Hf sept 2015 whole issue by homefocus

homefocus SEPT/OCT 2015

BBC TV Presenter

GABRIELLE

BLACKMAN says ‘cupboards are the source of all happiness’

CHANCES ARE YOU CAN BUY YOUR OWN HOME Shared ownership and Help to Buy

‘I never dreamed I’d be able to buy without leaving London’ says Edit

REASONS TO BUY NOT RENT

MADE MORE AFFORDABLE

IN W WIN FABULOUS CANDLES GIFT SETS WORTH £100 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

Publisher’sComment

homefocus 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 Isabel Saville CONCORDIA HOUSING CONSULTANCY Simon Scott ORIGIN HOUSING Sharon Shaw MARTIN SHAW CONSULTING Richard Stone CENSEO LTD Andrew Theoff DIRECTION LAW Helen Towner HOMES AND COMMUNITIES AGENCY Greg Warner-Harris SPECTRUM HOUSING GROUP

PREDICTING THE WORST... YOU CAN PROVE THEM WRONG A recent report by Pricewaterhouse Cooper (PwC) predicts that the number of people renting homes is going to overtake those with a mortgage and that in 10 years time, more than half of people aged between 20 and 39 will be renting their home. And

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 Associates

the reason that less people are stepping onto the home ownership ladder? Well according to one of the PwC clairvoyants ‘Driven by a decade of soaring house prices pre-crisis, and lower loan-tovalue ratios post crisis, the deposit needed by first time buyers has risen significantly’. It doesn’t make for a good reading does it? So homefocus suggests you change your fortune! You don’t have to accept a prediction, be it in the tea-leaves, the stars or a well-researched report by PwC. You can certainly do something about that deposit. The low cost home ownership schemes (LCHO) we report on in homefocus require only a 5% deposit and that’s 5% of the property price for Help to Buy or just 5% of the share you buy through shared ownership. So there’s an opportunity to create your own little bit of luck. And if raising 5% deposit seems beyond you, then there are Try before you Buy schemes to give you the momentum you need to get saving. The PwC report continues, ‘a generation of private renters has emerged and this will increasingly be the norm for the 20-39 age group’. I hope this issue of homefocus will inspire you to fight against the predictions, to make the most of the chances afforded by LCHO and become a homeowner.

Good home hunting

Jeffrey Gritzman • Publisher Supports the aims of homefocus

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 3

homefocus

Contents SEPT/OCT 2015

WIN

26 Buying Guide

Hot properties

Celebrity Status

Lifestyle

Great Advice

Competition

6 Not so far into the future

12 London

34 In Conversation

40 Woodland wonderland

52 Your chance to win...

We can see you in a home of your own

A selection of affordable homes in the Capital

with TV presenter and Interior Designer, Gabrielle Blackman, who says that the lack of affordable housing is ‘a total scandal’.

Draw inspiration from nature to create your own woodland interior look

32 The ying and yang of buying shared ownership

8 A home ownership journey It’s in the stars

16 Midlands And some in the Midlands

10 It isn’t just luck Make your own luck by comparing the cost of renting and buying

20 East and south east

36 Time for you to buy

Affordable properties in the east and south east - as defined by the Homes & Communities Agency

Getting in early in regeneration areas, brings rewards

25 South west And some in the south west

39 Things change What happens when you’re ready to move on?

50 Finding your place on the ladder Low cost home ownership makes it possible for all kinds of people to buy a home

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

Just for you 3 Publisher’s comment Proving the predictions wrong

46 Berry nice The colours for autumn

Where next?

Homefinder Directories Our list of events, affordable new developments and contact boxes will help you identify places to live and housing associations that can help you.

54 Introduction 55 Shows and Events 56 Property Listings 60 East and South East 61 South West 62 London 64 Midlands 65 South 66 Legal Directory

Shattering a few myths and misconceptions about shared ownership

42 Mystic Richard Our finance wizard Richard Stone sees what sort of home your income will get you

one of three Fabulous Candle London gift sets, each worth £100

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

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

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

THE PERFECT MIX FOR SOPHISTICATED LIVING 1 & 2 bedroom apartments. Prices start from £95,563 for a 25% share* This exciting collection of high specification 1 & 2 bedroom apartments is available now through Shared Ownership with Genesis. Built to the highest standards and in an unrivalled location, living at Jessops is the epitome of stylish, contemporary living. Come and see for yourself how Shared Ownership with Genesis could help cut your commute!

Jesso ps at N ew Provid en ce W ha r f Dock lan ds E14

Call 0203 811 2861

or visit genesishahomes.org.uk/new-providence-wharf *Based on a full market value of £382,250. Eligibility rules apply. Price and details correct at time of going to press. Photographs show typical homes at New Providence Wharf. ad ref AAA030

Buyer’sGuide

HOMEOWNERSHIPNOT SO FAR INTO THE

FUTURE!

We can see you in a home of your own!

een looking into a crystal ball and hoping to see yourself in your own home with a reasonable mortgage and an affordable way of life? Ever wondered where you’ll end up after working hard, saving and constantly checking estate agent’s websites for the right place at the right price? Well if you think it costs a fortune to be a homeowner, we’re here to do a bit of fortune telling… and there are ways for you to become a homeowner far quicker than you might think. There are schemes that allow you to buy just a percentage of your home, and still move in. Collectively, these schemes are called low cost home ownership (LCHO) and they’re designed to be affordable, which means not only do you get to live in a home of your own, but you’ll have enough left over each month to ‘cross someone’s palm with silver’.

It’s time to leave the place where you are If you’re ready to move away from home or stop paying rent and start building your own equity in your own home, then LCHO is a great idea. It means you’ll need a smaller mortgage and a smaller deposit than you’d otherwise expect. In many cases, it can work out cheaper than renting a similar property privately. Once you’ve found your own place through LCHO, it’s flexible enough to change with you when your circumstances alter. You can buy more of your home 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%. For equity loan schemes, you can pay off some

6 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

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

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

You’re at a crossroads, but which way to go? There are three LCHO ways to get onto the homeownership ladder and the scheme to go for depends on your personal circumstances. There’s no guarantee that all options will be available to you, although there are developments where both shared ownership and equity

loans are available on the same development. 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, capped rent on the remainder, which is owned by a housing association. You’ll be expected to buy the largest share you can afford – but don’t worry, the key word is ‘afford’, so you’ll be able to discuss what share is right for you.

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

Save to 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.

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

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

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

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

Is homeownership in your future?

Check out the next two pages and see if one of the LCHO schemes is right for you. You’ll find examples of people that did become LCHO owners throughout the magazine.

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 7

Buyer’sGuide

YOU ARE GOING ON A

(HOMEOWNERSHIP) JOURNEY We’ll help you get there, it’s in your stars

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

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

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

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

Help to Buy offers

Try before you buy

Discount offers

Scheme name

New Build

Resales

Help to Buy Equity Loan

Mortgage Guarantee

Rent to Buy

Discounted Market Sale

Intermediate Market Rent

WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS

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

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

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

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

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

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.

FOUR LEAF CLOVER

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

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

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

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

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

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.

NUMBER 13

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

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

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

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

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

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.

BUY FROM JUST 25% WITH A SMALL DEPOSIT

WIDE CHOICE

NOT JUST FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS

FOR HIGHER WAGE EARNERS

SAVE TO BUY THE NEW HOME YOU’RE LIVING IN

OPENS UP PRICE RESTRICTED AREAS

TYPICALLY 20% LESS THAN MARKET RENT

WANT MORE INFORMATION? E-mail enquiries@homefocus.co.uk

8 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 9

RentvBuy

Check the figures in your area…

IT ISN’T JUST LUCK!

You may have heard a lot of mumbo-jumbo about homeownership, but when you’re looking for a home of your own, it comes down to more than luck.

es it’s lucky if you have family that will help you raise a deposit, but often, getting onto the homeownership ladder comes down to research – no luck there at all! And one of the key things to look into is the monthly outgoings and the comparative cost of buying against renting. So looking into the future, there may be good financial reasons for looking at low cost home ownership (LCHO). There’s nothing like owning your own home. It’s not just that you can decorate it as you want; or have the security of knowing that, just as long as you pay the bills, you’re in control. If you’ve been a renter there’s every chance you’re fed up with paying somebody else’s mortgage. So make sure you do the research and see if you can buy a home of your own and still not pay out more each month than when you were renting. The figures on the next page generally show that if you can come up with that all important deposit, then buying can also be the most financially practical option. And before you tell yourself how much of an obstacle putting together a deposit can be, take a look at the deposits required for LCHO. 5% of the full amount for Help to Buy deals and only 5% of the share you’re buying under shared ownership.

10 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

‘After renting for many years it felt like dead money’ Christine Williams, 41, works full time in a bank in Bexleyheath and with an 11 year old daughter to look after, she wanted to stay in the area she knew, be close to her work, her daughter’s school and be able to call on her mum who is a great support, helping with childcare. Christine comments, ‘When my partner and I split up a year ago I decided to move back in with my mum until we were able to work out what to do. After renting for many years it felt like dead money; I was really keen to own something and invest in our future. I decided to do some research’. She continues, ‘I started to look around but couldn’t find anything suitable. I looked at buying privately but was unable to afford the deposit. I then heard about the Kings Highway shared ownership development being built by Hyde New Homes. I really liked the idea of buying a new property so I kept an eye on it over several months until it officially launched.’ When Christine finally visited the development she was blown away by the spacious feel of the properties. ‘I was really keen to have a house with a garden rather than an apartment for Alaiyah and myself but there weren’t any two bedroom homes at the development so we put our name down for a three bedroom property, not expecting for one moment that we would be successful. When we received the call that we had been approved I couldn’t quite believe it.’ Christine purchased a 45% share of her £320,000 three bedroom property and says ‘Without shared ownership I don’t think I could ever have done it.’

We’ve done a bit of checking around, and compared the price to rent a typical two-bedroom property with the cost of buying outright with a 95% mortgage, buying different shares through shared ownership, and buying through the 80% Help to Buy equity loan scheme. So do the sums and see what the future might bring. Hoddesdon £209,000 Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

Shared Ownership 25% share

£2,613

£49,638

£290

£359

£649

Shared Ownership 50% share

£5,225

£99,275

£580

£239

£819

Help to Buy 80% equity loan)

£10,450

£156,750

£916

£0

£916*

Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee

£10,450

£198,550

£1,161

£0

£1,161

Private rent

£953

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

£3,638

£69,112

£404

£500

£904

Walthamstow E17 £291,000

25% share 50% share

£7,275

£138,224

£807

£333

£1,140

80% Help to Buy equity loan

£14,550

£218,250

£1,276

£0

£1,276*

100% buy

£14,550

£276,450

£1,616

£0

£1,616

Private rent

£1,362

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

Weymouth £179,000

25% share

£2,238

£42,513

£249

£308

£557

50% share

£4,475

£85,025

£498

£205

£703

80% Help to Buy equity loan

£8,950

£134,250

£785

£0

£785*

100% buy

£8,950

£170,050

£994

£0

£994

Private rent

£719

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

Rushden £98,000 25% share

£1,225

£23,275

£136

£168

£304

50% share

£2,450

£46,550

£272

£112

£384

80% Help to Buy equity loan

£4,900

£73,500

£430

£0

£430*

100% buy

£4,900

£93,100

£544

£0

£544

Private rent

£537

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

Southampton City Centre £225,000 Deposit

Mortgage

25% share

£2,813

£53,437

£312

£387

£699

50% share

£5,625

£106,875

£625

£258

£883

80% equity loan (Help to Buy)

£11,250

£168,750

£986

£0

£986*

100% buy

£11,250

£213,750

£1,250

£0

£1,250

Private rent

£862

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 onwards.

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 11

London Properties

London

CHANCERY BUILDING Nine Elms, from £160,000 for 25%

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

Peabody is offering shared ownership at

than a 10 minute walk away with frequent Victoria

Chancery Building, a collection of 98 one and

Line and National Rail services. The Northern Line

two-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom

extension to Nine Elms and Battersea is expected

duplexes.

to open in 2020.

Chancery Building is part of the Nine Elms regeneration that stretches from Chelsea Bridge

At the time of going to press, 27 of the twobedroom homes remain.

to Lambeth Bridge, one of the largest urban regeneration projects in Europe, with architecture and design inspired by the now ultra-trendy brick exterior of Manhattan’s 1930s Meatpacking District. The task of master-planning the regeneration was undertaken by Sir Terry Farrell. Vauxhall rail and underground station is less

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £640,000 Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £160,000 5% deposit: £8,000 • Mortgage on share*: £889 Rent on remaining share**: £1100 • Total costs: £1,989

Interested? For more on Chancery Building, phone 020 7021 4842

RIVERS APARTMENTS Tottenham, from £68,475 for 30% Newlon has a range of one, two and three-bedroom apartments available under the shared ownership scheme at the second phase of their 22 storey tower, Rivers Apartment in the heart of the Tottenham regeneration. Each apartment has a Symphony Woodbury range fitted Kitchen with a built-in oven, hob and stainless steel extractor hood. White goods include a fitted fridge/freezer, a washing machine and dishwasher. Bathrooms at Rivers Apartments

FARM LANE

Fulham £263,681 - a Discounted Market Sale scheme No it’s not a mistake! A three-bedroom apartment in the heart of Fulham for £263,681 under the Discounted Market Sale (DMS) scheme. But restricted to those who live or work in the area. DMS is a low cost home ownership scheme which allows first time buyers to purchase a brand new home at a large discount off the full market price. There’s more about DMS in our Buyer’s Guide on pages 8 & 9 and this opportunity is offered to Hammersmith and Fulham

residents through Affinity Sutton. No rent or interest will be charged although, as with all apartments, there is a service charge each month. Farm Lane comprises 18 one, two and three-bedroom apartments and now, only 5 of the three-bedroom properties remain. Each apartment has been designed for a modern, city lifestyle with open-plan living areas and most apartments have private balconies. The development is just five minutes’

walk from Fulham Broadway station, so transport, shopping, leisure and fun won’t be far away. The DMS price for a three-bedroom is £263,681 and you can find out more about Farm Lane on 0300 100 0303. Please note that for DMS properties, the deposit required and the mortgage rates available differ greatly from the usual figures we publish. homefocus advises that you take independent advice! Three-bedroom apartment: • DMS Price*: £263,681 • Minimum deposit 15%**: £39,552 • Mortgage required for remainder: £224,129 • Mortgage per month***: £1122 • Total costs****: £1,122

Want to know more about DMS at Farm Lane? Phone 0300 100 0303 * The DMS discount applied must be carried forward when you sell. ** Min deposit required can vary with the lender and ranges from 15% -25%. ***Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 3.5%. The rate will vary dependent on deposit. **** Monthly outgoings do not include service charges

12 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

offer modern white bathrooms suites with chrome fittings and ceramic wall and floor tiling. All apartments have a balcony and selected properties have allocated parking. One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £228,250 Minimum share: 30% • Cost of share: £68,475 5% deposit: £3,424 • Mortgage on share*: £380 Rent on remaining share**: £366 Total costs: £746

Interested? For more on Rivers Apartments, phone 0800 058 2544

THE RETRO Near Portobello Rd, from £112,500 for 25% Ever talked about living in a pub? Well Octavia Living has sympathetically refurbished a Victorian public house, creating just eight one and twobedroom apartments within an elegant and protected 150 year old facade. In contrast, The Retro’s interior is ultra-modern with bespoke high quality Designer kitchens, underfloor heating, built-in wardrobes in the bedrooms, dark stained oak engineered floors in the hall and living rooms and wiring for satellite and terrestrial TV.

The Retro is on the corner of Southern Row and Bosworth Road, a short walk from Portobello Road and Westbourne Park tube station. First option will be given to those living or working in Kensington & Chelsea. One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £450,000 Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £112,500 5% deposit: £5,625 • Mortgage on share*: £625 Rent on remaining share**: £773 Total costs: £1,398

Interested? For more on The Retro, phone 020 8354 5601

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 13

London Properties

BASE15 Peckham, shares and prices tbc BASE15 is Southern Home Ownership’s new development in Peckham, consisting of one, two and three-bedroom apartments available on a shared ownership. Of the 8 homes, two (both one-bedroom) have been specifically adapted for wheelchair users. Situated on the Queens Road, BASE15 has great transport links with Queens Road just a three minute walk away and Peckham Rye under 15 minutes. Peckham is thriving with art galleries, a rooftop cinema, pop-up restaurants, independent cafes and bars and cute little shops. But if you’re looking for some green space, Peckham Rye Park and Common is only a 15 minute bus ride away, where you have landscaped parks, wooded areas, Japanese gardens, ponds, playgrounds and loads of parakeets living in the trees.

Interested? For more on BASE 15, phone 08456 121271

RAWALPINI

Open the

door Affordable housing open day 2015

22 October, 2-8pm

Canning Town, shares and prices tbc Genesis has launched Rawalpindi, a collection of one and two-bedroom apartments on Hermit Road, a peaceful residential area just north of Canning Town. A new town centre, Hallsville Quarter, will provide a new supermarket and a range of leisure facilities and just to the north is Stratford with the Olympic Park and Westfield shopping centre. Less than half a mile away is Star Lane DLR station getting you to Canary Wharf in just 11 minutes. Private sale apartments will be available in the first phase with more affordable shared ownership properties on offer from early 2016. The homes at Rawalpindi are designed to a stylish modern specification and some benefit from private balconies or terraces.

Edit Laszlo

Interested? For more on Rawalpindi, phone 0800 954 5633

Previous situation: Renting Shared ownership

Location:

Paddington Basin

Provider:

Octavia Living

dit Laszlo, 31, had resigned herself to never being able to buy in London. Edit works in Bishopsgate and had been renting in W2 for 8 years when she discovered Octavia’s shared ownership scheme at QuayWest2. She explains: ‘I loved living in Central London, zone 1 in particular. Everything was really close, and being so near to work was great. I knew I was in a great location, so I never dreamed I’d be able to buy without leaving here as it’s so expensive; then I discovered shared ownership’.

‘I loved living in Central London…I never dreamed I’d be able to buy without leaving here’ Edit was introduced to the idea of shared ownership by a friend and did some research to find out what was available in her local area. She spotted QuayWest2 just 2 streets away from where she was renting, and the pieces fell into place. Edit continues: ‘I had to save quickly, which luckily I am quite good at. It was much easier once I had a goal in sight, which QuayWest2 was. I bought a 25% share of my one bedroom apartment in January, and completed in April. It’s the biggest thing I will ever buy, a real

milestone in my life’. ‘My apartment is lovely and has an amazing view from the balcony overlooking Paddington Basin. What I pay each month, is way cheaper than buying outright in West London and it’s even nicer knowing that this is partly mine…that I own this, so there’s no more rent out the window!’ All of the properties at QuayWest2 have been sold, but Octavia has a new shared ownership development in central London (17 Cleveland Street W1) coming soon.

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on pages 56-59. Or for other central London properties (from the same provider), call 020 8354 5601

KINGS PARK Harold Wood, from £420,000 for 80% Countryside is offering Help to Buy on three and fourbedroom houses at a new landscaped square at the heart of its Kings Park development at Harold Wood. Kings Park has an array of good local amenities including a Post Office, supermarket, travel agent, l hairdressers, a bakery and a restaurant. Although it is only 35 minutes from the City, Kings Park residents will enjoy woodland and parks with Harold Wood Park, Bedfords Park and Weald Country Park close by. And commuters will find life even easier when Crossrail services begin in 3 years time, reducing travel time to Bond Street to just over 40 minutes. Three-bedroom house: Full value: £525,000 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £420,000 5% deposit: £26,250 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £2,302 • Total costs: £2,302***

Interested? For more on Kings Park, phone 01708 348 578

AD.903HF (7.15)

Scheme:

* 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

14 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 15

Midlands Properties

Midlands

JUBILEE GARDENS Walsall, £102,396 for 80%

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the midlands be more cost effective than renting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on pages 58 & 59 and helpful contacts in our Midlands homefinder on page 64.

Taylor Wimpey is offering Help to

residential area with easy access to

Buy on a range of two and three-

schools for children of all ages, shops,

bedroom houses at Jubilee Gardens in

pubs, restaurants and green open spaces.

Walsall. The illustration shows their

The development is a short distance

three-bedroom ‘Wyevale’ home and

from junction 10 of the M6, while train

there is just one property left in that

services from Walsall railway station to

style so Taylor Wimpey is offering

Birmingham New Street take just under

a package of extras on this property

half an hour.

to include an upgraded white gloss kitchen, a stainless steel hob and oven, flooring throughout and a fenced and turfed rear garden. Jubilee Gardens is an established

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £127,995 Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £102,396 5% deposit: £6,400 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £561 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £548 Total costs: £561***

Interested? For more on Jubilee Gardens, phone 01926 516911

LAWLEY VILLAGE Telford, £135,960 for 80% Barratt has launched three and fourbedroom properties at its Woodland View site in Lawley Village offering six different property styles. And Help to Buy is available on them all. The four-bedroom houses provide a family bathroom and master bedroom with en suite upstairs, whilst downstairs, French doors lead out into the rear garden. The three-bedroom homes comprise a lounge and dining area, with French doors leading to the rear garden, as

well as a fully fitted kitchen with family breakfast area, plenty of storage space and a useful cloakroom. Upstairs there is a master bedroom with en-suite, two further bedrooms and a family bathroom. Three-bedroom house: Full value: £169,950 Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £135,960 5% deposit: £8,498 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £745 Total costs: £745***

Interested? For more on Lawley Village, phone 0844 811 9933

WEST HEATH GLADES

ST GEORGE’S COURT Telford, from £55,000 for 40% Helpful news for singletons, couples, small and established families looking to get onto the home ownership ladder in the midlands! In Telford, just 30 miles from Birmingham, Bromford Homes is launching a 45 home development at St George’s Court. And shared ownership is available on 18 of the two and threebedroom 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 understairs cupboard. Upstairs the master bedrooms have fitted wardrobes and wellappointed bathrooms. Outside are two allocated parking spaces.

Northfield, Birmingham from £148,760 for 80% St George’s is within close proximity of Telford town centre and the new Southwater leisure complex with its cinema, bars, restaurants and ten-pin bowling facilities. Next door is the awardwinning Priors Leap, another Bromford development. For commuters, the train station is in walking distance and there are good links to the M54. St George’s Court – phone 0845 60 10 878

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

Want to know more about St George’s Court? Phone 0845 60 10 878 * 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

16 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

The last three homes at Lovell’s

The savings available following the

West Heath Glades development in

latest stamp duty changes also make

Northfield, Birmingham are available

this a good time to buy. You’ll now pay

through Help to Buy. The development

stamp duty of £1,219 on the Maplewood

is located in a leafy suburb just four

house style (priced at £185,950) – a saving

miles from the city centre.

of £640.50 on the charge under the old

The properties have been designed

system. Stamp duty for the Hazelwood

to take advantage of exceptional

house type (priced at £199,950) will cost

ceiling heights to create an abundance

£1,499 – a £500.50 saving.

of space and light while their flexible accommodation makes them ideal for families or for a couple looking to spread their wings. All three homes are fully carpeted.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £185,950 Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £148,760 5% deposit: £9,298 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £815 Total costs: £815***

Interested? For more on West Heath Glades, phone 0121 222 7928

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 17

THE LEYS Wellingborough from £39,750 for 30% Metropolitan is offering attractive two and three-bedroom family houses in Wellingborough, available through shared ownership. All of the light and airy homes feature fitted kitchens, incorporating integrated Bosch and Smeg appliances and oak worktops. The fully fitted bathroom has a heated towel rail and each home comes with a downstairs w.c, carpet and tiles throughout. The living/diner leads into a rear garden and outside, is allocated parking (two spaces for the three-bedroom homes).

Do you need help to buy a new home?

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

Interested? For more on The Leys, phone 07734 963 336

OAK SPRING GARDENS Bourne, Lincs, from £106,396 for 80% According to property website, home. co.uk the average monthly cost of renting a two-bedroom property in the Bourne area of Lincolnshire is £517. So the Help to Buy scheme at Taylor Wimpey’s Oak Spring Gardens development makes a two-bedroom starter home, a good financial alternative. Ideal for first time buyers, the twobedroom terraced ‘Appleford’, features a spacious kitchen/living/dining room

Matt & Lisa Barker

opening through French doors to the private rear garden, with a guest cloakroom off the entrance hallway. Upstairs, the landing leads to two double bedrooms and a bathroom,

Previous situation: Living with Parents

while there are two allocated parking spaces outside.

Scheme:

Help to Buy

Location:

Mansfield Woodhouse

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £132,995 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £106,396 5% deposit: £6,650 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £583 • Total costs: £583***

Provider:

Rippon Homes

Help to Buy Agent: Helptobuymidlands.co.uk

hen you’ve another little person to be responsible for, you can find that space and privacy are at a premium. So Nottingham couple Matt and Lisa Barker decided it was time to move out from Lisa’s parents’ house and find a home of their own. Keen to stay in the area, close to family and friends, Matt and Lisa came across Rippon Homes’ Portland Place development in Mansfield Woodhouse and a three-bedroom home that gave them far more space than before, at Lisa’s parents.

‘We were keen to have our own space and independence’ Matt, 24, a warehouse operative originally from Pleasley, said, ‘Lisa and I had always planned that once we were married we were going to start searching for our future family home. Although we were grateful for staying with Lisa’s parents, as it gave us the opportunity to save, we were keen to have our own space and independence’. ‘Lisa and I bought the Alverley house off plan using the Help to Buy scheme, and six months later we were moving in. It was very easy for us as it came

with everything we needed and we were able to choose every last detail from the door handles to the light fittings.’ Lisa, 23, a warehouse clerk, added, ‘We knew that this house was where we were going to start our own memories and 10 months later, we have our beautiful baby daughter Bella Olivia. This home is somewhere we plan on being for a long time.’ The Portland Place development stands within a picturesque conservation area and in within walking distance of local amenities.

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? Affordable midlands properties are listed on pages 58 & 59. Or for other midlands properties (from the same provider) call 0800 1697 644

Interested? For more on Oak Spring Gardens, phone 01778 300604

HEATHSIDE GARDENS

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.

Mansfield, from £86,360 for 80%

To find out more call:

Rippon Homes has re-priced selected homes at

0845 600 3674

Heathside Gardens in Mansfield, meaning that the three-bedroom mid-terrace Sherwood style house is now priced at £107,950 with the Help to Buy option available. All the three-bedroom properties at Heathside

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.

Gardens have been designed to a high specification with fully-fitted modern kitchens, secure turfed rear garden and allocated parking spaces. Three-bedroom house: Full value: £107,950 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £86,360 5% deposit: £5,398 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £473 • Total costs: £473***

Interested? For more on Heathside Gardens, phone 0800 169 7644 * 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

18 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 19

East & South East Properties

East & South East

GOODWYNS AND GODWIN NURSERY Dorking, from 123,500 for 65%

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 low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on pages 56 & 57 and helpful contacts in our East & south east homefinder on pages 60 & 61.

Dorking used to be described as ‘in the stockbroker belt’ and although that’s a rather outdated expression, it confirms that Dorking is an expensive place to try to buy your first home. Making it more affordable for first time buyers, Centra Living has launched two developments, Goodwyns with a combination of one and two-bedroom apartments and Godwin Nursery with one-bedroom apartments.

All of the homes have a fully fitted kitchen with integrated fridge/freezer, hob, oven and extractor hood, a washing machine, dryer, dishwasher and microwave. The bathrooms have fully tiled ceramic flooring. Part of Dorking’s appeal is that it is surrounded by beauty spots such as Box Hill and Ranmore Common, yet easily connects commuters by train to Waterloo and Victoria and to Gatwick Airport and Guildford.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £190,000 Minimum share: 65% • Cost of share: £123,500 5% deposit: £6,175 • Mortgage on share*: £686 Rent on remaining share**: £152 • Total costs: £838

Interested? For more on Goodwyns and Godwin Nursery, phone 0845 304 1002

MILFORD GREEN Milford, £184,000 for 40%

Adjacent to Milford Hospital between Milford and Godalming is a new development at Tuesley Lane where Thames Valley Housing is offering shared ownership on 20 two and three-bedroom houses built by David Wilson Homes. The new homes have been designed to suit the country setting and feature traditional cottage materials such as red brick and timber, giving them character. They are arranged over three storeys, with a separate dining and living room, and fully-fitted Paula Rosa kitchen. Each home has a private rear garden and

allocated parking space. The illustration and prices quoted are for three-bedroom houses but more shared ownership homes will be available soon. For buyers who wish to gradually increase their stake in their home in a controlled and pre-budgeted way, Thames Valley offer their unique Shared Ownership PLUS scheme Three-bedroom house: Full value: £460,000 Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £184,000 5% deposit: £9,200 • Mortgage on share*: £1,022 Rent on remaining share**: £633 Total costs £1,655

Interested? For more on Milford Green, phone 0208 607 0550

* 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. Sovereign-banner186x82.pdf 1 8/10/15 4:40 PM Please note: monthly outgoings do not include service charges

THE HERITAGE

Chichester, from £64,000 for 40% Hyde New Homes has launched a brand new development, The Heritage, at Winden Avenue in Chichester. The Heritage is a collection of one and two-bedroom apartments and three-bedroom houses, all available through shared ownership. The development is just a 10 minute walk from schools, shops, designer boutiques, bars and restaurants and the nearby city centre offers a wide variety of cultural, leisure and shopping facilities. Amenities include the renowned Festival Theatre, the ancient cathedral, museums,

organic cafes and gastro pubs; the Pallant House Art Gallery features exhibitions in high tech gallery spaces. For commuters, The Heritage is a 15 minute walk to Chichester railway station and Portsmouth, Selsey and Bognor Regis can be reached by car in 20 minutes or less. All of the apartments have underfloor heating and allocated parking with some of them enjoying balconies and built-in wardrobes. All of the houses have gardens.

First options at The Heritage will go to those already living or working in Chichester or those with strong family connections to the area. One bedroom apartments start at £64,000, two-bedroom apartments at £75,200 and three-bedroom houses at £122,000 assuming a 40% share of any property. The Heritage Chichester – phone 0845 606 1221

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £160,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £64,000 5% deposit: £3,200 • Mortgage on share*: £355 • Rent on remaining share**: £220 • Total costs: £575

CMY

Want to know more about The Heritage? Phone 0845 606 1221 * 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 • SEPT/OCT 2015

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 11 21

East & South East Properties

SOVEREIGN Tonbridge, from £80,000 for 40% 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 two-bedroom apartments, all finished to a high standard of

specification. And Centra Living is offering them on a shared ownership basis. 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

THE FRYTHE Welwyn, from £80,000 for 25% The Frythe is a new development in Welwyn, comprising three-bedroom houses and two-bedroom apartments where Affinity Sutton is making homes available under the shared ownership scheme. And currently, just six twobedroom houses remain. All the homes at The Frythe have a modern, spacious layout, a quality fitted kitchen and allocated parking. The houses benefit from private gardens. Situated in the traditional village of Welwyn in Hertfordshire, these idyllic homes are set around the scenic Parish Church and surrounded by miles of gorgeous greenery and woodland. Just

Mark & Julie Hidreth

one mile north is Welwyn Garden City with its wealth of shops, restaurants and leisure activities. Welwyn North station is less than six miles away, with services to London Kings Cross taking just under 30 minutes. The A1, which leads to the M25, is also easily accessible from the development. First option will go to those living or working in Welwyn Hatfield or the South Hertfordshire district. Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £320,000 Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £80,000 5% deposit: £4,000 • Mortgage on share*: £444 Rent on remaining share**: £550 • Total costs: £994

Interested? For more on The Frythe, phone 0300 100 0303

Previous situation: Homeowners outgrew their home Scheme:

Shared ownership

Location:

Chatham

Provider:

Heart of Medway

Help to Buy Agent: Helptobuyese.org.uk

ark and Julie Hildreth owned a two-bedroom flat in Orpington but needed something bigger after the birth of their two children Nathan and Chloe. Whilst looking to buy something new, Mark was made redundant and they were unable to get approved for a mortgage. The couple had no alternative but to go into rented accommodation and found a threebedroom home locally.

Shared ownership gave Julie and Mark a way back into home ownership and a sense of security, not possible as renters! Fortunately Mark quickly found a new job and when the landlord of the house decided he was going to put the property on the market, the couple decided it was time to look for a more permanent family home. But they were still unable to get a mortgage for the amount they needed. Then Mark came across Heart of Medway’s shared ownership development, Amherst Heights, fell in love with it and

found they could buy through this low cost home ownership scheme. Mark and Julie purchased a 25% share of a four-bedroom home and are delighted. They said: ‘Shared ownership has given us a way back onto the property ladder and we are able to buy more shares in our house in the future. Being able to purchase our own home again has given us a sense of security we didn’t have in rented accommodation.’

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? Affordable east & south east properties are listed on pages 58 & 59. Or for more info on Amherst Heights (or similar properties from the same provider) call 0844 225 3071

22 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

Two developments of beautifully finished properties, available for shared ownership in Dorking, the heart of the Surrey Hills

Just three one-bedroom apartments remain, all finished to a high specification

Just two one-bedroom apartments remain, both finished to a high specification

To register your interest: Call: 0845 304 1002 Email: clsales@circle.org.uk

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 23

East & South East Properties

South West Properties

South West

CITY PARK WEST Chelmsford, from £46,250 for 25% With more people than ever priced out of

into future improvements on the Great

London, Chelmsford is becoming a more

Eastern Main Line, and planned Crossrail

than ever popular commuter town with

connections that will run from Shenfield

improving rail connections and great value

which is one stop away, rail services

for money homes. And making home

between London and Chelmsford will get

ownership even more affordable, Genesis

better and better for commuters.

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the south west be more cost effective than renting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on page 59 and helpful contacts on our South west homefinder on page 61.

is offering a collection of new one and two-shared ownership apartments at City Park West. A landmark development in the heart of Chelmsford, City Park West is right next to the train station, providing direct services to Liverpool Street in as little as 34 minutes. With millions of pounds invested

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £185,000 Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £46,250 5% deposit: £2,313 • Mortgage on share*: £257 Rent on remaining share**: £318 Total costs: £575

Interested? For more on The City Park West, phone 0800 954 5633

BRIDGEWATER GARDENS Hoddesdon, from £82,500 for 50% Bridgewater Gardens is a collection of 21 one and two-bedroom apartments offered on a shared ownership basis by B3@home through their agents, Red Loft. Sited on the bank of New River, Bridgewater Gardens offers views, one way over the river itself, the other, into a landscaped, central courtyard. The homes have been designed with a bright modern feel; the kitchens having built-in Hotpoint ovens and hobs and Indesit integrated fridge/freezers. Some apartments also have Indesit washer/ dryers. Some of the two-bedroom apartments benefit from en-suites to the

master bedroom and all of the homes have at least one allocated parking space. Rye House station is just minutes away and will get you to Liverpool Street Station in less than three quarters of an hour. First options will go to ‘locals’ and teachers wanting to buy. One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £165,000 Minimum share: 50% • Cost of share: £82,500 5% deposit: £4,125 • Mortgage on share*: £458 Rent on remaining share**: £189 • Total costs: £647

Interested? For more on Bridgewater Gardens, phone 0844 880 1145

NOVUS East Malling, prices and shares tbc

JASMINE GARDENS

Novus is a new development of three-

Wellington, Somerset from £85,000 for 50%

All homes have a fitted kitchen with

bedroom houses and one and two-

Shaker style doors from the Benchmarx

bedroom apartments in East Malling

Range and integrated Zanussi appliances.

where Centra Living is offering shared

Bathrooms are stylish with white Twyford

ownership.

suites and thermostatic shower and chrome

The exterior of the apartment block has been designed with expanses of glazing

fittings by Bristan. Novus is within easy reach of Larkfield

and sweeping metal roofs to provide

with its Leisure Centre, local shops, a

contrast to the red brickwork. The

library a health centre and choice of

ground floor apartments have private

supermarkets.

patios and all of the apartments have

For families with younger children

access to landscaped communal gardens.

there’s a nursery school and a primary

The houses have private gardens.

school just five minutes away. The main

secondary school for the area is the Malling School in East Malling. Interested? For more on Novus, phone 08456 304 1002

24 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

Yarlington Homes is offering shared ownership on two, two-bedroom houses and five three-bedroom properties in the 3rd phase of their new development in Jasmine Gardens, Wellington. All the homes have been designed for comfort and practical living, each kitchen fitted with integrated appliances, to include a stainless steel single oven, hob and a cooker hood. Bathrooms are white, plain and stylish and vinyl flooring is

provided in the kitchen, cloakroom and bathroom. Outside is a turfed rear garden, a patio and allocated parking. Wellington is located in a valley between the stunning Blackdown Hills and the River Tone, an ideal setting to enjoy some of the best scenery the West Country has to offer. The town boasts

its own film and theatre society showing regular films and plays, a library and leisure centre with indoor swimming pool. Wellington is well connected being just off junction 26 of the M5. Nearby Taunton has high-speed trains direct to London Paddington. Jasmine Gardens – phone 01935 404006

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £170,000 • Minimum equity: 50% • Cost of equity: £85,000 • 5% deposit: £4,250 Mortgage on share*: £4720 • Rent on remaining share**: £195 • Total costs: £667

Want to know more about Jasmine Gardens? Phone 01935 404006 * 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

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 25

Farmborough, prices tbc for 80%

With 50% of the development reserved, Burton Property still has a number of one and two-bedroom apartments at Quay West in the heart of Poole – available with Help to Buy. The four-storey building is stylish and each home has an open-plan layout of the living/ dining/kitchen area to create a light, airy space. The designer kitchen is well equipped with integrated appliances, including a hob, oven, microwave, fridge/freezer and washer-dryer. All of the homes above the ground floor have balconies and, even though Quay West is in the heart of the town, some of the upper floor apartments have sea views. There is allocated car parking for all of the apartments, together with additional visitor spaces. One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £175,000 • Minimum equity: 80% Cost of equity: £140,000 • 5% deposit: £8,750 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £972 • Total costs: £972***

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 Quay West, phone 01202 672736

Interested? For more on Lavender Grove, phone 01761 441955

Mapl

** 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

fantastic new homes from £71,000

Help to Buy Plymouth

Provider:

Barratt Homes

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

elp to Buy proved to be a massive help to local couple, Charlotte Lewin and Pawel Hryniow, when they bought their first home at Barratt’s Unity Green development in Plymouth. Charlotte, who works as an office manager for the NHS and Pawel, a press operator, have moved into a three-bedroom Barwick house design, which they felt was

‘We could buy a big family home now instead of slowly moving up the property ladder’ perfect for their first home together. ‘Being 30 years old and wanting to move house, get married and start a family in the next few years could have been a struggle, said Charlotte, ‘but Help to Buy has allowed us to buy our dream home and still be able to book our wedding for next year’. A major obstacle for the couple had been raising a full deposit, but ‘Help to Buy was

perfect for us because we only needed a 5% deposit, meaning we could buy a big family home now instead of slowly moving up the property ladder,” continued Charlotte. Charlotte and Pawel chose the Unity Green development because Charlotte has lived in Plymouth for most of her life and wanted to stay in the local area, ideally close to the city centre.

k crac nch ru thethce get move-in lus rt P rt-st+a a m s ! ree kage with

pac

osit 4 ur dep ith yo w t lp he nd ren 4 age a tection g t r o m o ent pr st 4 paym again es n io t c e Prot roperty valu p rms falling ct to te +

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? Affordable south west properties are listed on page 59. Or for other south west properties (from the same provider), call 0844 5710 385

26 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

subje nditions and co

0800 316 3316 get.move-in@spectrumhousing.co.uk

Plymouth

Scheme:

Ma p l

Previous situation: Living with Parents

l k a eW

for a 40% share plus a monthly rent and service charge

Charlotte Lewin & Pawel Hryniow

Maple Walk

Poole from £140,000 for 80%

a l k W e

LAVENDER GROVE

Maple Walk

QUAY WEST

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

Location:

Map

South West Properties

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 27

South Properties

South

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

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the south be more cost effective than renting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on page 59 and helpful contacts on our South homefinder on page 65.

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 fivebedroom 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

CENTENARY QUAY Woolston from £49,000 for 35% At the time of publication, Radian Homes has just two apartments remaining at their 40 home, Centenary Quay development in Thorneycroft Road, Woolston. All apartments have been built to a high standard with a range of fixtures and fittings that include a fully fitted kitchen, built in oven, gas hob, and cooker hood and washer/dryer. Kitchens have a vinyl floorcovering as do the bathroom areas whilst the rest of the apartments are carpeted throughout. And for security, there’s a video entry system to all communal areas. Centenary Quay is part of the waterfront area of Southampton comprising residential and commercial areas. One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £140,000 • Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £49,000 • 5% deposit: £2,450 • Mortgage on share*: £272 Rent on remaining share**: £209 • Total costs: £481

Interested? For more on Centenary Quay, phone 0800 145 6663

THE OLD FOYER

Portsmouth from £35,000 for 35% In Edinburgh Road, right in the centre of Portsmouth, between the main shopping district and the green space of Victoria Park, First Wessex has launched The Old Foyer, a new development of stylish apartments. And three apartments, two of them being two-bedroom and one with one-bedroom, are available on a shared ownership basis. The kitchens in each shared ownership property include a range of wall and

base units from Howdens, blackstone laminate work surfaces, integrated appliances in the form of a Lamona hob, oven and extractor fan, and space for a fridge/freezer and washing machine. The white bathroom suite includes a thermostatic bath tap and an electric shower over the bath. The Historic Dockyard, home of HMS

Victory and the award-winning Mary Rose Museum is just a short walk away, as is Portsmouth’s main railway station with trains running regularly to London Waterloo and Victoria, Gatwick Airport, Southampton Central, Cardiff Central and Bristol Temple Meads. The full value of the one-bedroom apartment is £100,000 with both twobedrooms set at £115,000. The Old Foyer Portsmouth – phone 020 80 684463

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £100,000 • Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £35,000 5% deposit: £1,750 • Mortgage on share*: £194 • Rent on remaining share**: £149 • Total costs: £343

Want to know more about The Old Foyer? Phone 020 80 684463

MANSFIELD PARK Southampton, from £122,800 for 80% Lovell is offering Help to Buy on one and two-bedroom apartments at its Mansfield Park development, located off Exford Drive, four miles from the Southampton city centre. The hub of the two-bedroom apartments is an open-plan dining area, kitchen and living room, the kitchen incorporating kitchen appliances such as a Bosch hob and built-in oven. Both bedrooms have a built-in wardrobe with an en-suite in the master bedroom. In addition, there’s a separate family bathroom. It’s easy to get from Mansfield Park on the eastern side of Southampton to the city centre and Swaythling train station and the M27 are both within three-and-a-half miles of the development. Allocated parking comes with each apartment. One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £153,500 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £122,800 5% deposit: £7,675 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £673 • Total costs: £673***

Interested? For more on Mansfield Park, phone 02380 083043

* 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 * 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 • SEPT/OCT 2015

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 29

South Properties

REPTON GRANGE

LIMES PARK

Brentry, Bristol from £258,400 for 80%

Basingstoke from £126,000 for 80%

Lovell is making Help to Buy available at Repton Grange in Brentry, north Bristol, on a range of homes suitable for singletons, couples, families and downsizers. Right now, just threebedroom houses are on offer but before too long there will also be two and four-bedroom houses and a coach house. The three-bedroom town houses provide a car port and parking. On the ground floor is a sleek kitchen/breakfast area with French doors to the garden, dining room, hall and cloakroom. Moving to the first floor, you’ll find the spacious living room, family bathroom and bedroom three, while on the top floor is the master bedroom with en-suite and fitted wardrobe and the second bedroom.

Taylor Wimpey has one and two-bedroom apartments on offer at The Sycamores at Limes Park in Basingstoke. A two-bedroom apartment, for example, features an open-plan kitchen/living/dining room, an en-suite master bedroom, a second double bedroom, a main bathroom and handy storage cupboards located off the entrance hallway. The property also benefits from allocated parking and access to a communal garden outside. Limes Park is located off Park Prewett Road and the development forms part of the wider Park Village on the northwestern fringes of Basingstoke, with the town centre just two miles away.

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

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

Interested? For more on Repton Grange, phone 01761 441955

Interested? For more on Limes Park, phone 01256 637188

Daisy and Selina Previous situation: Renting Scheme:

Shared Ownership

Location:

North Baddesley

Provider:

Radian Homes

Help to Buy Agent: Helptobuysouth.co.uk

fter getting married last year, Daisy & Selina Robinson from Southampton dreamed of owning their first home. They were privately renting whilst trying to find a property to buy within their budget. They came across a shared ownership house from Radian Homes and ‘After expressing our interest, we weren’t first priority for the house, but to our luck, the first buyer fell through and we got the call to say we could buy’ said Daisy. ‘It was

Shared ownership saved Daisy and Selina 5 years of saving for a deposit then a nervous wait until we found that we could afford it and were offered a mortgage. We had been dreaming of buying our own home for years and it had finally happened!’ Daisy & Selina purchased 50% share of a two-bedroom mid-terrace house in North Baddesley for £92,500 (full price £185,000) making owning their first home much more affordable than they had imagined. Now settled into their new home with their three cats, Daisy and Selina would

happily recommend the scheme to others. In addition to getting onto the home ownership ladder in an affordable way, they are really pleased with the size of the rooms at their new home and especially proud of the lounge-diner which they have decorated in an Oriental theme. The couple say. ‘Without the scheme we would have spent at least another 5 years saving for a deposit and living in rented accommodation.’

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.

Do you want to become a homeowner? Affordable properties in the south are listed on page 59. Or for other south properties (from the same provider), call 0800 145 6663

30 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 31

HomeOwnership

There’s an income ceiling so 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.

Lenders make it harder than ever to get a mortgage.

THE YIN & YANG OF BUYING A SHARED OWNERSHIP HOME Nothing in life is perfect! It’s no different when you’re buying a property, there’s often a price to pay for getting the home you want. But a lot of the downside that gets talked about shared ownership is pretty uninformed. Here’s our view on what gets said …and the reality.

32 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

It’s no harder to get a mortgage for a shared ownership property than it is any other. Especially since the Mortgage Market Review has laid down guidelines for anybody getting any sort of mortgage.

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

Shared ownership homes are just tiny starter flats.

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

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.

No! Although you can, if you want to! You’re sharing the ownership of your home with the housing association, and you’ll pay them rent on the share you don’t own. Plenty of people buy their shared ownership home with a friend though. But no one from the housing association will move in with you, it’s the ownership you share, not the living space.

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 11 of the magazine, you’ll see that buying through shared ownership often works out less per month than renting privately. And you’ll be building a stake in your future.

There’s loads of repetitive 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

You’re told how much you can afford and what share to buy! Yes, but it ensures you don’t over-stretch yourself financially and try to borrow more than you can pay back.

You have to live or work in 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.

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

It’s too complicated. Buying any property is complicated. That’s why there’s a whole industry of conveyancing solicitors on hand to advise. Fortunately, some specialise in shared ownership transactions and you’ll find a few listed on pages 66 & 67.

Buying is ok, but isn’t it 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 • SEPT/OCT 2015 33

Inconversationwith...

For the past eighteen years interior designer Gabrielle Blackman has been creating beautiful homes for everyone from multi-millionaires to the deserving families of the BBC television programme, DIY SOS. We caught up with Gabrielle as she takes on her latest role as a spokesperson for the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show. What attracted you to being an interior designer, and what do you like most about what you do? I have always been obsessed with interiors, from my first dolls house onwards. I trained as an artist, but quickly realised the solitary life of a painter was not for me. I am too sociable and I thrive on collaboration. I love getting stuck in working on site with trades, solving problems, building beautiful homes for my clients. Over the years I have made the most fantastic contacts with truly talented trades. It’s quite worrying how excited I get about joinery detailing! Renovating a house is hard work and involves plenty of determination, organisation, persuasion and the occasional bit of shouting, but it is very much worth it. It’s the best feeling in the world to see my clients fall in love with a house again.

When did you buy your first home, what was it like, and what made you choose it?

INTERIOR DESIGNER

GABRIELLE

BLACKMAN 34 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

What is your vision/opinion on the lack of affordable housing in the UK? I think it is a total scandal that there is so little affordable housing in the UK. It is a national crisis which needs to be tackled on all fronts. We need to reform legislation, encourage responsible and affordable development, prevent property from lying vacant, make self-build viable for first time buyers and breathe new life into derelict buildings. We are going to need a fresh approach to building and house buying because the current model is broken.

What advice would you give to those looking to purchase their first home? If you are on a tight budget, go for ugly property in the best area you can afford as you can always make cosmetic improvements over time. Don’t be put off by bad decor. Rip up the carpets and paint the floor boards - you will be amazed what a couple of weekends of hard work and some white paint can do. Compromise is part of the process!

Tell us about what you are currently working on and what’s next for you? I am very excited to be working on some wonderful private projects all over the country, I am also about to renovate an entire street of houses for wounded veterans in Manchester for BBC’s ‘DIY SOS’ and ‘Walking With the Wounded’. At the same time, I am really looking forward to taking part in The London Homebuilding & Renovating Show in September www.homebuildingshow.co.uk/London as it is a great place for me to catch up on latest news and products...It is every property geek’s dream!

I bought my first home 12 years ago, a very scruffy, tiny flat next to an empty shop in Fulham, London. We chose it even though it was hideous, as we couldn’t believe we could afford anything in that area and so close to my work. It was a first floor flat in a Victorian building that had been very shoddily converted into two flats in the 1980s. The plaster was blown, the ceilings were bowing and the whole place had been rag rolled in terracotta paint. But I could see it had huge potential to add value with a loft extension and a new layout. It took a few years to bring my plans to fruition, but it was worth the wait.

What do you believe are the most important aspects of a home? Layout - the right layout will make even the tiniest property feel bigger and will make the best use of every inch of valuable space. Natural light is also very important and impossible to fake. If it feels too dark for you then move on. Storage - I know, so boring to bring this up, but you do need somewhere to keep your hoover. Cupboards are the source of all happiness - trust me!

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 35

Regeneration

TIME FOR YOU TO BUY! If you want to get best value on holiday flights and train tickets, you ‘get in early’. Well it’s no different when buying your first home.

If you can find the place you want in an up and coming

The regeneration package

area, you can get a great place to live and one that’s likely

In this issue of homefocus we’re focusing on Greenwich

to increase in value. So for some people, it makes sense to

Peninsula, London’s biggest regeneration project with

look for redevelopment areas where you’ll see a number of

opportunities for LCHO available to singletons, couples and

developments in early stages of being built and where coffee

families.

shops are popping up next to boutique shops that’ll bring in a new trendy audience. Common to regeneration areas is the opportunity to buy a

Housing, leisure and recreation is at the heart of the regeneration with bars, restaurants and attractions. Luxury hotels will lure business from the West End whilst schools,

brand new quality home with shared ownership or other low cost

crèches and a village hall with landscaping and river walks

home ownership (LCHO) option alongside properties for sale

will ensure residents can enjoy their surroundings.

and rent. Equally common is the fact that regeneration areas can

improved facilities, new commerce and more opportunities

building site for a while; it’s a trade-off against getting in early!

for first time buyers.

L&Q is accommodating families of all sizes at Greenwich Peninsula, with shared ownership properties across 3 separate developments. The first phase of L&Q@Greenwich Peninsula comprises one and two bedroom apartments, Enderby Wharf, just a short walk from the iconic Cutty Sark on the North Peninsula has a complete range of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, as does Platinum Riverside in the Riverside District of The Peninsula.

36 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

‘We would have been lucky to afford a shoebox, shared ownership was a lifeline!’ After renting in London for four years, Lina, a project manager working in advertising and Nick, an industrial designer, were desperate to buy their own place and start a family. But property prices gave them a bit of a shock. . Lina, 34, who moved to the UK from Columbia almost five years ago with Nick, 37 says ‘We had been looking for our own place ever since we moved to the UK, but the prices were astonishing – we would have been lucky to afford a shoebox! Nick adds ‘Lina and I have wanted to start a family for a while, but looking at properties within our budget, I was concerned that we wouldn’t be able to afford a home that provided the space.’ Hearing about shared ownership through a friend at work, the couple met with L&Q and made an appointment to view an apartment at Greenwich Square. After just six weeks they received the keys to their new, three bedroom home.

In addition to the actual apartment, the couple were attracted to the lifestyle that the development had to offer. As part of a £225m regeneration scheme backed by The Mayor, Greenwich Square will include a new public square surrounded by cafes and restaurants, a state-of-the-art gymnasium, swimming pool, library and medical practice. Lina says, Shared ownership was a lifeline, and now we have the space for a family - so that’s the next thing’ Three bedroom-apartments are on offer at Greenwich Square from £152,500 for a 25% share.

So for those looking to live in the area, there will be

takes ages to complete and you might have to live on a bit of a

L&Q shared ownership at Greenwich Peninsula

BUYING IN A REGENERATION AREA WORKED FOR LINA & NICK

Moat shared ownership at Greenwich Peninsula Moat has launched, off plan at Greenwich Peninsula, right by the 02 and the North Greenwich tube station. Onebedroom apartments are available from £87,500 for a 25% share with twobedrooms from £112,500 for 25%. Moat also has a separate development, Greenwich Millennium Village (GMV), with one-bedroom apartments starting at £78,750 for a 25% share and two-bedrooms at £115,000 for 25%.

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 37

MovingorMore

WHAT NEXT?

NEW SHARED OWNERSHIP APARTMENTS 2 BEDROOM APARTMENTS AVAILABLE TO RESERVE NOW

THINGS CHANGE. SO WHAT DO YOU DO IF YOU’RE READY TO MOVE ON?

or most people, shared ownership is simply the first step. A foot on the home ownership ladder in readiness to move somewhere else. For others, perhaps family-finished couples and established families who won’t grow out of their homes, they have no reason to move on. So when you’ve bought your first share, it’s important to know what happens next?

DON’T MISS OUT RESERVE NOW

moat-greenwichgmv.co.uk Call: 0845 359 6330 Moat Homes Limited is a charitable housing association

Selling On

www.moathomes.co.uk

Greenwich_Time_advert_265x160.indd 1

11/12/2014 14:48

INSPIRED SHARED OWNERSHIP APARTMENTS IN SE10

1 and 2 bedroom apartments available now - RESERVE OFF PLAN WITH REDUCED RENTS!

moat-greenwichpeninsula.co.uk Call: 0845 359 6330 Moat Homes Limited is a charitable housing association

moathomes.co.uk

38 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

For as long as demand for homes outstrips supply and prices remain high, there could be a line of people looking to buy your share. They’ll be people in the same position you’re in now: keen to buy, but needing some extra help to become home owners. And it’s probable that your housing association and Help to Buy Agent will have a list of them. Better still, some of the potential buyers will be more interested in an established home than in a new build, so this could give you an advantage. Even more so if you’ve bought (and are now selling) in an area that hasn’t seen much development recently. It’s amazing how often people want to buy near to family or friends who bought a while ago and have been just waiting for a resale (that’s what housing associations call shared ownership properties when the share is being sold on) to come up on the same development. So selling on your share to someone already registered for shared ownership is your first option. And finding someone just waiting for shared ownership to come up on your specific development, is the best chance of a quick sale. When the time comes, talk to your housing association. They’ll help you to value your share, advertise your property, line up buyers and assess their suitability to buy your share under shared ownership rules.

What if ... With the help of the housing association most shared owners sell their share on without problems. But of course, every so often, that just isn’t the case. And what if yours is one of those cases? Well, it’s usual for the housing association to be given 8 weeks (sometimes more, sometimes less) to find a new shared ownership buyer for you, but if they don’t, you can go out to the market through an estate agent or any way you choose.

Staying put Just because shared ownership is designed for your first home purchase, don’t think that it isn’t right for the long term. It suits some people to stay where they are and shared ownership is available to them for as long as they want it. If your financial circumstances change and you want to buy more shares, then you can do so. And every time you build your stake by buying another share, you reduce the rent you pay to the housing association, until you own 100% and cease to pay rent at all. There’s no obligation to buy more shares. If it suits you to stay as you are, then you can do so.

‘I didn’t want to be paying off someone else’s mortgage whilst struggling to save myself’ Just four years ago, Sahira Ahmed was living at home with her parents and could have gone on to rent, but says, ‘I didn’t want to be paying off someone else’s mortgage whilst struggling to save’. So she took the decision to buy shared ownership in order to ‘live independently whilst investing in my own property’. With a deposit of £1,400, Sahira was able to buy a 25% share of a two-bedroom Affinity Sutton apartment in Southampton. Three years later and now aged 29, Sahira had saved up enough to put down a further deposit and increase her mortgage sufficiently to buy the remaining 75% of the property. She now owns the apartment outright and no longer pays rent to the housing association. Sahira plans to stay in her apartment while continuing to build her savings in order to buy a family home when the time comes.

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 39

HomeStyle

WOODLAND WONDERLAND If you love country style then why not draw inspiration from nature to create your very own woodland themed interior. There are many ways in which you can introduce the look, but a good place to start is by simply decorating with calming shades such as cream or taupe. Here we’ve gathered together some of our favourite woodland style ideas to get you started.

1 Trinket box £10 www.asda.com 2 Dipped rustic stool £55 www.vincentandbarn.co.uk 3 Nutkin bronze squirrel table lamp & shade £35 www.housingunits.co.uk 4 Hare cushion £12 www.next.co.uk

5 Autumn Oak leaf wreath £30.00 www.tch.net

6 Colours paste the wall Birchfield wallpaper £15.18 per roll www.diy.com 7 Broste Acorn Candle £6.95 www.scandinavianshop.co.uk

10 9 Wilderness bedroom accessories from £5 www.sainsburys.co.uk

40 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

8 Creeping Fox Woodland Doormat £25 www.berryred.co.uk 9 Luxury faux fur throw £59 www.very.co.uk 10 Colours paints from £19.84 www.diy.com

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 41

BuyingPower

Mystic Richard tells you how much you can afford! W

hen you apply for a mortgage, your lender won’t look into the future, they’ll look at the present and find out how much you spend now. And not just on your rent! They will look at your fares, clothes, going out, utility bills – everything you spend each month If you are serious about becoming a homeowner (and our finance wizard, Mystic Richard thinks you are), you need to know what sort of home your income will buy you. So we’ve asked Richard to give us some examples of what people in different situations can get for their money. Even Richard’s mystic powers won’t let him know the specifics of your income and outgoings, how much your phone bill is and if you have children, so to keep things simple, Richard has chosen examples allowing for up to 45% of take home pay to be used towards housing costs eg mortgage, rent and service charge. 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.

Single person on household income of £25,000 Typically, your pay after tax and national insurance tax is around £1,674 each month. 45% of your take home pay is £753 and would buy you a 25% share of a £220,000 shared ownership home, a £170,000 Help to Buy house or a £150,000 Help to Buy apartment. You will need a £2,750 deposit for the shared ownership home as opposed to £8,500 for the Help to Buy house or £7,500 for the Help to Buy apartment.

Shared Ownership

Couple + 2 children on household income of £70,000*

Couple (no children) on household income of £40,000

Help to Buy

(Main earner £45,000 with a 2nd income £25,000)

(Main earner £25,000 with a second income of £15,000)

Typically, your take home pay is around £4,459 each month.

Typically, your take home pay is around £2,781 each month. 45% of your take home pay is £1,251 and would buy a 25% share of a £375,000 shared ownership home, a £280,000 Help to Buy house or a £240,000 Help to Buy apartment. You will need a £4,688 deposit for the shared ownership home as opposed to £14,000 for the Help to Buy house or £12,000 for the Help to Buy apartment.

Shared Ownership

Help to Buy

45% of your home pay is £2,006 and would buy a 25% share of a £600,000 shared ownership home, a £450,000 Help to Buy house or a £400,000 Help to Buy apartment. You will need a £7,500 deposit for the shared ownership home as opposed to £22,500 for the Help to Buy house or £20,000 for the Help to Buy apartment. * outside of London, households earning more than £60,000 are not eligible for shared ownership

Shared Ownership

Help to Buy

Price £220,000 Price £170,000

Price £375,000 Price £280,000 (House) Price £600,000 Price £450,000 (House) Mortgage payment £307 Mortgage payment £745 Mortgage payment £521 Mortgage payment £1,222 Mortgage payment £830 Mortgage payment £1,965 Rent £344 Rent £0 Service charge £100 Service charge £0

Rent £586 Rent £0 Rent £1,031 Rent £0 Service charge £120 Service charge £0 Service charge £150 Service charge £0

Monthly total

£751

Monthly total

£745

£1,227

Monthly total

£1,222

Monthly total

£2,011

Monthly total

£1,965

Price £200,000 Price £150,000 Price £325,000 Price £240,000 (Apartment) Price £550,000 Price £400,000 (Apartment) Mortgage payment £278 Mortgage payment £658 Mortgage payment £451 Mortgage payment £1,048 Mortgage payment £760 Mortgage payment £1,746

Who is Mystic Richard?

Richard Stone is a consultant to mortgage advisor Censeo, specialising in shared ownership and Help to Buy mortgages. His article Money, Money, Money on the next two pages will help you achieve a good credit rating and budget for the future.

Rent £313 Rent £0 Service charge £100 Service charge £100

Rent £508 Rent £0 Rent £945 Rent £0 Service charge £120 Service charge £150 Service charge £150 Service charge £150

Monthly total

£691

Monthly total

£758

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.

42 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

£1,079

Monthly total

£1,198

Monthly total

£1,855

Monthly total

£1,896

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

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 43

MoneyMaestro

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.

44 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 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

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. Email info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk and we’ll send you an electronic version to download and keep.

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 • SEPT/OCT 2015 45

HomeStyle

Berry Nice

1 Julien MacDonald Star bedding £80 www.debenhams.com 2 Floral print cushion £15 www.sainsburys.co.uk 3 Linoso slouch chair £59 www.very.co.uk

As the shorter, cooler days of autumn approach add a touch of drama to every corner of your home with rich berry hues.

4 Large Hobnail Objet £59 www.marksandspencer.com

5 Chloe purple ceramic lamp £6 www.tesco.com 6 Raspberry Supreme towels from £7.50 www.christy-towels.com

7 Classic trim telephone £35 www.amara.com 8 Berry shade tea light holders £14.95 www.annabeljames.co.uk 9 Brocante raspberry wall rack £145.50 www.theorchardhome andgifts.com

10 Infinite Squares rug from £49 www.modern-rugs.co.uk

4 5

7 Create a feature wall in your bedroom with this vibrant Albany Spirit Mirage wallpaper £20 per roll from www.wallpaperdirect.com

46 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

10 8

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 47

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

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

48 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 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!

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 home

n Contact your new local authority about

schools and colleges in the area

n Notify schools, churches etc of your

impending move

n Notify your own and research alternative

doctors, dentists in your area and liaise with your hospital if you’re undergoing any regular treatment

n Check parking arrangements at your new

home and apply for permits if necessary

n Get to know your new area and work out the

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

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

n Tell credit and store card companies your

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

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.homefocusmagazine.co.uk/Moving_Checklist and download a copy to print off and stick on your fridge!

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 • SEPT/OCT 2015 49

BuyerProfile

FINDING YOUR PLACE ON THE

friends for the last year. I wanted to stay in Croydon as I love the area, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to get on the property ladder here,’ said Paul. ‘Then I found out that Affinity Sutton offered a range of shared ownership properties.’ Through Affinity Sutton’s shared ownership scheme Paul purchased 64% of a one-bedroom, one bathroom apartment at Balmoral House, paying £112,000 of the full market value of £175,000 with a deposit of £16,800. Paul bought a relatively large share up front and pays a reduced monthly rent of just £214 on the remaining 36% share. Combined with his monthly mortgage payments Paul pays just £682 per month. ‘It’s an unbelievably low cost to own a home, especially in Greater London,’ he said.

LADDER

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

Marcin and Barbara Close-knit siblings who wanted to live near to each other Brother and sister Marcin and Barbara recently moved into neighbouring apartments at the Network Living development, Mandeville Place, in Northolt. The siblings were keen to move out of their family home, knew that local house prices were high but wanted to avoid renting. The solution? They purchased shared ownership homes which gave them the best of both worlds – independent space of their own but close enough that they can easily pop and see each other should the need arise. Barbara purchased a 75% share of her home for £119,625 (full market value £159,500) while Marcin purchased 35% of his home for £58,450 (full market value £167,000) with both requiring a minimum deposit of 5%.

Adam Curtis and Jessica Climbed the ladder with LCHO Adam Curtis and Jessica Atkin made a big change moving from city centre to rural life. After three years owning a 25% share in an apartment in Leicester, they wanted more space, quieter surroundings and somewhere that would be suitable to bring up a family and house their pets in the future. And investing in their shared ownership flat helped them build equity to put against a deposit for a house. The couple put their shared ownership property on the market and once it was sold, they bought a three-bedroom house at Jelson’s Springbank Meadows development in Sileby using the Help to Buy scheme. Adam says ‘Without Help to Buy we wouldn’t have been able to able to buy this house straight away. It would’ve taken us three or four more years of extra saving. We found the application process (via HelptoBuymidlands) really straightforward and transparent, especially the information on paying back the loan.’

50 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

Paul Had enough of renting! Traffic engineer Paul Bunn had enough of renting when, for the third time in three years, he was forced to go through the stress of finding a new home – a problem with which many renters are familiar. ‘I’d been renting a four-bedroom detached house with

Matt and Clare Couldn’t get a big enough mortgage Matt McIntyre and partner Clare McLaughlin were able to leave the family nests and buy a home together with the help of shared ownership. ‘We wanted to set up home together and buy our own home rather than rent. Like a lot of people, I think paying rent is dead money.’ says 27-year-old Matt, a double glazier and locksmith. But even though they both work full time, Clare, a 31 year old care assistant, is an agency worker and mortgage lenders took a very conservative view of her earnings, limiting the amount of money the couple could raise. Then someone suggested shared ownership − and they ended up buying just over 50% of a new home with Bromford Homes at Larks Rise, Coventry. Matt and Clare say ’We’re really pleased to get this first step on the property ladder – shared ownership really does make owning your own home affordable ‘.

Do you want to become a homeowner? More affordable properties are listed on pages 56-59 or contact one of the organisations advertising on pages 60-65.

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 51

homefocusCompetition

WIN

ONE OF THREE FABULOUS CANDLES LONDON GIFT SETS WORTH £100 EACH

To be in with a chance of winning simply answer the question below: Fabulous Candles London have combined a passion for design, luxury and interior decoration to create a beautiful collection of long lasting scented candles. Each scent is inspired by various travel experiences from around the world and founder Charlotte Collins has personally collected the best and most unique essential oils which have been transformed into a selection of scents, which are designed to last for up to ninety hours. The candles burn evenly meaning that they last longer in both flame and appearance, making them perfect home decor pieces. Pear and Freesia, Lemongrass and Ginger, White Gardenia and Pine and Eucalyptus are among the scents available, and come in a choice of three wick and five wick designs, with a forty or ninty hour burning option. Other scents

52 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

on offer include the Bespoke Forty Hour range of Citrus and Basil, Musk Noir, and Royal Oud Dark Edition. The candles work perfectly in any setting and are equally suited for both indoor and outdoor use. And to ensure you don’t miss out when your candle isn’t lit, the Company also offers a range of Diffusers that are guaranteed to work for up to three months. Fabulous Candles London is offering three lucky Homefocus readers the chance to win a Fabulous Candle Gift Set worth £100 each. The prize will include two large ninty hour candles, one diffuser and one bespoke candle. The winners will be able to select their preferred scent. For more information about Fabulous Candles London please visit www. fabulouscandleslondon.com

How many fragrances are there in the Bespoke Forty Hour range? A: 3 B: 4 C: 2

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 ‘Fabulous Candles London Comp’ in the subject line. The winner will be picked at random from correct entries. TERMS AND CONDITIONS • The closing date is 10th November 2015 • The Editor’s decision is final • No purchase necessary • There is no alternative cash prize • We accept no responsibility for entries not received

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 53

ShowDiary

WhereNext

homefinder

FORTHCOMING

EVENTS

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.

Hampshire Help to Buy Show

Salisbury and Trowbridge Help to Buy

Berkshire Help to Buy Show

The Ageas Bowl Southampton 12th September 10 - 4pm

Wiltshire Council Offices 8th October 3.30pm – 7pm

Newbury Racecourse Newbury 10th October 10 – 4pm

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

Bristol Area Help to Buy Show

Gloucestershire Help to Buy Show

Bristol 19th September 10 – 4pm

Hatherley Manor 17th October 10 – 4pm

Swindon Help to Buy

Wandsworth Open day

Swindon Council Offices 29th September 3 – 7pm

The Civic Suite, Town Hall Wandsworth High Street SW18 2PU 22nd October 2 – 8pm

LONDON www.sharetobuy.com/firststeps

SOUTH

Ideal Home Show at Christmas

www.helptobuysouth.co.uk

SOUTH WEST

London Olympia 25th – 29th November

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 info@homefocumagazine.co.uk 54 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

FIND OUT ABOUT EVENTS NEAR YOU!

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 info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk and we’ll do our best to help! Until the next issue of homefocus… happy homehunting!

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 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 Light 4 Ashford Poppy Mead 1 Basingstoke Camber House 1 Basingstoke Englefield Way 1 Bracknell The Parks 2 Brighton One Hove Park 1 Brighton Brighton Rocket 29 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 City Park West 9 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 Dartford Stonechat Mews 2 Dartford Priory Mill 6 Dorking Goodwyns 10 Dorking Godwins Nursery 5 Dover Church Lane - Deal 21 Eastbourne The Old Pump House 20 Epsom & Ewell Ethel Bailey Close 6 Epsom & Ewell Hollymoor Lane 9 Fishbourne The Oaks 3 Guildford Rivett-Drake Close 1 Halling Phase 2 - St Andrews Park 2 Halling Phase 3 - St Andrews Park 18 Halling St Andrews Park Phase 3 21 Hamstreet Lancaster Gardens 7 Harlow Fifth Avenue 1 Hastings Archery Road 26 Hoddesdon Bridgewater Gardens 23 Horsham Novartis 25 Horsham Broadbridge Heath 10 Hythe/Shepway Imperial Green 3 Hythe/Shepway Fishermans Beach 18 Ipswich Stoke Quay 59 Lewes Keymer Avenue 3 Littlehampton Kingley Gate 8 Littlehampton Road Grenyer’s Nursery 4 Maidstone Tonbridge Road 12 Medway Castellan Court 6 Mid Suffolk Castle Fields 6 Mid Sussex Kendall Place 6 Milton Keynes Yorkshire Close 1 Milton Keynes Oakgrove 17

56 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

3 bed houses 2 & 3 bed houses 3 bed houses 3 bed houses 2 bed house 2 bed flat 2 bed flat 2 bed flats 3 bed flat 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 bed houses 2 & 3 bed houses 3 & 4 bed houses 3 bed flat 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 & 4 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 2 bed flats 2 bed flat 2 & 3 houses 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses 2 bed flats 2 & 3 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 1 bed flats 2 & 3 bed houses flats and houses 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed flats 2 bed houses 2 bed house 3 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed house 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed flat 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 2 & 3 bed houses 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed flats 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed flats 2 bed flat 1, 2, 3 & 4 bed flats & houses

Coming Soon November February Now Now Now Now Winter Now Now Now Now Now Now 2016 Now 2016 Now Now Now Now Now Now Winter Now Now Now Now Now February 2016 March March Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Feb-18 Now Jan-18 February Now January Now Spring Now June Now Now 2017 January Now Winter

Stonewater Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Moat Homes Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Hyde New Homes Hyde New Homes Southern Housing Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Affinity Sutton Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Genesis Housing Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Hyde New Homes Moat Homes Moat Homes Centra Centra Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Hyde New Homes Affinity Sutton Red Loft Red Loft Heart of Medway Hyde New Homes Moat Homes Orbit Homes Red Loft Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Moat Homes Moat Homes Genesis Housing Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Southern Housing Heart of Medway Moat Homes Orbit Homes Moat Homes Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton

Location

Name of Development

No of Units

Type of Properties

www.helptobuyese.org.uk Norwich Rother Sandy Sevenoaks Sevenoaks Stevenage Tandridge Tonbridge Tonbridge & Malling Tonbridge & Malling Upper Caldecote Uttlesford Uttlesford Westcliff-on-Sea Whitstable Yapton Yapton

St Annes Wharf Moleynes Mead Sunderland Road Dunton Meadows The Vales Sharp Court Atkins House Sovereign Blossom Bank Shrubshall Meadow Biggleswade Road Friars Place Mill View Sunlight Mews Wicketts End Fellows Gardens Emerald Gardens

TBC 7 1 49 9 1 1 22 1 2 1 5 1 8 1 2 3

1 & 2 bed flats 2 & 3 bed houses 1 bed maisonette 1 & 2 bed flats 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed flat 2 bed flat 1 & 2 bed flats 2 bed flats 2 & 3 bed houses 3 bed house 3 bed houses 3 bed house 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses 1 bed flat 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed houses

Available From

Provider

2017 2015 Now Now November Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now November Now Winter Now

Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Aragon Orbit Homes Moat Homes Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Centra Moat Homes Moat Homes Aragon Moat Homes Moat Homes Estuary Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Stonewater Homes

LONDON www.sharetobuy.com/firststeps Acton Factory Quarter 27 Barnet Axis 6 Bexley Erith Park Bow Bow River Village 25 Bow The View 4 Bromley Manor Lodge 16 Bromley Archery Lane 1 Bromley The Vale 2 Bromley Krueger House 2 Canada Water Quebec Quarter 69 Chigwell Wanti Terrace 5 Cricklewood Gladstone Village 32 Croydon The Point 35 Croydon Liberty Court 22 Custom House DNA 7 Docklands Jessops at New Providence Wharf 45 Enfield Bolingbroke Park 50 Enfield Watermill Lane 30 Epping L&Q @ Arboretum Phase 2 15 Fitzrovia Cleveland Street@Fitzroy Place 14 Forest Hill City Walk 1 Fulham Farm Lane 5 Greenwich Ordnance Place 10 Greenwich L&Q @ Greenwich Peninsula 34 Greenwich L&Q @ Platinum Riverside 14 Greenwich L&Q @ Enderby Wharf Phase 2 41 Greenwich Greenwich Peninsula 49 Greenwich GMV 27 Hackney The City Mills Phase 2 116 Harold Wood Kings Park 24 Harrow Charter Court 26 Harrow Chandos 15 Harrow Colart 7 Hornchurch Riverwood Court 6 Isle Of Dogs Parkland Place 5 Isle Of Dogs Triangle E14 8 Islington The Fable Apartments at the Lexicon 70 Islington St Luke’s Centre 7 Kensington Grand Union Centre 22 Lewisham L&Q @ Greenland Place Phase 2 55 Lewisham Thurston Point 42 Lewisham Tanners Hill 43 Lewisham Marine Wharf 25 New Barnet The Approach 5 Newham Chobham Manor 8 North Kensington Retro Bosworth Road 8 Orpington Amethyst Court 1 Paddington Basin Merchant Square 23 Peckham BASE15 8 Putney Plaza Gardens East Putney 34 Redbridge Westview Drive 9 Rendelsham Road The NE5T 6 Romford Vickers House 37 Romford Victoria Road 10

1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 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 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 3 & 4 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed maisonette 2 & 3 bed flats, 3 bed houses 1 bed flats 1 bed flat 3 bed flats 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 & 4 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats,3 bed houses 1 & 2 flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 bed flats 1 bed flats 1 & 2 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 bed flats 1 bed flats, 3 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 1 bed flat 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 bed flats

Now Now Now Summer 2016 Coming soon Coming 2016 Now Now Now Now Coming soon January Now January Coming soon Now Summer 2016 Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Coming 2016 Now Now Now Available Now Now Winter 2015 Now Coming Soon Now Winter Spring Winter Now Now Spring Now Winter 2016 Coming 2016 Now Now Now April Now Now November Now Now

Genesis Housing Origin Housing Orbit Homes Southern Housing East Thames L&Q Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton L&Q East Thames Octavia Affinity Sutton Moat Homes East Thames Genesis Housing L&Q Newlon Home Ownership L&Q Octavia Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton L&Q L&Q L&Q L&Q Moat Homes Moat Homes L&Q East Thames Metropolitan Origin Housing Origin Housing Estuary East Thames Gateway Living Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton L&Q L&Q Affinity Sutton Moat Homes Origin Housing L&Q Octavia Affinity Sutton Octavia Southern Housing Octavia Metropolitan Southern Housing Estuary Estuary

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 57

PropertySearch Location

PropertySearch Name of Development

No of Units

Type of Properties

Available From

Provider

LONDON

www.sharetobuy.com/firststeps Southwark Harvard Gardens 27 Southwark The Residence 10 Southwark Ottawa House 1 Stonebridge Spring North 27 Stratford Stratford Gate 52 Stratford East Plaza 22 Tottenham Rivers Apartments 65 Tottenham Rivers Apartments 35 Tower Hamlets The Dockyard 1 Waltham Forest Shernall Street 21 Waltham Forest The Edgewood Collection Walthamstow Stadium Place 99 Wandsworth Spectra Apartments 19 Wembley Westside Court Forty Avenue 2 Woolwich Deco 15 Woolwich The Liberty 98

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

Spring Now Now Now Now Now Now Coming soon Now Coming soon Coming soon Early 2016

L&Q Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Hyde New Homes L&Q East Thames Newlon Home Ownership Newlon Home Ownership East Thames Metropolitan East Thames L&Q

Now Now Now Now

Octavia Octavia Southern Housing Viridian Housing

December Sep-16 Now Now May Now Now May April Now 2015-2016 Now January Now Jan-18 March June August Now June Now Now March Now April January November Now Nov-16 Dec-16 Now

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

Now May April Now January Now Now November Coming soon Late 2016 December Oct-16 Now Now July January Now Now January February April January

Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Stonewater Homes Stonewater Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Stonewater Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Stonewater Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes

MIDLANDS

58 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

Name of Development

No of Units

Type of Properties

Available From

Provider

SOUTH

www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk Barford Leafield Mews 4 2 bed bungalow, 2 & 3 bed houses Bedford 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 and 4 bed houses Bidford upon Avon Bramley Way 5 2, 3, and 4 bed houses Bishops Itchington Hendry Place 3 3 bed houses Bishops Itchington Gaydon Road 8 2 & 3 bed houses Blaby Grace Road 5 2 & 3 bed houses Brackley Radstone Grange 5 3 bed houses Brackley Radstone Fields 27 2 & 3 bed houses Bromsgrove Church Meadows 10 2 & 3 bed houses, 1 & 2 bed flats Burton Latimer Glade Gardens 8 2 bed houses Burton-upon-Trent Steeping Place 18 2 & 3 bed houses Coventry Grange Road 18 TBC Coventry Cromwell Gardens 10 2 & 3 bed 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 Kenilworth Common Lane 7 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 Leamington Spa Elm’s Point 9 2 & 3 bed houses Leamington Spa The Priors @ Chesterton Gardens 17 2 & 3 bed houses Leicestershire Bridle Way 16 2 & 3 bed houses Leicestershire Forest House Lane 6 2 & 3 bed houses Long Marston Beaufort Mead 29 2 & 3 bed houses, 2 bed m’ettes & coach house Markfield Mineral Quarter 10 2 & 3 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 Smethwick Windmill Heights 5 2 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 Stockton Jubilee Fields 3 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 maisonettes and 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

Location

March Now Now

www.helptobuysouth.co.uk Ampfield Coleford East Hampshire Eastleigh Eastleigh Freshwater IOW Gosport Gosport Gurnard, Isle of Wight Havant Lee-on-the-Solent Portsmouth Portsmouth Portsmouth Southampton Southampton Southampton Southampton Southampton Southampton Southampton Stanford in The Vale West Hanney

Morley’s Green Thurstans Rise Kingdon Mews The Hub Surrey Court Freshwater Fields Issac House Alver Village Oaklands Country Estate Nursery Fields & Manor Farm Sea Crest Gardens Lower Drayton Lane Southdown View Southdown View The Cloisters Raleigh House Centenary Quay Steeple View Montague Place Mayflower Mews Queensway Poets Place Elderberry Close

4 6 1 9 20 1 2 9 4 6 5 13 24 10 18 2 8 8 1 8 12 4 1

1 & 2 bed flats 2 & 3 bed Houses 2 bed flat 2 bed flats & dupx, 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed flats 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed flat 1 & 2 bed flats 2 bed houses 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed houses 2 & 3 bed duplexes & houses 2 bed flats 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses 1 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 bed flats 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed Flats 2 bed houses, 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed house

Now November Now Now Now Now Now Now December Now Now Winter Now Now Now Now Now November Now Now Now Now Now

Hyde New Homes Stonewater Homes Affinity Sutton First Wessex First Wessex Spectrum Housing Group Affinity Sutton First Wessex Southern Housing First Wessex First Wessex Affinity Sutton First Wessex First Wessex Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Spectrum Housing Group Spectrum Housing Group First Wessex First Wessex Stonewater Homes Stonewater Homes Stonewater Homes

Maytrees Woodberry Down The Paddock Webster Place Elberry Gardens Maple Walk Hooe Lake South West Quadrant Chilmark Glade Monkton Heathfield Pemberley

1 1 3 4 5 1 4 2 5 6 1

2 bed flat 2 bed houses 3 bed houses 3 bed houses 3 bed houses 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed houses 3 bed houses 3 bed houses 2 & 3 bed houses 2 bed house

Now Now Now Now Now Now December Now November Now Now

Affinity Sutton Spectrum Housing Group Spectrum Housing Group Spectrum Housing Group Spectrum Housing Group Spectrum Housing Group Spectrum Housing Group Stonewater Homes Spectrum Housing Group Stonewater Homes Stonewater Homes

SOUTH WEST www.helptobuysw.org.uk Bristol Lyme Regis Motcombe Newton Abbot Paignton Plymouth Plymouth Poundbury Shaftesbury Taunton Weymouth

Interested in any of the properties listed?

Email the name of the property to info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk

Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 59

homefinder East & South East

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60 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 61

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20/01/2015 16:41

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62 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 63

homefinder Midlands

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Tel.Tel. 01525 844460 01525 844460

Need a helping hand to get on the property ladder? Affordable properties in various locations:

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

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64 homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015

Brand New Homes across Hampshire Contact the Sales & Marketing Team

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DO YOU WANT TO PAY LESS FOR YOUR ENERGY

Shared Ownership

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and

INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE PROPERTIES IN HOMEFOCUS?

023 8068 4463 www.firstwessex.org sales@firstwessex.org

The Old Foyer, Portsmouth

We leave good advertising to the professionals.

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 info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk and we’ll do the rest. Remember to include your name.

Keeping advertising standards high

homefocus • SEPT/OCT 2015 65

legaladvice

homebuyers

GUIDE

Buying a new home requires essential legal advice… contact a solicitor who specialisies in shared ownership transactions

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We leave good advertising to the professionals.

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Keeping advertising standards high

10/04/2013 17:00

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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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NEW HOMES FOR SHARED OWNERSHIP SALE IN TOTTENHAM

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