Hf nov 2015 single pages by homefocus

homefocus NOV/DEC 2015

TV Actor turned Chef

SEAN

WILSON says ‘Money spent on rent is essentially dead money’

GREAT WAYS FOR YOU TO BUY YOUR OWN HOME SHARED OWNERSHIP AND HELP TO BUY

‘We didn’t want a huge mortgage to over-burden ourselves’ says Belinda

REASONS TO BUY NOT RENT

MADE MORE AFFORDABLE

WIN ONE OF SIX £50 NATIONAL GARDEN GIFT VOUCHERS AT T R ACT I V E , ACC E S S I B L E , A F FOR DA B L E HOM E S

“YES. I AM QUITE PLEASED WITH MYSELF!” “I work as hard as anyone else. Enjoy the job, but it’s no footballers salary. Through Shared Ownership I was finally able to do what any new mum really wants. To own a home. A good home that my family and I will share so many memories in. Well chuffed!” 2 AND 3 BEDROOM HOMES FROM £155,000 (£54,250 for 35% equity)

2 AND 3 BEDROOM HOMES FROM £165,000 (£57,750 for 35% equity)

Desirable, new two and threebedroom family homes in East Leake, Nottinghamshire, available to partbuy, part-rent through our shared ownership scheme. Coming soon!

Lantern Lane is located in the popular residential village of East Leake and offers homes with a contemporary design that blend into and complement the green surroundings effortlessly. Just launched!

MEETING HOUSE CLOSE

LANTERN LANE

2 AND 3 BEDROOM HOMES FROM £155,000 (£54,250 for 35% equity) High quality finish two and threebedroom family homes in Cotgrave, Nottinghamshire, available to partbuy, part-rent through our shared ownership scheme. Coming soon!

COTGRAVE COLLIARY

01509 856934

01159 811888

jenny@hartleys-ea.co.uk

val.shakespeare@royston-lund.co.uk

heidi@hartleys-ea.co.uk

sarah.jones@royston-lund.co.uk

www.mho.co.uk

Moving forward together www.royston-lund.co.uk

Publisher’sComment

homefocus DON’T GIVE UP THE ISSN No 1470-0360

ADVISORY PANEL Maddie Cross LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY Dave Evans BE CREATIVE LONDON Tony Harker EAST THAMES Dave Lakin GRAND UNION HOUSING GROUP Yvette Ruggins SOUTH PARK ASSOCIATES Sandy Macmillan SOUTHERN HOUSING GROUP Trevor Morley DIRECTION LAW Isabel Saville CONCORDIA HOUSING CONSULTANCY Simon Scott ORIGIN HOUSING Sharon Shaw MARTIN SHAW CONSULTING Richard Stone CENSEO LTD Helen Towner HOMES AND COMMUNITIES AGENCY Greg Warner-Harris SPECTRUM HOUSING GROUP

LITTLE LUXURIES, BUT DON’T GIVE UP ON BEING A HOMEOWNER EITHER!

In a recent survey to find out what luxuries savers were prepared to give up in order to get onto the housing ladder, the Principality Building Society polled 1,000 people across England and Wales who are actively saving to buy their first home.

EDITOR Alex Randell e-mail: info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS & GENERAL ENQUIRIES Julie Baugh Tel: 0203 096 7141 e-mail: julie@homefocusmagazine.co.uk PUBLISHER Jeffrey Gritzman Tel: 0203 096 7141 e-mail: jeffrey@homefocusmagazine.co.uk PUBLISHED BY Graid Publications Ltd, 1 Kings Hall 12b Kings Road, Westcliff SS0 8LR Tel 0203 096 7141 DESIGN & PRODUCTION John Eldridge Design

WEBSITE www.homefocus.co.uk

Absolutely non-negotiable were smartphones, beauty treatments and satellite TV, all named as the hardest luxuries to give up closely followed by a regular coffee shop fix. Regular jet setting was also high on the list, with over half of respondents claiming they would never give up holidays even if it meant putting their roots down in a property of their own a lot sooner. The survey showed that people are already saving £286.51 per month for a house deposit, but are still splashing out an average of £218.38 on perceived ‘necessities’ in the same period. One possible conclusion is that people could save more towards a deposit if they were prepared to give up so called luxuries. A second is that they aren’t really serious about saving as they feel that home ownership is beyond them. The conclusion at homefocus, is that not enough people have looked into Help to Buy and more especially shared ownership to find a more affordable way to get onto the housing ladder. This issue of the magazine is packed full of examples of people who used both these Government backed schemes to find a practical way onto the housing ladder and we wish you every success in joining them.

Good home hunting

Jeffrey Gritzman • Publisher Supports the aims of homefocus

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 3

Contents NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015

From house hunting to house war ming

Buying Guide

Hot Properties

Celebrity Status

6 Getting your sums right

12 London

34 In Conversation

Finding a deposit, paying the mortgage and living a life…make it all add up

A selection of affordable homes in the Capital

with soap actor turned chef, Sean Wilson, who says

17 South west

‘money spent on rent is essentially dead money’

8 Pick the right formula Choosing an affordable way to be a homeowner

And some in the south west - as defined by the Homes & Communities Agency

Where next?

Homefinder Directories 10 Is what you hear correct? The plusses and minuses of shared ownership

20 East and south east Affordable properties in the east and south east

25 South 32 Not just for new-builds

And some in the south

There’s more than just new-builds available under the shared ownership scheme

28 Midlands Finally, affordable homes in the midlands

36 Does renting add up? You can pay out less each month by buying instead of renting. Check out the figures

Just for you 3 Publisher’s comment

48 What a difference Regeneration brings more opportunities, increased local services and good value property prices

4 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

Don’t give up on being a homeowner

Our What’s on list of events, affordable new developments and contact boxes will help you. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-costhomes-near-you.

54 Introduction 55 What’s on – events 56 Development listings 60 East and south east 61 South west 62 London 64 Midlands 66 Legal directory

homefocus

WIN

Lifestyle

Great Advice

Competitions

42 Glorious gold

38 How much will you be able to borrow?

45 Win a case of

Add a bit of glamour to your home

44 Festive flavours

Richard Stone indicates what sort of home you can buy

52 Win one of six

Taste-tingling ideas for the festive season

40 Money, Money, Money

National Garden gift vouchers each worth £50

Get yourself ready to get the best possible mortgage

46 Moving checklist

Blue Nun limited edition wine

Who to tell you’re on your way

50 Ask the Experts

Is buying through shared ownership more complicated?

WIN Contact us... E-MAIL: info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk PHONE: 0203 096 7141 MAIL: homefocus magazine 1 Kings Hall, 12B Kings Rd Westcliff SS0 8LR

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 5

GETTING YOUR

Finding a deposit, paying the mortgage and

ed up with numbers so high they make your head spin? The price of homes, the deposit you need, how much you have to earn to get on the housing ladder? Or worried about how little you have left after paying out rent? Even if you’re great with numbers, it’s hard to make a monthly budget work. You might be living at home, or perhaps you’re already renting, maybe you recently left a relationship without enough equity to buy another place. Wouldn’t it be great if you owned a home of your own and still had a bit over each month? Well, it might be possible even if you didn’t come top of the class at sums! There are schemes that allow you to buy a percentage of your home, and still move in. They are referred to as ‘affordable home ownership schemes’ and they’re designed to let you live in a property of your own right now, build up equity whilst living a reasonable life and find that at the end of each month, the figures still add up.

A + B = less than C If you’re ready to put down roots and be part of the community by buying your own home, then affordable home ownership is a great idea. It means paying a smaller mortgage than you’d expect and finding a smaller deposit too. In many cases, it works out cheaper than renting a similar property privately. Once you’ve found your own ‘affordable home’, it’s flexible enough to change with you when your circumstances alter. You can buy more of your home until you own it outright – this is called staircasing. If you have a shared ownership home, in most cases you can staircase until you own 100%.

6 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

For equity loan schemes, you can pay off some or all of the equity loan. And when you come to sell, there should be a ready made list of people who are hoping to buy through an affordable scheme in your area. People who are in the same position you’re in now - keen to become home owners for the first time.

Help to Buy Agent The majority of affordable home ownership schemes are backed by the government so the help you receive will be there for the long-run. It’s unlike renting privately, where your landlord could end your tenancy even if you’ve paid your bills on the dot. Running their slide rule over your application to buy an affordable home is a Help to Buy Agent. These are organisations appointed by the government to promote and coordinate the schemes in a particular area, and there’s a list of them of page 54. Outside of London your Help to Buy Agent will process your application so you don’t need to apply to every housing association, and they have a list of every government-funded ‘affordable home’ in their area. In London, things are slightly different, but there’s still an affordable homes online portal to get you started. Wherever you are, Help to Buy Agents will help you.

Homeownership ÷ 3 There are three main affordable home ownership schemes to get onto the ownership ladder and the scheme to go for depends on your personal circumstances. There’s no

Buyer’sGuide

SUMS RIGHT

living a life…you can make it all add up. guarantee that all options will be available to you, although there are developments where both shared ownership and equity loans are available. There are more details of the specific schemes on the next two pages, but essentially they are:

Shared ownership Also known as part buy/part rent. This works by allowing you to buy a share of your home and pay a subsidised 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 is ‘afford’, so you’ll be able to discuss what share is right for you.

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

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

The ticks and crosses You may have already heard of affordable homes schemes and thought ‘they are just for people with specific jobs or it’s social housing by a different name.’ Well, you couldn’t be more wrong! It is home ownership, and you’ll take on all the responsibilities, and have all the benefits, that go with it. Affordable home ownership schemes are designed for a whole range of people who’ve been otherwise priced out of the market. The first time buyer schemes such as shared ownership are appropriate for anyone with a household income LESS than £60,000 (£71,000 if you’re looking for one or two bedrooms in London and £85,000 for three bedrooms or more). And for Help to Buy, the criteria is even wider.

You COULD be eligible for the schemes if… • You’re a first time buyer • You’ve owned a home in the past but don’t own one now • You need to buy a home of your own for the first time, for example after a relationship breakdown • You own your own home but it’s far too small for your needs – for example you 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 for shared ownership if... • You already own a home that you’re living in and it’s adequate for your needs • You can already afford to buy a suitable home of your own in your area

You’re NOT eligible for any affordable home ownership scheme if... • You want to buy a property to rent out. Affordable home ownership 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

Does homeownership add up for you? Check out the next two pages and see if one of the affordable home ownership schemes is right for you. You’ll find examples of people that did use the schemes to become home owners throughout the magazine.

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 7

PICK THE RIGHT

and make your home ownership This page gives you an at-aglance reference to all the schemes on offer, so if you find a home you like, you can check out the key points of the scheme... Scheme type

Shared ownership

Help to

Scheme name

New Build

Resales

Help to Buy Equity Loan

THE FORMULA

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.

THE PLUSSES

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

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

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

THE MINUSES

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.

BUY FROM JUST 25% WITH A SMALL DEPOSIT

WIDE CHOICE

NOT JUST FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS

WANT MORE INFORMATION? E-mail info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk

8 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

Buyer’sGuide

FORMULA

plans add up...

Finding the right affordable home ownership scheme can be daunting, so focus on this question...

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

Buy offers

Try before you buy

Discount offers

Mortgage Guarantee

Rent to Buy

Discounted Market Sale

Intermediate Market Rent

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Ideal in really high value areas such as central London. Particularly helpful if you can’t afford to buy in the area you want but prefer owning a small stake rather than renting.

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

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

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

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.

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

FOR HIGHER WAGE EARNERS

SAVE TO BUY THE NEW HOME YOU’RE LIVING IN

HIGH VALUE AREAS

TYPICALLY 20% LESS THAN MARKET RENT

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 9

SOME OF THE THINGS YOU HEAR. Pluses and minuses, ticks and crosses, for and against. There’s two sides to every story, so make sure that your ownership homes are Lenders make it hard to ✘ ✘ Shared just tiny starter flats. get a shared ownership mortgage. ✔ ✔ 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.

✘ It must be cheaper to rent! ✔

Well, buying a home does cost... but then so does renting. If you look at the comparisons on page 37, you’ll see that buying through shared ownership often works out less per month than renting privately.

an income ceiling so ✘ There’s 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 cover a mortgage and other household outgoings, but earn less than £60,000 per year. You can earn more in London and still be eligible, reflecting London’s higher prices.

✘ You need plenty of savings. ✔

You will need to have enough to cover removal costs, setting up home costs and of course, a deposit. That’s the case when buying any home. But with shared ownership, the deposit you need is only 5% of the price of the share you’ll be buying – not the full price of the home.

10 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

It’s no harder to get a mortgage for a shared ownership property than it is for any other. The Mortgage Market Review in 2012 laid down guidelines covering anybody getting any sort of mortgage, to try and make sure that they can comfortably make their repayments.

rent and a ✘ Paying mortgage – it must be more expensive? ✔ Not really, that’s why we refer to it as Affordable Home Ownership! 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.

ownership! Doesn’t ✘ Shared that mean sharing with someone else? ✔

No, not unless you want to! Plenty of people do buy their shared ownership home with a friend and there’s no reason why you can’t bring in a lodger to live there with you. But it’s the ownership you share with the housing association, not the living space.

SharedOwnership

BUT ARE THEY CORRECT? view of shared ownership is balanced and correct. loads of repetitive ✘ There’s form filling. ✔

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

told how much you ✘ You’re can afford and what share to buy! ✔

Yes, but it is so you don’t over-stretch yourself financially and try to borrow more than you can pay back.

have to live or work in ✘ You the same borough as the property you want. ✔

New-build shared ownership properties are often made available first to local people. But after quite a short period of time, it is

opened up to others. Anyone may apply for an existing or resale shared ownership property.

✘ You can’t keep a pet. ✔

That’s the case for most apartments, shared ownership or not! But if the property is a house or a ground floor property with a garden/patio the housing association might well view a request favourably.

✘ It’s too complicated. ✔

Buying any property is complicated. That’s why there’s a whole industry of conveyancing solicitors and independent mortgage advisors (IFAs). Fortunately, some specialise in shared ownership transactions and you’ll find some listed on pages 66 & 67.

is ok, but isn’t it ✘ Buying hard to sell a share? ✔

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.

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 11

London

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 affordable home ownership homes. There are more listed on page 57 and helpful contacts on our London homefinder, pages 62 & 63. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

THE FABLE APARTMENTS

The Lexicon, City Road from £130,000 for 25% Affinity Sutton is providing a variety of one, two and three-bedroom apartments on a shared ownership basis at The Fable Apartments at the Lexicon, City Road. Currently for sale are 20 one-bedroom properties. These contemporary apartments boast modern layouts and quality fitted kitchens, complete with integrated appliances. The homes also come with secure communal cycling storage.

The development is just half a mile away from Islington High Street with a host of independent boutiques and a variety of restaurants and eateries whilst a wealth of pubs and bars offer plenty of entertainment options for the evening. Regent’s Canal is just a short walk and offers a scenic retreat from London life.

Travel links are excellent with The Angel and Old Street underground stations just half a mile away and buses to Kings Cross St Pancras take less than 15 minutes. Priority will be given to those currently living or working in Islington or other North London borough. It’s expected that you’ll be earning at least £43,900 if buying on your own, or £47,900 if buying jointly. The Fable Apartments – phone 0300 100 0303

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £520,000 • Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £130,000 • 5% deposit: £6,500 Mortgage on share*: £722 • Rent on remaining share**: £894 • Total costs: £1,616.00

More about The Fable Apartments at the Lexicon, City Road? Go to www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Fable * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6. Please note: monthly outgoings do not include service charges

12 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

London Properties

BANBURY PARK Walthamstow, from 148,500 for 50% Centra Living – part of Circle Housing –

offices and business premises. There will

has launched Banbury Park, a range of

also be landscaped community spaces and

one, two, three and four-bedroom homes

a public square.

available for shared ownership, sited on Billet Road. The 76 shared ownership homes

Banbury Park has excellent transport links into central London - there are numerous bus connections from Billet

combine with 174 homes for private sale

Road to Walthamstow and Blackhorse

as part of a 250 home development on

Road tube station.

a brown field site in Walthamstow and the next couple of years will see another 100 homes built, along with commercial space that will create a major new retail unit, smaller shops, boutique stores,

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £297,000 Minimum share: 50% • Cost of share: £148,500 5% deposit: £7,425 • Mortgage on share*: £825 Rent on remaining share**: £340 Total costs: £1,165

Interested? For more on Banbury Park, phone 0845 223 0000 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Banbury-Park

RONEO CORNER Romford, from £71,400 for 40% Estuary has just launched a range of 37 one, two and three-bedroom apartments in South Street less than 10 minutes from Romford’s town centre. Each apartment has been thoughtfully designed with stylish architecture and smart interiors, so perhaps it’s not surprising that 16 apartments have already been reserved! Romford’s railway station offers a regular service to London commuters and The Roneo Corner development is just a walk away

from shops, banks and supermarkets. There are also great road links for M25, A127 and A12. One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £178,500 Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £71,400 5% deposit: £3,570 • Mortgage on share*: £397 Rent on remaining share**: £245 Total costs: £642

Interested? For more on Roneo Corner, phone 0300 304 5000 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/ Roneo-Corner

JESSOPS BUILDING New Providence Wharf E14, from £106,875 for 25% Currently available on a shared ownership basis from Genesis, is Jessops Building in New Providence Wharf where a selection of one and two-bedroom apartments has been designed to a contemporary specification. The homes are spacious, accompanied by balconies to most apartments, perfect for al fresco dining through the summer. Kitchens feature fitted units offering integrated Bosch appliances including dishwasher and washing machine, granite worktops

Interested? For more on Jessops Building, phone 0203 811 2861 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/JessopsBuilding

and chrome finishes. Bedrooms are spacious, and all rooms enjoy full height windows for plenty of natural light, balconies and wooden flooring. A hub of activity, New Providence Wharf is becoming a destination in its own right. The area is bustling with eateries and bars, hotels, private health spa and gymnasium, all in the shadow of Canary Wharf. One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £427,500 Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £106,875 5% deposit: £5,344 • Mortgage on share*: £594 Rent on remaining share**: £735 Total costs: £1,329

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

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 13

Ultan Malloy Previous situation: Shared owner Scheme: Shared ownership – staircasing Location:

North London

Provider:

Family Mosaic

ome people think that shared ownership is a compromise. But that might be missing an opportunity, as shared owners can go on to buy bigger stakes and reach full home ownership. Four years ago, Ultan Molloy bought a 45% share in a one-bedroom apartment from Family Mosaic. Ultan, a 35 year old engineer for the BBC bought at Aquarelle House in Islington for £275,000. As property prices increased so did the value of Ultan’s share and he has reaped the benefits. In

Used his share as a start point to go onto full home ownership a process called staircasing Ultan has remortgaged, added in his personal savings and reached full home ownership. He no longer pays rent to the housing association and any further increases in property value will all go to him. Ultan says: ‘There was a lot of stigma around shared ownership as no-one really understood how it worked. I spoke to Family Mosaic who along with my own research, gave me the confidence to buy my own home.’ He went on to say: ‘It was very

straightforward to staircase to full home ownership once I had acquired enough money.’ Ultan gives his view of shared ownership: ‘I think it’s a great way to get onto the property ladder as literally, I would not have been able to otherwise. I was determined to live in Islington as I’ve rented here for 7 years and know the area well; I never thought I’d actually be able to own property here with the current prices though’.

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? Affordable London properties are listed on pages 57 and 58. Or for other properties (from the same provider) call 020 7089 1000 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

14 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

London Properties

THE RESIDENCE

PHOENIX PLACE

Southwark, from £147,500 for 25%

Hounslow, from £241,600 for 80%

Affinity Sutton, has recently launched a collection of shared ownership apartments in Blackfriars Road, Southwark. The one and two-bedroom apartments at The Residence have been built to a high specification with spacious, open-plan living areas with large windows enabling natural daylight to fill the rooms and a private balcony or terrace with spectacular views of London’s stunning skyline. There’s even a two-bedroom wheelchair accessible apartment. The nearest tube station, Southwark, is only a two-minute walk from The Residence and a ten minute walk finds Waterloo mainline railway and tube stations. There are also direct bus services to the City from Blackfriars Road.

Just a few homes remain at this development in Heston in Hounslow, where Lovell is offering the Help to Buy scheme. With high standards in build and design quality, Phoenix Place is a great place if you work at Heathrow or commute to London. Each of the remaining apartments are finished to a high standard and equipped with fixtures and fittings that include Symphony kitchens and carpeted bedrooms and main living area. The accommodation includes an open-plan living/ kitchen/dining space, and each master bedroom is equipped with an en-suite. The apartments also have a balcony and allocated parking.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £590,000 • Minimum share: 25% Cost of share: £147,500 • 5% deposit: £7,375 • Mortgage on share*: £819 Rent on remaining share**: £1,014 • Total costs: £1,833

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £302,000 • Minimum equity: 80% Cost of equity: £241,600 • 5% deposit: £15,100 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,324 • Total costs: £1,324***

Interested? For more on The Residence, phone 0300 100 0303 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Residence

Interested? For more on Phoenix Place, phone 020 8432 4899 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Phoenix-Place

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%

** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year *** Help to Buy property. Interest on equity loan starts after 6 years

JESS O PS AT N EW PROV ID EN C E W HAR F DOCKLANDS E14

The perfect mix for sophisticated living. Secure a share in one of our luxury high specification apartments within walking distance of Canary Wharf in our superb Jessops building. Choose from a range of spacious 1 and 2 bedroom apartments on offer from just £106,875*.

Call

0203 811 2861 to book a viewing

or visit genesishahomes.org.uk/new-providence-wharf

Prices and details correct at time of going to press. *Based on a 25% share of the full market value £427,500. Photograph shows typical home at New Providence Wharf.

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 15

London Properties

NORDIC QUARTER Colindale, from £88,200 for a 35% Network Living is offering over 100 one,

The majority of apartments will

two, three and four bedroom apartments

feature terraces and balconies, while the

at their Nordic Quarter development

development as a whole will put emphasis

in Colindale. And to make them more

on the importance of outdoor space

affordable, they’re being offered under a

with dedicated play areas – filled with

Help to Buy or shared ownership basis.

Scandinavian-inspired green courtyards.

Each apartment has been finished to

Colindale Underground Station is a 15

a high standard, with high gloss fitted

minute walk from Nordic Quarter.

kitchens and integrated appliances One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £252,000 Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £88,200 5% deposit: £4,410 • Mortgage on share*: £490 Rent on remaining share**: £375 Total costs: £865

including fridge/freezer and washer/ dryer. The bathrooms and en suite shower rooms have contemporary white sanitary ware with chrome fittings.

Interested? For more on Nordic Quarter, phone 0203 376 6455 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Nordic-Quarter

MERIDIAN QUAY Greenwich, £174,000 for 30% Out of 21 two and three-bedroom shared ownership apartments launched by Family Mosaic at Meridian Quay in Greenwich, only a few of the three-bedroom family apartments remain! Every home boasts stone grey Manhattan kitchens with fully integrated appliances including a Smeg oven, white oak engineered flooring, and underfloor heating. And every home benefits from private

outdoor space in the form of a private terrace or balcony. Many of the residents will enjoy creek side views and all share access to a communal roof garden. Meridian Quay is less than 10 minutes’ walk from Greenwich DLR, the Cutty Sark and the Greenwich Market. Three-bedroom apartment: Full value: £580,000 Minimum share: 30% • Cost of share: £174,000 5% deposit: £8,700 • Mortgage on share*: £966 Rent on remaining share**: £930 Total costs: £1,896

Interested? For more on Meridian Quay, phone 020 7089 1315 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Meridian-Quay

THE POINT Croydon, from £103,000 for 40% The Point in Croydon, an eightstorey landmark building incorporating a glass tower on one corner of the building, comprises 35 one and two-bedroom apartments available from Affinity Sutton on a shared ownership basis. Many of the modern and contemporary apartments have their own balconies, and all come with an allocated parking space. The Point is close to local amenities, with a Tesco Express nearby. West Croydon Train Station

is around a 15 minute walk away, and offers services to London Bridge in as little as 19 minutes. The nearby A212 offers good access to the wider road network and the M25. One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £257,500 Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £103,000 5% deposit: £5,150 • Mortgage on share*: £572 Rent on remaining share**: £354 Total costs: £906

Interested? For more on The Point, phone 0300 100 0303 or visit www. homefocus.co.uk/The-Point

16 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

South West Properties

South West

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the south west be more cost effective than renting or commuting? Then take a look at this selection of affordable home ownership homes. There are more listed on pages 58 & 59 and helpful contacts on our south west homefinder, page 61. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

QUAY WEST Poole, from £176,000 for 80% Metis Homes is offering the Help to Buy scheme on apartments at Quay West, housed in an attractive four-storey building close to the High Street and just a short stroll from Poole Quay. And for commuters, the station is less than a ten minute walk away. The stylish apartments provide a contemporary open-plan living/dining/ kitchen area with full-height windows

opening onto a balcony in many of the apartments. The result is a light-filled space and for some apartments on the upper levels, a sea view. Every apartment comes with a fully fitted kitchen incorporating high quality integrated appliances, and individually designed bathrooms with Porcelanosa

tiling. The generously sized bedrooms have fitted wardrobes in the master bedroom. Some of the apartments include an en-suite shower room to the main bedroom. Every apartment comes with from an allocated parking space. Quay West – phone 01202 023123

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £220,000 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £176,000 5% deposit: £11,000 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £965 • Total costs: £965***

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

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 17

Zoe Shelbourne and Simon Taylor Previous situation: Living with Parents Scheme:

Help to Buy

Location:

Yealmpton

Provider:

Taylor Wimpey

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

oe Shelbourne, 31, and Simon Taylor, 32, had plenty to celebrate after they moved into their three-bedroom home at Taylor Wimpey’s Kitley Place and welcomed baby Olivia into the world just 13 days later. On top of that Simon started a new job at the University of Plymouth. Zoe and Simon had spent the last year living with Simon’s parents and were worried that their budget would

‘We thought Yealmpton would be out of our price bracket’ not stretch to the cost of a home in the same area, but Help to Buy made the difference. Zoe says: ‘We thought Yealmpton would be out of our price bracket but we factored in Help to Buy and before we knew it, we were reserving our property.’ She continues; ‘we found out I was pregnant when we started househunting, so it was quite urgent – we

decided to go for a new-build because it meant we wouldn’t have to do any work on the property.. Yealmpton is a lovely place to live, it’s near to the sea and it has a nice village feel, and thanks to Help to Buy, we have been able to stay here, which is great’ Yealmpton also has a well-regarded primary school, which Simon attended as a child and the couple hope Olivia will go to when the time comes.

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? Affordable properties in the south west are listed on page 59. Or for other south west properties (from the same provider) call 01392 367 267 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-costhomes-near-you.

18 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

South West Properties

JASMINE GARDENS

LAVENDER GROVE

Wellington, from £85,000 for 50%

Farmborough, prices tbc for 80%

In the 3rd phase of their new development in Jasmine Gardens in Wellington, Yarlington Homes is offering shared ownership on two, twobedroom properties and five three-bedroom properties. Combining comfort with practicality, each kitchen is fitted with integrated appliances that include a stainless steel single oven, hob and a cooker hood; each bathroom is white, plain and stylish and vinyl flooring is provided in the kitchen, bathroom and cloakroom. Outside is a turfed rear garden, a patio and allocated parking. Two-bedroom house: Full value: £170,000 • Minimum share: 50% Cost of share: £85,000 • 5% deposit: £4,250 • Mortgage on share*: £472 Rent on remaining share** £195 • Total costs: £667

Help to Buy is available on 15 three and fourbedroom family homes offered by Lovell at their Lavender Grove development. The property styles include the three-bedroom Hazelwood, a family home with an open-plan dining room and kitchen with French doors to the garden. There’s also a large, separate living room, cloakroom, hall and useful storage space. The four-bedroom Chestnut house style features an attractive stone-finished frontage and incorporates a living room and kitchen (plus utility room), each with French doors to the garden. There is also a separate dining room with impressive bay window, a study, cloakroom, hall and storage space.

Interested? For more on Jasmine Gardens, phone 01935 404006 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Jasmine-Gardens

Interested? For more on Lavender Grove, phone 01761 441955 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Lavender-Grove

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%

** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year *** Help to Buy property. Interest on equity loan starts after 6 years

Don’t miss out...

Get the next 6 issues of homefocus delivered through your door Published every other month to keep you up to date with the latest opportunities in shared and affordable home ownership Just £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 Advice on legal and mortgage matters from specialists n Information about shared ownership, New Build HomeBuy, FirstBuy, and all low cost home ownership schemes PLUS MUCH, MUCH MORE; celebrity interviews, competitions and reader offers, jargon busters and homestyle articles To be sure of receiving the next 6 issues of homefocus, fill in the form and send your cheque* for £12.95 to: Graid Publications Ltd, 1 Kings Hall, 12b Kings Rd, Westcliff SS0 8LR

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homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 19

East & South East

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

VIRIDIUM ONE

Camberley, from £97,500 for 50% Thames Valley Housing has launched 15 smart one and two-bedroom apartments in Camberley through the shared ownership scheme. The homes are part of Viridium, an award-winning scheme by Hodson Developments on Frimley Road, a short walk from the town centre and close to Camberley and Blackwater stations. Viridium One is an attractive five-storey building featuring red brick, cream render and Victorian-style windows. In contrast to the traditional exterior, interiors are sharply modern with an open-plan living/dining/

kitchen area that opens on to a balcony or, in some homes, a roof terrace. The kitchen is very well equipped with fully integrated appliances including a hob, oven, fridge/freezer, dishwasher and washer/dryer. Bedrooms are generously sized, with a fitted wardrobe in the main bedroom, and the bathrooms feature fullheight tiling and fittings by Hansgrohe. Every apartment has an allocated parking space in the underground car park and

there’s also a secure cycle store. Security gates to the development provide privacy and reassurance. Camberley has excellent facilities including The Mall, with more than 90 high street shops including House of Fraser, a host of independent and boutique stores, cafés, bars and restaurants, and its own theatre. Viridium One - phone - 020 8607 0550

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £195,000 • Minimum share: 50% • Cost of share: £97,500 • 5% deposit: £4,875 Mortgage on share*: £541 • Rent on remaining share**: £219 • Total costs: £760

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

20 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

East & South East Properties

DE BOCLAND PLACE Maidstone, prices and shares tbc Heart of Medway is offering 12 shared ownership apartments at De Bocland Place in Maidstone town centre. The one and two-bedroom homes are being built by luxury house builder AB Canham. The apartments are finished to a high specification with a fully fitted kitchen in partridge grey alongside an integrated fridge freezer and washing machine. French doors in the lounge area lead onto a spacious balcony or patio area.

The two-bedroom apartments benefit from an en suite to the master bedroom, whilst all apartments have a modern bathroom finished with stylish cream tiles and an allocated parking space. De Bocland is just a stones throw from Maidstone Barracks train station and Maidstone West station is also close by. Priority will be given to those currently living or working in Maidstone.

Interested? For more on De Bocland Place, phone 0844 225 3071 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/De-Bocland-Place

WILLOW LAKE Newton Leys, from £62,500 for 50% At Willow Lake in Newton Leys, Hightown Homes has six one-bedroom apartments available for shared ownership. Willow Lake combines a scenic rural setting with easily accessible road and rail links. Trains run from nearby Bletchley Station to London Euston with a journey time of 40 minutes, and there are also regular services to Bedford and Northampton. Bletchley offers an array of high street shops and a shopping centre that’s ideal

for essentials plus leisure facilities that include a swimming pool, gym and fitness classes. Applicants are expected to have a household income above £23,100. Two-bedroom house: Full value: £125,000 Minimum share: 50% • Cost of share: £62,500 5% deposit: £3,125 • Mortgage on share*: £347 Rent on remaining share**: £143 Total costs: £490

Interested? For more on Willow Lake, phone 0845 60 10 878 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Willow-Lake

BOLNORE VILLAGE Haywards Heath from £71,250 for 25% Affinity Sutton has launched Bolnore Village, a collection of two and threebedroom houses available on a shared ownership basis. Just a short walk from Haywards Heath train station, commuters can take advantage of the great commuter links to London, Brighton and Crawley. Closer to home, residents at Bolnore Village have access to a whole host of local amenities and can make use of the leisure facilities, fitness suite and swimming pool at the nearby Dolphin Leisure Centre. Golf lovers are well serviced with a choice of five golf courses within a 10 mile radius and those who prefer the arts can enjoy

music, dance and drama performances at The Hub. Priority will be given to those already living or working in Haywards Heath.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £285,000 Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £71,250 5% deposit: £3,563 • Mortgage on share*: £396 Rent on remaining share**: £490 Total costs: £886

Interested? For more on Bolnore Village, phone 0300 100 0303 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Bolnore-Village

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

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 11 21

Andy and Jenny Lewis and Jasper Previous situation: Renting Scheme:

Shared ownership

Location:

Ware

Provider:

Hightown Housing

Help to Buy Agent: Helptobuyese.org.uk

ivil engineer Andy Lewis, 34 and his wife Jenny, 30, have a new house and garden which is ideal for toddler Jasper and within reach of their family and friends. Before they moved into their end-ofterrace shared ownership property in Ware, Hertfordshire, they were renting a one-bedroom flat, which wasn’t really suitable once Jasper, now aged two, came along. But the family struggled to find a privately rented two-bedroom flat in Ware which was accessible for a pushchair.

‘Our options to rent were limited as many landlords wouldn’t take children’ Jenny says, ‘It was important for us to stay in Ware, but our options to rent were limited as many landlords wouldn’t take children and we couldn’t find anywhere that was suitable.’ When Jasper was born at just 29 weeks, the family put their search for a new home on hold, but Jenny’s mum spotted the shared ownership properties being offered by Hightown Housing and the couple took a look. They now own a 50% share in their new home, with their monthly payments

about the same as the rent for their onebedroom flat. Jenny, who worked for the Carers in Hertfordshire charity, before becoming a full-time mum, said about shared ownership, ‘It’s brilliant – we wouldn’t have got our own home like this without it. The house is just ideal for us as it’s got enough space, including a big kitchen, as well as a secure back garden for Jasper to play in. He can also have friends round, which wasn’t really possible in the flat’.

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? Affordable properties in the east and south east are listed on pages 56 and 57. Or for other properties in the area (from the same provider) call 01442 292381 or visit www.homefocus. co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

22 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

East & South East Properties

SOVEREIGN

ST ANDREWS PARK

Tonbridge, from £80,000 for 40%

Halling, from £45,500 for 35%

How about this for ticking boxes? In the heart of town, yet part of a waterfront development; in a charming and historic town and just a walk away from amenities; surrounded by countryside but with a rail station with direct trains to London; an expensive area but an affordable home. Sovereign House provides a selection of 22 one and twobedroom apartments, all finished to a high standard of specification. And Centra Living is offering them on a shared ownership basis.

Set in the picturesque area between the North Downs and River Medway, St Andrews Park is a development in the village of Halling, surrounded by countryside and a beautiful blue chalk lake. And in the next phase of the development, MHS Homes is offering 18 one and two-bedroom apartments on a shared ownership basis. Halling has its own train station with regular services running directly to Maidstone and to London with Stratford reached in 45 minutes. Junction 2 of the M20 is close by. Priority will be given to those currently living or working in the Medway area.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £200,000 • Minimum share: 40% Cost of share: £80,000 • 5% deposit: £4,000 Mortgage on share*: £444 Rent on remaining share**: £275 Total costs: £719

Interested? For more on Sovereign, phone 0845 304 1002 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Sovereign

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £130,000 • Minimum share: 35% Cost of share: £45,500 • 5% deposit: £2,275 • Mortgage on share*: £253 Rent on remaining share**: £194 • Total costs: £447

Interested? For more on St Andrews Park, phone 0844 225 3071 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/St-Andrews-Park

DO YOU WANT TO PAY LESS FOR YOUR ENERGY 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.

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 23

East & South East Properties

THE OLD SCHOOL APARTMENTS

SILK MEADOWS

Midhurst, from £50,000 for 25%

Braintree, from £191,996 for 80%

The Old School Apartments are part of a wider Affinity Sutton development called The Montagues, a private development in Midhurst which sits on the site of the former St. Margaret’s Convent School and combines history and character with contemporary design. But at The Old School Apartments, Affinity Sutton is offering shared ownership. This section of the development comprises 14 two-bedroom apartments housed in one of the old school buildings of St Margaret’s School, which has been expertly restored. Priority will be given to those already living or working within the Chichester District Council or a neighbouring borough.

Bellway Homes is offering Help to Buy on selected two and three-bedroom houses at its Silk Meadows development in Braintree. Shopaholics will love the fact that the Freeport designer outlet and retail park just a three minute drive from Silk Meadows, while Braintree town centre is home to a variety of high street names just over a mile away. For entertainment, Freeport is also home to a 12-screen cinema, bowling alley, restaurants and cafes, combining retail therapy with entertainment. And for commuters, Silk Meadows is just a short walk from Braintree Freeport station where direct trains to London Liverpool Street take 55 minutes and Chelmsford in 24 minutes. For drivers, the M11 is around 20 minutes away.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £200,000 • Minimum share: 25% Cost of share: £50,000 • 5% deposit: £2,500 • Mortgage on share*: £278 Rent on remaining share**: £344 • Total costs: £622

Interested? For more on The Old School Apartments, phone 0300 100 0303 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Old-SchoolApartments

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £239,995 • Minimum equity: 80% Cost of equity: £191,996 • 5% deposit: £11,200 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,057 • Total costs: £1,057***

Interested? For more on Silk Meadows, phone 01376 343443 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Silk-Meadows

Don’t miss out...

*Please ensure that your cheque is made

payable to Graid Publications

Call us on 0203 096 7141 for our bank details and you can pay online

24 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

South Properties

South

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the south of the country be more cost effective than renting? Then take a look at this selection of affordable home ownership homes. There are more listed on pages 58 and helpful contacts on our south homefinder, page 65. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

CENTENARY QUAY & STEEPLE VIEW Both in Southampton, from £59,500 for 35% Spectrum Housing has just a couple of two-bedroom apartments remaining at its Centenary Quay development in Woolston, offered on a shared ownership basis. All apartments have been built to a high standard, with excellent fixtures and fittings and there is plenty of shopping and leisure a stone’s throw away. Centenary Quay is part of the vibrant waterfront area of Southampton with easy access to the city

centre via the nearby Itchen Bridge. Coming soon from Spectrum in Southampton are more two-bedroom, shared ownership apartments, this time at Steeple View in Weston, where eight apartments are available through shared ownership. Reservations are being taken now!

Steeple View is a 15 minute drive to the city centre and the local bus service from round the corner to the development runs every few minutes. Close by are two doctors’ surgeries and several schools for different ages. Centenary Quay & Steeple View - phone 0800 316 3316

Two-bedroom apartment (Steeple View): Full value: £170,000 • Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £59,500 5% deposit: £2,975 • Mortgage on share*: £330 • Rent on remaining share**: £253 • Total costs: £583

More about Centenary Quay & Steeple View? Go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Centenary-Quayand-Steeple-View * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6. Please note: monthly outgoings do not include service charges

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 25

el and Luke Left to right: Megan, Evie, Lloyd, Rach

Brother and sister Lloyd and Megan, their partners and baby Evie Previous situation: Living with family Scheme:

Help to Buy

Location:

Southampton

Provider:

Lovell Homes

Help to Buy Agent: Helptobuysouth.co.uk

brother and sister are each celebrating taking their first steps on to the property ladder having both bought homes at Lovell’s Mayflower Mews development in Southampton. First was self-employed builder Lloyd Rustell and his partner Rachel Baker with their ten month old baby daughter Evie. They had previously been living with Rachel’s parents and Rachel said, ‘We didn’t want to rent and had actually been looking at another property which didn’t work out,

‘We didn’t think we’d be in a position to buy anywhere for some time’ but we saw this apartment which offers us the space we need as a young family.’ The Help to Buy scheme and the new two-bedroom apartment made such an impression on Lloyd’s sister Megan, that she decided to follow suit. Megan and boyfriend Luke Cromar moved into an apartment of their own at the development, making the two couples neighbours. Megan, a childcare practitioner and Luke, a painter and decorator are both 21, and are thrilled to be established on the

housing ladder at such a young age. Both couples have bought their homes through Help to Buy. Megan says: ‘Luke and I have both been living with our families and had been saving up for a deposit on a home but we didn’t think we’d be in a position to buy anywhere for some time. We didn’t think we had enough money but using Help to Buy, we could actually afford it – we were quite shocked! We wanted to start out on our own and have our own life and we couldn’t wait to move in.’

Do you want to become a homeowner? Affordable properties in the south are listed on page 58. Or for other south properties (from the same provider) call 02380 083 043 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

26 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

South Properties

BILBIE GREEN

WELLINGTON GARDENS

Keynsham, Bristol, prices tbc for 80%

Wellesley, Aldershot, prices tbc, for 80% (Forces Help to Buy also available****)

Barratt is offering Help to Buy on a range of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes at their Bilbie Green development in Bristol. Located off Charlton Road in Keynsham, Bilbie Green offers a peaceful setting near to local amenities with supermarkets, sports centres and excellent schools, all close by. Keynsham is just over five miles from Bristol City Centre and eight miles from the centre of Bath and conveniently located close to the A4 with easy access to the motorway. The nearest train station is Keynsham, with good links to Bristol, London and Southampton. There is also a reliable bus service between Keynsham, Bristol and Bath. Interested? For more on Bilbie Green, phone 0844 5710 385 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Bilbie-Green * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%

Wellesley is a regeneration project, designed to create a thriving new district of Aldershot, on the site of the former Army SE HQ, with new homes, new schools, community amenities, improved transport, pedestrian links, and green open spaces. On the first release of new homes at its Wellington Gardens development in Wellesley, Bellway is offering Help to Buy on three distinct house types - the five-bedroom Arnhem, the four-bedroom, Blenheim and the four-bedroom Duchess – all set along tree-lined avenues with generous living rooms, open-plan kitchen dining areas, and private gardens. ****Additionally, for regular members of the services, Forces Help to Buy allows personnel to borrow up to 50% of their annual salary, to a maximum of £25,000. This can be used towards a deposit and other costs such as solicitor’s and estate agent’s fees.

Interested? For more on Wellington Gardens, phone 01252 916886 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Wellington-Gardens

** 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

LA ST 2 b FEW edr oom REMA apa ININ G rtm ent s

Brand new 2 bedroom apartments available in the heart of Southampton at Centenary Quay and Steeple View. Reservations already being taken... DON’T MISS OUT!

SOUTHAMPTON

Starting from

£59,500 for a 35% share plus a monthly rent and service charge

SOUTHAMPTON

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 27

Midlands

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 affordable home ownership homes. There are more listed on pages 57 & 58 and helpful contacts on our midlands homefinder, pages 64. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

LANTERN LANE

East Leake, Notts, from £57,750 for 35% Just a five minute walk from the popular residential village of East Leake is an attractive new development of two and three-bedroom houses on Lantern Lane. The homes have been developed by Barratt Homes and are offered under the shared ownership scheme by Metropolitan. Thoughtfully designed to maximise light and space, each home incorporates a fully fitted kitchen that includes an integrated Baumatic electric oven, fridge freezer and dishwasher and a fully fitted and ceramic tiled bathroom. As further evidence of high specification fixtures and fittings, the

lounge, bedrooms and hallways come ready carpeted. Outside is a private garden and on-site parking. East Leake Village has its own local high street with a variety of shops, a post office, supermarket, dental practice, two doctors surgeries, a pharmacy and two very welcoming country pubs. There are many childcare and schooling options in and around the village, including a toddlers’ club, two private nursery schools

(both rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted), a voluntary pre-school playgroup, two primary schools and The East Leake Academy (also rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted) for secondary school children. There is a bus service linking the village with Nottingham and Loughborough and along with East Midlands Parkway all give direct rail access to London and Leicester, so couples, families and commuters will find something of interest. First options will be given to those with strong connections to Rushcliffe and the local area. Lantern Lane - phone 020 3535 2555

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £165,000 • Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £57,750 • 5% deposit: £2,888 Mortgage on share*: £321 • Rent on remaining share**: £246 • Total costs: £567

More about The Lanterns? Go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Lantern-Lane * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6. Please note: monthly outgoings do not include service charges

28 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

Midlands Properties

KINGS MEADOW Wingerworth, from £268,000 for 80% Rippon Homes is offering Help to Buy, off-plan, on a selection of three and four-bedroom homes at their Kings Road development in Wingerworth. Wingerworth is just south of Chesterfield and the Kings Meadow development is located at the edge of the Deer Park established by the Hunlokes family in the 18th Century. The village is well serviced with shops, pubs and community facilities and sporting facilities are available in the village for those keen cricketers, tennis players, footballers or bowlers. Local schools are well thought of and cater for nursery to secondary ages.

Do you need help to buy a new home?

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £335,000 • Minimum equity: 80% Cost of equity: £268,000 • 5% deposit: £16,750 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,469 • Total costs: £1,469***

Interested? For more on Kings Meadow, phone 0800 1697644 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Kings-Meadow

ST GEORGES COURT Telford, from £55,000 for 40% Bromford Homes has launched a 45 home development at St George’s Court in Telford. And shared ownership is available on 18 of the two and three-bedroom properties. Downstairs, each home has a fitted kitchen with built-in oven, hob and extractor, french doors to a turfed rear garden, a cloakroom and a useful under-stairs cupboard. Upstairs the master bedrooms have fitted wardrobes and well-appointed bathrooms. Outside are two allocated parking spaces. St George’s is close to Telford’s town centre and the new Southwater leisure complex with its cinema, bars, restaurants and ten-pin bowling facilities. For commuters, the train station is in walking distance and there are good links to the M54. Two-bedroom house: Full value: £137,500 • Minimum share: 40% Cost of share: £55,000 • 5% deposit: £2,750 • Mortgage on share*: £305 Rent on remaining share**: £189 • Total costs: £494

Interested? For more on St George’s Court, phone 0845 60 10 878 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/St-George’s-Court * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year *** Help to Buy property. Interest on equity loan starts after 6 years

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.

To find out more call:

0845 600 3674 or email: homes@orbit.org.uk 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.

Belinda and Christopher Mills Previous situation: Renting from a housing association Scheme:

Shared ownership

Location:

Wellingborough

Provider:

Metropolitan

Help to Buy Agent: Helptobuymidlands.co.uk

elinda and Christopher Mills, and their young children, Mason and Isabella, outgrew the home they had been renting in Bedford; shared ownership gave them the opportunity to buy something more suitable for the family. Belinda explains ‘We were in a twobedroom property with two children and really needed a larger home nearer to Chris’s work that we could settle in for the longer term. We didn’t want a huge mortgage to over-burden ourselves. We wanted somewhere we could stay.

‘We didn’t want a huge mortgage to over-burden ourselves’ With renting you can get moved on. We wanted somewhere that the kids could grow up in’. Finding out about shared ownership in a newsletter from the housing association they were renting from, Belinda and Christopher then found Metropolitan’s development, The Leys, in Wellingborough. Belinda continued, ‘We already knew and liked the area as we have family who live locally in Wellingborough, my husband works in Northamptonshire and so we started

looking this way. The fact that The Leys came ready with fitted kitchens, integrated appliances, carpets and tiling made it very attractive.’ The Mills’ were able to buy a 30% share of a three-bedroom home with two parking spaces using their savings as a deposit. And with the mortgage, subsidised rent to Metropolitan and service charges, their monthly housing cost is a little over £560, less than it would cost to rent a similar quality property privately in the same area.

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? Affordable midlands properties are listed on page 58. Or for other midlands properties (from the same provider) call 0203 535 3535 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

30 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

Midlands Properties

ST MICHAELS GRANGE Coventry, from £231,960 for 80% Just four, four-bedroom homes remain at Barratt’s St Michaels Grange development on Brindle Avenue in Coventry; all are available to buy off-plan and all are offered through the Help to Buy scheme. Three styles of property remain: The Lincoln, featuring two sets of French doors leading out into the rear garden. One set leads out from a dual aspect lounge and the other from the kitchen with family breakfast area. The Kennington where the ground floor comprises a lounge with feature bay window, a fully fitted kitchen, dining and family area with French doors leading to the rear garden. The Thornbury with an open plan kitchen and dining area. Four-bedroom house: Full value: £289,950 • Minimum equity: 80% Cost of equity: £231,960 • 5% deposit: £14,498 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,271 Total costs: £1,271***

Interested? For more on St Michaels Grange, phone 07917 211 517 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/St-Michaels-Grange

MEETING HOUSE CLOSE East Leake, from £54,250 for 35% Metropolitan is offering two and three-bedroom family homes in East Leake, Nottinghamshire on a shared ownership basis and it is expected that applicants will need a household income somewhere between £22,000-£26,000. East Leake offers all the charm and peace of village life yet has an easy commute to Leicester, Derby, Loughborough and Nottingham. On the doorstep of the development are country walks, green spaces, a good range of shops and services and a leisure centre with pool. Two-bedroom house: Full value £155,000 • Minimum share: 35% Cost of share: £54,250 • 5% deposit: £2,713 • Mortgage on share*: £301 • Rent on remaining share**: £231 • Total costs: £532

Interested? For more on Meeting House Close, phone 0203 535 2555 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/MeetingHouse-Close

OAKBROOK Milton Keynes, from £126,400 for 80% Taylor Wimpey is offering Help to Buy on one-bedroom ‘Beeches’ apartments at their Oakbrook development in Milton Keynes. The ‘Beeches’ all feature a semi-open-plan kitchen/living/dining room, plus a well-proportioned master bedroom, a bathroom and two handy storage closets off the internal entrance hallway. Outside, is an allocated parking. All new homes at the development enjoy energy efficient central heating, double glazing and a fitted kitchen with integrated oven, hob and hood. One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £158,000 • Minimum equity: 80% Cost of equity: £126,400 • 5% deposit: £7,900 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £693 Total costs: £693***

Interested? For more on Oakbrook, phone 01908 787544 or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Oakbrook * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6. Please note: monthly outgoings do not include service charges

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 31

SHARED OWNERSHIP: NOT JUST FOR

NEW-BUILDS You’ve decided that shared ownership would work for you. But how do you buy in the area you’ve been living in, if there aren’t any new developments being built?

Did you think that the only properties available for shared ownership were brand new ones? It’s an easy assumption to make. You see advertising for new-build shared ownership properties all the time, but it’s unlikely that you’ve ever seen a shared-ownership for-sale-board outside an individual house or apartment? So what do you do if you want to stay living close to family and friends but the area hasn’t seen any new development for a while? What if you want to keep your children at the schools they’re at now? If only you could find an existing shared ownership property locally, you wouldn’t have to move away.

RESALES The fact is that existing shared ownership properties make up quite a chunk of those on the market. A lot of them will be newish of course, simply because shared ownership has only been around for 30 years or so, but there are other kinds of property available, including older properties that have been refurbished and sold through shared ownership in the past. If buying locally is your first choice, check out the older, existing shared ownership homes as well as new-builds in your area. For example, you might know of a shared ownership development you’d like to live in but you weren’t ready to buy when the homes were being sold new. The shared ownership industry refers to existing and older shared ownership properties as ‘resales’ and finding a resale could give you more choice.

HOW IT WORKS When a shared owner is ready to move, they sell their share on to someone else who is registered and approved by

32 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

the local Help to Buy Agent (or if you’re in London, by the housing association themselves). If the existing owner owns 35%, then that’s what you buy. But if you want to buy more, you can. Let’s say you can afford 50% of the home you want, but the seller only owns 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 your specialist solicitor (there’s a list of them on pages 66 & 67 of the magazine) will be ideally placed to advise you.

HOW TO FIND A RESALE Your Local Help to Buy Agent will have details of many of the resales properties available in their area (there’s a list of all of the Help to Buy Agents and their website addresses on page 54). Or you can check out individual housing associations (many of them advertise on pages 60-65) for information on any resales they have. In fact, if you’re looking to move onto a particular development, it’s definitely worth contacting the relevant housing association to let them know you’d be interested in a resale if one comes up.

Resales

‘IF I DIDN’T GET ON THE PROPERTY LADDER NOW, I WOULD BE PRICED OUT OF THE AREA’ Annie Lydford, 25, a press officer at The English National Opera in London had been renting with a friend in Stratford for a number of months but was keen to buy her own property. She says, ‘I really like Stratford and knew it was where I wanted to buy, but if I didn’t get on the property ladder now, I would be priced out of the area in the next two years’. Annie decided that shared ownership was the way forward. So she visited a number of developments before spotting online, a one-bedroom existing shared ownership apartment at East Thames’ Granary Court development in Stratford. Annie visited several times and ‘liked the feel of it’ before buying the 30% share held by the previous owners. Annie says, ‘Shared ownership has allowed me to realise my dream of owning my own home and now all my friends are looking into it as a way of buying their own home.’ For those friends and others interested in a one or two-bedroom resale at Granary Court phone 0300 303 7333.

ROWAN VILLAGE 75% of a two-bedroom, ground floor apartment for the over 55s in Stoke, from Staffordshire Housing for £76,000. Phone 01782 744533

DUCKETTS APARTMENTS 40% of this two-bedroom apartment in Bow E3, from Currells for £160,000. Phone 0203 227 0418

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 33

TV ACTOR TURNED CHEF

SEAN WILSON Sean Wilson is a wellknown actor, playing Martin Platt in the Nation’s favourite soap Coronation Street for 21 years (1984-2005). After Sean left the TV series he decided to fulfil his lifelong passion of cooking and went on to spend a year training as a

34 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

chef, working at a number of Michelin starred restaurants including, Northcote Manor at Langho near Blackburn. In 2009 Sean started a new venture called ‘The Saddleworth Cheese Company’ with best friend of thirty years, Mark Revell.

Inconversationwith...

How did you get into acting, and what made you change careers and become a chef and cheese maker? I played a very active part in my school drama productions and enjoyed them so much that I opted to take drama at GCSE level. Following this I was invited to take lead roles with my local theatre groups in Oldham and it was during my time performing in these that Granada TV were actively looking for a line-up of youth for Coronation Street and other shows. I was invited to audition and eventually to perform for various productions for Granada and Yorkshire TV before being asked to join the cast of Coronation Street in 1984. I have always had an interest in cooking and throughout my time acting I had accrued a collection of maybe two hundred cook books and had a list of top chefs as friends. I was attracted to the European use of provenance in their cheese and wine production and travelled on many forays into France and Italy to taste and understand the importance of this.

When did you buy/rent your first home, what was it like, and what made you choose it? I bought my first house soon after joining Coronation Street, it was a barn conversion a few miles from Manchester in an area called Saddleworth. I was attracted there with stone built villages and a more rural community than I had been used to in my formative years. I had a fab kitchen which was used to capacity often, giving lots of dinner parties for friends and colleagues.

What do you believe are the most important aspects of a home? For me the most important aspect of a home is that is just that; a home. It has to feel like a comfortable space that not only caters for your needs but has a spiritual feel where you feel safe and at ease.

What advice would you give to those looking to purchase their first home? I suppose if I was entering the housing market at the moment as a first time buyer, I would have to consider buying with a friend or companion as a joint venture to spread the costs. This of course can have its disadvantages as the longevity of the friendship or relationship has its own problems therein. I would be reluctant to rent though as the passage of time will mean that you could get caught up in just renting and not planning for your future.

Tell us about what you are currently working on and whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next for you? I have an eclectic life at the moment with lots of foody activity, including the cheese company of course and the planning of future projects. I perform cooking demonstrations up and down the country, which I really enjoy. I also have a TV series under my belt called The Great Northern Cookbook- and a book of the same name; I am currently compiling another series idea and writing a book on the fascinating subject of British Cheese and our 700 varieties of modern cheeses. There is lots to do and I enjoy the diversity of it all too. For more info about Seanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award winning cheese visit saddleworthcheese.co.uk

What is your vision/opinion on the lack of affordable housing in the UK? The lack of affordable housing is a problem that our short sited government and the global recession have caused. It is a situation that accumulates year on year and at present is an acute problem for home seekers of all levels, but of course the first time buyer has very little choice or indeed chance of buying with the current status of house building and bank confidence in lending. I fear for the next generation of home buyers as the situation worsens and I guess will have the effect of forcing them into renting rather than buying, therefore never building collateral on their home throughout there working life. Money spent on rent is essentially dead money and therefore this generation will be at a massive disadvantage in later life.

homefocus â&#x20AC;˘ NOV/DEC 2015 35

DO YOUR SUMS! Getting your first place is a great achievement, be it a bed-sit, flat share, singles flat or private rent. It equals an independent life. But before you settle for that and discount the idea of home ownership, make sure you take a good look at the cost of renting compared to buying. You might be surprised to find that renting doesn’t necessarily add up!

f course, there’s nothing like owning your own home. But it’s not just that you can decorate it as you want and have the security of knowing that you’re in control. When you do the sums you might find that buying through an affordable home ownership scheme could mean paying out less each month than if you rent. The figures on the next page show some typical comparisons from around the country. And in lots of them, buying a minimum share through shared ownership works out less than renting a comparable property. Sometimes the Help to Buy scheme can be less too. 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 in affordable home ownership. Just 5% of the full amount for Help to Buy deals and only 5% of the share you’re buying under shared ownership. It may not come to as much as you think. So, if being a homeowner is what you really want, do your sums and look at all of the figures.

36 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

‘We would be paying around £300 less for a mortgage compared with what we were spending on rent’

Shannon Bickley, 22 and Gareth Pearce, 23, along with eight month old son Oli, recently bought a new three-bedroom semi-detached home on a Bellway Homes development at The Pastures in Telford, and saved £300 per month. The family had previously rented in Stafford, and Shannon was shocked when they realised how much they could save by buying

RentvBuy

Check the figures in your area… We’ve done a bit of checking around**, and compared the price to rent a typical two-bedroom property with the cost of buying outright with a 95% mortgage, buying different shares through shared ownership, and buying through the 80% Help to Buy equity loan scheme. So do the sums and see if buying adds up for you. Tonbridge £260,000 Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

Shared ownership 25% share

£3,250

£61,750

£361

£447

£808

Shared ownership 50% share

£6,500

£123,500

£722

£298

£1,020

Help to Buy 80% equity loan

£13,000

£195,000

£1,140

£1,140*

Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee

£13,000

£247,000

£1,444

Private rent

£988

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

£4,000

£76,000

£444

£550

£994

Woolwich £320,000

Shared ownership 25% share

instead of renting. She said, ‘I thought buying a home would be nearly impossible for us because I was on maternity leave and Gareth had just started his new job, so when we found out that we would be paying around £300 less for a mortgage compared with what we were spending on rent, it was an absolute no-brainer. I couldn’t believe how much we could save by buying when we worked it all out. Shannon continued, ‘The Help to Buy scheme was one of the main reasons why we were able to buy our home. Without it I don’t think we could have bought a home within the next five years.’ Shannon and Gareth moved to The Pastures after a recommendation from Shannon’s mum, who also lives at the development. Shannon went on to say, ‘We were looking to move to Telford to be closer to my mum, who also bought a home at the development. We love our new house. It’s nice to be able to do exactly what we want with it, without having to ask for permission from the landlord first!’

Shared ownership 50% share

£8,000

£152,000

£889

£367

£1,256

Help to Buy 80% equity loan

£16,000

£240,000

£1,403

£0

£1,403*

Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee

£16,000

£304,000

£1,777

£0

£1,777

Private rent

£1,382

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

Gosport £155,000

Shared ownership 25% share

£1,938

£36,812

£215

£266

£481

Shared ownership 50% share

£3,875

£73,625

£430

£178

£608

Help to Buy 80% equity loan

£7,750

£116,250

£680

£0

£680*

Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee

£7,750

£147,250

£861

£0

£861

Private rent

£702

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

Stratford-upon-Avon £206,000 Deposit Shared ownership 25% share

£2,575

£48,925

£286

£354

£640

Shared ownership 50% share

£5,150

£97,850

£572

£236

£808

Help to Buy 80% equity loan

£10,300

£154,500

£903

£0

£903*

Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee

£10,300

£195,700

£1,114

£0

£1,114

Private rent

£888

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

Hoddesdon 232,000 Shared ownership 25% share

£2,900

£55,100

£322

£399

£721

Shared ownership 50% share

£5,800

£110,200

£644

£266

£910

Help to Buy 80% equity loan

£11,600

£174,000

£1,017

£0

£1,017*

Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee

£11,600

£220,400

£1,288

£0

£1,288

Private rent

£1014

£1,014

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

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 37

Your income less your outgoings add I

f you haven’t done your sums yet, you’ll be forced to when you apply for a mortgage. Your mortgage lender will want to know everything about the way you spend your money. Your rent. Your fares. Utility bills. It all adds up. Then there’s clothes, credit card payments, going out, holidays…lenders won’t be keen to give you a mortgage if you’re overdrawn at the end of every month! If you are serious, then now’s the time to do those sums. Because you’ll need to know what sort of property you can afford and there’s nothing worse than setting your heart on a place to find out that you can’t borrow enough to buy it. So we’ve asked Richard Stone, our resident number cruncher, to give us some figures showing what you might be able to buy on your income. Of course every application is different, but to keep things simple and consistent, Richard has chosen examples allowing for up to 45% of take home pay to be used towards housing costs (mortgage, rent and service charge) and he’s assumed that you will only fund 80% of the purchase price in Help to Buy or a minimum share of a shared ownership purchase. That’s why you can live in a more expensive property when you buy through shared ownership, you just own a smaller stake. Remember that shared ownership homes always have some level of service charge irrespective of them being a house or an apartment. With Help to Buy, it’s only leasehold properties (apartments for our purposes here) that attract a service charge. Additionally, the total loan amount should not be more than 4.5 times the household income.

Richard Stone is an IFA specialising in shared ownership and Help to Buy mortgages. His article Money, Money, Money on page 40 will help you build a good credit rating which could open up better mortgage offers for you.

Single person on household income of £28,000 Typically, your pay after tax and national insurance tax is around £1,821 each month. 45% of your take home pay is £820 and would buy you a 25% share of a £230,000 shared ownership home, a £185,000 Help to Buy house or a £160,000 Help to Buy apartment. You will need a £2,875 deposit for the shared ownership home as opposed to £9,250 for the Help to Buy house or £8,000 for the Help to Buy apartment.

Shared Ownership

Help to Buy

Price £230,000 Price £185,000(House) Mortgage payment £319 Mortgage payment £807

Rent £395 Rent £0 Service charge £100 Service charge £0 Monthly total

£814

Monthly total £807 Price £200,000 Price £160,000(Apartment) Mortgage payment £278 Mortgage payment £699

Rent £344 Rent £0 Service charge £100 Service charge £100 Monthly total

£722

Monthly total

£799

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

38 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

BuyingPower

up to what price home you can buy!

Couple (no children) on household income of £75,000* (Main earner £40,000 with a second income of £35,000) Typically, your take home pay is around £4,753 each month. 45% of your take home pay is £2,139 and would buy a 25% share of a £640,000 shared ownership home, a £460,000 Help to Buy house or a £400,000 Help to Buy apartment. You will need a £8,000 deposit for the shared ownership home as opposed to £23,000 for the Help to Buy house or £20,000 for the Help to Buy apartment. *outside of London, households earning over £60,000 are not eligible for shared ownership. Within London, households with this income can only apply for properties with 3 or more bedrooms.

Shared Ownership

Help to Buy

Couple + 1 child on household income of £60,000 (Main earner £50,000 with a 2nd income £10,000) Typically, your take home pay is around £3,786 each month. 45% of your take home pay is £1,703 and would buy a 25% share of a £500,000 shared ownership home, a £380,000 Help to Buy house or a £340,000 Help to Buy apartment. You will need a £6,250 deposit for the shared ownership home as opposed to £19,000 for the Help to Buy house or £17,000 for the Help to Buy apartment.

Shared Ownership

Help to Buy

Price £640,000 Price £460,000(House) Price £500,000 Price £380,000(House) Mortgage payment £889 Mortgage payment £2,008 Mortgage payment £695 Mortgage payment £1,659

Rent £1,100 Rent £0 Rent £773 Rent £0 Service charge £150 Service charge £0 Service charge £150 Service charge £0 Monthly total

£2,139

Monthly total

£2,008

Monthly total

£1,703

Monthly total

£1,659

Price £550,000 Price £400,000(Apartment) Price £450,000 Price £340,000(Apartment) Mortgage payment £764 Mortgage payment £1,746 Mortgage payment £625 Mortgage payment £1,485

Rent £945 Rent £0 Rent £773 Rent £0 Service charge £150 Service charge £150 Service charge £150 Service charge £150 Monthly total

£1,859

Monthly total

£1,859

Monthly total

£1,548

Monthly total

£1,635

Terms used in the calculations: The figures have been prepared on the basis of a repayment mortgage over a 25 year term. The rate of interest used in the examples is 5% which is higher than current mortgage rates available. The shared ownership figures have been based on a minimum share of 25%, assuming a 95% mortgage and a 5% deposit. The Help to Buy figures have been based on a mortgage equivalent to 75% of the full purchase price and a 5% deposit of the full purchase price with the remaining 20% being provided by the Help to Buy scheme. The shared ownership rent has been based on 2.75% and the service charge is a shown at a typical level. Both these sums will vary on a property specific basis.

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 39

MONEY MONEY MONEY Before you worry about location, location, location, think about money, money money! Money for your deposit, money for your mortgage and money to get through each month. The budget planner on the right hand page will

• Check with your council to see that you are on

help you work out your income and outgoings each

the electoral roll. Not being on the electoral roll

month so you’ll know how much you can afford to

reduces your chances of being accepted.

pay in mortgage (or mortgage and rent on a shared

• Try to pay off existing debts before you apply,

ownership property). And if you need to build

or at the very least reduce them by as much as

up a deposit, it will also help you work out how

possible.

much you can save to put towards it. But the rest of

• Don’t miss or make late repayments on any loan,

this page will help you get the best mortgage deal

credit card or utility bill. Missed or late payments

available by making sure your credit rating is as

can stay on your credit file for up to 6 years and

high as possible.

can play havoc with your chances of obtaining a mortgage.

Credit ratings

• Keep within your bank overdraft limit and

A below average credit rating will affect the

preferably keep in credit for at least 6 months prior

mortgage terms you’re offered or perhaps even

to applying for a mortgage. Lenders will ask to

lead to your mortgage application being turned

see between 3 and 6 months of your most recent

down altogether. And there’s no way round it.

bank statements and if you have overstepped

When you apply for a mortgage, the lender will

your authorised limit this is likely to lead to an

carry out a credit check which provides them with

automatic decline.

a breakdown of all historical financial transactions

• If you’ve never had credit before, it can be

held in your name. This records how much you

difficult for a lender to assess you. Consider taking

have borrowed and how you have dealt with each

out a credit card, make a couple of purchases on

commitment, i.e. are you a good payer and have

it each month and repaying them in full within

you paid on time? This check also provides a “credit

the prescribed time limit. This will help to build a

score” to help the lender make a decision on your

good credit history.

application. Unfortunately, the scoring systems

• Having too much credit available can work

aren’t published and differ lender to lender and

against you. Close any accounts you don’t need or

product to product. But we do know that the higher

use anymore.

your score, the better chance you have of obtaining

• Lenders want to see a settled financial history

a mortgage and being offered a good interest rate.

so don’t take out any loans or new credit cards shortly before applying for a mortgage.

40 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

Easy steps to maximise your credit score

• It’s not always easy, but avoid a job change

• Obtain a copy of your credit report (the 3 major

application. Before agreeing to a loan most

agencies are Experian, Equifax and Callcredit) and

mortgage providers like a borrower to have held a

check the content. The reports can occasionally

job for a few months to show that a steady income

contain mistakes.

is being received.

immediately prior to submitting a mortgage

MoneyMaestro

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

1 – Income

4 – Everyday expenditure

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

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 INCOME (BOX 1)

£ TOTAL EVERYDAY COSTS (BOX 4)

2 – Housing and utilities

5 – Other expenditure

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)

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)

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)

6 – Your budget Total income

BOX 1

Housing costs Important expenditure Everyday expenditure Other expenditure

BOX 2 BOX 3 BOX 4 BOX 5

Total Outgoings (add boxes 2,3,4,5 & 6) BOX 6

MONEY LEFT OVER (BOX 1 – BOX 6)

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 41

GloriousG All items available from www.sainsburys.co.uk

Add a touch of glamour to your home with gold. Used like jewellery it can be used to dress up a space, and create an impact in any room with very little effort or expense. Gold isn’t just about shine and bling, its rich sunny tones add depth and warmth. Here’s a round up of our favourite gold pieces from this season’s offerings.

42 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

Gold

HomeStyle

7 4

1 Sparkle gold mug £2 www.wilko.com

2 Velvet Ghost X rose gold sequin lights £6 www.primark.com 3 Alexandria Gold by Portofino wallpaper £32.99 www.wallpaperdirect.com

4 Gold table £49.99 www.homesense.com 5 Marble base lamp £28 www.next.com

6 Gold cafetiere £35 www.houseoffraser.co.uk 7 Gold wire bowl £27 www.homecandy.com

8 Gold wavy top vase £10 www.asda.com 9 Gold alphabet letters £10 each www.oliverbonas.com 10 Eiffel chair in gold £99 www.dwell.com

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 43

FESTIVE FLAVOURS

The festive season is almost upon us, and with it the shorter days and colder weather, but there’s still lots to look forward to, especially some delicious new food and drink products that are guaranteed to get your taste buds tingling. With so many to choose from we’ve gathered a few of our favourites here.

Perfectly Pickled

Check out the ne w Charcuteriments range from Tracklements. Th ese attractive Le Parfait jars are filled with three different flavours, Picked Onion, Ho t Garlic, and Mixed Pickle. Created as the perfect accompaniment to meats, cheese s, and pies, we think they’d be best en joyed with a Boxing Day buffe t. Watch out for the Hot Garlic – it pa punch! £3.80 each cks a tasty available from ww w.tracklements. co.uk

Christmas Crunch

Anyone For Sherry Great news for Sherry lovers, Harveys has released Signature, a twelve year old cream sherry. With a warm bronze colour and a balance of flavours and aromas including sweet spice, hazelnut and rich dried fruits, Signature makes the perfect aperitif. Alternatively, if you’re feeling more adventurous you could try a cocktail, we loved Harveys Frosted Apple & Ginger recipe, you can find the details here www.harveyshalfhour.co.uk/ £11.90 available from Waitrose.

Try these limited edition crisps from Tyrrells. Aptly named Merry Crisp-mas Crisps they feature a festive mix of naturally red and white hand cooked potatoes with a light salt seasoning. Their colour combo makes them look great and we thought they were perfect for using with a sour cream and chive dip. 125g bag £2.99 available from Tesco

Ice Cream Dream

fab festive cream with these two new It’s never too cold for ice tive concoction fes a d, rlan rys. Minter Wonde flavours from Ben & Jer t ice cream and packed with Fairtrade min perfect end chocolate chunks is the on to a meal, whilst Cinnam rs Buns with its laye of caramel ice cream and chunks of cinnamon bun dough makes a great treat whilst snuggled up on the sofa watching a movie. 500ml tub £4.99 www.benjerry.co.uk

44 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

Some Like It Hot! What better way to warm up this winter than with a tasty mug of Whittard’s Luxury Hot Chocolate. Available in white and milk chocolate options these make a lovely gift in their attractive kilner tins. £8 each www.whittard.co.uk

FoodFocus

Choice Chocolate

It wouldn’t be Christma s without chocolate, and this collection from Thornto ns doesn’t fail to please. Complete with a choice of fudge, caramels, pralines, and truffles, aptly named Star of Wonder, Yule Log, Snowy Blizzard, and All Wrapped Up they make a great after dinner treat. £6.50 www.thorntons.co.u k.

Best Brew We love the aroma of fresh coffee here at homefocus, so we’re really pleased to try Cherizena’s 2015 limited edition Christmas coffee. This blend has been created by flavouring the Colombian Excelsior medium bean with a tasty combination of rum, hazelnut, cinnamon, vanilla, orange and pecan nut flavours, we love it. It is available as beans or ground, and in regular or decaffeinated options. £3.25 for a 115g pack, available from www.cherizena.co.uk

Totally Tropical These fruity botanical extract drinks from Firefly are extremely refreshing and an ideal alternative to alcohol throughout the festive season. Available in a variety of flavours including Peach & Green Tea, Kiwi Lime & Mint, and Pomegranate & Elderflower they come in 300ml or 400ml bottles. £1.49 available from Waitrose www.fireflydrinks.com

Wonderful White

Blason de Bourgogne t Montagny is the perfec oy enj to e win nch Fre with festive season dining. With its crisp and invigorating flavour it works especially well when served with a starter such as smoked salmon. £10 per bottle available from Sainsburys.

Limited Edition Blue Nun - Giveaway German wine brand, Blue Nun, has introduced a limited edition original ‘Family Tradition’ bottle, just for the festive season. It features a charming retro design on the iconic, blue glass fluted bottle and offers a fresh, easy going style of wine that works especially well when paired with Winter favourites such as light stews, chicken & vegetable recipes, and fish dishes. Available from Asda it is priced at £5.25 for 750ml bottle. Thanks to Blue Nun we’ve got one case containing six of the Limited Edition bottles to giveaway, to be in with a chance of winning this email your name, address, and age (confirming you are over 18 years old) to comps@homefocusmagazine.co.uk remember to include ‘Blue Nun Giveaway’ in the subject line. Usual homefocus competition rules apply. Closing date is 10th January 2016

WIN

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 45

MOVING

CHECKLIST PRACTICAL PLANNING FOR MOVING DAY 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

46 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

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 Move First 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!

OnTheMove

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…

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

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

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

1 WEEK BEFORE… n Arrange to transfer bank and savings

home

accounts

n Contact your new local authority about

n Tell credit and store card companies your

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 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

n Check parking arrangements at your new

n Get to know your new area and work out the

home and apply for permits if necessary

best routes to work and school. Check out www.upmystreet.com to find out more

new areas regarding council tax and electoral registration

n Defrost and thoroughly clean the fridge and

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

Friends and family Post Office Inland Revenue Schools and colleges Local councils House insurance company Electricity and gas suppliers Water and sewerage companies Telephone company Internet supplier Satellite/cable TV provider TV Licensing Banks and building societies Credit card/store cards Doctor Dentist Car insurance company DVLA Car breakdown company Library Milkman Newsagent/magazine subscriptions Sports and social clubs Church/place of worship Children’s clubs

messages and Facebook or MySpace alerts

1 DAY BEFORE…

friends, van rental etc

3 WEEKS BEFORE…

n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

n Notify relevant authorities in your old and

n Book removals company or arrange help from

new address

People to tell

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

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.homefocus.co.uk/Moving Checklst and download your own electronic version to use.

First night kit n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n n

Kettle Mugs, cutlery, plates, glasses Coffee, tea, milk, sugar, water Washing-up bowl and liquid Rubber gloves Map Vacuum cleaner/dustpan and brush Tea towels and cloths Toilet roll Bin liners Towels/soap/shampoo Lightbulbs Candles and matches Fuses Screwdriver Local takeaway menus! Bottle of champagne

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 47

WHAT A DIFFERENCE

REGENERATION CAN CHANGE THE WAY YOU LIVE AND THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME

‘Buy at the bottom and sell at the top’ makes great advice for investors. And even though we’re looking for so much more than just an investment when we buy our first home, it’d be nice to think that the price might increase ahead of the market place and give us the chance to trade up when we’re ready. WHERE TO LOOK... So how do you get that little edge? Well one way is to get in at the beginning of planned regeneration. It might mean you having to put up with the noise and disruption of building work for a while, but at the end, when the area has new, improved facilities, there’s every chance that prices will rise by more than house price inflation. We are all familiar with a local estate or area has been neglected or is simply no longer fit for the demands of today’s modern living. Regeneration will give an area like this more than just a facelift. It’ll bring the area to life and give it something for the residents to be proud of. Better transport; new schools, perhaps a doctors’ surgery or a gym, open spaces and play areas with more retail and places of work. And so the area becomes a community!

EVERYONE WINS Research shows that residents in regenerated areas enjoy a real sense of belonging to the new community and benefit from a reduction in crime and anti-social behaviour. Larger regeneration projects offer something for everyone, with new places to live often phased over several years. To cater for singletons, couples and families, there’s usually a whole range of homes with different styles and layouts, different sizes and number of bedrooms. And many of them will be part of an affordable scheme bringing them into the financial reach of as many people as possible. So everyone wins!

48 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

Regeneration

Ocean Estate A good example of a ‘before and after’ development is the Ocean Estate in Stepney that has transformed a local authority estate with 10 storey high-rise tower blocks, into a community of 892 low rise homes. There are landscaped gardens, play areas and a community centre. Residents who bought early are already seeing financial rewards as the regeneration takes shape and the next phases in construction complete. East Thames has a raft of shared ownership homes due to be ready in Spring 2017. For more information, go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Ocean-Estate or call 0300 303 7333

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 49

ASK THE EXPERTS

I’ve heard that buying a shared ownership property is more complicated. Can you tell me what I’ll have to do and if it’ll cost me more? Writes Tiffany Harman from St Albans

A lot of people have heard the same Tiffany, so we put your question to three experts to find out if it’s true. Two of the experts chose to answer with comments from their customers.

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

know? Send it to us at info@homefocus.co.uk 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.

50 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

HOUSING ASSOCATION COMMENT

Greg Warner-Harris Sales and Marketing Director

eople who tell you that buying a shared ownership property is complicated, are generally

those people who haven’t done it. Take a look at the case studies in this edition of homefocus and you will see how smoothly the process went for many purchasers and how much more affordable it is compared with the open market. The great thing about buying a shared ownership home is that there are plenty of experts on hand to help you along the way. There are two main routes by which you can find a shared ownership home and both are easy to navigate - so don’t be put off. First, there are government appointed agencies that you can apply to free of charge and they hold a central database for housing associations when they have shared ownership homes for sale. These are First Steps in London and Help to Buy through the rest of the country. Contact details for all agencies are on page 54 of this magazine so get your name on the list! Separately, housing associations operating in your area may advertise their developments locally and you can apply direct to them. Either way, with over 30 years of shared ownership history behind it, the housing association sector has smoothed out the bumps to make your journey to home ownership a smooth one.

ExpertAdvice

MORTGAGE CASE HISTORY

CONVEYANCING CASE HISTORY

Richard Stone

Andrew Theoff

Consultant

Partner, Direction Law

ays, here’s what Censeo customer Eddie Blake has to say: ‘When I was offered my new shared

ownership flat, I discovered two things. Firstly that I was asked to move on everything as urgent - but my bank expected me to wait two weeks for an appointment with their mortgage advisor and secondly, that my budget was based on putting down a 10% deposit, but my bank wanted 25%. So my calculations were really out. I was referred to Censeo who, I was told, was one of just a few companies that specialise in arranging mortgages for shared owners and work with housing associations all the time. I was sceptical at first but I have seen the advantages. Because of the housing association

ays, here’s what our client, Suswati Basu has to say: ‘I had always expected that buying my home would be complex and take months and I was led to believe that it’d be even more so because I was buying through shared ownership. So, when it came to appointing a solicitor to work for me, I was more than just a bit relieved when the housing association recommended solicitors with extensive experience of shared ownership. I contacted Direction Law and realised that they had worked with many shared ownership buyers before. I sensed that not only did they know what they were talking about but they knew what questions I would and should ask.

connection, I was seen within 48 hours and then during a very long meeting, they looked at my finances in the same way as the housing association would, to make sure that I could afford the mortgage and was likely to be approved. They looked at several lenders with me and at fixed, variable and tracker mortgages (a minefield!) and once we decided what was best, they completed the mortgage forms on-line and submitted my application then and there. I received my mortgage offer in time and was able to go ahead with the flat within the deadlines that were

Their quotation was easy to understand and they gave me a fixed fee with no hidden charges, so I knew what to budget and didn’t worry that the price would go up if I wanted to ask them something. They kept me informed throughout. From appointing them to exchange of contracts took 19 days! So any fears that had been put in my head about the legal complexities of buying through shared ownership have proved to be unjustified and I’m now confident that, by using experts in their field, I need not worry now, or in the future.

set. And I felt that by having a mortgage advisor I had someone on my side dealing with my questions and acting on my behalf with the mortgage company and the housing association’.

The most important lesson I learnt when purchasing my home is the importance of using a firm of specialists that know and understand how shared ownership works’.

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 51

Photos courtesy of www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk

52 homefocus â&#x20AC;˘ NOV/DEC 2015

homefocusCompetition

N I W

ONE OF SIX £50 NATIONAL GARDEN GIFT VOUCHERS The Gift that keeps on Giving National Garden Gift Vouchers let green-fingered family and friends choose the gifts they really want and that keep on giving long after Christmas is gone. Whether it’s plants and shrubs for brightening up flower beds, festive decorations or gardening gifts or simply new look pots and containers for an instant garden or patio makeover. They can be used at nearly 2,000 retail outlets around the UK including garden centres such as Dobbies, Hilliers, Notcutts, Squire’s and Homebase and hundreds of independent garden nurseries. Visit www. thevouchergarden.co.uk for an easy to use store locator or to buy online and follow National Garden Gift Vouchers on www.facebook. com/GardenGiftVouchers and on

To be in with a chance of winning one of six £50 vouchers simply answer the question below: National Garden Gift Vouchers can be used in how many retail outlets A: nearly 200 B: nearly 20,000 C: nearly 2,000

How to enter: Email your answer, along with your name, address, and confirmation that you are over 18 years of age to: comps@homefocusmagazine.co.uk don’t forget to include ‘National Garden Gift Vouchers’ in the subject line. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/competitions The six winners will be picked at random from correct entries. TERMS AND CONDITIONS • The closing date is 10th January 2016 • The Editor’s decision is final • No purchase necessary • There is no alternative cash prize • We accept no responsibility for entries not received

twitter @GardenGiftVouch

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 53

WhereNext

homefinder Your steps to making all the right moves… WHERE 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 registered If 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. Step 2 – Work out how much you can afford There’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 hunting Now 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. Step 4 – Details Getting 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 print If 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 moving Sorry, 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, contact info@ homefocusmagazine and we will send you an electronic version to download and keep.

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

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.helptobuy.org.uk, then you will be redirected to the appropriate website.

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:

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

WANT MORE INFORMATION? email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk 54 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

ShowDiary

WHAT’S ON FIND OUT ABOUT EVENTS NEAR YOU! The Southwest Homebuilding and Renovating Show Somerset 21st–22nd November

LIVE ONLINE SHARED OWNERSHIP Q&A On a pc, laptop, tablet or phone near you Wednesday 18th November 7pm-8pm Bromford Homes will answer your questions about buying a shared ownership home Send your questions on Facebook and Twitter (using the hashtag #Buyingahome) for an exclusive live Q&A session. If you can’t join them live, email your questions in advance to sales@bromford.co.uk or call 0800 0852 499.

Ideal Home Show at Christmas London Olympia 25th–29th November

The Ideal Home Show London Olympia 18th March–3rd April 2016 10am–6pm daily Late Night Thursdays open until 9pm

Homebuilding & Renovating Show NEC Birmingham 14th–17th April

London Home Show London Spring 2016

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 e-mail us at enquiries@homefocus.co.uk and we’ll do our best to help! Until the next issue of homefocus… happy homehunting!

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 55

PropertySearch

AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES

NEAR YOU!

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

Name of Development

No of Units

Type of Properties

Available From

Provider

EAST & SOUTH EAST www.helptobuyese.org.uk Arlesey Albone Avenue 12 Ashford Oakfields 6 Ashford Chilham Place 4 Ashford Poppy Mead 1 Ashford Tower Point 1 Ashford Wellesley View 1 Baldock Philosophers Gate 2 Borehamwood Danziger Way 1 Bracknell The Parks 2 Bracknell Canterville Place 1 Brighton One Hove Park 5 Brighton Brighton Rocket 10 Broadbridge Heath Wickhurst Green 5 Broadland The Pastures 19 Broadland Clover Chase 4 Buxted Totease Mews 1 Canterbury Chantry Club 16 Chatham Admirals Place 8 Chatham St. Marys Island 24 Chelmsford L&Q @ Beaulieu TBC Chichester The Old School Apartments 14 Chichester Affinity Sutton at Graylingwell Park 22 Chichester Bleaches Court 2 Chichester St Margarets 8 Chichester John Rennie Road 1 Chichester The Dunes 6 Chichester The Heritage 36 Cranfield Home Farm 15 Dartford Brent Way 4 Dartford HNH at Phoenix Quarter 51 Dover Church Lane - Deal 21 Eastbourne The Old Pump House 20 Epsom & Ewell Ethel Bailey Close 6 Epsom & Ewell Hollymoor Lane 9 Ferring Meadowside 4 Fishbourne The Oaks 3 Guildford Weatherill Close 2 Guildford MacDowall Road 1 Halling Phase 3 - St Andrews Park 11 Halling Phase 3 - St Andrews Park 7 Halling St Andrews Park Phase 3 21 Hastings Archery Road 26 Haywards Heath Ashurst 2 Horsham Novartis 25 Horsham Broadbridge Heath 10 Ipswich Stoke Quay 8 Lewes Keymer Avenue 3 Littlehampton Courtwick Lane 23 Maidstone Tonbridge Road 12 Mid Suffolk Castle Fields 6 Milton Keynes Yorkshire Close 2 Milton Keynes Oakgrove 17 Norwich St Annes Wharf TBC Polegate The Mill 3 Rother Moleynes Mead 7

56 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

2 & 3 bed houses Coming Soon 2 & 3 bed houses Now 3 bed houses February 2 bed house Now 2 bed flat Now 1 bed flat Now 2 & 3 bed houses Now 2 bed duplex Now 2 bed flats Now 2 bed flat Now 1 & 2 bed wheelchair accessible flats Now 1 & 3 bed flats, 2 bed wheelchair Now accessible flats 2 bed houses Now 2 & 3 bed houses Phase 2 - 2016 3 & 4 bed houses Now 3 bed flat Now 1 & 2 bed flats 2016/2017 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 bed houses Now 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 & 4 bed houses 2016 1 & 2 bed flats Early 2016 2 bed flats Spring 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Spring 1 & 2 bed flats Now 2 bed flats Spring 1 bed flat Now 2 & 3 houses Now 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses Now 2 bed house Now 2 & 3 bed houses Now 2 & 3 bed houses February flats and houses 2016/2017 2 & 3 bed houses March 2 bed flats March 2 bed flats June 2 bed houses Now 2 bed flats Now 3 bed mid terrace house Now 1 bed flats Now 2 bed flats Now 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Feb-18 3 bed houses Now 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed house Jan-18 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses February 1 & 2 bed flats Now 2 & 3 bed houses Spring 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses Summer 2 bed flats Now 2 & 3 bed houses 2017 1 bed flats Now 2 & 3 houses Now 1 & 2 bed flats 2017 2 & 3 bed houses Now 2 & 3 bed houses 2015

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No of Units

www.helptobuyese.org.uk Rother Tithe Barn Field 1 Sevenoaks Dunton Meadows 49 Steveange Stephensons Mews 2 Stevenage Miller Way 1 Wealden Conquest Drive 2 Westcliff-on-Sea Sunlight Mews 8

Type of Properties 3 bed house 1 & 2 bed flats 2 bed flat 2 bed flat 2 bed mid terrace house 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses

Available From

Provider

Now Now Now Now Now Now

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LONDON www.sharetobuy.com/firststeps Bexley Erith Park - Bow Bow River Village 25 Bow The View 4 Bromley Manor Lodge 16 Bromley Warwick House 1 Bromley The Vale 2 Bromley Krueger House 2 Bromley Hardwick House 1 Bromley HNH at Regent’s Place 24 Canada Water Quebec Quarter 69 Canning Town Rawalpindi 8 Chigwell Wanti Terrace 5 Cricklewood Gladstone Village 32 Docklands Jessops at New Providence Wharf 25 Enfield Bolingbroke Park 42 Enfield Saffron House 10 Fitzrovia Cleveland Street@Fitzroy Place 14 Forest Hill City Walk 1 Greenwich Ordnance Place 10 Greenwich L&Q @ Greenwich Peninsula 32 Hackney The City Mills Phase 2 116 Harrow Charter Court 26 Harrow Colart 7 Islington The Fable Apartments at the Lexicon 12 Islington St Luke’s Centre 7 Kensington Grand Union Centre 13 Kingston upon Thames Carisbrooke House 1 Lewisham L&Q@Greenland Place Phase 2 55 Lewisham Thurston Point 42 Lewisham Tanners Hill 43 New Barnet The Approach 5 Newham Chobham Manor 8 North Kensington Retro Bosworth Road 8 Orpington Amethyst Court 1 Peckham BASE15 8 Putney Walpole Lodge Plaza Gardens Putney 34 Redbridge Westview Drive 9 Rendelsham Road The NE5T 2 Romford Vickers House 37 Romford Victoria Road 10 Southwark Harvard Gardens 27 Southwark The Residence 10 Stonebridge Spring North 27 Stratford Stratford Gate 52 Stratford East Plaza 22 Tottenham Rivers Apartments Phase 2 35 Tottenham Rivers Apartments Phase 1 65 Waltham Forest Shernall Street 21 Walthamstow Stadium Place 99 Wandsworth Oakhill Park 8 Wandsworth Arcadia @ Riverside Quarter 11 Wandsworth UP 12 Wembley Westside Court Forty Avenue 2 Woolwich The Liberty 85

2 & 3 bed houses, 1 & 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 & 3 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 bed flat 3 bed houses 2 bed flat 2 bed flat 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 & 3 bed flats 1 bed flats 1 bed flat 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1, 2, 3 & 4 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 bed flat, 3 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 1 bed flat 1 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 bed flats 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 4 bed houses, 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 3 bed m’ettes 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 3 bed maisonettes 2 bed flats - over 55s

Now Summer Coming soon Early 2016 Now Now Now Now Now Early 2016 Winter 2015 Coming soon Spring Now Summer Winter 2016 Now Now Early 2016 Now 2015/2016 Now Winter 2016 Now Spring Now Now Now Now Spring Winter 2016 2015/2016 Now Now April Now Now Now Now Now Early 2016 Now Now Now Now Now Now Coming soon Early 2016

Orbit Homes Southern Housing East Thames L&Q Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Hyde New Homes L&Q Genesis Housing Assn. East Thames Octavia Genesis Housing Assn. L&Q Origin Housing Octavia Affinity Sutton L&Q L&Q L&Q Metropolitan Origin Housing Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton L&Q L&Q Affinity Sutton Origin Housing L&Q Octavia Affinity Sutton Southern Housing Octavia Metropolitan Southern Housing Estuary Estuary L&Q Affinity Sutton Hyde New Homes L&Q East Thames Newlon home Ownership Newlon Home Ownership Metropolitan L&Q

Coming soon Now Now Now Now

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MIDLANDS www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk Barford Leafield Mews 4 2 bed bungalow, 2 & 3 bed houses Bedford Greenlakes Rise, West Wixham 10 2 & 3 bed houses Bedworth Milliner Court 10 2 & 3 bed houses Bidford upon Avon The Waterways 5 2 & 3 bed houses Bidford upon Avon Friday Furlong 5 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Bidford upon Avon Bramley Way 5 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Bishops Itchington Hendry Place 3 3 bed houses Bishops Itchington Gaydon Road 8 2 & 3 bed houses

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homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 57

PropertySearch Location

Name of Development

No of Units

Type of Properties

Available From

Provider

MIDLANDS

www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk Blaby Grace Road 5 2 & 3 bed houses Brackley Radstone Grange 5 3 bed houses Bromsgrove Church Meadows 10 2 bed house, 1 & 2 bed flats Burton Latimer Glade Gardens 8 2 bed houses Burton-upon-Trent Steeping Place 18 2 & 3 bed houses Cotgrate Colliery Cotgrave Colliery 64 houses Coventry Grange Road 18 18 Plots Coventry Cromwell Gardens 10 2 & 3 bed houses East Leake Meeting House Close 8 2 & 3 bed houses East Leake Lantern Lane 21 houses East Northamptonshire Newland Road 4 2 & 3 bed houses Exhall Burbages Lane 15 2 & 3 bed houses Great Witley Great Witley 2 3 bed houses Harborough Road Kibworth Meadows 12 2 & 3 bed houses Hinckley Brook Approach 8 2 & 3 bed houses Kettering Westhill 4 2 bed houses Kettering The Gateway 20 2 & 3 bed houses Kettering West Glebe Road 20 2 & 3 bed houses Kineton Kineton Mews 11 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Kings Sutton Hampton Drive 10 3 bed houses Leamington Spa Elm’s Point 9 2 & 3 bed houses Leamington Spa The Priors @ Chesterton Gardens 17 2 & 3 bed houses Leicester East Grangewood Manor 13 2 & 3 bed houses Leicestershire Bridle Way 16 2 & 3 bed houses Leicestershire Charnwood Chase,Forest House Lane 6 2 & 3 bed houses Long Marston Beaufort Mead 29 2 & 3 bed houses, 2 bed m’ettes, 2 bed coach house Markfield Mineral Quarter 10 2 & 2 bed houses Northampton Carey Fields 14 2 & 3 bed houses Northampton Studland Place 15 2 & 3 bed houses Northampton Woodvale Gardens 5 2 & 3 bed houses Northampton Heritage Park 9 2 & 3 bed houses Nuneaton Viscount Place 6 2 & 3 bed houses Pineham Butterfly Gardens 37 2 & 3 bed houses Pinvin The Green, Pinvin 2 2 bed houses Ruddington Wheatley Fields 12 2 & 3 bed houses Rugby Lower Street 76 TBC Rushden Woollard Gardens 8 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Shipston on Stour Hornsby Close 2 2 & 3 bed houses South Northamptonshire Stonecutters, Roade 10 2 bed houses Southam Banbury Road 12 2 bed flats Stafford Effinch Lane 11 2 & 3 bed houses Stratford-upon-Avon The Chapelry 15 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Stratford-upon-Avon Loxley Road 10 2 & 3 bed houses Stratford-upon-Avon Milestone Road 8 2 & 3 bed houses Stratford-upon-Avon Birmingham Road 5 2 & 3 bed houses Thrapston The Sidings 28 1 & 2 bed m’ettes, 2 & 3 bed houses Tutbury Castle Keep 16 2 & 3 bed houses Warwick Hawkes Meadow 18 2 & 3 bed houses Wellesbourne Ettington Mews 18 2, 3 & 4 bed houses

February Now Now January Now Phased Jan-18 March Coming soon Phased June Apr-17 Now January Now March Now Mar-17 January 2016 Now Now Now Nov-16 Jun-17 Now

Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Stonewater Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Metropolitan Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Metropolitan Metropolitan Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Stonewater Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Aragon Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Stonewater Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes

Now May August Now January Now Now Now Coming soon Early 2017 January Oct-16 Now July January Now Jan-17 Now April January Now Now Nov-16

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SOUTH www.helptobuysouth.co.uk Ampfield Chippenham Coleford East Hampshire Eastleigh Gosport Gosport Gosport Gurnard, Isle of Wight Hook Norton Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth Southampton Southampton Southampton Southampton Southampton Southampton Stanford in The Vale

Morley’s Green Rowden Lane Thurstans Rise Kingdon Mews Surrey Court Issac House Camber House Alver Village Oaklands Country Estate Bourne View Affinity Sutton at Drayton Park St Marys Southdown View Southdown View Raleigh House Mayflower Mews Centenary Quay Steeple View The Cloisters Queensway Poets Place

4 2 6 1 12 2 2 6 4 6 13 4 23 7 1 2 3 8 18 12 6

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Emersons Gateway Maytrees

7 1

2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed flat

Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now

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SOUTH WEST www.helptobuysw.org.uk Bristol Bristol

58 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

Summer Now

Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton

PropertySearch

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No of Units

Type of Properties

Available From

Provider

2 bed houses 3 bed houses 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed houses 2, 3 & 4 bed houses 3 bed houses 2 & 3 bed houses 3 bed houses 3 bed houses 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed house

Now January Now Now January Now Now Now Now Now Now

Spectrum Housing Group Spectrum Housing Group Stonewater Homes Spectrum Housing Group Spectrum Housing Group Spectrum Housing Group Spectrum Housing Group Spectrum Housing Group Stonewater Homes Stonewater Homes Stonewater Homes

SOUTH WEST www.helptobuysw.org.uk Chickerill Chudleigh Henlade, Taunton Lyme Regis Newton Abbot Paignton Plymouth Shaftesbury South Petherton Taunton Weymouth

Putton Lane Tors Reach Stoke Road Woodberry Down Hele Park Elberry Gardens Hooe Lake Chilmark Glade Hayes End Monkton Heathfield Pemberley

9 8 10 2 9 3 4 4 3 8 1

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homefinder East & South East

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homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 61

homefinder London H.Focus Directory Ads x 2 (90x61).qxp_Layout 1 09/10/2015 17:33 Page 2

homefinder London

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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.

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62 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

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64 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

homefinder South

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Here at the Advertising Standards Authority, we judge ads on whether they’re harmful, misleading, or offensive. Not on whether they’re funny, clever or they look good. Which is just as well, really. Telephone 020 7492 2222 www.asa.org.uk

Email the name of the property to enquiries@homefocus.co.uk and we’ll do the rest. Remember to include your name.

Keeping advertising standards high

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 65

legaladvice

homebuyers

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66 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015

10/04/2013 17:00

legaladvice

We leave good advertising to the professionals.

Keeping advertising standards high

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Published every other month to keep you up to date with the latest opportunities in shared and affordable home ownership Just £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,

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homefocus • NOV/DEC 2015 67