £50,000 • 5% deposit: £2,500 • Mortgage on share*: £292Rent on remaining share**: £172 • Total costs: £464***

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

subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Cloisters

WILDWOOD Downend from £76,000 for 40%

Looking for a family home near Bristol? These two and three-bedroom homes are located in the desirable area of Downend, less than ten miles outside of the city.

Built by Cotswold Homes for Merlin Housing Society, these two high-quality shared ownership homes are part of an exclusive development of 31 homes on the site of the former Blackhorse Day centre. All properties benefit from off-street parking, a fully fitted kitchen with built-in oven, hob, extractor, washer/dryer and fridge freezer, gas central heating, lovely gardens, and are fully carpeted.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £190,000 • Minimum share: 40%Cost of share: £76,000 • 5% deposit: £3,800 • Mortgage on share*: £443Rent on remaining share**: £261 • Total costs: £704

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


Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Wildwood



South Properties

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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.

East & South East

Colne Housing is offering shared ownership on homes on the former Marconi ‘birthplace of radio’ site in Chelmsford city centre. And two-bedroom apartments are available to reserve off plan now.

Aptly named ‘The Switch’, this development has been priced to encourage an affordable opportunity to switch from renting to buying a brand new apartment.

Suitable for first-time buyers, singles, couples and small families, residents will have access to a state-of-the-art gym and

concierge service. The generous-sized apartments, which will be finished in the Spring, offer comfort and contemporary fittings. All come with fitted carpets to the bedrooms and vinyl flooring to the kitchen, living areas, bathroom and entrance hall.

High-quality fitted kitchens and worktops have been chosen and designed to make the best use of space. Allocated parking, cycle sheds and recycling facilities for all homes comes as standard.

The next phase in 2017 will bring a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments, providing even greater choice.

The Switch is in the heart of Chelmsford, within walking distance of the train and bus stations, Anglia Ruskin University, leisure and shopping facilities.

To be eligible for these properties you need to be living or working in Chelmsford.

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.

THE SWITCH Chelmsford from £78,050 for 35%

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £223,000 • Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £78,0505% deposit: £3,903 • Mortgage on share*: £455 • Rent on remaining share**: £384 • Total costs: £839


www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Switch


East & South East Properties

WEST GATE Maidstone, prices to be confirmed

Heart of Medway is developing 37 homes one and two-bedroom apartments on the site of the former Maidstone Borough Council offices in Tonbridge Road, for completion in the Autumn.

Marketed as West Gate, 12 of the homes will be set aside for shared ownership. Heart of Medway plan further developments in the area and will include Buckland Hill, near Maidstone Barracks and a former factory site in a riverside location in Eccleston Road, both due for completion in 2016.

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


Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/West-Gate

ABBOTTSWOOD PARK Watford, prices to be confirmed

RED HOUSE PARK Milton Keynes from £65,000 for 50%

Hightown Homes is offering shared ownership on two and three-bedroom houses in the attractive Abbotswood Park development, only a short drive from Watford town centre.

Watford is renowned for the outstanding performance of its grammar schools, and provides great retail therapy at the Intu Shopping Centre incorporating John Lewis and Marks & Spencer department stores.

Abbotswood Park itself is close to open fields and to Leavesden Country Park where you can enjoy the walkways and cycle paths, football pitches, tennis courts, and a health club providing relaxation for all ages from adult to children.

Each of the new homes comes with a Symphony fitted kitchen with brushed nickel handles and built-in work top, Zanussi gas hob with built-in stainless steel electric oven, hot water solar panels and allocated parking for two cars.

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Abbottswood-Park” in the subject. Remember to

include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Abbottswood-Park

Lea Valley Homes is offering 12 two-bedroom apartments in Redhouse Park, Milton Keynes under the shared ownership scheme. All apartments come with one allocated parking space and gas central heating. They also include carpets to the living areas with vinyl flooring to the kitchen and bathroom.

Red House Park provides a wide range of traditional and contemporary homes and is set to become part of the landscape amongst existing trees, lakes and bridleways.

Central Milton Keynes is only 4 miles

is closer still, less than a mile away. For commuters to London Euston and

Birmingham, the train station is under 5 miles from the development and junction 13 on the M1 less than 4 miles away.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £130,000Minimum share: 50% • Cost of share: £65,0005% deposit: £3,250 • Mortgage on share*: £379Rent on remaining share**: £149Total costs: £528

Interested? Email [email protected]

with “Red-House-Park” in the subject. Remember

to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Red-House-Park

away with a range of shops, restaurants, bars, theatre and The Center MK. The thriving market town of Newport Pagnell



Charlotte and James Marston were living in a two-bedroom rented flat

in Hertford with their daughter Grace but decided it was time to upsize and invest.

Charlotte, a director of a leafleting company and her partner James, an asbestos surveyor, had been putting money aside for a while, but even with a large deposit in the bank, it became apparent that house prices were still out of their reach.

But then they heard about Network Living’s shared ownership homes at Tewin Place – a small development of

four family houses in the popular Hertfordshire village of Tewin – and found what they were after, a two-bedroom house with a garden that they could afford!

Charlotte says, ‘I hadn’t heard of shared ownership, but when I did, I quickly realised that it was something we could afford. We were wasting a lot of money on rent and we wanted to start putting that money into something for our little girl.’

Charlotte and James bought a 50% share of their two-bedroom house

valued at £285,000, putting down the £30,000 they had previously saved as a deposit. Their monthly mortgage payments are approximately £510 and they pay £370 rent to Network Living on the share that they don’t own.

‘Our new home is such amazing value for money compared to renting,’ says Charlotte, adding, ‘but what’s really appealing about shared ownership is that we can buy a greater share of our home in the future when we can afford it, so it’s a fantastic way to ease ourselves further into home ownership.’


Charlotte and James Marston

Previous situation: Renting privately


Location: Hertford

Provider: Network Living

Help to Buy Agent: Helptobuyese.org.uk

‘Our new home is such amazing value for money compared to renting’



East & South East Properties

BUCHANS MEAD Crawley from £228,000 for 80%

THE GRANGEHailsham from £200,000 for 80%


NEW BERRY VALEAylesbury from £212,000 for 80%

Buchans Mead is Countryside’s brand new development in Crawley, where Help to Buy is available on a range of three-bedroom properties.

The three-bedroom houses boast spacious living accommodation, comprising an open plan kitchen/living/dining room with French doors opening onto the rear garden and a cloakroom on the ground floor. Upstairs there are two double bedrooms, a single bedroom and a family bathroom.

Contemporary kitchens come equipped with the full range of integrated appliances, including

Taylor Wimpey has announced the release of a fresh selection of houses at New Berry Vale all offered with the benefit of Help to Buy.

The new collection includes spacious three and four-bedroom designs located opposite a prestigious crescent of townhouses and a beautifully-landscaped area of green open space. The smaller, three-bedroom ‘Ashton’ style house comprises a living/dining room, a kitchen/breakfast room and a cloakroom off the hallway and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor, with an en-

Taylor Wimpey is offering Help to Buy on three-bedroom houses at their Grange development in Hailsham.

With spacious accommodation across three floors, the ‘Hollyhock’ style mid-terraced house shown, features a good-sized living/dining room leading to a light and airy garden room, which in turn opens through French doors to the private rear garden. A kitchen/breakfast room is located off the entrance hallway along with a guest cloakroom.

Upstairs, the first-floor landing leads to

accessories and ceramic tiling.An enclosed rear garden with patio

and turf, and a landscaped front garden with shrub planting complete the exterior.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £285,000Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £228,0005% deposit: £14,250 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,313Total costs: £1,313***


with “Buchans-Mead” in the subject. Remember to

include your contact details. Or visit

www.homefocus.co.uk/Buchans-Mead

suite master bedroom providing seclusion on the top floor.

New Berry Vale forms part of Aylesbury’s new Berryfields community with housing, recreational facilities and employment opportunities alongside more than 3,000 homes. Two state-of-the-art new schools opened in 2013, and there are plans for a second primary school.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £265,000Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £212,0005% deposit: £13,250Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,276Total costs: £1,276***

microwave, electric oven, fridge/freezer, dishwasher and dryer. Bathrooms have quality white sanitary ware, chrome


with “New-Berry-Vale” in the subject. Remember to

include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.

co.uk/New-Berry-Vale

two bedrooms and a family bathroom, while the en-suite master bedroom takes up the top floor. Outside is allocated parking.

Situated within 76 acres of farmland on the western edge of Hailsham and just over a mile from the shops and amenities of the town centre, The Grange borders the beautiful Sussex countryside.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £250,000Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £200,0005% deposit: £12,500Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,151Total costs: £1,151***


with “The Grange” in the subject. Remember to

include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.

co.uk/The-Grange


Metropolitan is offering attractive two-bedroom houses and three-bedroom apartments 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).

Wellingborough is an attractive market town, boasting a number of good schools, a wide selection of shops, bars and restaurants, as well as cultural and leisure venues such as The Castle and the Waendel Leisure Centre.

Wellingborough is served by trains

which run into London St. Pancras (47 minutes), Nottingham (65 minutes), Corby (20 minutes) and Leicester (30 minutes).

By road, Wellingborough offers good access to Northampton, Bedford, Kettering, Milton Keynes and the M1.

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 helpful contacts on our Midlands homefinder, on page 64. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

THE LEYSWellingborough from £39,750 for 30%



Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £132,500 • Minimum share: 30% • Cost of share: £39,750 5% deposit: £1,898 • Mortgage on share*: £221 • Rent on remaining share**: £213 • Total costs: £434


www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Leys

Midlands

homefocus • JAN/FEB 2015 21homefocus • JAN/FEB 2015 11

Midlands Properties


THE HAZELS Barnwell from £100,800 for 80%

POPPYFIELDS CLOSE Matlock from £35,000 for 25%

Westleigh is offering Help to Buy at a former factory site on Hazel Way, where a small number of two and three-bedroom homes remain. All of the homes have a high level of specification with a focus on energy efficiency to incorporate high levels of insulation, fuel saving central heating systems and efficient kitchen appliances.

The Barwell development is situated close to local amenities within the village’s centre with additional facilities available nearby in Earl Shilton.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £126,000 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £100,8005% deposit: £6,300 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £580 • Total costs: £580***

Interested? Email [email protected] with “The-Hazels” in the subject. Remember to include

your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Hazels

Waterloo Homes is offering shared ownership on a handful of two-bedroom terraced houses near Matlock.

The homes have been built to high energy efficient standards with one double and one single bedroom. They also feature a living room, downstairs toilet/cloak room, together with a stylish bathroom and a quality fitted kitchen to include oven, hob and extractor.

Outside is a turfed rear garden with shed and water butt, security alarm and satellite dish, plus a parking space and visitor parking. The nearby town centre has a good variety of shops, supermarkets, public houses and leisure facilities, as well as primary and secondary schools. There’s a railway station, excellent bus services and is close to the A6 for easy access to Derby, Sheffield and Nottingham.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £140,000 • Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £35,000 • 5% deposit: £1,750 • Mortgage on share*: £204Rent on remaining share**: £241 • Total costs: £445

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

Poppyfields-Close

ELLIOTT SIDESelly Oak from £61,250 for 35%

Singles, couples and small families can find affordable homes at Selly Oak, where Midland Heart has a few two-bedroom homes available under the shared ownership programme, at Elliott Side.

Each home offers spacious rooms, parking and all the extras such as carpets, oven, hob, washer/dryer and fridge/freezer come as standard.

Elliott Side has a variety of amenities with local supermarkets, pubs and restaurants and is only a stone’s throw from Birmingham City Centre. It is also close to major public transport links with easy access to London, Coventry and Leicester.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £175,000 • Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £61,250 • 5% deposit: £3,063 • Mortgage on share*: £357 Rent on remaining share**: £261 • Total costs: £618

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

Inga, 26, and Greggory Colgan, 36, and their nine-month-old daughter Maja,

have bought a brand new three-bedroom house at the Barratt Homes’ Perry Wood Oaks development on Popert Drive in Worcester. Inga said; ‘We are really pleased to have bought our first home together after spending time renting. We liked that the development is fresh and everyone is new to each other so we can get to know the neighbours plus it’s a great place for us to raise Maja.’

The young family were pleased to take advantage of the Help to Buy scheme

meaning that a 5% deposit and a further 80% raised on a mortgage was enough to get them onto the ladder. It would be more usual to expect a deposit of 10% and a 90% mortgage. So with three-bedroom properties starting at £209,950, Help to Buy made all the difference.

Inga and Greggory had prioritised buying a new house over a previously-owned property, ‘With a new-build home we don’t need to worry about maintenance issues said Inga. And with the new-build decision came the opportunity to go for the Government backed equity loan

scheme, which according to Greggory created a hassle-free move; ‘We found the whole Help to Buy process extremely helpful and smooth, he said.


Inga and Greggory Colgan

Previous situation: Renting

Scheme: Help to Buy

Location: Worcester

Provider: Barratt Homes

Help to Buy Agent: www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk‘we found the whole process extremely helpful and smooth’


www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk

We’ve opened the door to home ownershipfor thousands of people, just like you.Just get in touch to find out more.

Help to Buy Midlandsdelivered by OrbitHelp to Buy Agents

Want Help to Buy in the Midlands?

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Orbit Advert 22/10/2014 16:19 Page 1

With energy bills on the rise, call us free on 0800 0014 706 or visit www.myhomeenergyswitch.org.uk today to find the best price for your gas and electricity.

It’s free, fast and simple to switch and we’ll take care of all the paperwork.

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Midlands Properties

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%. **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

CASTLEWARD Derby from £41,250 FOR 25%Compendium Living is working together with Riverside Home Ownership in the launch of Derby’s £100 million Castleward development. Compendium offers Help to Buy on a range of apartments and houses and Riverside is offering shared ownership on some two and three-bedroom houses. Between them there’s a range of homes for first time buyers and families.

All homes feature a spacious open-plan design and a first class specification with the three-bedroom houses benefitting from an en-suite to the master bedroom.

Castleward sits on the edge of the city centre, right on the doorstep of the Intu shopping centre, bars, restaurants and much more. And when finished, residents will enjoy a tree-lined boulevard, linking the city centre with Derby railway station.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £165,000 • Minimum share: 25%Cost of share: £41,250 • 5% deposit: £2,063 • Mortgage on share*: £241Rent on remaining share**: £284 • Total costs: £525

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

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

co.uk/Castleward

KINGS MEADOWWingerworth from £266,000 for 80%

Rippon Homes has

just a couple of four-

bedroom homes still

available to offer

off-plan at Kings

Meadow, Deerlands

Lane in Wingerworth.

And buying off-

plan provides buyers with the opportunity to add their own

finishing touches to the kitchen and secure their preferred plot.

There are a total of 31 homes at this new development at

Kings Meadow, an attractive village setting within easy reach of

Chesterfield, just 3 miles away.

With a mix of traditional and modern open-plan layouts, all

homes benefit from a fully fitted kitchen and stylish bathroom,

while some homes also feature a master bedroom with en-suite.

Four-bedroom house: Full value: £332,500 • Minimum equity: 80%Cost of equity: £266,000 • 5% deposit: £16,625Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,531 • Total costs: £1,531***

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Kings-Meadow” in the


co.uk/Kings-Meadow


As part of a major regeneration programme, Orbit is developing a substantial number of one, two and three-bedroom homes at Erith Park and right now, some of the two-bedroom apartments are available through shared ownership.

The apartments are smart and modern, so energy efficient and low-cost to run. And many of the apartments enjoy their own outdoor space in the form of a balcony.

Erith Park is a development that has been designed to give an established community feel with a variety of

different properties, high standards of architecture and traditional street patterns with enhanced pedestrian links, including routes to local schools. The development is close to the shopping centre, library, sports centre and public transport links. It will also benefit from open space and children’s play facilities.

Just north of Erith Park is The Dell, a small woodland area that is being enhanced and transformed into an ecology hub for all to use and enjoy. And Danson Park is another popular outdoor area, often the setting for community events like fireworks displays.

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

ERITH PARK Erith from £63,000 for 35%



Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £180,000 • Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £63,0005% deposit: £3,150 • Mortgage on share*: £368 • Rent on remaining share**: £268 • Total costs: £636


www.homefocus.co.uk/Erith-Park


London Properties

THE RIDGE Orpington from £176,000 for 80%

FELTHAM DENEFeltham from £88,750 for 50%

The final phase of two-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom houses at The Ridge BR5, has been released by Affinity Sutton, available with Help to Buy.

All homes feature high-specification Paula Rosa kitchens incorporating Zanussi stainless steel integrated appliances. Bathrooms are equipped with white Villeroy & Boch sanitaryware. All the homes have private outdoor space; apartments benefit from a terrace or balcony and the houses have a balcony off the master bedroom plus a front and rear garden. The Ridge is just off St Mary Cray High Street and adjacent to Nugent Shopping Centre. St Mary Cray station is around ten minutes’ walk away, with direct mainline services to London Victoria take 23 minutes at peak times.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £220,000 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £176,0005% deposit: £11,000 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,013 • Total costs: £1,013***

Interested? Email [email protected] with “The Ridge” in the subject. Remember to

include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Ridge

One and two-bedroom shared ownership apartments, just off Feltham High Street, close to Heathrow Airport, are being sold by Thames Valley Housing.

Most of the homes follow the popular open-plan design that makes effective use of all the available space and light, while some have separate kitchens. Each apartment has a large living area opening on to a balcony or patio. The kitchen is very well equipped with fully

ALPINE PLACEQueensbury from £122,500 for 35%

Alpine Place NW9 comprises 24 two-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom duplexes with shared ownership available from Network Living on the two-bedroom apartments.

The stylish new apartments have been designed to create light airy spaces and all homes have been finished to a high specification, to include two-tone kitchens with quartz worktops and Bosch stainless steel appliances. Bathrooms are fitted with white Duravit sanitaryware.

Many of the homes have balconies and there are attractive communal areas for all residents to enjoy. Alpine Place is round the corner from Queensbury Park and just six minutes’ walk away from Queensbury station, a half hour commute into central London.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £350,000 • Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £122,500 • 5% deposit: £6,125 • Mortgage on share*: £715Rent on remaining share**: £521 • Total costs: £1,236

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

integrated appliances including a hob, oven and fridge/freezer. Each home has a washer/dryer either in the kitchen or in a utility cupboard in the hallway cupboard.

The apartments are housed in a striking five-storey building set in beautifully landscaped communal gardens.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £177,500Minimum share: 50% • Cost of share: £88,7505% deposit: £4,438 • Mortgage on share*: £518Rent on remaining share**: £203 • Total costs: £721


with “Feltham-Dene” in the subject. Remember

to include your contact details. Or visit www.

homefocus.co.uk/Feltham-Dene




Steve Tolan was surprised and delighted to find that he was able to buy a larger

apartment in a smarter location than he had thought possible with the help of shared ownership.

Steve, who’s a physiotherapist, had been living with his family in Essex until he could find somewhere closer to work. But that was proving easier said than done.

‘I’d been looking for three years,’ says Steve. ‘Everything that was within my budget was way too small, or in a terrible

location. I really wanted a home and a local community where I could enjoy my leisure time and also be able to commute quickly into work in Holborn, central London.’

With London housing prices so high, and Steve putting a premium on living in an area with a real community feel, he was beginning to lose hope.

‘It was looking like it would take me years to find the right place, if I ever did,’ he says. ‘Then I heard about shared ownership and Family Mosaic’s Brooklyn


Steve Tolan

Previous situation: Living with friends


Location: Blackheath

Provider: Family Mosaic‘With prices so high..it would take me years to find the right place

apartments in Blackheath. When I went to have a look round I could hardly believe it was within my price range – and in a really good location, too. The area has a great community atmosphere, which I really wanted.

‘Buying through shared ownership means I save 30 minutes on my commute to work, so my day is more relaxed, and at the weekends I can take a leisurely stroll down to the nearest pub for a meal. I can afford the best of both worlds!’


London Properties

PARKSIDE PLACE Wembley from £192,000 for 80%

RADIUSWandsworth from £348,000 for 80%

Countryside is making Help to Buy available at Parkside Place, a collection of stylish one, two and three-bedroom apartments in Wembley. Situated opposite Barham Park, Parkside Place combines a great location, convenient transport links and all of the benefits of buying a high quality new build home.

The apartments are set across a series of buildings and properties come in a variety of thoughtfully planned layouts that make the most of space and natural light. All of the homes have private outdoor space in the form of balcony or

Taylor Wimpey is offering Help to Buy on their prestigious Radius development in Wandsworth. The one-bedroom apartments feature an open-plan kitchen/dining/living room opening through sliding doors to a private balcony or terrace, with a well-proportioned master bedroom, a bathroom and a storage closet off the internal entrance hallway.

Radius is located in Osiers Road, Point Pleasant, between Putney Bridge and Wandsworth Bridge, with a host of places to eat and shops all on the doorstep.

Regular direct services operate to Waterloo from Wandsworth Town railway station in as little as 14 minutes. East Putney underground station is just a short walk away and lies on the Wimbledon branch of the District line,

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £435,000 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £348,000 • 5% deposit: £21,750 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £2,003Total costs: £2,003***

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


RIVERS APARTMENTSTottenham from £88,000 for 40%

Newlon Home Ownership is offering shared ownership apartments as part of the Tottenham regeneration, with priority given to Haringey residents. All of the apartments will have a balcony and access to a rooftop garden.

Each apartment will have a fitted kitchen from the Symphony Woodbury range with a Zanussi oven, hob and stainless steel extractor and splash back. White goods include a fitted fridge/freezer, a washing machine and dishwasher. Wood laminate floorings are standard in the kitchen, living room and hallway, with wool mix carpets in the bedrooms. Bathrooms at Rivers Apartments have modern white bathrooms suites with ceramic wall and floor tiling. One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £220,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £88,0005% deposit: £4,400 • Mortgage on share*: £513 • Rent on remaining share**: £303 • Total costs: £816

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Rivers Apartments” in the subject. Remember to include

your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Rivers-Apartrments

terrace, many overlooking the park, while ground floor properties have enclosed gardens for a bit more space. The apartments come with fully fitted kitchens featuring composite quartz worktops, gloss units and integrated appliances.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £240,000 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £192,000 • 5% deposit: £12,000 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,005 • Total costs: £1,005***

Interested? Email enquiries@homefocus.

co.uk with “Parkside Place” in the subject.

Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Parkside-Place

With a wide range of styles and a full selection of two, three, four and six-bedroom properties, Taylor Wimpey is making Help to Buy available at their Parc Hendrawna development in Perranporth, Cornwall.

Parc Hendrawna is a stylish collection of 120 properties off Liskey Hill which enjoys a fabulous location on the north coast of Cornwall, seven miles away from Truro.

A popular destination for surfers and other watersports enthusiasts, it boasts a

three-mile long beach, with stunning sand dunes which extend a mile inland.

The town benefits from a selection of shops, pubs and restaurants, and the local Perranporth Community Primary School, which neighbours the development, was rated good in its latest Ofsted inspection.

For commuters, there is easy access to the A30 for journeys to Truro, just a 15-minute drive away, and beyond, and Truro railway station offers services to Plymouth, Exeter and London Paddington.

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.

PARC HENDRAWNA Two, three, and four-bedroom houses in Perranporth, prices to be confirmed for 80%

South West


forget to include your contact details.

www.homefocus.co.uk/Parc-Hendrawna



South West Properties


KITLEY PLACE Yealmpton from £319,996 for 80%

Taylor Wimpey is making a range of family homes available under the Help to Buy scheme at their Kitley Place development in Yealmpton.

The illustration is of the four-bedroom ‘Bawden’ style and boasts a large kitchen/breakfast room and spacious living room – both opening through French doors to the private rear garden – with a utility room, a dining room and a guest cloakroom completing the ground-floor layout.

Upstairs, there’s an en-suite master bedroom, three further bedrooms (one with a shower room) plus a main bathroom.

Outside, the property benefits from driveway parking for two cars and a garage.

Four-bedroom house: Full value: £399,995 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £319,996 5% deposit: £2,000 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,953 • Total costs: £1,953***

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Kitley-Place” in the subject.

Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Kitley-Place

THE OLD COAL YARD Sparkford from £66,000 for 40%

With completion expected at the end of the year, Stonewater Homes is offering two and three-bedroom homes for shared ownership at The Coal Yard in Sparkford.These are traditionally designed houses with their own private garden and parking, and feature stylish kitchens with integrated oven, hob and chimney-style extractor hoods along with attractively designed bathroom suites and fitted carpets throughout. A unique design feature is an opened-up roof-space providing extra accommodation with a Velux roof window to allow more natural light into the house.

Set within stunning rural countryside with good road and rail transport links, The Coal Yard is close to Yeovil which offers excellent schools, healthcare, shopping, business and leisure facilities.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £165,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £66,000 • 5% deposit: £3,300 • Mortgage on share*: £385Rent on remaining share**: £227 • Total costs: £612

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

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Old-Coalyard

RIVERSIDE Bath from £69,200 for 40%

Bath Riverside is Bath’s newest residential quarter. When completed it will be a bustling, vibrant community with approximately 2,000 homes, a new primary school, student accommodation and a choice of cafés. And making it possible for singletons, couples and small families to live there is shared ownership, offered on one and two-bedroom apartments by Curo Homes.

Each kitchen provides an electric oven, hob and cooker hood, plumbing and space for a washing machine or washer dryer and dishwasher. The bathrooms offer a white bathroom suite with shower over the bath and shower screen and both kitchen and bathroom have vinyl flooring. Selected apartments benefit from allocated parking and a balcony. The Bath Riverside development is a five minute walk from a supermarket and ten minutes from Oldfield Park railway station.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £173,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £69,200 • 5% deposit: £3,460 • Mortgage on share*: £404Rent on remaining share**: £238 • Total costs: £642

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



When Craig Daniell and his partner Charlotte Draper decided the time

was right to buy their first home they were pleasantly surprised at how much house they could get for their money through Help to Buy. And as a member of the armed forces, Craig qualified for an extra initiative (Forces Help to Buy) which enables military personnel to secure an interest-free loan of up to 50% of their annual salary to put towards the cost of their first home.

The couple, who were previously renting a two-bedroom apartment in Pentire, were on the lookout for a three-bedroom house when they realised they could afford a spacious four-bedroom house at Taylor Wimpey’s Trevenson Meadows development in Trencreek, Newquay.

Charlotte says, ‘Forces Help to Buy is a really, really good scheme. There are a lot of first-time buyers out there who are in the military and the extra help is fantastic – it’s helped us get onto the

property ladder.’She adds: ‘We wanted more room

because at some point we’d like to have a large family. We also wanted to start investing and we just felt the time was right for us to buy. We were actually looking for a three-bedroom house but when we found out we could afford a four-bed we thought why not! By having a bigger house we can relax knowing we won’t be in a rush to move when we do eventually have children.’

Charlotte and Craig Previous situation: Renting

Scheme: Help to Buy (+extra help via FHTB)

Location: Newquay

Provider: Taylor Wimpey

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

‘the extra help is fantastic – it’s helped us get onto the property ladder


Heathfield Gardens in the village of Monkton Heathfield, has a range of two and three-bedroom homes available via shared ownership from Yarlington Homes. Monkton Heathfield has good road links, being close to the A38 and M5 and the main station at Taunton is on the London-Penzance line.

The village is fine for local shopping and enjoys a real community feel and for more serious shopping and entertainment, Taunton is ‘on the doorstep’. And to make sure that Heathfield Gardens fits nicely into the community feel, careful attention has been paid to architectural features and building materials, to make sure that the new homes complement their surroundings.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £175,000 • Minimum share: 50% Cost of share: £87,500 • 5% deposit: £4,375 • Mortgage on share*: £511Rent on remaining share**: £200 • Total costs: £711

Interested? Email [email protected] with “Heathfield Gardens” in

the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.

co.uk/Heathffield-Gardens

HEATHFIELD GARDENS Taunton from £87,500 for 50%

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South West Properties

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5% ** 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

DUKES RISE Shepton Mallet from £123,960 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.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £154,950Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £123,9605% deposit: £7,748 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £714 • Total costs: £714***

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


co.uk/Dukes-Rise

BUDGET BUSTERA few years ago we were told that buying a home was all about location, location, location. And to a large extent it’s still true. But if you’re to get onto the housing ladder, you need to think about something else, and that’s money, money money! Money for your deposit, money for your mortgage and money to get through each month.

The budget planner on the right hand page will help you work out your income and outgoings each month. And if there’s anything left over, you can add it to your savings for the deposit you’ll need. But this page will help you focus on getting your credit rating as high as you can, vital to getting access to the best mortgage deals.

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.


BUDGETPLANNERTo give yourself the best chance of getting a mortgage, you must get to grips with your

finances. Budget on a monthly basis, even if it’s an annual bill. This planner will come in handy when your potential mortgage lender or the housing

association’s mortgage advisor asks you about your outgoings. Go to www.homefocus.co.uk /Budget_Planner and download an electronic

version to print off as many times as you need.

MoneyMaestro

BUDGET BUSTER

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) £


HUDSON T

V P

ER

SON

ALI

TY

JULES


Inconversationwith...

Jules Hudson is perhaps best known as the leading face of the BBC’s hit property series, Escape To The Country, which he joined in 2007. He started his professional life as a Field Archaeologist, and has travelled and worked in some of the most demanding countries across the world. Over the years Jules has been able to put his archaeological and property expertise to use, from giving advice to those looking for a new home to looking at the history of our country and exploring archaeological sites. As someone who is passionate about property and the environment in which we live we asked Jules to share his thoughts about the important aspects of a home with us.

When did you buy your first home, what was it like, and what made you choose it?My first home was a derelict cottage in the heart of the Cambrian Mountains, which I was lucky enough to buy in 1996. From the moment I saw it, I recognised that it had everything I wanted; firstly it was an historic project in need of much TLC, and I was determined to bring it back to life. It was also in a part of the world I adored. It was a genuine labour of love, and my home for the best part of twenty years. It inspired a love of restoration, conservation, building and gardening; it was my first ‘escape to the country’, and was the foundation of my passion for the series. What do you believe are the most important aspects of a home?For me, home buying and home owning has always been an emotional business. I believe you have to love a place to enjoy it fully. I’m also a big fan of expending a good deal of sweat and tears in making it your own. For some a home is just a place from which life is based, but I’ve always felt that it should be much more than that, no matter how big or small, rural or urban.

What is your vision/opinion on the lack of affordable housing in the UK? The availability of affordable housing is a growing issue not just in rural areas but in our towns and cities as well. It’s often touted as a priority come election time, but it’s a difficult one to answer. The cost of land and build costs mean its provision is often dogged

by the obvious economics. But when you weigh up the average wage across the UK, particularly for those who would ideally qualify for affordable housing, against the ever more stringent rules governing the availability of mortgages, it’s hard to see how most can afford to get on the property ladder without help. In truth we need houses that should be priced below 100k; I suspect we need a model plan, a model design that will allow buildings to be built affordably, sensitively and attractively, but that somehow can be ring fenced to keep them in the housing market for others to sell and buy affordably at a later date. Affordable housing is I suspect always going to need to be underwritten by local and national government, in a coordinated nationwide strategy. The Help To Buy scheme is going some way towards this, but the idea needs to be sustainable in the long term.

What advice would you give to those looking to purchase their first home? The Help To Buy scheme is helping a lot of people right now, and is benefitting from historically low interest rates, but as always don’t over extend yourself financially if you can avoid it. Taking on a project is often a good way to get into the property market, and learning the skills to do a place up can not only save a lot of time and money, but from my experience can prove to be one of the most rewarding aspects of home ownership.

What are you current working on and what’s next for you? We have just completed a further series of Escape to the Country, and Escape to the Continent. I’ve really enjoyed seeing how the European property market has responded to the recent downturn, and how attitudes to property ownership differ abroad. There is certainly a greater emphasis on living within the heart of towns and cities which we have lost sight of. There can be no doubt that we may learn a lot

from the practice in Europe of longer term rental rather than ownership.

I’m also in the middle of a fascinating new series for the History Channel on the History of 10 of Britain’s most iconic and significant airfields, covering

everything from the development of the world’s first aircraft, through to the Second World

War and the role that Britain is playing in the very latest advances in cutting edge aerospace technology. Alongside my television work I am an ambassador for Heat Holders, their range of thermal

products are extremely useful when I am out and about filming in the cold and wet. For

more info about their products visit www.heatholders.com

JULES


Red is the colour of

fire and blood, so it is

not surprising that for

centuries it has been

associated with energy,

war, danger, strength,

power, determination

as well as passion,

and love. Being an

emotionally intense

colour, red enhances

human metabolism and

increases respiration

rate making it the

perfect accent colour to

use in the kitchen, dining

room and living room.

So if you are looking to

inject a little energy into

your home, here are a

few of our favourite ‘red’

finds to help you get

started.

Capri Armchair Red £299www.tesco.com

RED REVIVAL


HomeStyle

1 Ladybug Any Surface one coat matt paint £19.84 for 2.5 litres www.diy.com

2 Bazaar Bag bean bag £64.99 www.BeanBagBazaar.co.uk

3 Red cuckoo clock £45.00 www.desresdesign.co.uk

4 Retro locker side table £79.99 www.aplaceforeverything.co.uk

5 Festival table lamp £144 www.darlighting.co.uk

6 Red glass patina bowl £30 www.nationalgallery.co.uk

7 Nescafe Dolce Gusto Jovia coffee machine £89.99 www.dolce-gusto.co.uk

8 Red candle holders £3.00 each www.tigerstores.co.uk

9 Salter Orb mechanical scale £9.99 www.sainsburys.co.uk

10 Oxo three piece trivet set £12 www.oxouk.com

11 Emile Henry loaf mould £30.00 www.agacookshop.co.uk

12 Quartz red floor and wall tile from £52.94 per sq m www.tilemountain.co.uk

1

2

3

4

5

6

9

10

11

12

8

7


There’s a board advertising shared ownership outside

a development site going up just where

I’d like to live. But going for it means

buying off-plan. I’m a bit concerned about buying before

I actually see it. What should I take into

consideration before I buy off-plan?

Writes Emma Taylor from Edgware

Most of us would prefer to see it, stand in it and feel the

atmosphere before we choose to live in a place, but that

might mean missing out on the right new-build property.

So we asked some experts about buying off-plan.

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.

B uilding and selling new homes quickly is important.

The quicker we sell homes, the quicker we can

move on to building the next one.

One way to ensure that housing associations sell their

homes quickly is to market them off-plan, like private

developers do. If buying off-plan seems daunting,

remember it can also bring you benefits. Quite often

those who buy off-plan can choose the best plot,

in their favourite part of the development. You may

get a greater choice of finishes for your kitchen and

bathroom units.

Of course, buying off plan makes it harder to visualise

your finished home, but visiting a show home can

help. This will give you a feel for the size, layout and

build quality. The show home might not be exactly

the same as the one you buy, so we would point out

any differences – what’s more you can get some great

interior design ideas!

Understanding what you’re buying is important, so

make sure you look closely at the detailed specification

and talk it through with your housing association

representative. Don’t forget to ask about what’s outside

your home, such as parking, communal areas, how any

service charges will work and what it costs.

As well as offering you greater choice, buying off

plan gives you more time to plan your move, so it may

also save you money: And if your housing association

requires you to exchange contracts before your home

is completed, this can protect you from further price

increases.

HOUSING ASSOCIATION

ASK

TH

E EX

PERT

SDave LakinHead of New Business and Development at Grand Union Housing Group


LEGAL CUSTOMERS

Most reasons for or against buying off plan are

personal/emotive, but from a lawyer’s perspective

there isn’t much difference between buying off plan and

buying a recently built property. Your solicitor doesn’t

see the property either way and will only look at the

plans to identify where the property is and to make sure

you have legal rights of access. They are not concerned

about how big the property is or how it is laid out, nor

about the specification. So when buying off plan it is

your responsibility to check the plans and specification.

And note, most new-build contracts allow the builder to

vary these slightly, provided that it does not affect the

value of the property.

The contract will provide that completion takes place

‘on notice’, meaning that once the property is ready,

the seller’s solicitor will serve your solicitor with a

notice requiring you to complete 10 working days later.

Before that, any dates given are merely estimates, so

make sure you’ve somewhere to stay until completion

is fixed.

You’ll also need to check your mortgage offer just

in case it runs out before notice is served. If your

circumstances change it might be hard to get a new

offer.

The contract will provide that the property is built

in accordance with planning permission, building

regulations and to the requirements of the new home

warranty provider (the NHBC or similar). Therefore

even though you may not have seen the finished

product you know that it will be built to all necessary

standards.

When Deborah and Tony looked to buy their first

home they had two major concerns – how could

they raise a deposit and was buying off-plan a gamble?

Deborah talks about her experience. ‘We knew that

shared ownership was the way to go, because frankly,

we would not have been able to raise the deposit for

a two-bedroom apartment any other way. We didn’t

want to borrow money from our parents, and shared

ownership was the only affordable way for us to buy

our first home.

We had been living with my sister when she fell

pregnant, and wanting to give her space and privacy,

we started to look for shared ownership properties in

the area. We started to feel the pressure a bit when we

missed out on the first shared ownership apartment

we applied for, but then we found out about Affinity

Sutton’s development at The Residences. It seemed

ideal, but meant buying off-plan to be sure of getting

what we wanted. And we didn’t know if buying off-plan

was more difficult or perhaps even risky since we

couldn’t see the finished flat beforehand.

We were given confidence when we saw the plans

and saw the sort of finish we could expect so bought a

55% share of a two-bedroom apartment with a deposit

of just £5,800. It’s no gamble when you buy from an

established company used to selling off-plan. We really

like this development’.

ExpertAdvice

Andrew TheoffPartner at Direction Law

Deborah and TonyBought off-plan last year



Investors like to ‘buy at the lowest possible price and sell at the top, they often refer to it as ‘getting in on the ground floor’ – wonder where they got that expression from? If you want to live in a particular area or your budget only allows you to live in certain areas, wouldn’t it be nice to have the comfort of expecting your property to do as well as the market place in general or even better it?

A vision to be proud of!Conventional wisdom often says, look for the places where coffee shops are being planned, or boutique shops that’ll bring in a new trendy audience of shoppers, workers and residents. In other words, a regeneration area! Regeneration comes from the Latin word ‘regeneratus’ meaning ‘created again’. The Oxford dictionary goes into a little more detail: to bring new and more vigorous life to an area; revive especially in economic terms.

We are all familiar with the local estate or area that has been neglected or is simply no longer fit for the demands of today’s modern living. The aim of a regeneration is to give areas like this a facelift or even a wholescale makeover

BRINGING AN AREA

TO LIFE depending on the job to be done and the funds available. The vision is to create something new that will last and that people will be proud of.

Depending on the scale of the regeneration, there may be an aim to attract inward investment, create more of a community, enhance transport, build a new school or a Doctors’ surgery and possibly create new places of work and retail areas.

Larger regeneration projects offer something for everyone: so new places to live with a high level of affordable homes, meaning that there are often great opportunities to buy a brand new quality home with shared ownership or other affordable home ownership options alongside rent and sale. As some of these schemes are multi-phased over many years, early buyers can often secure a great value property, although they may have to put up the inconvenience of being close to a building site for a while.

Everyone winsResearch shows that residents of regenerated areas tend to display a real sense of belonging to the new community and benefit from a reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour. There’s also a ‘halo’ effect which spreads to the neighbouring areas – they too benefit from an improved and attractive area. In fact everyone wins!

Perhaps the best known regeneration of recent times is the Olympic Park at Stratford, which has made a positive impact on large parts of East London. But there are plenty of other regeneration areas.


Regeneration

Tottenham Hale

At Tottenham Hale, Haringey Council has

submitted a bid for the area to become

a dedicated Housing Zone. Half of the

Park Central

Park Central was named Best Regeneration

Project towards the end of last year at the

Housebuilder Awards, following being named

Development of the Year (over 100 homes)

at the Sunday Times British Homes Awards

earlier in the summer.

new homes are to be for low-cost rent or

sale – with Newlon Housing offering shared

ownership and rent-to-buy schemes to help

families onto the housing ladder. Tottenham

Hale is also the centre of a transport revolution

– with more than £110million being invested in

a new tube, rail and bus station, a redesigned

Park Central is one of the largest

residential regeneration schemes in

Birmingham city centre. At one time, the

area epitomised Birmingham’s image as a

concrete jungle, dominated by tower blocks

and street crime - a real no-go zone. Now,

Park Central is a desirable place to live,

home to more than 1,000 people, including

road system and increased train frequencies

to Stansted Airport, Stratford and central

London.

The regeneration will incorporate a new

primary school, new community facilities and

a new stadium for Tottenham Hotspur; by

2025, Tottenham will enjoy more than 10,000

new homes, 5,000 new jobs and almost 1

million square feet on new employment and

commercial space.

professionals and families.

Crest Nicholson is currently building

1,600 new homes including apartments

and houses, together with 285,000 sq ft of

commercial space. At the heart of Park

Central is eight aces of

landscaped public parkland.

Adam, Sylvie and Gabriel Not long after baby Gabriel was born, Adam and Sylvie decided to move from the one-bedroom apartment they were renting. They knew they needed more space and they also felt that the time had come to stop renting and put down some roots.

The young family was able to move into a two-bedroom shared ownership apartment, not brand new but close to being so; they became the second owners of the apartment having purchased the share previously owned by the first people to live there.

By buying on a shared ownership basis, Adam and Sylvie were able to stay in the area they wanted to be in and pay out less each month than they did when they rented – but for a bigger home!

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? Well, you’d be surprised at the different sorts of people who climb onto the home ownership ladder and their reasons for looking into shared ownership and Help to Buy.


Leona Leona, 26, had been renting with friends close to Guy’s Hospital in London where she was training. After qualifying, she successfully secured a position in Winchester and was keen to live close to her work’ but didn’t want to rent anymore saying ‘It’s so expensive and it makes financial sense to buy.’

Leona was able to buy a two-bedroom home from Burton Property who were offering the Help to Buy option at Chesil Mews in Winchester. ‘It seemed a great opportunity to buy at a price I could afford.’

Leona’s apartment cost £210,000, but under Help to Buy equity loan scheme she only needed to raise £168,000. Leona’s mother contributed a 5% deposit and Leona was able to find a mortgage to cover the rest.

Richard and CarlRichard and Carl had been friends going back to school days. More recently they had flat shared together and now they both wanted three things; to stay in the area they enjoyed living in, to have their own space and to stop throwing money away – which they considered renting to be!

When they heard about a new shared ownership development nearby, they saw an opportunity to go from ‘housemates to neighbours.’ Richard and Carl each bought a one-bedroom apartment next door to each other – the best of all worlds.

Because of their different incomes, Carl was able to buy a 40% share in his apartment whilst Richard purchased 75%.

BuyerProfile

Joanna, Gordon and their three childrenWhen their rented home was deemed unsafe, Joanna and Gordon were forced to move at very short notice into a two-bedroom apartment. Far from ideal for a family of five! In fact Joanna and Gordon slept on the sofa while their teenage children shared the bedrooms and it didn’t take too long before the situation became impossible.

Joanna worried that they would have to move again and as so much of their income was going on rent, they’d never save enough for a deposit on a home of their own. It was then they saw a shared ownership board at a new development and were able to buy a 25% share of a three-bedroom house. Only having to raise 5% deposit on 25% of the full price made the difference to them, making them comfortable and secure.

Amiya and RajivAmiya and Rajiv knew exactly where they wanted to live. When Amiya was 15 her parents bought a three-bedroom house and two of her older brothers each bought an apartment on the same shared ownership development. So when they got married, the newlyweds wanted to live nearby. ‘Staying together as a family is really important to us. Unfortunately, there’s nothing being built round here now and there’s no way we could afford to buy through an estate agent’, so they carried on living with Amiya’s parents.

Everything changed when Amiya’s eldest brother was told that his neighbour was going to sell his share and move on. Amiya and Rajiv applied for the property under the shared ownership scheme and moved into their own home eight years after the rest of the family became shared owners.

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]


If you’re buying a new

home the chances are

that the bathroom you

inherit will be plain white,

leaving you the perfect

blank canvas with which

to create your own style.

Simply by choosing the

right accessories you

can make your bathroom

look vibrant, glamorous,

minimalistic, or any other

style that reflects your

personality. So when

choosing products take into

consideration the colour,

shape, texture, and size,

even the smallest of items

can make an impact on

the overall effect you are

looking to achieve. To help

get you started, we have

put together a few ideas to

cover all budgets.

BATHROOM PER SONALITIESCREATE YOUR OWN BATHROOM STYLE WITH A FEW FINISHING TOUCHES

Orla Kiely jacquard stem bathmat £36 www.occa-home.co.uk

Laundry basket with rope handle £100 www.gardentrading.co.uk

Jonathan Adler zebra bath mat £24 www.amara.com

Ferm Living Spear laundry bag £59 www.cloudberryliving.co.uk

Bobble stripe bath mat £12 www.bhs.co.uk Plan to wash laundry bag £13.50

www.homecandy.co.uk

BEST BUY BEST BUY

GREAT VALUE GREAT VALUE

INVESTMENTINVESTMENT

Step On It Bath Mats

Keep It Tidy Laundry Baskets


RoomFocus

BATHROOM PER SONALITIESCREATE YOUR OWN BATHROOM STYLE WITH A FEW FINISHING TOUCHES

Rode Bath tall soap dispenser £59 www.black-by-design.co.uk

Anorak kissing stag bath sheet £35 www.johnlewis.com

Hook wall mirror £139 www.boconcept.co.uk

Stardust soap pump £12 www.johnlewis.com

Kerala hammam cotton towel £24 www.darwinshome.com

Shutter mirror £70 www.bhs.co.uk

Stone soap dispenser £6 www.tesco.com

Java stripe bath towel £7 www.wilko.com

Stabekk green mirror £40 www.ikea.com

BEST BUY BEST BUY BEST BUY

GREAT VALUE GREAT VALUE GREAT VALUE

INVESTMENT INVESTMENT

INVESTMENT

Squeaky Clean Soap Dispensers

Wrap It Up Bath Towels

On Reflection Mirrors


50% of this one-bedroom apartment in Welwyn Garden City, from Moat for £77,500

50% of this two-bedroom

apartment in Hemel

Hempstead, from Hightown

Homes for £87,500

LOOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX...You’re looking for the right home at the right location, at a price you can afford. Nobody says that it has to be new-build.

35% of this two-bedroom apartment in London E16, from Currell’s for £94,500 (other resales available in this devleopment)

60% of this one-bedroom apartment in Wallington from L&Q for £119,970

Just a taste

A resaleThe shared ownership industry refers to these older or existing shared ownership properties as ‘resales’ and buying a resale property might also give you a bit more choice in the area you want to live in. For a start, you’re not restricted to places where there’s development going on right now. Perhaps you already know of a development but weren’t ready to buy when the homes were being sold new. And some older resales aren’t part of a development at all. So if you want to stay living in the area you know but it hasn’t seen any new development for a while, then finding a resale could be your answer.

How it works When a shared owner is looking to sell their share and move on, their housing association will help them find the right buyer to take over on a shared ownership basis. So if they own, for example, 35%, then you’ll be offered that 35%. But if you want to buy more, you can. Let’s say you can afford 50% of the resale home you want, but the sellers only own 35%. In that case, you buy their 35% plus a further 15% from the housing association. It sounds complicated, but it really isn’t, and if you use a

Once you’ve decided that shared ownership could be for you, it’s important to look at all the options.

There may be more areas covered and more styles of property than you think. It’s all too easy to think that the only properties available under the shared ownership scheme are brand new ones. After all, you see plenty of hoardings announcing shared ownership alongside new developments that are being built, but it’s unusual to spot a shared-ownership-for-sale board outside an individual house or apartment. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any older or individual shared ownership properties for sale.

More choiceIn fact older or existing shared ownership properties make up quite a chunk of those on the market. They add to the choice of homes you could buy. Of course, a lot of them will be newish, simply because shared ownership has only been going around 30 years, but there are other kinds of property available too – including older properties that have been refurbished and sold through shared ownership in the past. So unless you’re absolutely set on a new-build home, check out the older shared ownership homes available in your area.

Here’s just a sample of the kind ofproperties you could find as a resale...


35% of this one-bedroom apartment in Stevenage from Affinity Sutton for £49,350

More informationIf you want more information about the resale homes featured here, or to search for other properties featured in homefocus, please visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Search. Or you can email [email protected] or call 0845 474 4734.

Gabriella and James had been living in a rented studio apartment in Maidstone and paying £550 per month. Describing it as ‘very claustrophobic’, they were looking for a new home that was open plan and gave them the opportunity to invite friends over for dinner.

Initially, they viewed brand new Help to Buy properties, but decided that shared ownership suited them better, as it allowed them to have an extra bedroom for their money. ‘The homes in the area available through Help to Buy scheme and within our budget were smaller; we could only afford a studio or one-bedroom apartment. With shared ownership, we could afford two bedrooms’ says Gabriella. And having gone down the shared ownership route, the couple then looked at all the shared ownership options: new-build and older properties. The home that suited them best was a two-bedroom ‘resale’ apartment from Affinity Sutton, where the monthly mortgage and rent combined to £536, just £36 more than the rent they paid out each month for the studio.

Gabriella explains, ‘a huge factor in choosing this apartment was value for money with the space that we now have in comparison to where we previously rented. It was also great that we were able to meet the previous owners, and as they showed us around the property, we could ask them everything we wanted to.’

‘We only had to visit the apartment once before we fell in love with it. We liked the idea of a top floor apartment and the kitchen was a great selling point too – it has so much cupboard space and the features were in a great, practically brand new condition,’ says Gabriella.

‘we were able to meet the previous owners, we could ask them everything we wanted to’

MoreChoice

specialist solicitor (we have a list on pages 66-67) they will know how best to advise you.

Where to find a resaleYour Local Help to Buy Agent (or the sharetobuy.com/firststeps website for London) will have details of many of the resales properties available and be able to let you know which housing association to contact about each one. You can also check out individual housing association websites for information on any resales they have. In fact, if you’re looking to move into a particular development, it’s worth finding out who the relevant housing association is and getting in touch to let them know you’d be interested in a resale if one comes up.

Insider infoWhen you’re thinking about buying, nothing beats a good chat with the people who already live there. If you’re only looking at newly built homes, you’ll get information from the sales team, but if you’re buying a resale you’ll get the real insider info. Ten minutes from the station? ‘Yes, and only five from the shops…Utility bills? ‘We didn’t have to turn our heating on at all until November...’ And so on…Nothing beats the personal touch.

So, don’t restrict yourself to just looking at new properties – you could get more choice, more opportunities, and maybe a better fit for you and your family if you check out the resales too!

Get in touchIf you want more information about resale homes or any of the properties featured in homefocus, go to www.homefocus.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 0845 4744734


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!


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



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neutralise these chemicals and filters them down to as

low a concentration as one part per million – making

this paint as effective as good electrical air filters.

And once applied to the walls, it carries on working

for at least five years. In fact, it’s so effective it is even

used in the world-famous Louvre art gallery in Paris

to protect their priceless artefacts from the pollutants.

Homes should be a haven, a place to relax and

unwind. By using this unique paint in your home not

only can you rest assured that like every product in

the Ecos range it is non-toxic and solvent-free, but it is

actively improving the air in your atmosphere.

Air Purifying Paint is available in white and a

staggering 180 other colours, so whatever your style,

there is a perfect shade for your home. It’s just one

of the innovative decorating products in the Ecos

range, all of which are non-toxic as well as solvent

and VOC-free.

To be in with a chance of winning one of two 5 litre cans of Air Purifying Paint worth £150 simply answer the below question:

Air Purifying Paint is so effective they’ve used it in?A: The Eiffel Tower B: The Louvre C: The Monmartre

How to enter:Email your answer, along with your name, address, and confirmation that you are over 18 years of age to:[email protected] don’t forget to include ‘Win Ecos Paint’ in the subject line. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/competitions

The two winners will be picked at random from correct entries. Winners will receive a covering letter explaining how to order as well as colour cards so they can choose their paint

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

WIN

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!

Ideal Home ShowOlympia London20th March-6th April 2015

The National Homebuilding & Renovating and Home Improvements ShowNECBirmingham26-29 March 2015

The Homematch Property Show 2015 Russell Hotel London WC111am-4pm, 7 February 2015

Southern Home OwnershipOpen Day The Cedars, ReadingBerkshire14 February 2015

We have exciting Recruitment Opportunities inHome Ownership

To find out more visit www.jobsatsouthwark.co.uk


PropertySearch

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

EAST & SOUTH EASTwww.helptobuyese.org.uk Ampthill Saxon Grange 1 2 bed house Now Hightown HomesAshford, Kent Tower Point 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonAshford, Kent Wellesley View 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonAylesbury Oasis at Buckingham Park 5 1 bed flats Now Hightown HomesBedford St Bede’s Independent Living 53 1 & 2 bed flats - for the over 55’s Now Orbit HomesBedford Aspire 9 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesBexhill on Sea The Point Phase 2 8 1 & 2 bed flats March Orbit HomesBiggleswade Kings Reach 18 1 & 2 bed flats, 2, 3 & 4 bed houses 2014-2015 AragonBletchley Newton Leys 1 3 bed house Now Hightown HomesBletchley Newton Leys 2 3 bed houses Now Hightown HomesBognor Regis Harrington House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBorehamwood Nicoll Way 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonBracknell Forest Harrier Way 1 2 bed house Now Affinity SuttonBracknell Forest The Parks 15 2, 3 & 4 bed houses 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 Alexandra Apartments 1 2 bed wheelchair accessible Now Affinity SuttonBrighton Matthew House 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBrighton Old Mill Mews 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonBroadstairs Hereson Place 5 3 bed houses Early 2015 Orbit HomesBury St Edmunds Vinefields 7 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Buxted Totease Mews 1 3 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCaterham Oakgrove 18 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonChatham Upbury Way 3 2 bed houses Autumn Heart of Medway Chatham Theatre Royal 8 2 bed flats Now Heart of Medway Chatham Admirals Place 8 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 bed houses March Orbit HomesChatham Theatre Royal 8 2 bed flats Now Red Loft Chelmsford St John’s 7 1 & 2 bed flats Now East ThamesChelmsford City Park West 11 1 & 2 bed flats Now Genesis HousingChichester Canal Walk 13 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonChichester Affinity Sutton at Graylingwell Park 22 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonChichester Bleaches Court 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonChichester St Margarets 14 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonChigwell Grange Manor 4 2 bed flats Now East ThamesCranleigh The Cranes 12 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonCrawley Haweswater Place 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCringleford Aura, Round House Park 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesEastbourne Churchdale Road 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonEastergate Brooks Nursery 4 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonFaygate, Horsham Kilnwood Vale 10 2, 3, 4 bed houses 2015 Southern HousingGillingham Hayter House 2 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonGillingham Amherst Heights 2 4 bed houses Now Red Loft Gillingham Amherst Heights 9 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now Heart of Medway Godalming Riverside 12 2 bed houses, 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonGuildford The Paddocks 9 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonHalling St Andrews Park 11 3 & 4 bed houses June Red Loft Halling St Andrews Park 18 1 & 2 bed flats September Red Loft Halling St Andrews Park 11 3 & 4 bed houses June Heart of Medway Halling St Andrews Park 18 1 & 2 bed flats September Heart of Medway Hassocks Affinity Sutton at Ockley Grange 2 2 & 3 bed houses Summer Affinity SuttonHastings Sycamore Chase 16 2 & 3 bed houses March Orbit HomesHastings Kingswood Gate 11 2 bed flats, 2 bed houses Now Orbit HomesHatfield Princes Gate 13 2 & 3 bed houses, 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonHertford Serenity 2 2 bed flats Now Hightown HomesHove New Church Road 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonHoveton Meadow View 11 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes

AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES

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

NEAR YOU!



PropertySearch

LONDON

www.helptobuyese.org.ukHurstpierpoint Chalkers Vale 6 3 bed houses Spring Affinity SuttonIpswich Stoke Quay 57 1 & 2 bed flats Now Genesis HousingKents Hill Bedgebury Place 1 3 bed house 2015 AragonLeverstock Green Kings Copse 1 2 bed flat Now Hightown HomesLewes Yew Tree Court 10 1 & 2 bed flats Spring Affinity SuttonLewes St Helen’s House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonMaidstone West Gate Apartments 12 2 bed flats Early 2015 Heart of Medway Maidstone Eccleston Road 6 2 bed flats Mid 2015 Heart of Medway Maidstone Buckland Hill 12 TBA Apartment Mid 2015 Heart of Medway Maidstone Fairmeadow 12 TBA Apartment Late 2015 Heart of Medway Milton Keynes Cornwall Grove 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonMilton Keynes Yorkshire Close 1 2 bed Now Affinity SuttonRochester Summerson Close 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonSandy Sunderland Road 13 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses 2014-2015 AragonShenley Brook End Garthwaite Crescent 1 3 bed house 2015 AragonSt Albans Scholars Court at Oaklands 2 1 bed flats Now Hightown HomesSt Leonards on Sea Oakwood Rise 11 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesStevenage Miller Way 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonStevenage Monument Court 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonStevenage Stephensons Mews 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonStevenage Nokeside 2 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonStotfold Beauchamp Mill 5 1 & 2 bed maisonettes Now Hightown HomesThanet Weyburn Place 4 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesUpper Caldecote Biggleswade Road 4 2 & 3 bed houses, 2 bed bungalow 2015 AragonWadhurst Farthing Hill 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonYapton Emerald Gardens 4 2 & 3 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesYapton Taylors Close 1 2 bed house Now Affinity Sutton

www.sharetobuy.com/firststeps Barking and Dagenham Barking Riverside IMR 52 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QBarnet Axis 6 1 & 2 bed flats Now Origin HousingBexley Ratio 8 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesBexley Erith Park 9 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Bow The View 4 2 & 3 bed flats Coming soon East ThamesBrentford Brook Road South 2 3 bed houses Now Red Loft Brentford Lateward Road 1 4 bed house Now Red Loft Bromley Rokewood Apartments 16 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QBromley Archery Lane 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBromley Cuckmere Way 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBromley Hornbeam House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBromley Krueger House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBromley William Petty Way 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCanada Water Quebec Quarter 69 1 & 2 bed flats Late 2015 L&QChingford Mayfield 6 3 bed houses Coming soon East ThamesColindale Zenith 6 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Genesis Housing Croydon Scholars Place 12 1 & 2 bed flats Now Orbit HomesCroydon Hampton Mews 10 2 & 3 bed houses May Orbit HomesCroydon Balmoral House 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCroydon Bedford House 35 1 & 2 bed flats Summer Affinity SuttonCroydon The Deacons 7 2 bed flats Spring Affinity SuttonDagenham Castle Green Place 2 3 bed houses Now Newlon Home Ownership Docklands New Providence Wharf 47 1 & 2 bed flats Spring Genesis HousingEaling L&Q @ Liberty Quarter 11 1 & 2 bed flats Summer L&QEaling The Garden Court Apartments 19 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonEaling The Garden Court Apartments 4 2 bed wheelchair accessible flat Now Affinity SuttonEast Ham Butterfly Gardens 6 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Coming soon East ThamesEnfield Bolingbroke Park 50 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Early 2016 L&QEpping Arboretum 4 3 bed houses Now L&QFeltham Chichester 2 4 bed houses Now Red Loft Feltham Lake Court 8 2 bed flats April Red Loft Fitzrovia Cleveland Street@Fitzroy Place 14 1 bed flats Spring OctaviaForest Hill City Walk 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonFulham Ashlar Court 8 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonFulham The Landau Apartments 16 1 & 3 bed flats Summer Affinity SuttonFulham The Landau Apartments 2 1 & 2 bed wheelchair accessible flats Summer Affinity SuttonFulham Fulham Riverside 52 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonGolders Green The Lexington NW11 4 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonGreenwich L&Q @ Greenwich Square 76 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now L&QGreenwich L&Q @ Greenwich Peninsula 34 1 & 2 bed flats Spring L&QGreenwich L&Q @ Platinum Riverside 14 1 & 2 bed flats Spring L&QGreenwich L&Q @ Enderby Wharf 46 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2015 L&QHackney Chervil House 9 1, 2, 3 & 4 bed flats & duplexes Now MetropolitanHackney The City Mills 116 1, 2 & 3 bed flats, 4 & 5 bed houses 2015 & 2016 L&QHarold Wood Kings Park 24 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now East Thames


PropertySearch


LONDON

MIDLANDS

www.sharetobuy.com/firststepsHarrow Pearmain House 38 1 & 2 bed flats Now Metropolitan Harrow Bridge Street 26 1 & 2 bed flats Spring/Summer MetropolitanHarrow Essence 12 1 & 2 bed flats Now Origin HousingHarrow Chandos 15 1 & 2 bed flats Now Origin HousingHounslow Hawker Terrace 2 3 bed house Now Red Loft Hounslow Muntz House 3 2 bed flats Now Red Loft Hounslow Packwell Place 10 3 bed maisonettes, 2 bed flats Now Red Loft Hounslow St Valery Place 1 2 bed house Now Red Loft Hounslow Redwood 2 3 bed houses Now Red Loft Hounslow Crane Lodge Road 2 3 bed houses Now Red Loft Isle Of Dogs Triangle E14 8 2 bed flats Now Gateway LivingIslington Harrington Court 14 2 bed flats, 3 bed maisonettes Early 2015 L&QIslington The Fable Apartments at the Lexicon 70 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Summer Affinity SuttonKensington The Baronets 9 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonKensington The Kells 14 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonKidbrooke SOKV 61 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Viridian HousingLewisham Goldcrest House 29 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QLewisham L&Q @ Greenland Place 74 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QLewisham Thurston Point 42 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Summer L&QManor House Woodberry Park 42 1 & 2 bed flats Now Genesis HousingNew Cross Spark 30 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Hyde New Homes Newham Chobham Manor 8 1 bed flats, 3 bed houses Early 2016 L&QOrpington Amethyst Court 4 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonOrpington William Petty Way 2 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonPaddington Merchant Square 23 1 & 2 bed flats Now OctaviaPlumstead Kings Highway 30 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Hyde New Homes Putney Putney Plaza 34 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Launching 2016 OctaviaRedbridge Westview Drive 9 2 bed flats Spring/Summer MetropolitanRotherhithe The Arc 13 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonShoreditch Mondrian 2 1 bed flats Now Genesis Housing South South Woodford Crest Walk 4 2 & 3 bed flats Now Newlon Home Ownership Southwark Roseberry Street 14 3 & 4 bed houses Now Metropolitan Southwark L&Q @ Trafalgar Place 28 1, 2 & 3 bed flats, 3 & 4 bed houses Early 2015 L&QSouthwark Harvard Gardens 27 1 & 2 bed flats Spring L&QSouthwark L&Q @ The Arc TBC TBC Early 2015 L&QSt Mary Cray The Ridge BR5 20 1, 2 & 3 bed flats & duplexes. Now Affinity SuttonSt Mary Cray The Ridge BR5 1 2 bed wheelchair accessible flat Now Affinity SuttonSt Mary Cray Cray View Close 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonStonebridge Spring 27 1, 2 & 3 bed flats September Hyde New Homes Stratford Stratford Plaza 22 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Coming soon East ThamesStratford Stratford Gate 52 1 & 2 bed flats Early 2015 L&QSutton Sweet Briar Avenue 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonTottenham John Cameron Court 9 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Newlon Home Ownership Tower Hamlets The Dockyard 23 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Coming soon East ThamesWaltham Forest Shernall Street 21 1 ,2 & 3 bed flats Spring/Summer MetropolitanWandsworth Spectra 19 1 & 2 bed flats Now OctaviaWandsworth The Schoolyard 20 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QWembley Elizabeth House 1 1 bed flat Now OctaviaWoolwich Cannons Corner 24 1 & 2 bed flats Now Hyde New Homes Woolwich The Liberty 98 2 bed flats - over 55s Summer Viridian Housing

www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk Bedworth Milliner Court 10 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Bidford upon Avon The Waterways 5 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesBrackley Normandy Lodge 4 2 & 3 bed houses Now AragonBugbrooke The Williows 8 2 & 3 bed houses Early 2015 Orbit HomesBurton Latimer Glade Gardens 8 2 bed houses June Orbit HomesBurton-upon-Trent Steeping Place 18 2 & 3 bed houses Autumn 2015 Orbit HomesLeamington Spa Queensway Court 90 1 & 2 bed flats - for the over 55’s Now Orbit HomesLong Marston Beaufort Mead 29 2 & 3 bed houses,m’ettes, flats Now Orbit HomesMiddleton Cheney Waters Lane 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now AragonNorthampton Booth Park 56 2 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Nottingham Southreef 3 1 bed flats Now Metropolitan Nuneaton Viscount Place 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesNuneaton Waterside 11 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesPineham Butterfly Gardens 37 2 & 3 bed house 2015-2017 Orbit HomesRushden Woollard Gardens 8 2, 3 & 4 bed houses August Orbit HomesRushden Nightingale Place 4 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesSouth Northants Stonecutters, Roade 10 2 bed houses Early/mid 2015 Orbit HomesSoutham Tithe Lodge 30 1 & 2 bed flats - for the over 55’s Now Orbit HomesStratford-upon-Avon The Chapelry 15 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now Orbit HomesThrapston The Sidings 28 1 & 2 bed m’ettes, 2 & 3 bed houses Spring Orbit HomesWellesbourne Ettington Mews 19 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now Orbit Homes



Interested in any of the properties listed?

Email [email protected] and we’ll do the rest. Remember to include your name.

SOUTH

SOUTH WEST

www.helptobuysouth.co.ukBanbury Longford Park 7 2 & 3 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesBasingstoke Englefield Way 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBasingstoke Merryweather Way 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonEmsworth Redlands Grange 5 1 & 2 bed flats Now First WessexFarnborough North Farm Terrace 3 3 bed houses Now First WessexFreshwater IOW Freshwater Fields 14 2 & 3 bed houses Spring Spectrum HousingGlastonbury Chilkwell Street 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesGosport Alver Village 9 1 & 2 bed flats Now First WessexGosport Bligh House 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonGosport Issac House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonLee-on-the-Solent Sea Crest Gardens 5 2 & 3 bed houses Now First WessexNewport IOW Pan Meadows 9 2 bed houses Autumn Spectrum HousingPortsmouth Guardians Gate 4 3 & 4 bed houses Now First WessexPortsmouth Graduate Court 2 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonReading The Cedars 17 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Launching 2015 Southern HousingReading Kennet House 4 1 & 2 bed flats Now Stonewater HomesSouthampton Meggeson Ave 11 1 & 2 bed flats Now First WessexSouthampton Laxton Close 9 1 & 2 bed flats Now First WessexSouthampton Centenary Quay 8 1 & 2 bed flats Now Spectrum HousingSouthampton Centenary Quay 4 1 & 2 bed flats Now Spectrum HousingSouthampton Queensway 12 2 bed houses, 1 ,2 & 3 bed flats Now Stonewater HomesSouthampton The Cloisters 18 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonSouthampton The Compass 1 4 bed mid terrace house Now Affinity SuttonSouthampton Hawke House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonSouthsea Priory View 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton

www.helptobuysw.org.ukBournemouth Broadway Mews 9 2 & 3 bed houses Autumn Spectrum HousingBristol Maytrees 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBristol Wick Road 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonPlymouth Maple Walk 9 2 & 3 bed houses Spring Spectrum HousingPoundbury South West Quadrant 4 3 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesShaftesbury Cranbourne Heights 3 3 bed house Autumn Spectrum HousingSparkford The Old Coal Yard 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesTaunton Monkton Heathfield 4 3 bed houses Now Stonewater HomesWeymouth Pemberley 2 2 bed houses Now Stonewater Homes

PropertySearch

Homes for sale, for rent, for you

0300 303 7333www.east-thames.co.uk

across Essex

THAMES

THAMES

THAMES

homefinder East & South East


homefinderEast &South East

from Hightown Homesshared ownership

Get on the property ladder with

Call us: 01442 292381Visit us: www.hightownhomes.com

Brand new homes across London and the South East

[email protected]

08456 12 12 71

4608 SH SO Ad h61 x w91mm HFM ad.indd 1 10/11/2014 10:38

Homes for sale on a shared ownership basis across the South East

0300 100 0303affinitysutton.comemail: [email protected]

Bedfordshire, South Northants &

Milton Keynes

A home of your own with Shared Ownership

Tel. 01525 844460www.grandunionhousing.co.uk

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


Milton Keynes




Visit: www.mhs.org.uk

For shared ownership in Kent and Medway

homefinder East & South East


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.

Telephone 020 7492 2222 www.asa.org.uk

Keeping advertising standards high

We leave good

advertising to theprofessionals.

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.

Telephone 020 7492 2222 www.asa.org.uk

Keeping advertising standards high

We leave good

advertising to theprofessionals.

homefinderSouth West

Need a helping hand to get on the property ladder?

HampshireWiltshireDorset, DevonIsle of Wight

Call Today 0800 316 3316www.getmove-in.com

Affordable propertiesin various locations:

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

You can find out more details by going to: www.gov.uk/affordable-home-ownership-schemes

Shared Ownership • Discounted Rent

AffordableHyde New Homes

Call our sales team now!Tel: 0845 606 1221Email: [email protected]

Follow us on and

homefinder South West

Redlands Grange, Emsworth

homefinderLondon

Homes for sale, for rent, for you

0300 303 7333www.east-thames.co.uk

THAMES

THAMES

THAMES

across east London

Telephone: 0208 709 4409Fax: 020 8709 4400Email: [email protected]

409-413 Mile End RoadLondon E3 4PB

Providers of quality affordable homes

Homes for sale on a shared ownershipbasis across London

0300 100 0303affinitysutton.comemail: [email protected]

homefinder London


NEWLON WELCOMES INTEREST FROM ALL FIRST TIME BUYERS EARNINGUP TO £66,000 FOR ALL OF OUR ONE AND TWO BEDROOM HOMES

Call the sales team now

NEWLON WELCOMES INTEREST FROM ALL FIRST TIME BUYERS EARNING

Call the sales team now

0800 058 2544www.newlonhomeownership.org.uk SALES & MARKETING CONSULTANCY AND AGENCY SERVICES

shared ownership homesin London & the South East

Find out more: 0844 225 3071 · www.redloftsales.co.uk




Follow us on and

homefinder London

www.octaviahousing.org.uk020 8354 5601for more information please call

Developing homes in London

octaviaafforDabLe homeownership

feeLs gooD when you finD what you’re Looking for

3998 OH Home Focus Ad_V2.indd 1 10/02/2014 10:44


Get on the London property ladder with an Shared Ownership home

www.lqgroup.co.uk/pricedin

Ownership home


Ownership homeOwnership home


LAQ_044_HomeFocus_91x61mm_v3.indd 1 06/02/2014 14:45

Developing where people want to

www.viridianhousing.org.ukTel: 0800 012 1442

Viridian is now a major provider of shared ownership properties across leafy south west London, one of the

most desirable areas for first time buyers.

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.

Award winning homes in North London and Hertfordshire

originsales.co.uk l 0800 068 8990

Brand new homes across London and the South East

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4608 SH SO Ad h61 x w91mm HFM ad.indd 1 10/11/2014 10:38



homefinderMidlands

homefinder Midlands



Milton Keynes





Milton Keynes




With energy bills on the rise, call us free on 0800 0014 706 or visit www.myhomeenergyswitch.org.uk today to find the best price for your gas and electricity.

It’s free, fast and simple to switch and we’ll take care of all the paperwork.

Do you want to pay less for your energy

Billscutter is part of the group




homefinder South

Need a helping hand to get on the property ladder?

HampshireWiltshireDorset, DevonIsle of Wight

Call Today 0800 316 3316www.getmove-in.com

Affordable propertiesin various locations:

Don’t miss out...get the next 6 issues of homefocus delivered through your doorPublished every other month to keep you up to date with the latest opportunities in shared and affordable home ownershipJust £12.95 for the next 6 issues

n The latest affordable developments in your region

n Who to ask and where to find an affordable home

n Information about shared ownership, New Build HomeBuy,

FirstBuy, and all low cost home ownership schemes

nAdvice on legal and mortgage matters from specialists






homefinderSouth

Redlands Grange, Emsworth

Name ______________________________

Address ____________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

____________________________________

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____________________________________

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Follow us on and

legaladvice

Buying a new home requires essential legal…

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:

Janice Maskell 020 8215 1077 [email protected] Gary Gillespie 020 8215 1062 [email protected] Debra Rose 020 8215 5040 [email protected] Grant 020 8215 5041 [email protected]

9-13 Cambridge Park Wanstead E11 2PU (opposite Wanstead Station on the Central Line)

Tel: 020 8215 1000Web: www.wiseman.co.uk

HOMEBUY / STAIRCASING / RESALES

ALL HOUSING ASSOCIATION SCHEMES

RESIDENTIAL / COMMERCIAL CONVEYANCING


Put your conveyancing in

experienced hands

� Shared Ownership purchases� FirstBuy � Social HomeBuy � Right to Buy

� Right to Acquire � Staircasing� Shared Ownership resales

� Equity Loan redemption/remortgaging

Contact us for a friendly, no obligation quote:

London Office: 020 7158 0031Kent Office: 01227 812733

[email protected]

www.directionlaw.co.uk

legaladvice


Visit www.free-conveyancing-guide.co.uk to receive your FREE Guide to Conveyancing.

Please contact our solicitors; Kerry Hicks, Sophie Treszka, Dorothy Johnstone or Rachel Turner on 020 8567 3477, or email [email protected]

• Shared Ownership

• Shared Equity

• First Buy

• Resales

• Staircasing

• Right to Acquire

Prince Evans has over 25 years experience in all types of housing association and private developer schemes.Our Specialist Team is ready to help you buy your new home.

HomeFocus ad-Shared Ownership_April13.indd 1 10/04/2013 17:00

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Address ____________________________

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____________________________________

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HOMES TO FIT YOUR POCKET HOMES TO FIT YOUR NEEDSWe know how hard it is to get a foot onto the property ladder. It’s why we’re here – to help make that � rst step a little easier. Whether you’re looking to buy outright, for a partner to buy a share or a supportive landlord to rent from, Genesis can help. All of our properties are built to the highest standards and in a wide range of styles.

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Hf jan 2015 single page version

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