Homefocus july 2013[1] by Lorna Evans

homefocus JULY/AUGUST 2013

All action TV presenter

LAURA HAMILTON ‘I bought my first home when I was 19!’

‘We’ve gone from housemates to neighbours!’ say young professionals Richard & Carl

YOU CAN BUY YOUR OWN HOME!

Shared ownership and Help to Buy explained

IN THE KNOW

Great advice to get you on the ladder...

WI N DREMEL’S ULTIMATE DIY TOOLKIT 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

Editor’sComment

homefocus

Affordable homes in fantastic locations Hyde New Homes makes the experience of buying your first home easy with new properties for sale available through the Shared Ownership scheme. It’s simple, you buy a share of the property and pay a subsidised rent on the remainder.

ISSN No 1470-0360 ADVISORY PANEL Jenny Colquhoun HYDE NEW HOMES Maddie Cross LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY Gail Davies EM HOMEBUY Dave Evans BE CREATIVE LONDON Dave Lakin GRAND UNION HOUSING GROUP John MacManus GLA Paul Negi GENESIS HOMES Yvette Ruggins AFFINITY SUTTON GROUP Isabel Saville CONCORDIA HOUSING CONSULTANCY Simon Scott ORIGIN HOUSING Jo Short HOMES IN HANTS Paul Stagnell-Howe STAGNELL FOX Richard Stone SPECIALIST IFA Andrew Theoff DIRECTION LAW Helen Towner HOMES AND COMMUNITIES AGENCY Greg Warner-Harris SPECTRUM HOUSING GROUP Chris Winfield LONDON BOROUGH OF BRENT

EDITOR Suzanne Boyce Tel: 01622 772407 e-mail: suzanne@homefocusmagazine.co.uk

The Barrows

Bermondsey Spa

Oakgrove Village

Open Market, Francis Street, Brighton, BN1

Bermondsey, London, SE16

Ada Walk, Milton Keynes, MK10 9RY

A brand new development offering stylish 1,2 & 3 bedroom apartments for sale through the Shared Ownership scheme. Prices start from £55,500 for a 30% share.

1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments for sale through the Shared Ownership scheme at Yates Court, Kimmins Court, The Pitman Building and The Parker Building. Prices start from £75,900 for a 30% share.

1 & 2 bedroom apartments offered for sale through the Shared Ownership scheme. Prices start from £47,000 for a 40% share.

SUBSCRIPTIONS AND GENERAL ENQUIRIES Julie Baugh Tel: 01622 772407 e-mail: julie@homefocusmagazine.co.uk PUBLISHER Jeffrey Gritzman Tel: 01622 772407 e-mail: jeffrey@homefocusmagazine.co.uk

PUBLISHED BY Graid Publications, Kent House, Romney Place Maidstone, Kent ME15 6LH Tel: 01622 772407

Bond Central

Rochester Riverside

New Capital Quay

Canal Walk, Southampton, SO14 3BH

Doust Way, Rochester Kent, ME1 1FF

Dowells Street, Greenwich, SE10 9FF

1 & 2 bedroom apartments in Southampton available for sale through the Shared Ownership scheme. Prices start from £30,000 for a 25% share.

1 & 2 bedroom apartments available for sale through the Shared Ownership scheme. Prices start from £30,000 for a 25% share.

Stunning 1, 2 & 3 bedroom Shared Ownership apartments located in central Greenwich. Prices start from £65,000 for a 25% share. Contact us now to register your interest.

DESIGN & PRODUCTION John Eldridge Design Associates

Website: www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk www.facebook.com/homefocus www.twitter.com/homefocus

Hyde New Homes properties also available in Buckinghamshire • Cambridgeshire • East & West Sussex Essex • Hampshire • Isle of Wight • Kent • Surrey

Call our sales team now to find out more on

0845 606 1221

or email: info@hydenewhomes.co.uk Terms and conditions apply. Prices correct at time of going to print, June 2013. Hyde New Homes is part of The Hyde Group. Prices shown represent the lowest priced 1 bedroom apartment.

MONEY IN THE BANK... I read a Shelter report the other day that said that it takes an average of 12 years for families to save for a deposit to buy a home, six years for couples, and no less than 14 years for single people. Shocking, isn’t it? But probably no surprise to the thousands of people who are struggling to get onto the housing ladder. Renting often looks like the only option, doesn’t it? But at best it seems a temporary solution. At worst, it can feel like throwing your money away, paying someone else’s mortgage when you could be paying your own. And renting can take up so much of your income that it’s not surprising that saving for your deposit can take over a decade. So what’s to be done? House prices to fall? That would just put hundreds of thousands of households into negative equity. Wages to rise? Not really likely in today’s financial climate. Building more homes – well yes, that’s a solution. Particularly if those homes are available through the low cost home ownership (LCHO) schemes we talk about in homefocus. Because with these schemes, the most you’ll have to find for your deposit is 5% of the full amount. With shared ownership, it’s often just 5% of the share you’re buying. You’ll still have to pull in your horns and save for a while, because chances are 100% mortgages aren’t going to be making a huge comeback any time soon, but hopefully you won’t be saving for so long that your first home is in a retirement village, either. There’s no sense in thinking ‘I’ll never be able to afford to buy’ and not saving. Because with LCHO there really IS a chance to get on the housing ladder in a way that’s affordable. If you check out the figures on page 11, or after all of the fabulous properties we feature from page 14, you’ll see that with LCHO your housing costs are likely to be less than if you were renting. So maybe you can have it all – a beautiful new home of your own AND a life, too… and all without saving for so long you’re too old to enjoy it!

Suzanne Boyce • Editor

MORE, MORE, MORE... We’re in the middle of a housing shortage that shows few signs of easing. The National Housing Federation’s Yes to Homes campaign aims to help people across the country to come forward and say Yes to Homes in their communities. We at homefocus think it’s a fantastic campaign that shows the simple steps you can take to influence local decision makers to get more homes built – homes that the country needs, and homes that are affordable to buy for ordinary people. Find out more at www.yestohomes.co.uk

Supports the aims of homefocus

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 3

homefocus

Contents JULY/AUGUST 2013

From house hunting to house war ming

17 32

28 Buyers’ Guide

Hot properties

Celeb Status

Lifestyle

Food focus

Competitions

6 Home Sweet Home

14 London Life

32 In Conversation With

36 Great Gatsby style

50 Get out!

A place of your own IS possible…

Put down roots in the capital

All-action TV presenter Laura Hamilton

A modern twist on a classic

Time to slap on a sunhat and go alfresco!

52 Win Dremel’s Ultimate Toolkit

8 Schemes explained

18 East of England

Finding the right one for you…

Settle down in the east

10 The family way

22 South East Focus

New baby, new home?

Great town, country and coastal homes

34 Snakes and ladders

26 Midlands Move

Busting the low cost home ownership myths

Perfect pads for central dwellers

Your search for an affordable first home in your area starts here...

30 South West Corner

54 Introduction

40 Share the share

‘I rolled my sleeves up – and got bitten by the property bug!’

Homefinder Directories

Find your home in the West Country

Even more choice with a resale home

44 The final 20% Help to Buy equity loans explained

55 Shows and events

Great advice

56 Property listings

3 Editor’s Comment

59 East

No need to save for a decade!

Where next?

60 London

62 South East 64 Midlands 65 South West 66 Legal Directory Get help from specialist advisors

4 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

42 Double duty delights Dual purpose style

Great advice

46 Staycation

38 Ask the Experts

Holiday at home

Top advice from people in the know

48 Money makeover

WIN

46 & 50 Fab summer prizes to win! 67 Grab yourself one of 20 pairs of tickets to The National Home Improvement Show

Get control of your finances

Contact us... E-MAIL: info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk ONLINE: www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk PHONE: 01622 772407 MAIL: homefocus magazine, Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6LH FACEBOOK: Look for us at www.facebook.com/homefocus, add us as a friend and send us a message or have a quick chat TWITTER: www.twitter.com/homefocus

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 5

Buyer’sGuide

HOME SWEET HOME Getting a place of your own IS possible... E

veryone wants a place of their own. A place to call home. Their own key to their own front door. Maybe you’re still living at home, or perhaps you’re already renting, stuck paying someone else’s mortgage and living with someone else’s decor. And maybe you feel that the dream of buying your own place is out of reach... What if we were to tell you that it IS possible? That’s it’s not just wishful thinking? That buying your own home sweet home can truly be affordable? Sounds too good to be true? Not so. There are schemes out there that aim to give you the help you need to buy your own place far sooner than you might have thought possible. And far from being expensive, buying through these schemes can even end up costing you less per month than renting a similar place privately. Sometimes, a lot less…

Have a life… Collectively known as Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO) these deals could see you walking through your own front door far sooner than you might think. And because they’re designed to make home ownership truly affordable, you won’t be stretching your finances until they snap. So you can afford to have a life, as well as somewhere to live it from. Don’t believe us? Take a look at the comparative figures on page 11 for buying or renting homes around the country. And when you’re checking out some of the fabulous properties available through LCHO from page 12, you’ll see we also give a guide for monthly costs, and the deposit you might need. So you can compare with what you’re paying now, or what you might have to fork out to rent a similar property, and have an idea of what you COULD be spending each month on buying a home of your own…

One stop shop… The key to finding a home through LCHO is your Local Help to Buy Agent. In London, things are slightly different, but in the rest of the country Help to Buy Agents are organisations appointed by the government to promote and co-ordinate LCHO in a particular area. Think of them as the LCHO ‘one stop shop’ – though in some areas you’ll have to make sure you’ve registered with your local authority too. There’s a list of Help to Buy agents and the areas they cover on page 54 – and their contact details are shown above our listings for some of the properties in their region from page 56.

Easy does it… So, how does it work? Well, your Help to Buy Agent will deal with your application in the first instance, so you won’t need to contact

6 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

every housing association or developer in your area. They’ll have full details of every new government-backed LCHO home on their patch. So they’re perfectly positioned to help you get on the property ladder. Your Help to Buy Agent will check that you’re eligible for the LCHO schemes, and you’ll also have a basic affordability check to see just how much you could afford to pay for your new home. This is a rough guide only, but it’s reassuring to have an idea of what you can afford. Once you’ve found a home you love, you’ll have a more detailed affordability check through the housing association or developer you want to buy from – quite often this is done by a specialist financial advisor who could help to sort out your mortgage.

In London… London is slightly different, because the responsibility for LCHO in the capital comes under the umbrella of the Mayor. There’s still a one-stop-shop website to go to, with listings of every new LCHO home in the area, and all the information you need to check whether you’re eligible for the schemes. Once you find somewhere that seems perfect, you contact the housing association or developer you want to buy from and they take you through the application process. To take into account the high house prices in London, there are different income thresholds for the first time buyer schemes, too. See ‘Ticking the right boxes’ on these pages.

Solid foundations… The majority of LCHO schemes are backed by the government, so you can be sure that the help you receive will be there for the long term. And unlike renting privately, where your landlord could decide not to renew your tenancy even if you’ve paid your rent on the dot, LCHO means your home will always be there for you (as long as you pay the bills, of course!). So you and your family can really start to put down roots.

Smaller deposit… Making home ownership truly affordable starts at the beginning – with the deposit. For many people, saving enough to put down is the real stumbling block. The good news is that in almost every case, you’ll need a smaller deposit when buying through LCHO. And that makes getting your hands on the keys to a place to call home that much more of a real possibility.

Moving up… Once you’ve found your home through LCHO the schemes are flexible enough to suit you as your circumstances alter. You can buy more of your home until in most cases you own it outright – this is called staircasing. And when you come to sell, your Help to

Help to Buy equity loan scheme it’s even wider – there’s more on that scheme on pages 44-45. But for shared ownership and resales, if you can’t afford to buy the home you need and your household income is less than £60,000 (£66,000 if you’re looking for one or two bedrooms in London and £80,000 for three bedrooms or more), chances are you’re eligible. So…

You ARE eligible for the shared ownership schemes if… Buy Agent will have a ready-made list of potential buyers in your area. People who are in the same position you’re in now – keen to become home owners for the first time.

Two ways to home ownership… There are two basic types of LCHO scheme – shared ownership and equity loans. Both will help you get a place of your own, and the type of scheme that’s right for you depends on your own personal circumstances. There’s no guarantee that both options will be available to you, although there are developments where both shared ownership and equity loans are available on the same development and even on the same property. There are more details of the specific schemes on the next two pages, but essentially they are:

Shared ownership Also known as part buy/part rent. This works by allowing you to buy a share of your home and pay a subsidised, less than market rent on the remainder, which is owned by a housing association. You’ll be expected to buy the largest share you can afford – normally anything from 25% to 75% - but don’t worry, the key word there is ‘afford’, so you won’t be squeezed until you squeak!

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.

Right for you? Maybe you’ve already heard of LCHO but thought ‘I’m not that lucky. It’ll be for people with specific jobs, or specific needs. Not for the likes of me.’ Maybe you’ve even thought ‘It’s social housing by a different name and I don’t really think of myself as someone who needs that kind of help’. Well, you couldn’t be more wrong. It’s not a housing list that you just join and wait to be allocated a home. It’s home ownership, make no bones about it, and you’ll take on all the responsibilities, and have all the benefits, that go with it. It’s a real opportunity to get on the housing ladder when circumstances mean you’ve been priced out of the market in your area. And if you’ve heard that LCHO is just for ‘key workers’ such as nurses, fire fighters and police officers, think again. LCHO is designed for a whole range of people, from any age group, and with any occupation – singles, couples, families, sharers, siblings, newly separated or just married.

Ticking the right boxes… For the first time buyer schemes such as shared ownership and resales, the eligibility criteria are pretty wide. And for the new

• You can’t otherwise afford to buy a suitable home in the area you need and want to live in • You’re a first time buyer • You need to buy a home of your own for the first time, for example after a relationship split • You have a household income of less than £60,000 per year (or £66,000/£80,000 in London). That includes everyone who’s going to be buying with you • You have a good credit rating (no CCJs) and are not in rent arrears • You have enough saved for your deposit, plus the costs associated with buying your home, such as mortgage and legal fees

You COULD be eligible if… • You’ve owned a home in the past, but don’t currently own one • You own your own home but it’s too small for your family’s needs – for example you have two children in a one-bedroom apartment – and you can’t afford to buy something bigger. You’ll have to have sold the home already own by the time you buy your shared ownership home, though • You’re not working full time (You’ll have to demonstrate that you have enough income to cover your housing and living costs). You might be able to count long-term benefits towards your affordability assessment too • You don’t need a mortgage (for example if you have money from the sale of a previous home after a relationship split and use that to buy your share outright). Again, you’ll have to show you have enough coming in to cover the rest of your costs, but you could be able to pay the rent on the remaining share through housing benefit

You’re NOT eligible if… • You already own a home that you’re living in and it’s adequate for your needs, or you own one but are renting it out, either in the UK or overseas • You can already afford to buy a suitable home in your area • You want to buy a property to rent out. LCHO funding is there to help people buy a home, not become a landlord • You already own a home but want to help your adult child or children to get on the ladder. It’s your children who would have to be eligible – but you can still help them with their deposit!

Sounds good? We think so. To find out more details of how to get yourself a home sweet home, check out the schemes in more detail on the next two pages. And then read on for even more good advice…

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 7

Buyer’sGuide

HOME SWEET HOME

Finding the right LCHO scheme for you can be a bit daunting. Relax! We’ve put together this quick guide to help keep you cool, calm and collected. First of all, we need to ask you one question…

There’s more than one way to find yourself a new home! This page gives you an at-a-glance guide to all the low cost home ownership (LCHO) deals on offer, so if you find a home you like, either in homefocus or elsewhere, you can check out the key points of the scheme and decide whether it’s time to break open the bubbly…

What percentage of the home you need do you think you could buy with your deposit and mortgage? Between 25% and 75%

Shared ownership could be your route to home ownership…

At least 70-80%

Looks like an equity loan could be the right deal for you…

Scheme type

Shared ownership

Equity loans

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…

Try before you buy

Mortgage Guarantee

Scheme name

Shared ownership

Resales

Help to Buy Equity Loan

Developers’ own schemes

Rent to Buy

NewBuy

Help to Buy Mortgage Indemnity

HOME TRUTHS

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’ in London.

Replaced the older FirstBuy scheme in April this year. 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 – and you only need 5% as a deposit. 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. There’s more info on pages 44-45.

Many private housing developers have their own equity loan scheme, and the details vary but in general you pay for between 70% and 85% of the value of your property, and the rest is covered by an equity loan. There’s often nothing to pay for this loan, but you’re expected to buy the remaining equity within ten years.

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 a similar scheme called Rent to Save has just been launched, ideal if you want to buy a home in the city.

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

This is coming into effect at the beginning of 2014 with the aim of making 95% mortgages available to a wider range of people. Mortgages will be available on both new and existing properties.

RIGHT FOR YOU?

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

Not limited to recently-built homes so properties are likely to be in established communities and you may have a wider choice of styles. There could be more flexibility with regards to who is eligible. There’s more about resales on pages 40-41.

Great if you can almost afford your home but need a bit of help, and don’t have a thumping great deposit to start you off. Only having to find a 5% deposit removes a huge hurdle for many people. Not restricted to first time buyers, and doesn’t have the same income restrictions as shared ownership, so you can use the scheme to move to a larger home or one in a more expensive area.

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

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.

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

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

NOT FOR YOU?

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 or period features, though, you might find a shared ownership home that’s a conversion of an older building.

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

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

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

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.

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

Doesn’t start until January 2014, so no help if you want to buy now. You still have to be able to get a mortgage for 95% of your home, so might not be right for you if you want to live in a very expensive area.

BUY FROM JUST 25%

WIDE CHOICE

NOT JUST FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS

ASK THE DEVELOPER

SAVE TO BUY YOUR HOME

JUST A 5% DEPOSIT

NOT JUST FOR NEW PROPERTIES

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Call homefocus on 01622 772407, Facebook us at www.facebook.com/homefocus,

8 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

e-mail info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk or go online to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 9

SmartBuyer

COMPARE THE MARKET...

THE FAMILY WAY NEW BABY, NEW HOME...

here are some events which, whatever your circumstances, are guaranteed to change your life. The main one, of course, is starting a family. And one of the things that having a baby tends to change is where you live, and just as importantly, what you THINK about where you live. Think about it. Whether you’ve got another little person to be responsible for already, one on the way, or are just planning for the future, a lot of the things that were ‘ok for now’ are suddenly NOT ok, are they? Sharing with friends? Depends on the friends, but with a baby you really need your own space. Living with family? Privacy can be an issue. Renting a tiny flat or studio on your own? Well, for their size, babies take up a LOT of space! Living separately – a logistical nightmare. And if you’ve got a family, or are planning one, you want to put down roots and find somewhere that has a feel of permanence about it. So, what are your options? How about buying your own place? Well that’s always seemed out of reach. For a start, buying in the traditional way often means having to save up for a massive deposit of 10 or even 20%. Not to mention the mortgage repayments. Starting a family can mean going down to one salary, if only for a short time, so money is going to be even tighter. Continue to rent? If you’re already renting privately, you know that it takes up a huge chunk of your income. Sometimes, so much that it’s virtually impossible to save any money for a deposit to buy a home. And renting somewhere with another bedroom is going to be even more expense, so that’s going to stretch the family finances to breaking point. All at a time when you might have less income and more expenses.

10 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

Stay where you are? Not really an option for many people. And while a tiny baby doesn’t need a room of his or her own to begin with, the amount of ‘stuff’ they accumulate does, and eventually your little person needs their own space to spread out and play, and you need your bedroom back. Out of options? Not so. How about low cost home ownership (LCHO)? You could buy a share in your home through shared ownership, and pay a reduced rent on the share you don’t own. Or if you’re ‘almost there’ in terms of the mortgage for a place of your own but haven’t got a huge deposit saved, you could look at an equity loan deal. The real bonus is that the deposit for all of these deals is generally considerably less than if you were buying in the standard way. With shared ownership you only have to find a deposit for the share you’re buying, not for the whole value of the home. And most equity loan deals specify a 5% deposit much more do-able. With the Help to Buy equity loan scheme you don’t even have to be a first time buyer, so if you’re already a homeowner but need an extra bedroom, you can sell the place you’re in and find somewhere bigger, but only pay for 80% of the cost – which could mean more home for the same money! Whichever way you go, buying a home through LCHO often works out costing you less – sometimes MUCH less - per month than renting privately. And it’s definitely less than buying in the normal way. Don’t believe us? Take a look at the figures on the next page and see how much you could be saving. Maybe you WILL be able to bring the baby back to his or her own nursery, after all…

We’ve looked at the average price of a two-bedroom apartment and compared the deposits and monthly costs of buying in the usual way or renting privately with some of the most common LCHO options – buying 25% or 50% through shared ownership, or taking advantage of one of the 80% equity loan deals available, such as the new Help to Buy scheme. We think the figures speak for themselves…

Bristol - £120,000

We’re paying less per month for a bigger home… In 1995 it took London buyers just 11 months to save the deposit for their first home, according to research by Barclays. Today, it takes an average of ten years. This shocking statistic is what Adam Balcerek, who’s 42, was faced with when he wanted to stop renting and buy a family home for himself, his partner Sylvie and their baby son Gabriel. ‘Not long after my son Gabriel was born, Sylvie and I decided we really needed to move from our one-bedroom apartment,’ says Adam. ‘We really needed more space, Gabriel needed his own room, and we also wanted to stop renting and put down roots but didn’t think there was any chance for us to buy a home.’ Fortunately for the new family, they found out about shared ownership and were able to buy a two-bedroom apartment in Bermondsey through Family Mosaic. Their new home had previously been part of a shared ownership development and the person who bought it then was looking to move on. ‘When I found out about the shared ownership scheme it was a dream come true, really,’ Adam continues. ‘We are now so happy to be in our two-bedroom home, knowing that each month we are contributing towards a property that we could own outright one day. There is much more space for our son in the apartment, too. The location is great – just where we wanted to be. Gabriel loves it every time we take him for a walk around Canada Water. ‘We never thought we could buy such a lovely place in this location,’ he adds. ‘And we’re actually paying less per month than when we rented, but for a bigger home!’

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

25% share

£1,500

£28,500

£177

£206

£383

50% share

£3,000

£57,000

£354

£138

£492

80% equity loan deal

£6,000

£90,000

£559

100% buy

£12,000

£108,000

£671

Private rent

£650

Tottenham, London - £220,000 Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

25% share

£2,750

£52,250

£325

£378

£703

50% share

£5,500

£104,500

£649

£252

£901

80% equity loan deal

£11,000

£165,000

£1,025

100% buy

£22,000

£198,000

£1,230

Private rent

£1,150

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

25% share

£1,125

£21,375

£136

£155

£291

50% share

£2,250

£42,750

£271

£103

£374

80% equity loan deal

£4,500

£67,500

£428

100% buy

£9,000

£81,000

£514

Private rent

£495

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

25% share

£2,500

£47,500

£295

£344

£639

50% share

£5,000

£95,000

£590

£229

£819

80% equity loan deal

£10,000

£150,000

£932

100% buy

£20,000

£190,000

£1,180

Private rent

£1,000

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

25% share

£1,250

£23,750

£144

£172

£316

50% share

£2,500

£47,500

£288

£115

£403

80% equity loan deal

£5,000

£75,000

£455

100% buy

£10,000

£90,000

£546

Private rent

£550

Coventry - £90,000

Cambridge - £200,000

Isle of Wight - £100,000

The small print We’ve used an average repayment mortgage over 25 years at 5.5% to get our figures, though you might get a much better deal for LCHO through a specialist financial advisor. Rent for shared ownership is based on 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year (we then divide this into 12 to get a monthly rate). Deposit amounts are 10% for outright sale, and 5% for LCHO, which reflects what is available in the market at the moment. Private rents and property prices are based on averages in the area, taken from popular property websites not specific properties.

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 11

Av a

ila

ble

res

er v

Find a place to call your own 68 stylish one and two bedroom apartments available to reserve off plan for Shared Ownership (Part Buy, Part Rent) Hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Tottenham High Road lies Isobel Place, a new development by Newlon Home Ownership. Imagine a home where you can escape from city life but still have all of the convenience of good transport links and local amenities.

Tottenham Town Hall.

Computer generated image of Isobel Place. Newlon welcomes interest from all first time buyers earning up to ÂŁ66,000 for all of our properties.

For futher information please visit our websites www.isobelplace.com or www.newlonhomeownership.org.uk

or contact us on

0800 058 2544

London

London life

NEW CAPITAL QUAY Greenwich from £65,000 for 25%

Looking for a home in the capital? Fed up with super-high rental prices or tired of commuting? This is the section for you. Check out some of the great affordable homes on offer here, then turn to our property listings from page 56 to see what else is available. Our London directory on pages 60-61 can also give you all the contacts you need…

ISOBEL PLACE One and two-bedroom apartments in Tottenham, from £64,000 for 40% London living is notoriously expensive. Add that fact to the idea of living in a beautiful, brand new home in a truly central location, at the heart of a vibrant community, and the idea of buying a place of your own could seem out of reach. But with Isobel Place, you could get your foot on the housing ladder through shared ownership by buying one of Newlon’s great, contemporary new apartments located immediately behind Tottenham Town Hall. All of the apartments at Isobel Place have been designed to provide light and spacious living. The sleek, modern kitchens come with a range of appliances and the homes feature plenty of eco-

friendly features designed to keep bills, and your carbon footprint, as low as possible, meaning the apartments will be affordable to run as well as to buy. The apartments come with either a balcony or terrace for valuable outside space, and are located in the grounds of the beautiful Grade II Listed Town Hall, on the edge of Tottenham Green. Despite their central location, within easy walking distance of Tottenham Hale and Seven Sisters underground stations, the apartments are tucked away to provide a bit of quiet and respite from the bustle of the capital. The homes are well placed to take

advantage of all of the high street stores and smaller independent retailers the area has to offer, while residents will appreciate the wealth of bars, restaurants and clubs nearby. Travel into central London is quick too, making Isobel Place ideal for commuters looking to cut down their time on the train and move to the capital to take advantage of everything the city has to offer. The Bernie Grant Arts Centre is also nearby, providing a whole range of entertainment activities including a theatre, rehearsal space, café-bar and multimedia studios. On top of this, Haringey Council is planning a regeneration of Tottenham Green which will see it becoming a cultural hub for the local community. Prices start from £64,000 for a 40% share of a one-bedroom apartment with a full market value of £160,000.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £160,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £64,000 • 5% deposit: £3,200 Mortgage on share*: £378 • Rent on remaining share**: £220 • Total costs: £598

Interested? Getting the information you’re after can be quick and easy. Just give us your details once and we’ll ask the organisations you want to know about (and ONLY the organisations you want to know about##) to contact you with information about their developments. Just call us on 01622 772407 or e-mail us at property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk – remember to include your name and the name of the development or developments you’re interested in. Quicker still is going to the hot properties section of our website at www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk and clicking on the link alongside the property you’re interested in. * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year We may get back to you and ask a few relevant questions to help direct your enquiry to the right organisations, but we’ll only pass your details on to those you want to hear from

14 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

BOTTLE STORE Stockwell from £82,500 for 30%

Steeped in history, time never stands still in Greenwich, and if you’re looking to buy a home there you might be forgiven for thinking that house prices never stand still either. But at New Capital Quay, you could buy a brand new apartment through shared ownership from Hyde New Homes. New Capital Quay is the latest phase of the regeneration of Greenwich. Sitting on the South Bank of the Thames surrounded by the river on three sides, these brand new homes combine attractive architecture and sophisticated living space. There’s a choice of one, two and even three-bedroom apartments, all offering breathtaking views, with many also having a private balcony or terrace. A 25% share of a one-bedroom home starts from £65,000, while a similar share of a two or three-bedroom home could be yours for £85,000 or £110,000 respectively.

Bottle Store is a development of one and two-bedroom apartments, available for shared ownership from Family Mosaic. Handy for Stockwell underground and moments away from buzzing Brixton, Bottle Store’s apartments do not compromise on location, style or space. Kitchens are fully fitted with appliances, including oven, hob, fridge/freezer and washer/dryer. Living areas have oak laminate flooring while bedrooms feature cosy carpets. Some of the apartments have generous balconies and parking spaces, and all share a beautifully landscaped communal garden. The development is located just off Stockwell Road, just a short walk from Stockwell and Brixton stations for fast access into central London. Nearby Brixton provides a fine selection of bars, clubs, shops and entertainment venues, and the leafy expanses of Clapham Common are a brief stroll away.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £260,000 • Minimum share: 25% Cost of share: £65,000 • 5% deposit: £3,250 • Mortgage on share*: £384 Rent on remaining share**: £447 • Total costs: £831

One-bedroom apartment • Full value: £275,000 • Minimum share: 30% Cost of share: £82,500 • 5% deposit: £4,125 • Mortgage on share*: £487 Rent on remaining share**: £441 • Total costs: £928

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘New Capital Quay’ in the

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Bottle Store’ in the title and

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

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

RAVENSBOURNE PLACE

SAFFRON SQUARE

Chislehurst from £79,500 for 30%

Croydon from £57,750 for 30%

Ravensbourne Place is a selection of two-bedroom apartments available for shared ownership from L&Q. Situated in one of South London’s most desirable areas, the development offers buyers a rare opportunity to get on the housing ladder in Chislehurst. The Old Ravensbourne College has been transformed into a new development of modern homes on the edge of town. The West End, City and Docklands are a quick commute away. The area features excellent schools and family facilities, with a real village atmosphere, country-style pubs, woodland, common and a range of small shops. There’s a major supermarket, golf club and fitness facilities just a short distance away, while nearby Bromley offers a wider range of amenities. Ravensbourne Place apartments are beautifully finished. The kitchens include oven, hob and extractor, fridge/freezer and washing machine.

A brand new development in the heart of Croydon, offering one and two-bedroom shared ownership apartments from Affinity Sutton, Saffron Square is part of the £3.5 billion regeneration of the area. When complete, the whole development will offer homes arranged in five buildings overlooking a new public square, lined with cafés, bars, restaurants and office and retail space. Saffron Square is just a short walk to the centre of Croydon and onward travel links are excellent. The apartments will be designed to the highest standard, with kitchens including a stainless steel oven, hob and extractor, freestanding washer/dryer and fridge/freezer. There will be underfloor heating throughout, and the living areas will be carpeted. The development also features an on-site gym, one acre of landscaped gardens and a communal rooftop garden, plus a 24 hour concierge service.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £265,000 • Minimum share: 30% Cost of share: £79,500 • 5% deposit: £3,975 • Mortgage on share*: £469 Rent on remaining share**: £425 • Total costs: £894

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £192,500 • Minimum share: 30% Cost of share: £57,750 • 5% deposit: £2,888 • Mortgage on share*: £341 Rent on remaining share**: £309 • Total costs: £650

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Ravensbourne Place’ in the

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Saffron Square’ in the title

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

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

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 15

London

FAIRWATER Isle of Dogs from £72,000 for 30%

Richard Bloomfield and Carl Glenister

SEVEN Croydon from £57,000 for 40%

Fairwater is a development of brand new one and two-bedroom apartments, plus three-bedroom apartments and maisonettes, available for shared ownership from East Thames. Depending on the floor level, the homes offer balconies, terraces or gardens, for valuable outside space in the city. All of the homes have cycle storage. The stylish fitted kitchens come complete with ovens, hobs, dishwashers, fridge/freezers and washer/dryers. Crossharbour DLR station is less than half a mile away, and Canary Wharf underground station is within a mile, making Fairwater a perfect location for those who work in the city and are looking for a fast commute. Canary Wharf’s many shops and restaurants, Sir John McDougall Gardens, Mudchute Park and Tiller Leisure Centre are all within a mile of Fairwater. A 30% share of a one-bedroom apartment starts from just £72,000.

If you’re looking to own your own place within 30 minute of the centre of London, Seven could make it possible. Seven is a development of one and twobedroom apartments, close to all the transport, shops and amenities of West Croydon, available for shared ownership from Viridian Housing. The apartments all have their own terrace, garden or balcony. There are also communal gardens, a cycle store and secure parking, and the homes are within easy walking distance of West Croydon station. All of the apartments are light and spacious. The fully-fitted kitchens come complete with an integrated oven and hob, plus a washer/dryer. The hall and bedrooms are carpeted, while there’s oak effect vinyl flooring in the kitchen/dining area. Croydon is a great business, shopping and cultural centre, and the location is great for commuters. London Victoria is around 20 minutes away by train.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £240,000 • Minimum share: 30% Cost of share: £72,000 • 5% deposit: £3,600 • Mortgage on share*: £425 Rent on remaining share**: £385 • Total costs: £810

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £142,500 • Minimum share: 40% Cost of share: £57,000 • 5% deposit: £2,850 • Mortgage on share*: £328 Rent on remaining share**: £196 • Total costs: £524

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Fairwater’ in the title and

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Seven’ in the title and we’ll

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

do the rest. Remember to include your name.

THE BLOC

Previous situation: Renting together Scheme:

Shared ownership

Location:

Stockwell

NEW HENDON VILLAGE

Network Housing Group

Colindale from £46,000 for 25%

Enfield from £54,375 for 30%

For those looking to secure a new home in an idyllic park setting, Genesis is offering the opportunity to buy one of the last remaining apartments at New Hendon Village. The development sits at the head of Grahame Park, a great sweep of wonderfully restored parkland complete with tree-lined avenues and ornamental lakes. New Hendon Village homes have been designed to make the most of views and natural light. Sleek, modern kitchens feature solid granite worktops and come complete with a stainless steel hob and integrated extractor. Each home has a balcony or courtyard garden. New Hendon Village is part of the area’s ongoing regeneration, with excellent retail and transport facilities, new cafes, restaurants and bars creating a cosmopolitan atmosphere. For access to the city, Colindale Underground station is just a ten minute walk away.

The Bloc is a development of one and two-bedroom shared ownership apartments, available from Origin Housing. Part of the regeneration of the North Middlesex Hospital, this development combines modern architecture with energy efficient design. The apartments are bright and spacious. Kitchens include a ceramic hob, cooker hood, oven and fridge/freezer. The homes also have high quality floor coverings throughout, so new home owners will have less to buy when they move in. The main bedrooms also feature built-in wardrobes. The Bloc is adjacent to the New North Middlesex Hospital and is conveniently close to the North Circular Road and rail connections at Silver Street station. Within the development, there’s a tranquil central community square and urban courtyards. Trees, both mature and newly planted, grow throughout the development.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £184,000 • Minimum share: 25% Cost of share: £46,000 • 5% deposit: £2,300 • Mortgage on share*: £271 Rent on remaining share**: £316 • Total costs: £587

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £181,250 • Minimum share: 30% Cost of share: £54,375 • 5% deposit: £2,719 • Mortgage on share*: £321 Rent on remaining share**: £291 • Total costs: £612

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘New Hendon Village’ in the

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘The Bloc’ in the title and

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

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

Provider:

Help to Buy Agent: FirstSteps

s two young professionals who needed to live in London, friends Richard Bloomfield and Carl Glenister had been sharing a two-bedroom flat in Brixton, but with their rent increasing every year, the housemates felt they were throwing money away and were desperate to get on the housing ladder. They had thought that high housing prices in the capital would mean they’d have to continue to rent for a while, but when they found out about shared ownership and Network Housing Group’s development called The Park in Stockwell, they decided to take the plunge and buy – next door to each other! Carl, who works as a civil servant for the Department of Health, paid around £140,000 for a 60% share in his brand new one-bedroom apartment. Remaining in the

‘We’ve gone from housemates to neighbours!’ area was very important to him, not only for his work but also for his social life. ‘I really wanted to stay in the Stockwell/ Brixton area,’ he explains. ‘It has so much to offer and is such a lively, quirky place to live, with a great nightlife. So when I first went to see the show home I was impressed – the apartments here are a really high standard and the price through shared ownership was unbeatable, particularly for such an up-and-coming area in London.’ Carl loves having his own space, and really appreciates his new home’s location. ‘It’s great having the tube and various bus routes on the doorstep – my journey to work is so straightforward, just ten minutes on the Northern Line,’ he says. ‘Considering it’s in Zone 2, you pay so much more in other parts of London for the travel links.

Having a balcony is a real bonus. I’ve got amazing views across London, including the Shard and the Gherkin.’ Carl’s former housemate and old school friend Richard paid around £165,000 for a 75% share in his own one-bedroom pad. ‘Where we lived before was always noisy. It was on a busy road and near a railway line,’ he says. ‘You imagine that as a first time buyer that’s the only kind of place you’d be able to afford, but this development is set back off the main road and opposite a park. ‘It’s a great place to live,’ he adds. ‘I’ve enjoyed getting to know people at the development and it’s nice to be surrounded by like-minded people, all living and working in London. We’ve got fantastic travel links and all the pubs and restaurants close by. I couldn’t ask for much more!’

More like this? If you’re looking for more homes in the London, why not get in touch and let homefocus help you? Ring us on 01622 772407 or e-mail info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk and let us know what you’re looking for.

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year

16 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 17

East

East of England

ROSARY POINT

WARHOL COURT

Norwich from £55,998 for 40%

Watford, prices to be confirmed

Rosary Point is a development of beautiful two bedroom apartments, available for shared ownership from Orbit Homes. The apartments have been designed to make the most of the space and light, and have high eco standards to keep your bills low. The proximity to Norwich Station makes Rosary Point particularly attractive for rail commuters. To cater for car owners, each property benefits from an allocated parking space – often a rarity for city apartments. Norwich has been recognised as one of the top ten cities in the UK to live in, and offers a great mix of high street and independent stores, as well as a huge range of theatres, museums, galleries and cinemas. The homes at Rosary Point are also within easy reach of the beautiful Norfolk coast’s sandy beaches. and nature reserves.

Warhol Court is a range of one and two-bedroom apartments coming soon for shared ownership from Hightown Homes. Located within the attractive Leggatt’s Green development and conveniently situated just two miles from Watford town centre, the apartments are ideal for first time buyers looking to get on the ladder and buy a brand new home in the town. The apartments have been designed to be light and bright, and feature an attractive modern kitchen with a range of appliances. Warhol Court has excellent transport links, with Watford North station just a mile away and the M25 and M1 easily accessible. Watford offers a huge range of amenities, including the Harlequin Shopping Centre. There are also plenty of opportunities for a night out including restaurants, bars, clubs, theatres and a comedy club.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £139,995 • Minimum share: 40% Cost of share: £55,998 • 5% deposit: £2,780 • Mortgage on share*: £331 Rent on remaining share**: £193 • Total costs: £524

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk or

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Rosary Point’ in the title and

e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Warhol Court’ in the title and

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

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year

If you’re tired of renting, but high house prices in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Hertfordshire are making you wonder whether you’ll ever get on the housing ladder, this is the section for you. Check out some of the great homes in the area here, then turn to the property listings from page 56 to see a selection of other properties in the east. Our Eastern directory section on page 59 can give you all the contacts you need…

HATTON GRANGE

Searching for a home of your own?

Two and three-bedroom houses in Walton, Peterborough from £99,196 for 80% Hatton Grange is a gorgeous development of two and three-bedroom houses in Walton, near Peterborough, available through the Help to Buy equity loan scheme from Westleigh New Homes. No fewer than 30 homes at the development are available through the scheme, which allows you to find just a 5% deposit and 75% mortgage. The remaining 20% is covered by an equity loan from the government, on which there’s nothing to pay for the first five years. Help to Buy is also available to those who are not first time buyers, so if you’re already a home owners but fancy moving up to a brand new house at Hatton Grange, the scheme could be just what you’re looking for.

All of the houses at Hatton Grange are bright and modern, with great attention to detail and the kind of light, airy space you expect from a brand new home. The internal layouts really reflect modern lifestyles, with each home having a contemporary-styled kitchen, as well as a private rear garden and off road parking. To help keep your bills down once you’ve moved in, the houses are also designed to be energy efficient, incorporating high levels of insulation, fuel saving central heating systems and efficient kitchen appliances. All that means your home will be affordable to run, as well as to buy, so

trading up doesn’t have to cost you more money. The development also has a new show home with a beautiful, fresh colour scheme. Having a look round can be a great way of imagining how your own furniture and accessories will look. The Help to Buy scheme at Hatton Grange is ideal for first time buyers and for those who are looking to trade up or even downsize. A two-bedroom house with a full asking price of £123,995 could be yours for just £99,196 through Help to Buy, while a larger three-bedroom family home valued at £147,995 would be £118,396.

Two-bedroom house • Full value: £123,995 • Equity purchased: 80% • Cost of equity: £99,196 • 5% deposit: £4,960 Mortgage on 75%*: £585 • Total costs: £585

Your search starts here... Lea Valley Homes, part of the Aldwyck Housing Group, can help you find a place of your own. Opposite are options* currently available through the Government’s Help to Buy initiative.

Shared Ownership Shared Ownership Resales Help to Buy - Equity Loan Intermediate market rent

APP ON LY NOLINE W!

Rent to Buy

For further information please call

01582 869440

Help to Buy

leavalleyhomes@aldwyck.co.uk www.leavalleyhomes.co.uk

*Subject to the Government’s ‘Help to Buy’ eligibility criteria. YOUR HOME IS AT RISK IF YOU DO NOT KEEP UP REPAYMENTS ON A MORTGAGE OR OTHER LOANS SECURED ON IT

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year We may get back to you and ask a few relevant questions to help direct your enquiry to the right organisations, but we’ll only pass your details on to those you want to hear from

18 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 19

NORTH CENTRAL APARTMENTS Watford from £94,000 for 40%

PILGRIMS REST Kempston from £57,500 for 50%

North Central Apartments is a collection of two and three-bedroom apartments in Watford’s popular suburb of Garston, available for shared ownership from Origin Housing. Inside, the properties come with an impressive open plan specification. The kitchen features white gloss units and integrated appliances including a ceramic hob, extractor, fridge/freezer and washer/ dryer. There’s stylish hickory flooring in the living area and hallway, and the bedrooms are carpeted. Each home also features an en-suite shower room to the master bedroom. Outside, there are landscaped communal grounds and each property has an allocated parking space. Watford town centre is just two miles away, while Stanborough Park is right on the doorstep.

Pilgrims Rest is a development of one, two, three and four-bedroom properties, available for shared ownership from Lea Valley Homes. So whether you’re a singleton or a large family, there’s a place for you to finally get on the housing ladder. All of the homes feature carpets throughout. The modern kitchens also come complete with a built-in oven and hob, and the houses and coach house also benefit from a garden. Pilgrims Rest has great transport links. The new A421 bypass provides swift access to the M1, A1 and A6, while commuters can take advantage of excellent mainline train services to London and the East Midlands. Local amenities include supermarkets, pubs and good schools, while a multi-screen cinema, sports centre and even a children’s farm are nearby.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £235,000 • Minimum share: 40% Cost of share: £94,000 • 5% deposit: £4,700 • Mortgage on share*: £555 Rent on remaining share**: £321 • Total costs: £876

One-bedroom maisonette: Full value: £115,000 • Minimum share: 50% Cost of share: £57,500 • 5% deposit: £2,875 • Mortgage on share*: £339 Rent on remaining share**: £132 • Total costs: £471

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk or

e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘North Central Apartments’ in

e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Pilgrims Rest’ in the title

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

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

Gordon and Joanna Wallis and family

LEEFIELD

Renting privately

ABODE

Scheme:

Shared ownership

Cambridge from £180,000 for 80%

Welwyn Garden City from £97,500 for 50%

Location:

Croxley Green

Provider:

Hightown Homes

Help to Buy Agent:

Lea Valley Homes

Abode is a large development of homes, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom houses, all available through the Help to Buy equity loan scheme from Countryside Properties. Combining contemporary and traditional design, the homes are located in a semi-rural setting in Great Kneighton, yet are just minutes from the cosmopolitan city centre. Apartments at Abode feature open plan living space with impressive private balconies, some of which stretch the entire width of the apartment. The specification for all homes includes stylish kitchens with a range of appliances. The houses feature landscaped front and turfed rear gardens. Apartments have allocated parking, while many houses have garages or private parking. New primary and secondary schools are due to be built in the area, while other proposed neighbourhood facilities include a health centre, playing fields, library, shops and offices.

Leefield is an attractive development of spacious two-bedroom apartments, available for shared ownership from Rowan Homes. Located within comfortable walking distance of the town centre and the station, the apartments are ideal for singles, couples and small families looking to get onto the property ladder in an area that could otherwise be out of reach. The apartments feature contemporary cream gloss kitchen units with a range of built in stainless steel appliances. The bedrooms and living areas are fully carpeted, and the master bedroom has a useful built-in wardrobe. Outside, there’s extensive landscaping and an enclosed communal garden, and each apartment has an allocated parking space.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £225,000 • Equity purchased: 80% Cost of equity: £180,000 • 5% deposit: £11,250 • Mortgage on 75%*: £1,048 Total costs: £1,048

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £195,000 • Minimum share: 50% Cost of share: £97,500 • 5% deposit: £4,875 • Mortgage on share*: £575 Rent on remaining share**: £223 • Total costs: £798

Previous situation:

hen their rented home was deemed unsafe, Gordon and Joanna Wallis were faced with having to move at very short notice, and found themselves renting a very small two-bedroom apartment. Not ideal for a lively family of five. In fact, Gordon and Joanna had to sleep on the sofa in the living area while their teenage children had the bedrooms – a situation that soon proved impossible. The family had already been on the council housing waiting list for six years by this point, and were desperate to put down roots and not be in a position where they would have to move again. But with so much of their income being spent on rent, the couple were finding it difficult to save a deposit large enough to buy a home.

‘Buying our own home has improved our lives dramatically...’ Fortunately for the family, Joanna saw a sign promoting Hightown Homes’ new shared ownership properties at Merchant Taylors Place in Croxley Green, near Watford. She immediately thought it might be a good solution to their housing problems, and called Hightown for more information. Further discussion about shared ownership and the family finances confirmed that they would be able to buy a 25% share of a three-bedroom house – just what they were looking for. The initial consultation gave Joanna and Gordon the confidence to apply for a mortgage, and they moved into their new home at the start of the year – a brand new home for a brand new start, after a terrible year of upheaval and cramped conditions.

‘Buying our own home has improved our lives dramatically,’ says Joanna. ‘We didn’t feel very secure renting privately, and our last apartment was far too small, but buying a home seemed well beyond our reach. We never dreamed we’d be able to afford a three-bedroom house, but here we are! ‘Coming from a rented place we didn’t have much to bring with us, and fortunately our new kitchen already had integrated appliances, so we didn’t have to worry about finding the money to buy them,’ she adds. ‘From all being squeezed into that tiny flat, we’ve now got a garden, a lovely fitted kitchen and even allocated parking! Most importantly, we’ve got space to be a family.’

More like this? If you’re looking for more homes in the East, why not get in touch and let homefocus help you? Ring us on 01622 772407or e-mail info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk and let us know what you’re looking for.

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk or

e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Abode’ in the title and we’ll

e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Leefield’ in the title and we’ll

do the rest. Remember to include your name.

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year

20 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 21

South East

South East Focus

Are you tired of renting? Wondering whether you’ll ever be able to buy a home in the expensive south east? If you’re looking to buy in Essex, Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire or Buckinghamshire, then this is the section for you. Check out some of the great homes available in the region here, then turn your attention to our property listings from page 56 to see what else is available. Our south east directory on pages 62-63 can give you all the contacts you need…

SELBY PLACE

One, two and three-bedroom homes in Southampton from £40,250 for 35% Looking for an affordable home in Southampton? Well Selby Place could be exactly what you’re after. The development offers one and two-bedroom apartments, and three-bedroom maisonettes, all available from Radian for either shared ownership or through the Help to Buy equity loan scheme. The aim is to make home ownership flexible and available to as many people as possible, so whatever your circumstances you should find a home to suit you. All of the properties at Selby Place are designed to maximise light and space. The apartments boast floor to ceiling windows and many have balconies. Carpets are fitted throughout, with vinyl flooring to bathrooms and kitchens, and all of the

master bedrooms have fitted wardrobes, reducing the amount of things you have to spend your money on when you move in. Outdoor areas exclusive to residents have been as thoughtfully considered as the interiors. Landscaped gardens and large roof terraces provide attractive communal spaces to relax and socialise. Selby Place is close to Shirley High Street, which offers a handy mix of shops, bars and supermarkets. But for a real shopaholic’s paradise, a short journey into Southampton

finds you at WestQuay with everything from major departments stores to smaller boutiques. Great nightlife is close at hand too, whether you’re into lively bars or laidback restaurants. Bedford Place is perfect for young urbanites, while the old town’s Oxford Street offers cosmopolitan dining with alfresco options. When it’s time to relax, you’ll have green space galore despite being so close to the city centre. Nearby St James Park features ornamental gardens, grassland, tennis courts and a play area.

One-bedroom apartment (shared ownership): Full value: £115,000 • Minimum share: 35% Cost of share: £40,250 • 5% deposit: £2,013 • Mortgage on share*: £238 • Rent on remaining share**: £171 Total costs: £409 One-bedroom apartment apartment (Help to Buy): Full value: £115,000 • Minimum equity: 80% Cost of 80% equity: £92,000 • 5% deposit: £5,750 • Mortgage on 75% equity*: £536 • Total costs: £536

22 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

THE FERNS

ASHBY’S POINT Tonbridge from £40,000 for 25%

Eastbourne from £68,750 for 25%

Ashby’s Point is a development of one and two-bedroom riverside apartments available for shared ownership from Town & Country Housing Group. The development is due to be completed by the autumn, and will offer 13 one-bedroom apartments and 19 larger two-bedroom homes, all of which feature a stylish contemporary kitchen and spacious living accommodation. The shared ownership homes form part of the larger development of Ashby’s Point, which is situated on the River Medway, just a few minutes’ walk to Tonbridge Station, from where trains reach London Bridge in just 33 minutes. Tonbridge has a wide range of shops, bars, restaurants and leisure amenities. A 25% share of a one-bedroom home is just £40,000.

The Ferns is a terrace of 13 brand new three-bedroom family houses in the popular town of Eastbourne, all available to buy through shared ownership from Affinity Sutton. All of the homes feature a contemporary kitchen which already has a stainless steel oven, hob and extractor, plus a fridge/freezer and washer/dryer. Carpets and laminate flooring are also included throughout, and the spacious living/ dining area has patio doors onto a private rear garden. There’s also a useful downstairs cloakroom, plus ample storage space. Located in the Roselands area of Eastbourne, The Ferns is just over a mile from Eastbourne station, while the town’s shops, harbour and restaurants are just a stroll away.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £160,000 • Minimum share: 25% Cost of share: £40,000 • 5% deposit: £2,000 • Mortgage on share*: £236 Rent on remaining share**: £275 • Total costs: £511

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £275,000 • Minimum share: 25% Cost of share: £68,750 • 5% deposit: £3,438 • Mortgage on share*: £406 Rent on remaining share**: £473 • Total costs: £879

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Ashby’s Point’ in the title

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘The Ferns’ in the title and

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

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

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year

Pan Meadows Isle of Wight

arge

d service ch

thly rent an

on are plus a m for a 40% sh

Crack ch n the Cru -in ove get m

lus P t r a t mapratck-aSge+! FREE S eposit 4 your d h t i w Help rent 4 ge and Mortga protection nt lling payme inst fa 4 a g a n es ectio e with th

Prot

ty valu

proper

rms an ct to te + subje ditions con

www.panmeadows.info

get.move-in@spectrumhousing.co.uk *Prices correct at the time of print but may be subject to change

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 23

South East

THE BARROWS Brighton from £55,500 for 30%

PAN MEADOWS Newport, Isle of Wight for £32,000 for 40%

Stylish Brighton is a highly sought-after place to live, and prices often reflect that, but at The Barrows a one, two or three-bedroom apartment could be yours for far less than you might imagine. The apartments are being sold through shared ownership by Hyde New Homes, and feature good quality fixtures and fittings. A modern kitchen comes complete with integrated ceramic hob, electric oven and extractor, washer/dryer and fridge/freezer, plus laminate flooring. Living areas and bedrooms are carpeted and the apartments benefit from under-floor heating. Selected homes even have en suite bathrooms. The Barrows is within easy reach of Brighton station and is close to the beach, shops, bars and restaurants. Prices for a 30% share of a one or two-bedroom apartment start from £55,500 and £72,000 respectively, while a 45% share of a three-bedrom home is £150,750.

Just one apartment remains at Pan Meadows, Spectrum’s popular shared ownership devopment in Newport. But do not despair if you’re looking to buy an affordable home on the Isle of Wight, as further phases will become available as time goes on, giving you ample opportunity to save for that deposit. The one-bedroom second floor apartment that still remains features an airy open-plan living area with a modern kitchen including built-in oven, hob and fridge/freezer. The apartment benefits from allocated parking. Pan Meadows lies on the outskirts of Newport, with easy road access to the town centre. Newport has an array of popular supermarkets, two shopping centres and many small independent shops. The town offers a wide range of entertainment, with three theatres, a cinema, pubs, restaurants and nightclubs.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £185,000 • Minimum share: 30% Cost of share: £55,500 • 5% deposit: £2,775 • Mortgage on share*: £328 Rent on remaining share**: £297 • Total costs: £625

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £80,000 • Minimum share: 40% Cost of share: £32,000 • 5% deposit: £1,600 • Mortgage on share*: £189 Rent on remaining share**: £110 • Total costs: £299

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘The Barrows’ in the title and

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Pan Meadows’ in the title

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

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

NEWTON LEYS

Bijal and Sheetal Mehta Previous situation:

Renting privately

OASIS

Scheme:

FirstBuy

Aylesbury from £49,700 for 35%

Location:

West Thurrock

Provider:

Fairview Homes

Help to Buy Agent:

Moat

ijal Dhruvkumar Mehta and Sheetal Bijalkumar Mehta had been living together in rented accommodation and searching for a home of their own for around six months to no avail. Then a friend recommended they find out more about low cost home ownership and the opportunities it could offer them. They applied to Moat, their local Help to Buy Agent for Essex, and set about tracking down a great home to settle down in. The couple completed their application in December, and shortly after they visited Fairview Homes’ Aspire development, and loved it right away. Bijal and Sheetal decided that buying through the FirstBuy equity loan scheme (now replaced by Help to Buy) would give them a previously unimaginable

‘‘If the scheme hadn’t been available, we’d still be renting…’ opportunity to buy a home of their own on a brand new development. In February this year, less than ten weeks after completing their application with Moat, they had moved to their new home! Aspire was exactly what Bijal and Sheetal were looking for, not least because the location is close to friends and family, and convenient for getting to work. The fact that it was a brand new home was simply the icing on the cake for the couple, who consider themselves very lucky to have heard about the equity loan scheme when they did. ‘Our new place is bright, well planned and peaceful – it brings us lots of happiness,’ says Bijal. ‘If the equity loan scheme hadn’t been available, we would still be living

in rented accommodation, desperately looking for somewhere we could afford.’ The couple paid £133,000 for the 80% equity on their brand new, stylish twobedroom apartment, including a deposit of just £6,650. The remaining 20% has been covered by an equity loan on which they have nothing to pay for five years. Bijal is in no doubt that the equity loan scheme was what made the difference and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend buying this way to other people in a similar position. ‘Schemes like this are the best option for people like us who cannot otherwise afford to buy their first home,’ says Bijal. ‘Buying our home was simple from start to finish, and it’s been a vital step for us towards achieving our dreams.’

More like this? If you’re looking for more homes in the East, why not get in touch and let homefocus help you? Ring us on 01622 772407 or e-mail info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk and let us know what you’re looking for.

24 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

Newton Leys from £52,600 for 40%

Oasis, Buckingham Park is a small development of one-bedroom apartments available for shared ownership from Hightown Homes. These dual-aspect homes are located on the highly desirable Oasis development, which gives buyers the best of both worlds – gorgeous countryside on the doorstep, but local amenities just a short drive away. The stylish kitchens features white units with oven, hob and extractor. The kitchens and bathrooms feature vinyl flooring while living rooms and bedrooms are carpeted. The apartment also comes with one allocated parking space. With Aylesbury town centre just a mile away, there’s a good selection of high street shops, two indoor shopping centres and a range of restaurants and bars all within easy reach of Oasis. The Waterside Theatre provides a wide range of entertainment, and the town also has its own multi-screen cinema and museum.

Looking for a home near Milton Keynes and Leighton Buzzard? Paradigm has just released the third phase of a 74 home development at Newton Leys. This phase comprises 11 two-bedroom apartments, most of which have en suite bathrooms. The apartments feature fully fitted kitchens with integrated oven, hob and extractor, fridge/ freezer and washer/dryer. The homes are carpeted throughout, with vinyl flooring in wet areas. Every home benefits from an allocated parking space. The hamlet of Newton Leys sits in the heart of Buckinghamshire, yet just a few miles from a range of large towns. Nearby Newton Longville offers many local amenities including a primary school, pub, post office and convenience store, while a large supermarket can be found in Bletchley, which also has a railway station with frequent services to Euston, Northampton and Birmingham.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £142,000 • Minimum share: 35% Cost of share: £49,700 • 5% deposit: £2,485 • Mortgage on share*: £293 Rent on remaining share**: £212 • Total costs: £505

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £131,500 • Minimum share: 40% Cost of share: £52,600 • 5% deposit: £2,630 • Mortgage on share*: £310 Rent on remaining share**: £181 • Total costs: £491

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Oasis’ in the title and

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Newton Leys’ in the title

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

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

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 25

Midlands

Midlands Move

Are you looking for somewhere to call your own in the Midlands? Tired of renting? Then this is the section for you. Check out some of the great homes available in the region here, then turn to our property listings from page 56 to see what else is available. Our Midlands directory on page 64 can also give you all the contacts you need…

BLACKBERRY FIELDS

Two and three-bedroom houses in Kettering from £48,000 for 40% When you’re looking for a home of your own, particularly one that will accommodate a growing family, you’ll often turn to renting because you imagine that buying a home big enough would be out of your reach. But at Blackberry Fields, you could move into a gorgeous brand new family home for far less than you might imagine. Blackberry Fields is a development of brand new two and three-bedroom houses, all available for shared ownership from Orbit Homes. Located off Thurston Drive in Kettering, the new homes are ideally located to take advantage of all the town has to offer. Each of the houses at Blackberry Fields has been designed to high standards for space and storage, and the light, bright

homes are extremely energy-efficient. Many homes have photo voltaic roof panels to help with energy costs, and a rainwater harvesting system with go even further to ensure that living in one of these stylish new homes will keep your carbon footprint low, and your bills low too. Inside, the kitchen/diners are fitted with a range of stylish units and come complete with a brushed steel effect oven, hob and hood. The two and three-bedroom houses both feature a useful ground floor cloakroom and ample under-stairs storage cupboard. Upstairs, there are good-sized bedrooms and even more built-in cupboard space – ideal for a growing family with an

equally growing number of possessions! Outside, the homes have private gardens and allocated parking. Kettering boasts a wide range of shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities in the town centre, which is home to a range of high street and independent stores. Kettering Business Park houses a multi-screen cinema complex, while family pubs and restaurants are perfect for an evening out. The Kettering leisure village provides sports facilities and a health club, and nearby Wicksteed Park hosts numerous events throughout the year. A 40% share of a two-bedroom house starts from £48,000, while a three-bedroom home could be yours from only £54,000.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £120,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £48,000 • 5% deposit: £2,400 Mortgage on share*: £283 • Rent on remaining share**: £165 • Total costs: £448

BRINDLEY RISE

HIRST CLOSE

Rugeley from £117,708 for 85%

Arnold, Notts from £57,500 for 50%

Brindley Rise is an attractive collection of apartments and houses close to the centre of Rugeley in Staffordshire, and potential purchasers can opt to buy their home through developer Walton Homes’ own Lion’s Share equity loan scheme, where they have to come up with just 85% of the price initially, and need only a 5% deposit. The remainder is covered by an equity loan which has to be paid back after ten years or when the property is sold – there’s no interest to pay in the meantime. All of the homes are spacious and airy, and have stylish kitchens equipped with modern appliances. The houses also have an allocated parking space and garden. The development is just a short walk from the town centre and the railway station.

Hirst Close is a small development of two and three-bedroom maisonettes and houses, available for shared ownership from Nottingham Community Housing Association. Located off Calverton Road, the development is being built in phases and is due to be completed next year, with a range of homes becoming available during that time. All of the homes at Hirst Close have been designed to suit a modern lifestyle. Kitchens include integrated stainless steel gas hob, electric oven and extractor. The bright living areas feature patio doors, and the houses have enclosed turfed rear gardens. All of the homes benefit from off street parking. Hirst Close forms part of the Heron Place development and is well located to make the most the market town of Arnold, which boasts a diverse range of restaurants, shops and bars.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £134,950 • Minimum equity: 85% Cost of equity: £117,708 • 5% deposit: £6,748 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £671 • Total costs: £671

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £115,000 • Minimum share: 50% Cost of share: £57,500 • 5% deposit: £2,875 • Mortgage on share*: £339 Rent on remaining share**: £132 • Total costs: £471

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Brindley Rise’ in the title

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Hirst Close’ in the title and

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

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

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year

Spread the word! You can now get Help to Buy! Thanks to the brand new Governmentbacked equity scheme Help to Buy, first time buyers and existing home owners now only need a 5% deposit to buy a new home. For more information visit www.emhomebuy.org.uk or call us on 0844 892 0112.

T 0844 892 0112 E emhomebuy@emha.org EMHomeBuy is run by East Midlands Housing Group in our role as a Help to Buy Agent. East Midlands Housing Group has been awarded the Help to Buy Agent status by the HCA (Homes and Communities Agency).

26 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 27

Midlands

Kate Evans & Ryan Reynolds Previous situation:

Living with parents

Scheme:

FirstStep

Location:

Longbridge

Provider:

St Modwen Homes

ate Evans and her partner Ryan Reynolds were happy to take advantage of St Modwen Homes’ own equity loan scheme, FirstStep, when they bought their first home at the Park View development in the Longbridge area of Birmingham. Kate, a nurse at one of Birmingham’s hospitals, explained their choice. ‘Ryan and I had been searching for our first home together for over a year, but we hadn’t seen anything that we could afford that we’d want to live in,’ she says. ‘As soon as we visited Park View, we knew it ticked all the right boxes for us. It was my mum who originally told us to visit the site as she was familiar with Longbridge, and had seen that with the

CITRUS GROVE

BRIAR HILL

Kegworth from £28,750 for 25%

Northampton from £22,500 for 25%

Citrus Grove is a development of spacious two-bedroom apartments in Kegworth, Leicestershire, available for shared ownership from Hello Homes. The apartments feature an open plan living, dining and kitchen area which makes for excellent, flexible living space. The kitchens include a stainless steel oven and extractor. A thriving village, Kegworth has its own primary school, library, chemist and supermarket. The village is well located for connections throughout Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, so the homes at Citrus Grove are perfect for commuters who would rather not live in the city. The new East Midlands Parkway station is just five miles away, has a Park and Ride, and offers fast trains to London in less than an hour and half, while drivers are well catered for with excellent access to the M1.

If Northampton is where you’d like to put down roots, check out Briar Hill, Hello Homes’ brand new development of two and threebedroom houses. The houses are all available for shared ownership, which could make buying a far better option than renting, whether you’re moving away from home for the first time, or desperate to get out of the rental trap. Each of the homes features a spacious layout, including a fitted kitchen with oven and hob, and a lounge which opens onto the garden, plus a downstairs cloakroom. The houses have rear gardens for relaxing in, and allocated parking. Briar Hill is within easy reach of open countryside as well as being close to all the amenities Northampton has to offer. The town centre is approximately two miles away, and boasts a wide array of shops, pubs, restaurants and other facilities.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £115,000 • Minimum share: 25% Cost of share: £28,750 • 5% deposit: £1,438 • Mortgage on share*: £170 Rent on remaining share**: £198 • Total costs: £368

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £90,000 • Minimum share: 25% Cost of share: £22,500 • 5% deposit: £1,125 • Mortgage on share*: £133 Rent on remaining share**: £155 • Total costs: £288

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk or

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Citrus Grove’ in the title

e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Briar Hill’ in the title and we’ll

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

do the rest. Remember to include your name.

MONARCH PARK

LYMEBROOK

Cannock from £32,750 for 25%

‘If it hadn’t been for the equity loan, owning our own home wouldn’t have been an option...’ equity loan scheme, the new homes were within our price range.’ The couple were very keen to find a place of their own, but less keen to start renting. ‘Before buying our home we’d been living with Ryan’s parents, and we both knew it was the time for us to move out and get our own place,’ Kate says. ‘Neither of us wanted to rent. It didn’t seem a good thing for us to do with our money. It was just a matter of finding a home that we fell in love with, but one that we could also afford – easier said than done! ‘Being able to buy our first home with a deposit of just 5% really made the difference for us,’ she continues. ‘With legal fees, stamp duty and mortgage

fees, along with buying new furniture, crockery and the like, the amount you need to buy your first property can really add up. We were lucky that we had some people there to support us, but if it hadn’t been for the equity loan scheme, owning our own home wouldn’t have been an option. As it is, we were able to buy a twobedroom brand new house – far nicer than we imagined we’d be able to afford – with a deposit of only £7,600! ‘Park View is in such a great location for us, minutes from the beautiful Cofton Park. There’s a lot of regeneration going on here, and we’re just a short walk away from the new town centre,’ Kate adds. ‘We’ve got everything we need right on our doorstep.’

More like this? If you’re looking for more homes in the East, why not get in touch and let homefocus help you? Ring us on 01622 772407 or e-mail info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk and let us know what you’re looking for.

Newcastle Under Lyme, £93,596 for 80%

Monarch Park is part of a larger development of 150 new homes close to the amenities and schools in Cannock. Waterloo Homes are offering buyers the opportunity to purchase a three-bedroom three-storey house on this popular development through shared ownership. All of the homes feature a ground floor cloakroom and attractive fitted kitchen. There’s an open plan living/dining room. Two of the bedrooms are on the first floor with the family bathroom, while the master bedroom is on the second floor. The homes also feature a garden and driveway for off-road parking. Monarch Park is close to Cannock Chase, an area of outstanding natural beauty, making the shared ownership opportunities there ideal for families looking for an affordable life with plenty of access to the great outdoors.

Lymebrook is a development by Kier Partnership Homes that has been designed with families in mind. From two-bedroom houses for £93,596 up to five-bedroom homes for £130,396, all of the homes there are available through the Help to Buy equity loan scheme, making home ownership a real possibility. The extra space that Help to Buy could get you is a real bonus for growing families. Each home at Lymebrook includes a designer kitchen with oven, hob, extractor, fridge/freezer and dishwasher. There are fitted wardrobes in the master bedrooms, which also feature an en suite – another bonus for family life. Newcastle Under Lyme is a thriving town with a wealth of shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities. The cities of Manchester and Birmingham are both within an hours’ drive.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £131,000 • Minimum share: 25% Cost of share: £32,750 • 5% deposit: £1,638 • Mortgage on share*: £189 Rent for remainder**: £225 • Total costs: £414

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £116,995 • Minimum equity: 80% Cost of equity: £93,596 • 5% deposit: £5,850 • Mortgage on 75% equity*: £54 Total costs: £545

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Monarch Park’ in the title

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Lymebrook’ in the title and

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

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

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year

28 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 29

South West

South West Corner

If you’re hoping to put down roots in the south west but despair of ever being able to afford a home of your own, this is the section for you. Check out some of the great affordable homes on offer here that could help you get on the ladder. Then turn to our property listings from page 56 to see what else is available. Our directory section on page 65 can also give you all the contacts you need…

MARLBOROUGH PARK Two-bedroom apartments in Swindon from £32,250 for 25% Located just on the edge of Swindon’s Old Town, Marlborough Park is a large development from Places for People, with a range of homes available through shared ownership and the developer’s own equity loan scheme. A vibrant new community in the making, Marlborough Park currently has twobedroom apartments for shared ownership, and these form part of a larger development ranging from apartments to large family houses. Further homes are expected to be available through shared ownership or equity loan next year. All of the homes have been finished to a high specification, and feature a wide range of added ‘extras’. The kitchens include an integrated hob and oven, plus a chimney style extractor. There’s also an integrated

washer/dryer and fridge/freezer, so you won’t have to pay out for appliances. A dishwasher is an optional extra. Don’t imagine you’ll have to compromise on space or luxury, either. The two-bedroom apartments available for shared ownership have generously proportioned open-plan living, kitchen and dining areas, and many of the spacious master bedrooms also have an en-suite shower room. Every home has dedicated parking, so coming home to your new place after a day at work won’t mean an extra half-hour searching for somewhere to leave the car. All of the apartments have integrated digital terrestrial and satellite TV with common rooftop receivers, and the apartments also

feature an audio-visual door entry system. Many of the apartments have a large balcony. Marlborough Park offers views over the glorious Wiltshire countryside, yet is conveniently close to Swindon’s Old Town. The development is also well connected to London, Bristol and Reading, making the homes ideal for those who have to commute. A two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment with a full asking price of £129,000 could be yours for only £32,250 for a 25% share.

30 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

Whimple from £74,000 for 40%

Bristol from £52,500 for 50%

Fancy buying a home in a classic ‘chocolate box’ English village, but thought that it would be out of your reach? Check out The Linhayes, where just a couple of two and three-bedroom houses are still available for shared ownership from Spectrum Housing Group. The houses have been designed to the highest standards, and feature contemporary kitchens. The Linhayes is located in the village of Whimple in East Devon, just nine miles from Exeter and three miles from the nearest town of Ottery St Mary. Whimple is surrounded by open countryside and has everything you need for day to day life, including a small shop, post office, two pubs and a railway station which offers a direct service to Exeter in less than 30 minutes. A 40% share of the two-bedroom house is just £74,000, while a similar share of the three-bedroom home is £86,000.

Located in the heart of the vibrant city of Bristol, with stunning views across the city landscape, J3 is a development of spacious and contemporary one and two-bedroom apartments available for shared ownership from Nectar Homes. All of the apartments include carpets and other flooring, and the stylish kitchens come with a great range of appliances, including built in oven, hob and extractor, washer/dryer, fridge/freezer and even a dishwasher. J3 is located in the vibrant area of Easton. The development is beautifully landscaped with access to Riverside Park, and is perfectly placed to allow residents to enjoy the huge range of shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities that Bristol city centre has to offer. For commuters, the M32 is close by, while Cabot Circus and Temple Meads railway stations are both within a mile or so.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £185,000 • Minimum share: 40% Cost of share: £74,000 • 5% deposit: £3,700 • Mortgage on share*: £437 Rent on remaining share**: £254 • Total costs: £691

One-bedroom apartment: £105,000 • Minimum share: 50% Cost of share: £52,500 • 5% deposit: £2,625 • Mortgage on share*: £310 Rent on remaining share**: £120 • Total costs: £430

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘The Linhayes’ in the title

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘J3’ in the title and we’ll do

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

the rest. Remember to include your name.

TRAGEA PARC

MANOR FARM

Portreath for £77,000 for 40%

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £129,000 • Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £32,250 • 5% deposit: £1,613 Mortgage on share*: £190 • Rent on remaining share**: £222 • Total costs: £412

THE LINHAYES

Quedgeley from £39,750 for 30%

Devon and Cornwall Housing have just one three-bedroom house remaining for sale through shared ownership at Tregea Parc. The house has a spacious kitchen/diner with stainless steel oven, hob and canopy extractor. The living room features patio doors leading out onto the private rear garden. The property benefits from an air source heating system, to help keep your bills low, and has the added bonus of two allocated parking spaces. Tragea Parc is very close to Portreath beach and situated on the edge of the village, giving a beautiful setting with plenty of local amenities available. The house is perfect for a lively, active family and priority will go to people with a strong local connection to the area. A minimum 40% share of the three-bedroom house is just £77,000. There are also homes at Tragea Park, available for sale to local people at a discounted price.

Situated on the outskirts of Gloucester, Manor Farm is a development which offers contemporary living, close to a variety of schools, shops and sports facilities. Severn Vale Housing has nine twobedroom shared ownership houses available, all of which offer a spacious lounge, kitchen/diner, downstairs cloakroom and allocated parking. The kitchens come complete with an oven, hob and extractor. Upstairs, the master bedroom has a useful built-in cupboard, and there’s a good sized second bedroom. Outside, the homes have a rear garden with storage shed and water butt. Quedgeley’s proximity to the Gloucester, Sharpness Canal and River Severn offers and outdoor way of life with an array of local activities including walking, cycling, boating and watching the wildlife. For less energetic times, there’s a wide selection of pubs and restaurants along the way.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £192,500 • Minimum share: 40% Cost of share: £77,000 • 5% deposit: £3,850 • Mortgage on share*: £454 Rent on remaining share**: £265 • Total costs: £719

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £132,500 • Minimum share: 30% Cost of share: £39,750 • 5% deposit: £1,988 • Mortgage on share*: £228 Rent on remaining share**: £212 • Total costs: £440

Interested? Call us on 01622 772407, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Tregea Parc’ in the title and

or e-mail property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘Manor Farm’ in the title

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

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

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5% ** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 31

‘

Inconversationwith...

‘I bought my first home when I was 19!’

action girl Laura Hamilton is definitely someone who likes to walk the walk as well as talk the talk. From finishing runner-up in Dancing on Ice, to presenting the iconic Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge, sky diving, or wielding a lump hammer to knock down a wall, she likes to roll up her sleeves and get stuck in. So when she was asked by Channel 4 to present their new show for this autumn, Beat My Build, it was right up her street – after all, she was just 19 when she first got onto the property ladder! ‘I’d grown up being told that property was a good place to put your money,’ she explains. ‘I made my mind up that I wanted to buy a home as soon as I could, rather than wait around and rent for a while, so I was already saving for my deposit while I was working through my A Levels! ‘I was expecting to go to Canterbury University to study law and psychology, but in the meantime I got a job as a runner for a TV channel and decided that I really wanted to work in TV. When I was offered a full time contract as an assistant studio manager, it meant I could raise the deposit and get a mortgage, so that’s what I did.’

Unique style

Bitten by the bug In true Laura style, she jumped right in at the deep end. ‘I bought an apartment that had been lived in for years by an elderly lady,’ she says. ‘Nothing had been done to it, so it was in a bit of a time warp. The kitchen was totally outdated, so it all had to be replaced. I rolled my sleeves up – and got bitten by the property bug!’ Sadly, just two months after buying her flat, and midrenovation, the TV company she worked for went bust and she lost her job. But she didn’t panic. ‘I moved back with my parents and rented the flat out when it was finished,’ she says. ‘It was great knowing that I’d bought the flat and done it all myself, even at such a young age. I didn’t have any help with the deposit, or the mortgage – although my dad bought all my carpets and my mum bought me a washing machine. I think if you want to buy a home of your own, doing it as soon as you can is the best idea. It means you don’t get stuck renting, and can get on with your life rather than just making plans.’

Moving times Laura has certainly been busy in the 11 years since she bought her first place – she’s moved no fewer than eight times! ‘Right up until the home I’m in now I did it on my own,’ she says. ‘I’d buy somewhere, renovate it while I was living there, and then sell and move up the ladder. They say moving house is one of the most stressful things you can do, but I actually enjoy the whole process – from house hunting through renovations to selling up and moving out! I’m a very neat, organised person, so I think that helps when it comes to moving, because I don’t have piles of things to sort through. Plus, I’ve done it so many times it just doesn’t faze me any more. In fact, it’s not the moving that

32 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

I find difficult, it’s living on a building site and trying to keep dust and rubble out of my hair, clothes and furniture! ‘When I move I like to be as chain-free as I can, even if that means selling the house I’m in and moving back with my parents or renting for a short time,’ she continues. ‘I think if you’re not part of a chain it puts you in a stronger position when you’re buying.’ Laura and her new husband Alex have recently bought a home together, and they have no plans to sell up and move just yet. ‘It’s a brand new house, but we bought it from a builder who had run out of money, so it wasn’t totally finished,’ she explains. ‘It’s the first place I’ve ever bought with someone else. The fact that it still needed a little bit of work has meant that we could make it our own. I’ve always loved thinking ‘I did that!’ when I’m looking around my home. ‘Luckily, both Alex and I are equally neat and tidy,’ Laura adds. ‘We can both be found polishing the light switches!’

ALL ACTION TV PRESENTER

Laura Hamilton

So is she a minimalist at heart? ‘Not really. I like clean lines, but not that stark, clinical look,’ she admits. ‘My home is modern, but I’ve added a few antiques and some things I’ve found on my travels, such as lamps from Marrakech. That way, when people say they like what I’ve bought they can’t go out and buy exactly the same, so my style stays original! I love Farrow & Ball paint – the soft greys, stones and neutrals make a perfect backdrop to my treasures.’ Laura is currently seen on our screens presenting ‘A Place in the Sun’ for Channel 4, and she’s about to start filming another series of ‘Fort Boyard Ultimate Challenge’. ‘I love that the things I do are so different,’ she says ‘‘A Place in the Sun’ is a great show to work on. I hear people all the time saying ‘Oh, you’ve got the best job in the world; you get to go on holiday all the time!’ Well yes, I do have the best job in the world, but it’s no holiday, let me tell you! ‘The people who come on the show soon find that out when they have to be up at 7am to start filming and don’t finish until 8pm! It takes around five days to film one episode, and the schedule can be really hectic. ‘Of course, I get to see some fabulous properties,’ she admits. ‘I did find one chateau in France that had a chapel attached. It would have been perfect as a wedding venue and I wanted to buy it myself and renovate it, but it was just two weeks before my own wedding so Alex and I sadly decided the time wasn’t right. We do intend to buy houses and renovate them in future, though. But we’ll keep the house we’re in so we don’t have to live on the building site. Having said that, I might just find the perfect place and just have to live there, you never know!’

Beat My Build Living on a building site is something the participants in ‘Beat My Build’ have had to cope with. The show pits two sets of participants renovating similar properties in similar areas against each other. The people who have added the most value to their property win a cash prize.

‘I love the fact that it’s a brand new show, a brand new concept,’ says Laura. ‘It’s right up my street as it’s renovations, so I feel like I’m a bit of an expert. It’s the first time my name has been associated with a brand new show, too. I’ve taken over from other people in the other shows I’ve done. This time I’m the first, and that’s a good feeling – a bit more pressure but that’s great. ‘Filming it has been fun,’ she continues. ‘We’ve followed the people all the way through, and shown the process warts and all. The home owners have had the added pressure of filming deadlines to stick to, so they haven’t been able to slacken off and take a break for a few weeks!’

Loving the challenge When she performed in ‘Dancing on Ice’ Laura put herself through the kind of test that many of us would find truly terrifying – having to perform in front of Torvill and Dean! ‘Jayne and Chris would come and do the choreography each week,’ she explains. ‘They’d demonstrate something and I’d think, ‘Oh yes, that looks quite straightforward’, but then I’d try it and be on my backside with my legs in a knot within seconds! They make it look effortless! But that’s part of the magic of television, isn’t it? Even for shows like ‘Beat My Build’ we’re condensing months of hard graft into an hour’s TV. ‘I know from experience that neither renovations nor ice dance is easy!’ Laura adds. ‘They might show you falling over a few times, or having an issue with the plaster coming off the wall, but they don’t demonstrate all the bruises, or the fact that you’ve spent weeks coming home from work and painting until the middle of the night.’

Get stuck in Not that she’s complaining. In fact, Laura’s always been totally involved with her renovations. ‘I like to get stuck in,’ she says. ‘I’ve knocked down walls, spent days shifting rubble, all that kind of thing. Having said that, with our current place it was lovely just to come in and do the finishing touches like painting, and the garden, rather than start knocking rooms through or building extensions! I’ve had the same builders for years, and I think if you’re a girl, rolling your sleeves up and helping is a good way to earn their respect. Mine have known me since before I was on TV, so I’m just Laura, not ‘Laura from the telly’! ‘In general I’m quite action-orientated. I need to be handson,’ she adds. ‘I’d never be happy just directing things from the sidelines. I’m the same with the programmes I make – I love the fact that with ‘A Place in the Sun’ and ‘Beat My Build’ I’ve got a bit of background experience. I’m not just the face presenting the show; I’ve put in the hours behind the scenes too.’

More info Check out Laura’s website at www.laurahamilton.co.uk Find out when ‘Beat My Build’ hits the screen at www.channel4.com

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 33

Ups&Downs

‘Rent AND mortgage – isn’t that more expensive?’ It isn’t, and here’s why. With shared ownership, you pay your mortgage on the share you buy and a subsidised rent on the share owned by the housing association. And together they almost always work out less than renting privately in the same area. Check out our figures on page 11 or at the bottom of every development from page 12 if you don’t believe us. And with an equity loan property, you don’t pay rent at all, and there’s nothing to pay on the equity loan for five years or so.

‘The legal and mortgage side of this must be a nightmare!’ No more so than buying any home, and the good news is that there are specialist financial advisors and

SNAKES & LADDERS The ups and downs of buying a home...

OK, we’ve all heard the saying that buying a home is one of the most stressful things you can do. And as it’s almost always the most expensive thing you’ll have bought in your lifetime, there’s a certain amount of truth in that. But the

legal experts to help you. They will have in-depth knowledge of what it takes to get you the best mortgage deal they can, and then make sure your purchase goes through smoothly. This specialist advice shouldn’t cost you any more than any mortgage broker or solicitor would normally charge, so that’s another worry off your mind.

‘Isn’t it just council housing by another name?’

‘I really don’t know where I should start!’

No, it isn’t. It’s home ownership, make no mistake, and you’ll have all the joys and responsibilities that go with

Start with your local Help to Buy Agent, or the London affordable homes portal if you’re buying in the city.

it. You don’t just go on a list and wait to be allocated a home,

You can find out who they are on page 54 and they’re the ‘one

you have to show that you can afford to buy. It’s simply a way of

stop shop’ for LCHO. Their website will list all of the LCHO

getting your first foot on the housing ladder when house prices

door doesn’t need to be the teeth-grinding, hair-pulling,

properties in their area, and will help you register with them to

in your area mean it would normally otherwise be impossible.

running-in-circles adrenalin-fuelled palaver that people

find a place you love.

fact is, getting your hands on the keys to your own front

believe it to be! After all, when you buy a home through low cost home ownership (LCHO), there will be plenty of expert advice to help you on your way...

‘The homes must be tiny, pokey little places!’ standards for space and storage in order to fulfil the

With one-bedroom properties in London’s Zone 1 averaging a staggering £450,000, and few homes available for less than £300,000, it’s not surprising that first time buyers Martin Lindon and George Ktistakis were struggling to buy their first home. But the couple were able to get on the market at Family Mosaic’s Essence development in fashionable Islington for just £119,000 for a 40% share of the full market value of £297,500. And as Martin, an occupational therapist, comments, they weren’t easy to please! ‘I was renting in central London and wanted to stay in the area, but Zone 1 was just too expensive,’ he says. ‘To make the challenge harder, I have to admit I’m very fussy. I knew exactly what I wanted but didn’t think I could find it.’ So what were the ‘snakes’ that were preventing Martin and

‘Course, it’s a cheaper home, and you get what you pay for…’

George from buying? Well, apart from the very obvious issue

It’s not a CHEAPER home, it’s a MORE AFFORDABLE

ticked.

home! The price is set by an independent valuer who

Not true! LCHO homes have to meet minimum

‘I have to admit I’m very fussy…’

of the price, the couple had specific boxes that needed to be ‘Living in a small development with a balcony or terrace was

takes the prices of similar homes in the area into consideration.

a must,’ explains Martin. ‘And a great location was important

‘The deposit I need is bound to be absolutely huge!’

terms of the government funding they receive. So they’re

So the price is similar to other newly built homes nearby. But

too. I couldn’t believe my luck when I heard about this

designed to actually meet the needs of modern life, rather than

it’s more affordable because you’re only buying a percentage

development in Goswell Road. After viewing it I knew it was

If you buy through one of the LCHO schemes we

to squeeze as many properties into a site as possible. We’ve all

for now, which helps keep your monthly costs at a manageable

our home.

mentioned on pages 6-9, chances are you’ll have to come

heard the stories about tiny rental properties – well, you can

level.

‘Now we’re living together in our perfect property,’ he

up with a much smaller deposit than if you were buying in the

be absolutely sure that you’ll never be able to reach the cooker

normal way. If you buy through shared ownership, you only

from the bath in any LCHO home! You’ll have lots of space. In

So whether your own personal ‘snakes’ are price or location,

– we can see the skyline including The Shard through our

have to come up with a deposit on the share you’re buying.

fact, you might find that you can actually buy a bigger home

whether you’re worried about the buying process or anxious

window! Just the other day George and I were laughing as our

And if you go for an equity loan, they normally specify a 5%

than you’d imagined – perhaps a brand new two-bedroom

about the kind of home you might be able to afford, check out

neighbour had dropped by to apologise for the noise from their

deposit, which is much more affordable than the 10% or even

apartment rather than the tiny studio flat you thought your

the LCHO deals, you might be surprised at how many ‘ladders’

birthday party at the weekend, when in actual fact we couldn’t

20% you might have thought you’d have to find.

finances might just stretch to.

there are available…

hear anything – the insulation in these new builds is fantastic!’

34 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

continues. ‘What is most surprising are these amazing views

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 35

RoaringTwenties

The

Great Gatsby Give your home a touch of old-style glamour... If you love the new film of F Scott Fitzgerald’s book, you’ll be delighted to know that Gatsby’s classic, classy look is relatively easy to recreate at home, and a pareddown version of this elegant 20s look works surprisingly well in today’s modern, neutral homes. Go for magnificent mirrors, classy cushions, glorious glass and sophisticated, muted colours to bring a touch of Gatsbyesque glamour. Cocktails on the lawn, anyone?

11 10

13 2 12 3 15 4

Triple tealight holder, £9.99 www.mymaisonuk.com

Chloe chair, £299.99 www.mymaisonuk.com

1920s flapper wallpaper, £40 www.digetexhome.com

Emerald mirror, £110 www.next.co.uk

Venetian bevelled mirror, £79.99 www.dunelm-mill.com

Classic book jacket art print, £10.95 www.theliterarygiftcompany.com

Silver plated top hat wine cooler, £124.95 www.cuckooland.com

Gatsby chandelier, £50 www.wilko.com

Tranby mosaic mirror, £10, Blomster set of 3 tall glass candlesticks, £16, Songe mirror, £115 www.ikea.co.uk

Tu glass heart trinket box, £6 www.sainsburys.co.uk

Fan jacquard cushion, £7 www.wilko.com

Pocket watch print cushions and throw set, £49.99 www.bensonsforbeds.co.uk

Sofia recycled glass silver pot, £10 www.fairwindonline.com

Lexi embossed leather stool, £55 www.homekandi.com

Gatsby print, £29.95 www.prezzybox.com

Antiquities wall clock, £30 www.home-treats.co.uk

16 36 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 37

ASK THE EXPERTS

ExpertAdvice

HOUSING ASSOCIATION

Got a burning question you need to ask? Don’t know anyone in the know?

Well homefocus is here to help you! Each issue, we’re putting your questions to our panel of experts. So if you’ve got a question you’d like our experts to answer – whether it’s a legal conundrum, a financial issue, a question about low cost home ownership (LCHO) or something else, then send your question to us at info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk

38 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

Yvette Ruggins

Andrew Theoff

Sales Director at Affinity Sutton

Partner at Direction Law

‘Is buying a shared ownership or equity loan home very complicated?’ Asks Adrian Mitchell of Lincoln

HOME OWNER

LEGAL

uying any home is complicated, simply by its nature. But buying a shared ownership or equity loan home needn’t

be any more so than usual. First of all, the housing association selling the property will check you’re eligible. Your local Help to Buy Agent will also be asked for your application form to understand your housing situation. Unless you live in London, you’ll need to be registered with a Help to Buy Agent in order to buy your home. At this stage you may also be asked for landlord references and a credit report. Once you’ve been approved, you put down a small reservation fee which will be reimbursed on completion. Next, you’ll receive an offer letter with details of the purchase: the value of your share, the rent payable on the share you don’t own (if applicable), and any service charges due. Here at Affinity Sutton we provide a detailed timetable, mapping out each stage. Your next job is to find a solicitor and a mortgage lender. Many housing associations have panels of experts to help you. Some have even negotiated exclusive arrangements with lenders. For example, at Affinity Sutton we have a deal with Santander which means shared owners only need a 5% deposit on the share they are buying. These details are then put on a Memorandum of Sale which starts the whole legal process (called conveyancing). Once you have signed the legal documents and you have a mortgage offer, you can then exchange contracts. At this stage you may be able to arrange a completion date. If you’re buying a completely new property you might have to wait until the property is finished, completing within 10 days of that date. Once the mortgage funds and your deposit have been paid, you will become the legal owner of the property and can move in!

Nathan Parslow Bought his shared ownership apartment in the Midlands last year.

‘What is stamp duty and what are the implications for me buying a low cost home ownership home?’

‘House prices are so high where I want to live. Is it really worth me even saving for a deposit?’

Asks James Nuttley of Basingstoke

Asks Nicola Morningside of Surrey

he correct term these days is in fact ‘Stamp Duty Land Tax’ (SDLT) as it is essentially a tax on transactions involving land, payable by buyers. There are thresholds in place by which the amount payable can be calculated, based on the purchase price. Prices below £125,000 are exempt from SDLT, but it is payable at 1% on properties between £125,000 and £250,000, 3% on those between £250,000 and £500,000 and at 4% on those between £500,000 and £1 million. If you are buying under an equity loan scheme such as Help to Buy then SDLT is calculated on the full value of the property. If you’re buying a resale shared ownership property the tax is based on the value of the share you are buying. However, if you are buying a new build shared ownership property then you have a choice of either paying SDLT on the full market value OR on the value of your share. Paying on the full value may seem more expensive at the outset, unless it’s less than the first £125,000 SDLT threshold anyway. However, if you do, it means that you won’t have to pay any SDLT in the future if you decide to buy more shares in your home (called staircasing). Most people choose to pay on just the share as this is often nil if the cost of the share is less than £125,000. But if you plan to staircase, choosing this option could work out more costly in the long run. If you choose to pay on the share price, there may also be some additional tax payable on the rental element, due to a quirk in the SDLT rules on taxing new leases. Provided you use a solicitor who specialises in LCHO they will be able to guide you easily through what might otherwise seem like a highly complex tax.

f course it is! I was feeling the same way you are three years ago. The price for a one-bedroom flat in this area was around £100,000, so even with a 10% deposit I’d need £10,000 – and at the time, the news was saying first time buyers needed 20%. I was renting with friends and I got to the point in my life where I decided I needed a place of my own sooner rather than later. Renting on my own would have been a stretch so I decided to bite the bullet and take two or three years to save like mad for the deposit, all the time wondering whether I would find that house prices had risen again and I still couldn’t afford it. I moved back home with my parents – not cool for a 28 year old man, I can tell you! Not having my own space was a bit of a sacrifice, and I didn’t go on holiday, or to my friend’s stag weekend, either. I’d managed to save around £6,000 when I came home from work a different way one day and saw a new development of apartments, advertising shared ownership. I’d never heard of it, but the apartments looked great, so I thought I’d check it out. I was amazed that I could buy just a share of the apartment, and jumped at the chance. I bought a 60% share for £60,000 – I earn just under £25,000 so it’s affordable. And I found out I only needed a 5% deposit on that £60,000, so my deposit was £3,000 and I could use the other £3,000 to pay the fees. Now, I pay £350 for my mortgage, and the rent and service charge are another £120. So for £470 a month I’ve got a place of my own. Was it worth the sacrifice to save? Hell, yes!

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 39

ReSales

Share the share... Even more choice with a resale…

hen you’re looking to buy a home through one of the low cost home ownership (LCHO) schemes, such as shared ownership, you might be forgiven for thinking that the only properties available are brand new ones. You see advertising in local papers, information at housing events, even hoardings alongside new developments being built. But what if you’d prefer to live in an area that hasn’t seen any new development for a while? What if you’d rather buy a home in a particular area close to family or friends? What if you fancy a home with a bit of a history? What then? Well don’t worry, because a resale shared ownership home could be just what you’re looking for!

Selling up…

Finders keepers…

When you’re looking for a home, nothing beats a good chat with the people who already live there to give you an idea of the area and the property. If you’re only looking at newly built homes, you’ll get information from the sales team, but if you’re buying a resale you’ll get the real insider info. Ten minutes from the station? ‘Yes, and only five from the shops…’ Good parking? ‘Yes, allocated to the homes,

Buying a resale property might give you a bit more choice in the area you live in. For a start, you’re not restricted to places where there’s development going on right now. Perhaps you already know the development, have friends or family in the area, and fancied buying a home there yourself but weren’t ready when the homes were being sold new. In fact, a resale property might not be part of a development at all simply because previous low cost home ownership schemes allowed people to buy homes that were not new builds. So if you’ve got a particular area in mind, but it hasn’t seen any building work for a long time, a resale might just fit the bill.

With most resale properties you buy the share that the sellers own – so if they’ve bought 35%, you buy 35%. If you can afford less you could go to the housing association and ask them to buy back some of the share – but that happens very rarely. You can buy more, of course. Let’s say you can afford 50% of the home you’ve fallen in love with, but the sellers only own 35%. In that case, you buy their 35% plus a further 15% from the housing association. It sounds complicated, but it really isn’t, and your specialist financial advisor and solicitor will be ideally placed to advise you.

A resale property, or existing shared ownership as it’s sometimes known, is a home that’s already been bought in the past through a shared ownership scheme, and now the owners are looking to sell their share and move onto the next stage of their home ownership journey. One of the great things about shared ownership is that the benefits CAN be passed on from one set of owners to another. So if the previous owners bought a 30% share, you can buy that, and take advantage of the original help they received.

In the know…

More places…

Share and share alike…

Preloved…

Your Local Help to Buy Agent (or the affordable home ownership website for London) will have details of many of the resales properties available in their area, and they’ll also be able to let you know which housing association the property is being sold through. You can also check out individual housing association websites for information on any resales they have. In fact, if you’re looking to move onto a particular development, it’s worth finding out who the relevant housing association is and getting in touch to let them know you’d be interested in a resale if one comes up.

ownership in the past. So if you’ve got your heart set on an older property, check out the resales available in your area - you just never know what might come up.

but if you’ve got visitors tell them to get here early if they come at the weekend.’ Close to the local train station/primary school? ‘Well, it is close, but you can’t hear it from the balcony…’ Cheaper bills? ‘We didn’t have to turn our heating on at all until December…’ See what we mean? Nothing beats the personal touch.

More choice… Resales add to the choice of homes you could buy. They’re obviously not brand new homes because someone already lives in them, so if you fancy stepping into somewhere a bit different, then a resale could be right up your street. Of course, a lot of the resale homes will be nearly new simply because shared ownership has recently been available on new build homes, so that’s what people have bought. But there are other kinds of property available too – including older properties that have been refurbished and sold through shared

When the time comes to sell up, you’ll find that your housing association and Help to Buy Agent will have a list of people who are all in the position you were in when you bought your place – keen to buy, informed and looking for an affordable home in the area. And don’t think it’ll cost more to sell. While you have to give your housing association the opportunity to find you a buyer, there are no high fees. In most cases, they keep their selling fee lower than you’d pay if you’d gone to an estate agent. After all, they want to keep your home in shared ownership so more people can benefit in the future. All this means that when you come to sell, you’ll get the chance to pass the gift of an opportunity to buy a home of their own onto the next people, while you use the help you received as a springboard to the next stage of your home ownership life. So, don’t restrict yourself to just looking at new properties – you could get more choice, more opportunities, and maybe a better fit for you and your family if you check out the resales too!

Get in touch... If you want more information about the resale homes here, or any of the properties featured in homefocus, or you want more information about low cost home ownership in general, email us at info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk or call us on 01622 772407.

‘It’s like passing on a fantastic secret…’ Hayley’s story… When senior produce buyer Hayley bought a 40% share in her one-bedroom apartment in London three years ago, she was just delighted to get on the housing ladder. It never occurred to her to think there was anything different about the fact that her home was already being lived in by the couple who had bought it from new. ‘You buy homes from the people who live there – that’s just how it works, right?’ she says. ‘The previous owners were a couple who had bought a 25% share, but they were having a baby so they wanted to move. I’d had a look at some brand new shared ownership homes and they were lovely, but this one really stood out, and my best friend lived just over the road, so it was perfect. I could afford a 40% share which was £68,000, so I bought the 25% the owners were selling and the housing association sold me another 15%.’ Now, Hayley’s moving on, and she’s delighted to be able to pass her good fortune on to buyer Ryan. ‘It’s like sharing a fantastic secret, isn’t it?’ she says. ‘You can be a home owner for much less than you thought! I’ve been able to afford a holiday every year I’ve lived here, too. I’m sorry to be leaving, but I’ve got a new job in Birmingham and the commute would be a bit of a strain! The flat’s even increased in value a little, so with house prices in Birmingham being lower than London I’ve been able to turn my 40% here to 100% of my new home.’

Ryan’s story… Ryan, who’s a theatre nurse specialist, found out about shared ownership through a friend at work and was actively looking for a place of his own when Hayley put her apartment up for sale. ‘I knew I wanted this area, as I can walk to and from work – perfect for night shifts when public transport from the hospital isn’t running so frequently,’ he says. ‘I’d been checking the websites regularly, so when this apartment came up I was on the phone the next day! In fact, I was the first person to view it – the day after it went on sale! ‘It was the balcony that really sealed the deal, especially as the flat’s on the top floor’ he adds. ‘Hayley’s decorated every room and fortunately I like the same kind of décor, so I don’t even have to do that, though I might replace the deep pink wall in the bedroom with something a little more masculine! I’ve been renting miles away, and Hayley and my new neighbours even gave me tips about living here before I moved in. I can’t believe I’ve only paid £74,000 for my own home in London!’

Just a taste...

Here’s just a sample of the kind of fantastic properties you could find as a resale…

40 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

50% share of a two-bedroom apartment in Woolston, Southampton, available through Radian for £60,000

40% share of a three-bedroom house in Halling, Kent, through Stagnell Fox from MHS Homes for £74,000

25% share of a two-bedroom house in Chichester, available through Affinity Sutton for £65,000

50% share of a two-bedroom house in Lydney, Gloucestershire, through Two Rivers Housing for £61,750

50% share of a two-bedroom apartment in Newham, London, available through A2Dominion for £135,000

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 41

HomeStyle

DOUBLE DUTY DELIGHTS I

n any home, space is at a premium, and we don’t want to clutter it up with loads of furniture. Endless desks, storage units and the like soon make even the airiest spaces feel cramped, chaotic and unwelcoming. So, what’s the solution? Dual-purpose furniture, that’s what! Think sofa-beds, coffee tables with drawers or ‘secret’ compartments, wall units that combine the function of a bookcase, display shelves and just somewhere to hide away day-to-day items, and beds with enough storage to satisfy the keenest hoarder… Stuva storage bench/coffee table £75 www.ikea.co.uk

Lovable living-rooms The living-room is often the location for some of the worst space-stealing crimes. After all, it HAS to be a multifunction room most of the time. In today’s open-plan homes the main living area serves time as an office, a cinema, a chill-out zone, a playroom, a bedroom, a restaurant and a library – not to mention being home to all the items that tend to be dumped there because, frankly, there’s nowhere else to put them. The solution? Look for storage wherever you can get it. A fabulous wall unit with stylish matching or co-ordinating boxes can hide away a multitude of items and still look great. And a sofa-bed will mean that friends and relatives who stay over won’t wake up banana-shaped from having to sleep on a small settee. Plan it all in, keep it co-ordinated, and you’ll have a relaxing living-room that isn’t overwhelmed by space invaders!

42 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

Dining in style

Hygiena Boston dining set with storage in stools, £299 www.argos.co.uk

Even if you generally eat dinner on your knees, or sitting on a stool at the kitchen counter, it’s nice to have friends round for a proper sit-down meal occasionally – and that means a dining table and chairs. If you think you’re going to use it regularly, get one that tucks away neatly and can serve double duty with storage in the seats. If it’s an occasional thing, a set that folds away can be just the ticket – even one that generally lives out on the balcony or the patio can work just fine. And if you’re more likely to be using your table to ponder spreadsheets rather than serve casseroles, go for something that will work well as a desk too – one slightly more expensive, classy item is much better than two cheap ones, particularly in terms of clutter. Get a wireless printer and pop it on a little filing cabinet out of the way, too, and you’ll avoid dining too often with an inky electronic companion.

Dayton desk/dining table, £899 www.marksandspencer.com

Bedroom bliss

Vittsjo shelving unit in glass and metal, from £65 www.ikea.co.uk

Ato 4x2 corner sofabed, £538 www.nabru.co.uk

Often, brand new homes already have fantastic builtin wardrobes, so storing clothes and a shoe collection to rival Paris Hilton is taken care of. But what about all the other things we store in the bedroom? Things that often go under the bed in a heap, and don’t get used more than a couple of times a year? If you haven’t got a loft – and let’s face it, if you’ve got an apartment, you haven’t got a loft – things like Christmas decorations, holiday bags, snorkels and assorted sports equipment often get dumped under the bed. So why not face the fact that if it’s got to go somewhere, under the bed is a great solution?

Cordoba double bed frame with storage, in Alabaster (shown) or Mocha, £399 www.sleepright.co.uk

Faux leather braided ottoman, £40 www.matalan.co.uk

Trofast storage combination to mix and match, from £20 www.ikea.co.uk

Kiddy capers Children are muck-magnets, there’s no getting away from it. The biggest bedroom can soon seem cramped and cluttered under a sea of toys, books and teddies. Great storage can really teach kids to keep their mess under control, but keeping it all hidden isn’t the name of the game here. Children like to be able to see their treasures and their artwork, so make sure the things you buy allow them to get to the items they need in a hurry – because let’s face it, they’re ALWAYS in a hurry. Under-bed trundles can be a great solution to sleepovers, visiting cousins or step-siblings.

Sophie daybed £199 with sleepover trundle £99 www.next.co.uk

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 43

HelpToBuy

THE FINAL 20%

Mulberry Gardens Three, four and five-bedroom houses in Northamtpon, coming soon from David Wilson Homes through Help to Buy. Prices TBC.

JUST WHAT YOU NEED, JUST WHEN YOU NEED IT

n equity loan is the perfect helping hand to get you on the housing ladder if you’re ‘almost there’ financially. It’s the final piece of the puzzle, the top-up between what you can afford now and the cost of the home you want. And until recently, the government’s equity loan scheme FirstBuy was only available to first time buyers, and on selected new properties. Not now though! Since the Budget, FirstBuy has been replaced by Help to Buy, and the deal it offered has been extended to help even more people and on even more properties.

The basics… So, how does the Help to Buy equity loan deal work? Well, in essence, you have to be able to afford 80% of the cost of your property, with a deposit of 5% and a mortgage to cover 75%. With Help to Buy, that extra 20% is covered by an equity loan funded by the government, and the really good news is that there’s nothing to pay on it for the crucial first five years. Think of it as a sort of ‘virtual deposit’ – it means you’ve got a better chance of securing a favourable mortgage deal because you’re asking to borrow 75%, not 95% of the cost of your home. Without the equity loan deal you might have had to find a 25% deposit, which could have meant saving for years – years when property prices might have gone up, so that buying a home was STILL out of reach. After the initial five years, you start to pay a small interest charge on the equity loan each month. If you sell your home within the first five years, you’ve had to pay nothing towards the equity loan at all, and you simply split the proceeds of the sale 80/20. So, the Help to Buy equity loan could be just what you need to get you on the ladder – just when you need it.

44 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

Even more properties… Help to Buy is available on any newly-built property under £600,000 in value, so long as the developer is participating in the scheme. Which means that if you’ve found a development you love, Help to Buy could be available on every home there, not just a small selection. More properties – more choice. Buying a home this way also means that you can look for a property that will suit you and your family for years to come, rather than one that’s good right now. If you have plans to start a family, you can look for somewhere that gives you an extra bedroom, or maybe a garden, but might be 20% more expensive than the home you can afford right now. With Help to Buy you get to ‘future proof’ your life at no cost to you for five years! Good, isn’t it?

‘It would have taken us years to buy a home…’ A chance meeting on a night out proved momentous for PE teachers Mark Adamczyk and Joanna Nugent. Their relationship blossomed despite working in secondary schools in different areas – Mark in Wolverhampton and Joanna in Stockport. But very soon the distance became a problem and the couple decided they wanted to find a home between the two areas and settle down together. Like many aspiring first time buyers, saving up for a deposit while paying two lots of rent and managing the cost of living was no easy task, and the couple thought they’d have to wait a long time to have enough in the bank. So when developers Taylor Wimpey told them about FirstBuy, the government equity loan scheme that has now been replaced by Help to Buy, they realised that the dream of owning their home could indeed be a reality. ‘The new development was in Stoke on Trent, which is an ideal location for both of us,’ explains Mark. ‘We registered for it straight away, even though it wasn’t ready yet! Fortunately as teachers we were able to get a specialist FirstBuy mortgage through Teachers Building Society.’ Everything went well, and Mark and Joanna were looking forward to moving into their new home when it was finished, but then they had a development of an entirely different kind – Joanna discovered she was pregnant! ‘It was a big shock when we found out that the mortgage had to be reassessed on the basis of Joanna’s maternity pay,’

explains Mark. ‘We kept wondering what we were going to do. We didn’t want to lose our new home. Luckily it took just a couple of weeks to sort it out and agree the new mortgage terms.’ Mark and Joanna breathed a sigh of relief and were hoping to be in their new home by August, but the terrible wet weather last summer delayed the development. ‘We had to move in with Joanna’s parents while we waited for our house to be completed,’ says Mark. ‘We’d bought new furniture and had to store it with our families. We really wanted to move in before our baby was born but in the end, Pixie Sophia arrived a couple of weeks before the keys did!’ Despite the hiccups along the way, Mark and Joanna are delighted to be in their own home. ‘We started house hunting over a year ago and such a lot has happened in between,’ says Mark. ‘But we’d recommend the equity loan scheme to all our colleagues as we know it would have taken us years to buy our own home without it.’

‘Here’s a few of the fantastic homes you can purchase through Help to Buy right now… Kings Lodge Two, three and fourbedroom homes in Cinderford, available from Kier Partnership Homes through Help to Buy. Prices to be confirmed.

Even more people… It’s important to know that Help to Buy is NOT restricted to first time buyers, or people earning less than a specified amount. As well as getting people onto the first rung of the housing ladder, Help to Buy aims to help move them up it. If you’re stuck in a home that’s too small for your needs, or want to move to a more expensive area, Help to Buy could be just what you’re looking for. And if you’ve already bought a home through shared ownership, you could even use Help to Buy as a stepping stone to full ownership. So if you just need that little bit extra to buy your perfect pad, or you’re already a home owner but want to spread your wings and move on, ask about the Help to Buy equity loan deal. You can find details of homes available through the scheme from your Local Help to Buy Agent. Or why not ask at a local development you fancy the look of? After all, you’ve got nothing to lose – and an awful lot to gain.

The Mill

Graylingwell Park

Two-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom houses in Polegate near Eastbourne, available from Taylor Wimpey through Help to Buy from (full asking price £132,250)

Two-bedroom apartments in Chichester available from Linden Homes through Help to Buy from £200,000 (full asking price £250,000)

The Briars Four-bedroom houses in Long Lawford, available from Bloor Homes through Help to Buy from £180,000 (full asking prices from £225,000)

Marina Heights at Victory Pier Studios and one, two and threebedroom apartments in Gillingham, Kent, available from Berkeley Homes through Help to Buy from £92,000 (full asking prices from £115,000)

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 45

HomeFront

STAYCATION! Home is where the summer is... Saving for the deposit on your home often means that a summer holiday is one of the first things that gets consigned to the ‘no’ pile. Take it from us, a home of your own definitely tops two weeks in the sun, so if you’re going to stay at home, make the most of it...

UPCYCLING

New to you doesn’t have to mean brand new – upcycle second hand furniture to make it something that’s uniquely yours…

Indoors… Thrifty Chic shows you how to create a stylish yet individual home without spending a small fortune. Room by room, Thrifty Chic explains how to give old furniture a new lease of life. There are ideas for jazzing up old wooden furniture, and tips to pull together mismatched items into cohesive, stylish schemes. Get insider tips on what to look for in antique markets and charity shops, too. Whether you’re creating your first home on a tight budget, or just want to give your existing home a new look, Thrifty Chic contains a treasure trove of ideas.

OUT AND ABOUT...

Of course, we’re not suggesting you stay at home throughout the summer! A trip to the park for a picnic, a day on the beach or a music festival is what summer’s all about for many of us…

Turn it up! Party in the park, bass in the place, or even tunes in the dunes with the Touch Speaker that doesn’t have messy wires! No need to plug in your phone or mp3 player, it uses Near Field Audio technology to amplify the sound through touch alone. Sleek and lightweight, it’s certain to be the first thing you take on your travels. Touch speaker, £29.95 www.prezzybox.com

Keep the campfires burning... Lighting fires out in the country or on the beach isn’t always a brilliant idea, but this fabulous portable firepit could solve all your problems. Perfect for singing songs around at night, it packs flat for transportation and is stylish enough to be a fixture on the patio too. Just make sure you have the landowner’s permission before you light it up. Portable firepit, £50 www.boutiquecamping.com

Festival chic Outdoors isn’t all about mud and wellies, you know! Perk up your evenings with this fantastic painted lantern.Lantern, £8.99 www.boutiquecamping.com

Thrifty Chic – Interior style on a shoestring by Liz Bauwens and Alexandra Campbell £14.99

COME OUTSIDE

...and outdoors Who says the wood outside has to be, well, wood-coloured? Why not spruce up your deckchairs, revamp your recliners and perk up your pots with Cuprinol’s Garden Shades in colours such as Berry Kiss, Sunny Lime, Pale Jasmine, Beach Blue or Purple Pansy? Great for revamping tired old furniture and fences and giving a stylish new life to hand-me-downs too. Cuprinol Garden Shades, £22.990 for 2.5 litres www.cuprinol.co.uk

Getting out in the garden, or even on the balcony, is what it’s all about when a few rare rays of sun hit the UK!

Cultivation Street Are you and your neighbours keen on gardening? Does your street have fantastic kerb appeal? The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) is teaming up with TV gardener David Domoney on a Cultivation Street, a brand new UK wide garden competition – so what better way to motivate yourself for a summer of gardening? £17,000 of National Garden Gift Vouchers are up for grabs, and the competition consists of regional heats and categories throughout the summer. For more information, weed your way to www.cultivationstreet.co.uk

GAME ON

Ahh computer games. Despite what you might read, they’re not just for teenage boys! We all love a spot of gaming, don’t we? It’s a great way to while away a bit of free time and escape the day to day. You could be a superhero, a defender of the galaxy, one of the world’s most eminent archaeologists or even leading out your team in the Ashes or the World Cup. Who says getting away from it all has to mean going on holiday?

Unleash hell!

Diablo was one of the first games many of us played, and Diablo III is a real epic, but if you’ve got a Playstation 3 you won’t have been able to play – until now! The game has sold a staggering 12 million copies worldwide, and is now available for PS. For more info go to www.blizzard.com

Bowling for the Ashes! In the wake of England’s 2-0 win against New Zealand, anticipation is high for a glorious summer of cricket with back-to-back Ashes series in 2013. Fancy joining in? Here’s a way you CAN play even when it’s bucketing down outside! Ashes Cricket 2013 is the official video game of the England Cricket Board and Cricket Australia, and is available this summer on Xbox 360, PS3, PC and Wii U – there’s even commentary from some of the game’s top pundits! We’ve got two copies of the game for our lucky readers. Just check out the ‘how to enter’ box on these pages and mark your entry ‘Ashes Cricket’ – don’t forget to state what platform you game on. Ashes Cricket, available from all good games retailers, or check out www.505games.co.uk

46 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

There are three ways to enter

N WI

our competition...

Maidstone ME15 6LH Magazine, Kent House, Romney Place, the thing you want to win to: homefocus Mail: Send us a postcard marked with comps@homefocusmagazine.co.uk you want to win in the subject box to: E-mail: Send an e-mail with the thing cusmagazine.co.uk omefo www.h at to the competitions page Online: Go to our website and head e number! phon and ss addre , name Don’t forget to include your Closing date – 10 September 2013

Gaming for free! You know the story – you see a game, think it looks fantastic, and buy it, only to be disappointed. And if you’re saving money, you might think twice about buying a new game. But now you can get yourself started with Trion Games’ fabulous Rift for absolutely nothing! Rift is an online game that allows you to build a character perfectly suited to your play style. You get to experience a dynamic and changing world as rifts tear open at attempt to take over entire zones. Battle colossal monsters with hundreds of other players – and pay nothing at all for the first 20 levels. Check it out at www.riftgame.com

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 47

£ Money Makeover Are you a spender or a saver? Do you feel like your money trickles through your fingers? Are you always struggling at the end of the month? Then your finances need a spot of beautification! We can’t give you more income to play with, but if you follow our simple steps, you’ll soon get your finances under control. And that’s important when you’re saving for that vital deposit. Keep it up once you’ve bought your home, though, and you could still manage to fund the things that make life fun, whether that’s a spot of retail therapy or a week in the sun. Don’t know where to start? Read on…

At the beginning…

Get to grips with your budget right from the start. Not only will it make saving for your deposit and moving costs easier, it’ll also make life much more relaxing once you move. If you have your money sorted, that’s one less thing to panic about. First and most importantly, know yourself. Think about your money management history. Have you always been able to make ends meet or save for a special purchase? Ask friends and family what they think you’re like with money, too (and tell them to be honest, not kind!) and then plan your budget plan accordingly. Make sure you’re not spending on anything you don’t have to. If you’re already responsible for utility bills, head off to a price comparison site and switch to the cheapest. Same for broadband, phones and car insurance.

Plan of action…..

Make a plan of what you have coming in each month and what you spend. If you’re a serial fritterer then keep a money diary for at least a month. Write down everything – and we mean EVERYTHING – you spend. This will give you a good idea of what you spend on and where you could save. Secondly, think about what to do with

48 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

your savings so you’ve got them available for your deposit. If you’ve worked out how much you can save each month, make sure you transfer that out of your account as soon as you get paid – a standing order is ideal. Don’t pay tax on your savings if you don’t have to – take up your full ISA allowance and choose your savings account carefully to receive as much interest as possible. Next, clear your debts. It might seem tempting to put any spare money you have straight into a savings account so it can go towards your deposit, but it’s a false economy if you’ve got credit cards, loans and store cards to pay off. No savings account will bring you the rate of interest you’ll be paying on your cards. Transfer your existing credit card balances to new ones with zero percent on balance transfers, and pay it off as soon as you can. Then start saving. That way, when you do move into your new home, you won’t be taking your debts with you. Finally, make sure your credit rating is as good as possible. That could be the difference between you getting a mortgage for your dream home or not, or influence the rate you have to pay. Check your rating online in case your records are not correct. Make sure you don’t miss payments on loans, cards or bills, as that’s the biggest influence on your credit rating. If you’re having problems, it’s always better to contact the organisations concerned and sort out a manageable payment plan.

Get moving…

If you’ve followed our advice, got your finance under control and saved for your deposit, now’s the time to make the scary decision to go ahead and buy a home. The first step is to find an independent financial advisor (IFA) who specialises in Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO) and they will be able to get you’re the best mortgage and know the industry inside out. The affordability assessment carried

out through your Help to Buy Agent or housing association will make sure that you don’t sign up to pay out more than you can afford on your home, which is reassuring.

Keep it up…

Once you’ve bought your home, it’s very easy to go out and splurge on things for it – after all, you don’t have to save for that deposit any more! Don’t be tempted spending or borrowing more than you can afford, no matter how nice the sofa and how good the deal. By now, you’ll have plenty of experience in setting yourself a budget and keeping to it, as well as making sure you’re getting all the best deals. So make a new home owner’s budget – and be realistic. Don’t scrimp on the amount you set aside for bills. If you have no idea what your bills are likely to be, ask your new neighbours – it’s a great way of introducing yourself! You’ll find that your budget changes now that you’ve got your own space. Instead of going out, you might want to entertain at home more. Or perhaps your travel expenses are less if you’ve moved closer to work and don’t have to pay to commute. It’s a good idea to keep the savings habit going to create a bit of a cushion. Paying your deposit is likely to have wiped your savings out, so create a fall-back fund so your bills are covered for at least three months. And make sure that things like your mortgage and even your income are covered by insurances should the worse happen and you lose your job. It might seem like wasted money, but it’s a small price to pay for peace of mind. If it all sounds too simple, that’s because it really is – your money makeover doesn’t have to be difficult, time-consuming or stressful. It’s just a matter of organisation and being realistic. Getting to grips with your budget could just put you in a great position to finally buy a home of your own. Now that HAS to be worth a go…

MoneyMaestro

BUDGETPLANNER

If you’re trying to get to grips with your finances, it’s always best to do a budget – but very easy to miss off important expenses or even sources of income. Remember to include everything in your monthly budget, even if you only have a bill once a year! So we’ve come up with a handy sheet to help you. Our advice? Photocopy it a few times and then you’ll have something to fill in as your budget changes. Or you could e-mail us at info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk and we’ll send you an electronic version for you to print off as many times as you like!

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 • JULY/AUGUST 2013 49

FoodFocus

GET OUT!

Time to slap on a sunhat and take your food outdoors. Picnics in the park, barbecues on the balcony, ice creams on the prom, we love ‘em all! Make the most of the British summer with our fab foodie ideas…

Ice, ice WIN baby…

Fill it. Seal it. Freeze it. Whack it! The for cool Polar Bear ice cube tray is perfect the have t don’ summer drinks – and you e spac er freez flat find stress of trying to all er Winn r! wate with filled for a tray the round, we think! We’ve got two of our to lovely little devils to give away readers, so to be in with a chance, check out our ‘how to enter’ box and mark your entry ‘Polar Bear’. Polar Bear ice cube tray, £9.95 www.prezzybox.com

POM Wonderful syrup is packed full of sunshine and a whole heap of fruity flavour – choose from 100% pomegranate, pomegranate blueberry, pomegranate mango or pomegranate cranberry. Why not try it in this quirky alternative to the traditional summer fruit punch?

POM Pimms

The big clean...

Hot, hot, hot! Love a bit of heat in your food? Spice it up at the Chilli Fiesta at West Dean from 9-11 August, 10.30am – 11pm. Whether you want to just chill out, or get chillied up, the Chilli Fiesta is one of the UK’s largest chilli events. Celebrity chefs will be around to host a series of food demos, and there will be plenty of food stalls around, plus latino-infused music and plenty for the family to do, including a steam fun fair rides, face painting and Punch and Judy. A visit to the Walled Gardens at West Dean will find over 250 varieties of chilli. And to make the most of the event, you can even camp onsite – perfect if you fancy visiting the nearby South Downs National Park or the delights of Chichester. A day ticket starts from just £7.70 for adults, 90p for children, while a three-day pass with camping starts from just £75 per adult, £25 per child. Find out more at www.westdean.org.uk

50 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

Whether it’s our fab ribs recipe, delicious sausages, sizzling bacon or a Sunday roast with crackling, pork is delicious… And if you buy pork that’s got the Red Tractor logo you can guarantee high standards at every step, from the farm to the shelf. All pork, sausages and bacon carrying the Red Tractor mark has to meet standards for pig welfare, transportation and traceability. TV presenter Jimmy Doherty, himself a Red Tractor pig farmer, has made a series of adverts for the campaign. You can see those, and find a whole host of fantastic pork recipes, at www.lovepork.co.uk

Summer quencher…

Mix together 150ml POM Wonderfu l pomegranate blueberry 100% juice and 150ml Pimms in a pitcher or jug. Slice four strawberries and add them, plus 8 cucumber slices, 4 lemon wedges, a handful of fresh mint leaves and a handful of pomegranate arils (those juicy little jewels that fill a fresh pomegranate ) and add them to the pitcher. Add ice and top with lemonade. Stir with a long spoon!

N WI

With cleaning the oven up there as one of the most-hated household chores, it’s no surprise that we run screaming at the sight of a greasy grill or a burnt barbie come summer! Thankfully, this year all those barbecuing pros (or the women behind them) will have no reason to put off a party. BBQ Pride’s BBQ Grill Cleaner provides an all-in-one solution that comes with a bag to make the difficult task of cleaning racks and grills so much easier – just apply, soak and wipe! So you can avoid the stress when the weather calls for an impromptu gathering in the garden! We’ve got two boxes to give away, so check out our ‘how to enter’ box and mark your entry ‘BBQ Pride’. BBQ Pride, £2.99 and is available from all Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Wilkinson.

Fall-off-the-bone pork ribs We all love burgers, drumsticks and sausages on the barbie, but pork ribs are a favourite that sometimes gets left out because no one knows how to cook them. No longer! Here’s a fantastic recipe that will make sure your barbecue ribs are perfect every time… 1. Take a large saucepan and fill with water. Add two star anise and six whole black peppercorns, top with a lid and bring to the boil. 2. Add pork spare ribs or a half rack and simmer for 30 minutes. 3. Remove ribs from pan and discard water. Allow to cool slightly. 4. Cook on a preheated barbecue until browned all over. Delicious.

To make sticky ribs, try plum, soy and chilli BBQ sauce… 1. Mix 30ml (2 tablespoons) plum sauce, 15ml (1 tablespoon) soy sauce, 15ml (1 tablespoon) sweet chilli sauce into a large dish. 2. Follow instructions above up to 3, and then thoroughly roll the precooked ribs in the sauce until covered. 3. Place on a preheated barbecue. Cook slowly or on a low heat until the glaze is sticky and golden. Don’t allow it to burn.

Serve with fruity fennel slaw 1. Peel, de-seed and slice one mango and one papaya. Place in a bowl. 2. Take half a fennel bulb, finely slice and plunge into boiling water, then quickly into cold water. Drain, then add the fennel to the fruit mixture along with the juice of half a lime and 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh mint. 3. Mix together gently, chill in the fridge and then serve with the ribs.

Taco temptation

loading up those Tacos are delicious, aren’t they? But , salsa and sour golden shells with the meat, salad from the tip a cream isn’t always easy. Take t inves and ico, home of the taco, Mex ican Mex er. hold in a handy taco ceramic taco holder, £10 www.cargohomeshop.com

Give a fork about your pork!

Rabbit food! Bring a smile to your salad with these fab rabbit ears salad servers! Rabbit ears salad servers, £6.50 www.maidenshop.com

Grills and thrills Make sure your barbecue is safe as well as delicious by following these important tips: n Ensure that the ‘chef’ wears and apron and washes their hands before cooking as well as in-between putting food on and taking it off the barbecue n Make sure frozen meat is thoroughly thawed (unless the pack says it doesn’t have to be) before cooking. Do not refreeze once thawed. n When taking meat from the fridge, store it in a cool bag with ice blocks. Keep all raw and cooked food separate and use separate barbecue utensils when handling both raw and cooked food n To check sausages, chicken and burgers are cooked through, the juices should run clear. If you’re not sure, use a meat thermometer – when it reaches 70°C or more it’s safe to eat. Lamb and beef can both be served pink in the centre, but chicken and pork should be cooked through. n If you’re worried about chicken portions being cooked, poach them first in boiling water seasoned with salt, peppercorns and maybe bay leaves, chilli flakes or whatever else you fancy. Toss in marinade when they’re cooked and store in the fridge or a cool box until you’re ready to eat them. That way you’ll know they’re cooked before you put them on the barbie, and you can avoid the ‘charcoal outside, raw inside’ issues! n Make sure that your barbecue isn’t just a meat-fest! Chunky fish such as tuna, or thick slices of aubergine, Portobello mushrooms topped with cheese, or scooped out pepper halves filled with a mix of veg and goat’s cheese are all delicious too. Get the balance right and serve your burgers and bangers with lots of veggies, salads, fruits and carbs such as buns (of course), jacket spuds or rice and pasta salads n Fruit makes a great barbecue pud. Slice into an unpeeled banana lengthwise and pop chocolate in the slit. Wrap in foil and pop on the barbecue. Or slice a pineapple lengthwise, slide in a bamboo skewer, sprinkle with brown sugar and pop on the barbie. Delicious! n Remember, never leave the barbecue unattended!

There are three ways to enter

our competition...

Magazine, Kent House, the thing you want to win to: homefocus Mail: Send us a postcard marked with 6LH ME15 Romney Place, Maidstone, Kent comps@homefocusmagazine.co.uk you want to win in the subject box to: E-mail: Send an e-mail with the thing cusmagazine.co.uk omefo www.h at page to the competitions Online: Go to our website and head e number! phon and ss addre , name Don’t forget to include your Closing date – 10 September 2013

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 51

homefocusCompetition

N I W

GET TOOLED UP! WIN DREMEL’S ULTIMATE DIY TOOLKIT…

Every new home owner needs a toolkit. If you’re buying a brand new place, you’re unlikely to need to carry out any repairs. But still, having the right tools for a spot of DIY can save you a lot of money spent bringing in the professionals for things you could do yourself. Now, your tool kit could be a hammer improvised out of a rock, a Christmas-cracker screwdriver and a weird little multi-tool thing you had last time you went camping, all stashed in the kitchen ‘man drawer’. Or you could, if you’re one of two lucky homefocus readers, win Dremel’s Platinum Edition kit. We know which we’d prefer… The Dremel Platinum Edition can help with every job you could think of around the house and garden, and contains: n A top-of-the-range cordless Dremel 8200 multi-tool – created for maximum performance jobs whether they’re for hobbies or DIY n A whopping collection of 65 accessories, including EZ SpeedClic for quick keyless accessory changes, plus carving and engraving cutters, grinding and polishing sheels, sanding drums and drill bits n No less than five attachments - the Detailer’s Grip, Shaping Platform, Cutting Guide, Line & Circle Cutter and Comfort Guard n Two batteries – one for the tool and another to keep on charge to eradicate downtime n All packed into a high quality aluminium carry case

To be in with a chance of winning, answer the following question: The Dremel Platinum Edition Kit comes in: A: An aluminium carry case B: A hessian sack C: A wooden box The winner will be picked at random from correct replies.. There are three ways to enter: E-mail – comps@homefocusmagazine.co.uk (put ‘DREMEL’ in the subject box and don’t forget to give your name and address, plus your answer to the question) Online – Go to our website at www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk and head to the competitions page Post – Send us a postcard marked ‘DREMEL’ with your name, address and answer to the question to: homefocus magazine, Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6LH (It helps to also include a phone number or email address so we can tell you you’ve won quickly!) TERMS AND CONDITIONS

This entire top-of-the range Platinum Edition Kit retails for £179.99, but we’ve got two to give away to lucky readers. Good luck! For more information on Dremel’s range of products check out www.dremel.co.uk

52 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

• Closing Date: 10 September 2013 • No purchase necessary • The Editor’s decision is final • There is no alternative cash prize • We accept no responsibility for entries lost, damaged or received incomplete

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 53

ShowDiary

WhereNext

homefinder

FORTHCOMING

EVENTS

Yours steps to making all the right moves… WHERE NOW?

Now you’ve read all about low cost home ownership (LCHO), and you want to know where to head next – we can help with that as well. Step 1 – Get registered If you want to buy and think you’re eligible (more about that on pages 6-9), you should register with your Local Help to Buy Agent. They’ll process your application so you don’t need to apply to every housing association. They also have a list of all the LCHO properties available in their area. In London, things are slightly different, but there’s still an LCHO online portal to get you started.

(to help you on your way to getting the keys…) We’ve colour-coded our developments sections on pages 14-31 and our homefinder property listings and events on pages 55-59, to make finding a property in your area even easier! The key is as follows:

Step 3 – Home hunting This is 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 14 and our listings on pages 56-59. If you find one you love, go and have a look at it!

HELP TO BUY AGENTS

Step 4 – Details, details Getting down to the nitty-gritty! At this point, whether you live in London or elsewhere, you’ll formally apply for your home through the housing association or developer, and a more detailed affordability check will work out what share you can afford.

SOUTH EAST

Step 5 – Check the small print If you decide to go ahead, you’ll need to get in touch with a specialist solicitor to help smooth the buying process. You can find a specialist on pages 66-67.

EAST

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

But don’t worry, wherever you are in the country, the information in homefocus is all relevant!

Thursday 27 June 3pm – 7pm Urbansplash Lakeshore Mortgage Workshop Lakeshore development, Bristol Monday 1 July 4pm – 7pm Sedgemoor Affordable Housing Open Day Oaktree Arena Conference Centre, Highbridge, TA9 4HA Thursday 25 July 2pm – 7pm West Somerset Housing Fair West Somerset Community College, Minehead

LONDON FIRST STEPS to homeownership in London

South East

Sunday 1 September Hampshire Help to Buy Show The Ageas Bowl, Southampton

Kent, Sussex & Essex – Moat Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire – Catalyst Hampshire – Homes in Hants

Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk – Orbit Hertfordshire – Lea Valley Homes

SOUTH WEST Devon, Cornwall, Avon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire – South West Homes

MIDLANDS Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and Nottinghamshire – EM HomeBuy West Midlands, Warwickshire, Hereford & Worcester, Shropshire, Staffordshire – Orbit

NORTH

Tees Valley and Country Durham – Time2Buy Tyne & Wear and Northumberland – Isos Group Cheshire and Merseyside – HomesHub Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Yorkshire – Plumlife Cumbria – Cumbria HomeBuy North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and Humberside – my4walls

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Call homefocus on 01622 772407, e-mail info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk

Facebook us at www.facebook.com/homefocus, or go online to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk

54 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

South West

London South East East South West Midlands

Step 2 – Money matters Time to work out how much you can afford! Outside London, your Help to Buy Agent will undertake a basic financial check to make sure you’re eligible and work out what’s affordable for you. In London, your housing association will do this once you’ve found a home you like. Now’s the time to find out what mortgage you can get, too, so you don’t fall in love with a home that’s unaffordable. We recommend you go to a specialist financial advisor who understands LCHO inside out and will know the best mortgage product for you.

Step 6 – Get moving This is the exciting part! Once you’ve bought your new home you can move in, safe in the knowledge that it won’t cost you every penny you earn to live there! The great thing about affordable home ownership is just that – it’s affordable. It’ll allow you to have a life as well as somewhere to live it from. Good luck!

FIND OUT ABOUT THE LOW COST HOME OWNERSHIP EVENTS NEAR YOU!

HERE’S THE KEY

Can we help? Don’t forget you can contact homefocus if you’ve got a question about low cost home ownership or are interested in any of the properties we’ve featured. Just call us on 01622 772407 or 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 • JULY/AUGUST 2013 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 Help to Buy Agent: LEA VALLEY HOMES www.leavalleyhomes.co.uk Borehamwood Knebworth Path Borehamwood Coopers Crescent Borehamwood Newton Crescent Borehamwood Balmoral House Great Ashby Knot Close Hitchin Lavender Place Stevenage Monument Court Stevenage Wornham Avenue Stevenage Miller Way Stevenage Stephenson Mews Stevenage Noleside Watford St Albans House Help to Buy Agent:ORBIT HOMEBUY www.orbithomebuyagents.co.uk Bedford St Bede’s Independent Living Bedford Aspire Cambourne, Cambridge Spitfire Road Diss Frenze Hall Mews Great Blakenham Blakenham Fields Hadleigh Hadleigh Park Lowestoft St Margaret’s Quarter Norwich Rosary Point Papworth Everard The Ridgeway Shefford Stanford Road Watton Blenheim Grange Wymondham Oakfield Green

1 Studio Now Affinity Sutton 1 3 bed house Now Affinity Sutton 1 3 bed house Now Affinity Sutton 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton 10 1 & 2 bed flats 2014 Origin Housing 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton 2 2 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton 4 2 & 3 bed flats Now Origin Housing 53 1 & 2 bed flats Now & October Orbit Homes 1 3 bed house Now Orbit Homes 19 2 & 3 bed houses Now Metropolitan 8 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes 25 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes 14 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes 3 2 bed houses Now Orbit Homes 8 2 bed flats Now Orbit Homes 2 2 bed houses Now Metropolitan 15 1 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses & bung. 2013-2015 Aragon 1 3 bed house Now Orbit Homes 12 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes

LONDON Help to Buy Agent:FIRSTSTEPS www.sharetobuy.com/london Alfold Chilton Close Bermondsey Yates Court, Bermondsey Spa Bermondsey Parker Building, Bermondsey Spa Bethnal Green Bookbinders Court Bromley Amethyst Court, Farnborough Bromley William Petty Way Bromley Cuckmere Way Bromley Oakmore Gardens Bromley Cray View Close Bromley Warwick House Bromley Brosse Way Brook Green Sulgrave Gardens Camden Twyman House Canada Water Maple Quays Canning Town East City Point Chadwell Heath The Collection Chistlehurst Ravensbourne Place Clapham Cavendish Building Croydon Seven Croydon Epsom Road Croydon Reddown Road Croydon Affinity Sutton at Saffron Square East Walworth Burgess Terrace Eltham Eltham Springs Enfield New River House Enfield The Bloc Fitzrovia Cleveland Street Forest Hill City Walk, Perry Vale Fulham The Gallery SW6

56 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

1 6 92 10 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 13 7 2 16 4 37 36 3 1 12 36 3 45 8 28 14 1 2

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

Now Now Spring Now Now Now Now February Now Now Now Now 2014 Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Now Spring Now & Autumn Now Now Now Autumn Now Now

Affinity Sutton Hyde New Homes Hyde New Homes Gateway Housing Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Octavia Living Origin Housing Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton East Thames L&Q Metropolitan Viridian Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton L&Q L&Q Origin Housing Origin Housing Octavia Living Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton

Location

Name of Development

Help to Buy Agent:FIRSTSTEPS www.sharetobuy.com/london Gidea Park Dreywood Gardens Greenwich Gardeners Close Greenwich Greenwich Reach Hackney 13 Portfleet Place Hackney 205 The Bakery Hackney Shakespeare House Haggerston The City Mills Harold Wood Kings Park Harrow 74 High St, Wealdstone Harrow High St, Edgware Highams Park Repton House Isle Of Dogs Fairwater Islington Zoffany Street Islington QN7 - Phase 2 Kingston Affinity Sutton at Kingston Heights Kingston Carisbrooke House Lewisham Axis 4 (Lewisham High Street) Lewisham Stafford House Lewisham The Aurora Apartments Leyton Church Road Leyton Claude Terrace Mitcham The Printworks Paddington Basin Merchants Square Peckham Maple House Roehampton Clarence Apartments South Acton Acton Gardens Stepney So Stepney Surrey Quays Bermondsey South Sutton The Lavenders Tooting Broadway Viridian@Fusion Tottenham Isobel Place Victoria Howick Place Walthamstow Central West Central Apartments Wandsworth Wandsworth Village Woolwich Woolwich Central

No of Units

Type of Properties

20 1 50 1 1 8 11 74 12 15 1 28 6 141 18 1 1 2 32 2 1 1 15 19 3 17 12 25 27 1 68 3 2 7 60

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

Available From Now Now Now Now Now Early 2014 Now Autumn December 2014 Now Now Late 2013 Coming soon October Now Now Now Winter Now Now Now Spring Now Now Now Now Now Winter Now Now Now Now Now Autumn

Provider

East Thames Affinity Sutton Hyde New Homes Stagnell Fox Stagnell Fox Stagnell Fox L&Q East Thames Origin Housing Origin Housing Stagnell Fox East Thames Stagnell Fox Newlon Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Southern Housing Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton L&Q L&Q Viridian Octavia Living L&Q Viridian L&Q East Thames L&Q Affinity Sutton Viridian Newlon Octavia Living Stagnell Fox Octavia Living L&Q

MIDLANDS Help to Buy Agent:EM HOMEBUY www.emhomebuy.co.uk Abthorpe Brackley Road 2 2 & 3 bed house Now Arnold Howbeck Road 4 3 bed houses Now Balderton Fernwood 18 2 & 3 bed houses Now Barrow Upon Soar Nursery Grove 1 2 bed house Now Billingborough Cardinal Close 2 2 bed houses Now Burton Latimer Latimer Gardens 6 2 bed houses Now Chilwell Fairways 3 2 & 3 bed houses Now Coalville The Leys 1 2 bed houses Now Colsterworth Newton Grange 2 3 bed houses Now Holdingham Holdingham Mead 3 3 bed houses Now Kegworth Citrus Grove 7 2 bed houses & flats Now Kettering Blackberry Fields 5 2 & 3 bed houses Now Leicester Leicester Square 20 2 bed flats Now Leicestershire Ellistown 1 2 bed house Now Litchborough Manor Farm 1 2 bed house Now Little Stanion, Corby Kesteven Way 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now Northampton Jubilee Mews 5 2 & 3 bed houses Now Northampton Chapel Lane, Blisworth 2 2 & 3 bed houses March Northamptonshire Paling Close 5 1 & 2 bed flats Now Northamptonshire Briar Hill 10 2 & 3 bed houses Now Quorn Meynell Road 10 2 & 3 bed houses Now South Northants Chaplins Yard, Roade 10 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Summer Stoke Golding St Martins Convent 8 2 & 3 bed houses Now Sutton in Ashfield The Oval 1 3 bed house Now Wellingborough Ladywell Park 2 3 bed houses Now Help to Buy Agent:ORBIT HOMEBUY www.orbithomebuyagents.co.uk Stratford-upon-Avon Brooklands @ Poppy Meadow 10 2, 3 & 4 bed houses, 2 bed flats Now & Winter

Aragon Nottingham Community Nottingham Community Hello Homes Nottingham Community Hello Homes Nottingham Community Hello Homes Nottingham Community Nottingham Community Hello Homes Orbit Homes Metropolitan Hello Homes Aragon Metropolitan Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Hello Homes Hello Homes Raglan Housing Orbit Homes Raglan Housing Hello Homes Hello Homes Orbit Homes

SOUTH EAST

Help to Buy Agent:CATALYST www.catalysthomebuy.co.uk Caterham Cromwell Road 1 2 bed house Now Cranleigh Roberts Way 2 2 bed flat & 2 bed house Now Epsom Fusion 21 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Epsom Noble Park 16 1 & 2 bed flats November Epsom Noble Park 73 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses Now Guildford Rivett Drake Close 1 2 bed house Now Haslemere Fernhurst 1 2 bed house Now Horsham Gatehouse 16 1 & 2 bed flats Now Horsham Wickhurst Green 13 2 bed coach, 2 & 3 bed houses Now

Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Rosebery Housing Assn Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Southern Housing Southern Housing

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 57

PropertySearch Location

homefinder East Name of Development

No of Units

Type of Properties

Available From

Provider

SOUTH EAST CONTINUED Help to Buy Agent:CATALYST www.catalysthomebuy.co.uk Milton Keynes Yorkshire Close 2 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton Milton Keynes Felsted, Caldecotte 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Milton Keynes Oakgrove 11 1 & 2 bed flats Coming soon Hyde New Homes Reading Southern at Portman Square 25 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Southern Housing Help to Buy Agent:HOMES IN HANTS www.homesinhants.co.uk Alton Kingdons Mews, Vicarage Hill 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Andover Picket 20 14 2 & 3 bed houses Now Spectrum Housing Emsworth Hampshire Farm 14 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now First Wessex Gosport Priddys Hard 6 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton Gosport Alver Village 1 2 bed flat Now First Wessex Gosport Alver Village 1 1 bed flat Now First Wessex Liphook Larch Close 1 2 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Lyndhurst Knightwood Lodge 2 1 bed flats Now Raglan Housing Newport, Isle of Wight Pan Meadows 16 1 & 2 bed flats & houses Now Spectrum Housing Porchester Jubilee Avenue 7 2 & 3 bed houses Now First Wessex Portsmouth Priory View 4 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton Purbrook Purbrook Place 3 2 bed flats Now First Wessex Southampton Compass Point 6 2 bed flats Now Spectrum Housing Southampton Bond Central 36 1 & 2 bed flats Now Hyde New Homes Southampton New College 2 2 bed flat Now First Wessex Southampton the compass|so14 3 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton Southampton Upmill Close, West End 1 2 bed house Now Affinity Sutton West End, Eastleigh Romhill Close 7 2 & 3 bed houses Now First Wessex Help to Buy Agent:MOAT www.helptobuy.net Ashford Poppymead 1 2 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Ashford Wellesley View, Park Street 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Ashford Affinity Sutton at Repton Park 3 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity Sutton Ashford Broadview 1 3 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Ashford Tower Point, Godington Road 3 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton Bognor Bersted Park, North Bersted 4 1 bed flats Now Southern Housing Bognor Regis Harrington House, Nyewood Lane 2 2 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton Brentwood Casa 10 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Autumn East Thames Brighton Woodland View 2 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Brighton The Crescent 1 3 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Brighton Old Mill Mews 1 2 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Brighton The Barrows 60 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Hyde New Homes Brighton & Hove The Edge 55 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Southern Housing Burgess Hill Knowles Walk 1 3 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Burgess Hill Millhaven Court 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Chichester Affinity Sutton at Graylingwell Park 22 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed house Spring Affinity Sutton Crawley Haweswater Place 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Crowborough Goldsmiths Avenue 2 3 bed houses Now Affinity Sutton East Grinstead Queen’s Court, Queen’s Road 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton East Hoathly Nightingales 1 2 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Eastbourne The Ferns, Churchdale Road 11 3 bed houses Now Affinity Sutton Fernhurst Southleys 2 2 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Gillingham South Shore 31 1 & 2 bed flats Now Hyde New Homes Halling Thomas Harris Close 3 3 bed houses Now Stagnell Fox Haywards Heath Bowden Way 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Hellingly Roebuck Park 10 2 & 3 bed houses September Orbit Homes Henfield Southern at Bysshop Meadow 6 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed house Now Southern Housing Horsham Coolham 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Hove Coastal Place, Church Road 6 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton Hurstpierpoint Brewery Mews 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Langley Affinity Sutton at Windmill Walk 6 2 bed houses Spring Affinity Sutton Maidstone Westborough Mews 1 3 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Maidstone Greenfields View 2 1 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton Margate Sandhurst Place 5 3 bed houses December Orbit Homes Midhurst The Oaks, Forest Road 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Polegate Lynholm Road 20 2 & 3 bed houses Now Raglan Housing Portslade Monarch’s View 1 3 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Poundhill Capua Court 2 2 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton Rochester Summerson Close 3 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity Sutton Rochester Rochester Riverside 24 1 & 2 bed flats Now Hyde New Homes Shoreham Falconer’s Court 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Strood Regent House 4 2 bed flats Late 2013 Stagnell Fox Tangmere Middleton Gardens 1 2 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Ticehurst Farthinghill 1 2 bed house Now Affinity Sutton Whitstable Wicketts End 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Whitstable Aurum Way 7 2 & 3 bed houses November Orbit Homes

SOUTH WEST Help to Buy Agent:SOUTH WEST HOMES www.southwesthomes.org.uk Amesbury Archers Gate Blandford Damory Street Chard Great Western Road Durrington Avon Fields Highbridge Springfield Green Monkton Heathfield Monkton Heathfield

58 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

3 2 & 3 bed houses 9 2 & 3 bed houses 13 2 & 3 bed houses 1 2 bed flat 4 2 bed houses 21 2 & 3 bed houses

Now Now Now Now Now Now

Spectrum Housing Raglan Housing Raglan Housing Spectrum Housing Raglan Housing Raglan Housing

homefinder East

Beautiful Affordable New Homes Stunning new homes for outright sale, shared equity and shared ownership.

Beautiful, Affordable New Homes Stunning new homes for outright sale, shared equity and shared ownership.

For more information, For more information call 02476 437 040 call 02476 437 040 or visit www.orbithomes.org.uk or visit www.orbithomes.org.uk

A home of your own with Shared Ownership

Building high quality homes for shared ownership across Hertfordshire & Bedfordshire

Bedfordshire, South Northants & Milton Keynes

Tel. 01525 844460

www.grandunionhousing.co.uk

Find your new home today...visit www.rowanhomes.co.uk Or call us on 0800 0644 555

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

PropertySearch

Location

Name of Development

No of Units

Type of Properties

Available From

Provider

SOUTH WEST Help to Buy Agent:SOUTH WEST HOMES www.southwesthomes.org.uk Newton Abbot South Devon Mews Plymouth Affinity Sutton at Queen Anne’s Quay Sherborne Sherborne House South Petherton Hayes End Wellington Rylands Nursery Weston Mill, Plymouth Carlton Terrace Whimple, East Devon The Linhayes

2 2 2 1 1 3 2

2 bed flats 2 bed flats 2 bed houses 3 bed house 3 bed house 2 bed houses 2 & 3 bed houses

Now Spring Now Now Now September September

Affinity Sutton Affinity Sutton Raglan Housing Raglan Housing Raglan Housing Spectrum Housing Spectrum Housing

Interested in any of the properties listed? Call 01622 772407 or email the name of the property to property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk and we’ll do the rest. Remember to include your name. homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 59

homefinder London

Origin HF directory ad 12.8.11:Layout 1

homefinder London Feeling priced out of the London property market?

Get

To get PricedIn register at

www.lqgroup.co.uk/pricedin

or text

‘pricedin’ to 60123

Shared Ownership

Shared ownership opportunities in London

Intermediate Rent

08456 12 12 71

Call the sales team now

0800 058 2544 www.newlonhomeownership.org.uk

sales@shgroup.org.uk | www.shgroup.org.uk

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

Affordable homes throughout London

409-413 Mile End Road London E3 4PB

0845 130 1422 www.stagnellfox.co.uk Affordable Hyde New Homes

Tel: 0800 012 1442

www.viridianhousing.org.uk

Homematch is a new free service to help people buy or rent a good quality affordable home in London. www.homematch.org.uk 0845 230 8099* homematchinfo@metropolitan.org.uk *Calls charged at local rate, mobile operator charges will vary.

and

One application form | Hundreds of homes | Expert advice

3414 OH Home Focus Ad_HR.pdf

If you want to know more about your government funded housing options contact your Local HomeBuy Agent. You can find out more details by accessing

3/10/12

14:54:59

Homes for sale, for rent, for you

octaviaaffordable homeownership

www.direct.gov.uk/ontheladder

developing homes in London

Haven’t found what you’re looking for?

SIT 5E% PO

* terms & conditions apply

Call 0300 100 0303 or

email: sales@affinitysutton.com www.affinitysutton.com

MEET YOUR PERFECT HOME FOR LESS

Call our sales team now! Tel: 0845 606 1221 Email: info@hydenewhomes.co.uk www.hydenewhomes.co.uk Follow us on

LY ON

Homes for sale on a part buy/part rent basis across SE, SW, W and East London

Shared Ownership • Discounted Rent

Viridian is now a major provider of shared ownership properties across leafy south west London, one of the most desirable areas for first time buyers.

Call: 0800 068 8990 sales@originhousing.org.uk www.originsales.co.uk Home Focus Ads x 2 Updated_Layout 1 01/06/2012 14:52 Page 2

Providers of quality affordable homes

Industrial and Provident Society 30441R exempt charity. Details correct at time of going to print 01/13. Your home is at risk if you fail to keep up repayments on a mortgage, rent or other loan secured on it. Please make sure you can afford the repayments before you take out a mortgage. Competition Terms & Conditions apply: Register to be entered into the prize draw to win a Gym Membership.

Developing where people want to

14:57

Southern Housing Group

Telephone: 020 8709 4352 Fax: 020 8709 4400 Email: sales@gatewayhousing.org.uk www.gatewayhousing.org.uk

...AND WIN A GYM MEMBERSHIP

12/8/11

across east London

INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE PROPERTIES IN HOMEFOCUS? Call 01622 772407 or email the name of the property to property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk and we’ll do the rest. Remember to include your name.

for more information please call

020 8354 5601 www.octaviahousing.co.uk

0845 600 0830 www.east-thames.co.uk

THAMES THAMES THAMES

60 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 61

homefinder South East

Exciting new homes A beautiful location 80% now reserved!

homefinder South East Southern Housing Group

Affordable homes throughout the south east

www.nobleparkhomes.co.uk 01372 814000

1st Wessex Homes Mag 61mm x 91mm.eps

11/06/2013

16:12

Homes for sale on a part buy/part rent basis

across the South East

New Build Homebuy opportunities across the South East

LY ON

SIT 5E% PO

71 08456 12 12 71

.uk

0845 130 1422 www.stagnellfox.co.uk

Home Focus Ads x 2 Updated_Layout 1 01/06/2012 14:52 Page 1

sales@shgroup.org.uk | www.shgroup.org.uk

* terms & conditions apply

CMY

Homes for sale, for rent, for you across Essex

Currently marketing homes in London, Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Hampshire, Berks and Herts.

Call 0300 100 0303

email: sales@affinitysutton.com

INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE PROPERTIES IN HOMEFOCUS? Call 01622 772407 or email the name of the property to property@homefocusmagazine.co.uk and we’ll do the rest. Remember to include your name.

www.affinitysutton.com

Affordable Hyde New Homes Shared Ownership • Discounted Rent Call our sales team now! Tel: 0845 606 1221 Email: info@hydenewhomes.co.uk www.hydenewhomes.co.uk Follow us on

and

Don’t miss out... get the next 6 issues of homefocus delivered through your door

Published every other month to keep you up to date with the latest opportunities in shared and affordable home ownership Just £12.95 for the next 6 issues n The latest affordable developments in your region

0845 600 0830 www.east-thames.co.uk

n Who to ask and where to find an affordable home

THAMES

n Information about shared ownership, New Build HomeBuy,

THAMES THAMES

If you want to know more about your government funded housing options contact your Local HomeBuy Agent. You can find out more details by accessing

www.direct.gov.uk/ontheladder

Beautiful Affordable New Homes Stunning new homes for outright sale, shared equity and shared ownership.

Beautiful, Affordable New Homes Stunning new homes for outright sale, shared equity and shared ownership.

For more information, For more information call 02476 437 040 call 01622 633 241 or visit www.orbithomes.org.uk or visit www.orbithomes.org.uk

62 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

Name_______________________________ Address_____________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

FirstBuy, and all low cost home ownership schemes

____________________________________

n Advice on legal and mortgage matters from specialists

Postcode____________________________

PLUS MUCH, MUCH MORE; celebrity interviews, competitions and reader offers, jargon busters and homestyle articles

Phone number _______________________ Email address _ ______________________ ____________________________________ Signature____________________________

To be sure of receiving the next 6 issues of homefocus, fill in the form and send your cheque* for £12.95 to:

Date_ _______________________________

Graid Publications Ltd, Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, ME15 6LH

n I’d like to receive the next 6 copies of homefocus and my cheque is enclosed

*Please ensure that your cheque is made payable to Graid Publications Call us on 01622 772407 for our bank details and you can pay online

Payment options:

n I’d like to receive the next 6 issues of homefocus and would like to pay electronically. Please call me or email as above for me to make an electronic payment. _ Remember you can call us on 01622 772407 or email info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk for the info you need.

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 63

homefinder Midlands

homefinder South West Need a helping hand to get on the property ladder?

NEW HOMES AT FERNWOOD, NEWARK 2 BEDROOM HOUSE FROM £55,000 FOR 50%

homefinder Midlands ‘hello homes’ throughout the EAST MIDLANDS…

YOU CAN BUY WITH A DEPOSIT FROM £2750

0845 650 1204 SHAREDOWNERSHIPUK.COM

homefinder South West

Need Help to Buy?

Say ‘hello’ to our dedicated sales team on: 0844 892 2506 / hellohomes@emhgroup.org.uk Click: www.hellohomes.org.uk Part Buy / Part Rent / For Sale / For You…

Hampshire Wiltshire Dorset, Devon Isle of Wight

Call Today 0800 316 3316 www.getmove-in.com If you want to know more about your government funded housing options contact your Local HomeBuy Agent. You can find out more details by accessing

We can give it to you! BURTON LATIMER, KETTERING: BRIAR HILL, NORTHAMPTON: 2 BEDS: 25% SHARE AVAILABLE 2 BEDS: 25% SHARE AVAILABLE FROM: £30,625. FROM £22,500. 3 BEDS: 25% SHARE AVAILABLE FROM £34,375.

Affordable properties in various locations:

www.direct.gov.uk/ontheladder

www.emhomebuy.org.uk for properties in your area T 0844 892 0112 E emhomebuy@emha.org EMHomeBuy is run by East Midlands Housing Group.

‘hello homes’ is part of East Midlands Housing Group Limited.

Beautiful Affordable New Homes Stunning new homes for outright sale, shared equity and shared ownership.

Don’t miss out... get the next 6 issues of homefocus delivered

Beautiful, Affordable New Homes

through your door

Stunning new homes for outright sale, shared equity and shared ownership.

Published every other month to keep you up to date with the latest opportunities in shared and affordable home ownership The leading exhibition for social housing practitioners and tenant board members

For more information, For more information call 02476 437 040 call 02476 437 040 or visit www.orbithomes.org.uk or visit www.orbithomes.org.uk

n The latest affordable developments in your region

Top 5 reasons to attend

n Who to ask and where to find an affordable home

1 Free access to a range of seminars tailored to assist front

n Information about shared ownership, New Build HomeBuy,

line staff and support tenants

If you want to know more about your government funded housing options contact your Local HomeBuy Agent. You can find out more details by accessing

www.direct.gov.uk/ontheladder

2 Gain advice and guidance on Universal Credit, social media, financial inclusion and much more 3 Learn from inspiring case studies from fellow housing associations 4 Share best practice and ideas with your peers 5 Get the chance to wind down at our networking drinks receptions!

www.socialhousingexhibition.co.uk Join the conversation at #NHF13 and find out what’s in store!

Advert1.indd 1

Name_______________________________ Address_____________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

FirstBuy, and all low cost home ownership schemes

____________________________________

n Advice on legal and mortgage matters from specialists

Postcode____________________________

PLUS MUCH, MUCH MORE; celebrity interviews, competitions and reader offers, jargon busters and homestyle articles

Phone number _______________________ Email address _ ______________________ ____________________________________ Signature____________________________

To be sure of receiving the next 6 issues of homefocus, fill in the form and send your cheque* for £12.95 to:

Date_ _______________________________

Graid Publications Ltd, Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, ME15 6LH

n I’d like to receive the next 6 copies of homefocus and my cheque is enclosed

*Please ensure that your cheque is made payable to Graid Publications

For information on sponsorship or exhibiting please visit www.socialhousingexhibition.co.uk

64 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

Just £12.95 for the next 6 issues

Call us on 01622 772407 for our bank details and you can pay online

Payment options:

21/06/2013 11:03:04

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 65

legaladvice

homebuyers

GUIDE

Buying a new home requires essential legal and financial advice… contact a mortgage advisor or specialist solicitor

legaladvice

• Shared Ownership

Property Solicitors

• Shared Equity • First Buy

(formerly GTCLaw)

• Resales • Staircasing

Residential Conveyancing

• Right to Acquire

Commercial Conveyancing

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

Affordable Housing Housing Association Schemes Staircasing Right to Buy Lease Extensions

Personal Injury

HomeFocus ad-Shared Ownership_April13.indd 1

Put your conveyancing in experienced hands

Wills and Probate

Debra Rose 020 8215 5040 drose@wiseman.co.uk Janice Maskell 020 8215 1077 jmaskell@wiseman.co.uk

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

Tel: 020 8215 1000 Web: www.wiseman.co.uk HOMEBUY / STAIRCASING / RESALES ALL HOUSING ASSOCIATION SCHEMES RESIDENTIAL / COMMERCIAL CONVEYANCING

66 homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013

T: 020 85096800 E: enquiries@clglaw.co.uk

Keeping advertising standards high

10/04/2013 17:00

WIN

ONE OF 20 PAIRS OF TICKETS FOR THE NATIONAL HOME IMPROVEMENT SHOW!

Gary Gillespie 020 8215 1062 ggillespie@wiseman.co.uk Ros Grant 020 8215 5041 rgrant@wiseman.co.uk

Telephone 020 7492 2222 www.asa.org.uk

Family Law

Please contact our solicitors; Kerry Hicks, Sophie Treszka, Dorothy Johnstone or Rachel Turner on 020 8567 3477, or email khicks@prince-evans.co.uk

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

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.

Landlord & Tenant

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

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

We leave good advertising to the professionals.

� Shared Ownership purchases � FirstBuy � Social HomeBuy � Right to Buy � Right to Acquire � Staircasing � Shared Ownership resales � Equity Loan redemption/remortgaging

www.directionlaw.co.uk Contact us for a friendly, no obligation quote:

London Office: 020 7158 0031 Kent Office: 01227 812733 enquiries@directionlaw.co.uk

The National Home Improvement Show is returning to Olympia in September, and we’ve got 20 pairs of tickets to give away to lucky readers! The event brings together over 300 exhibitors, offering unparalleled advice from property experts including renovation expert Michael Holmes, interior designer and DIY SOS doyenne Julia Kendall, garden designer Matt James and eco guru and designer Oliver Heath. Whether you’re planning a revamp or extension, or just want to improve your DIY skills or make your home more eco friendly, there will an abundance of information. Take your plans to Ask the Architect, head along to Ask the Experts, stop by at the Tricks of the Trade area or check out the Planning Clinic. To find out more, check out www.improveyourhomeshow.co.uk

Tickets cost from £12 if bought in advance, £16 on the door. But to be in with a chance to win a pair of tickets, just get in touch! E-mail – comps@homefocusmagazine.co.uk with ‘National Home Improvement Show’ in the title Online – www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk and head to the competitions section Mail – send a postcard marked ‘National Home Improvements Show’ to: homefocus magazine, Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, Kent ME15 6LH Don’t forget to give us your name and address. Closing date for the competition is 10 September 2013.

GOOD LUCK!

homefocus • JULY/AUGUST 2013 67

Renting SHOULDn’t LeAVe YOU

SteAMing If the appliances that come with your rented home seem more likely to cook up salmonella than Nigella, you’ll appreciate renting from Genesis. That’s because quality white goods, including a hob/oven, a fridge/freezer and a washing machine, come as standard in our rental properties. They’re part of a great specification that you’ll find throughout our range of new or well-maintained apartments. We have fantastic properties available for rent now at our iconic Stratford Halo development in east London, just minutes from the Olympic Stadium and Westfield shopping centre. Every one and two bedroom property comes with a fantastic, high-spec new kitchen and bathroom, wooden floors, and many enjoy far reaching views. Prices for a one bedroom apartment start from just £1,300 per calendar month.

0800 954 5439 genesishahomes.org.uk/for-rent

If that makes you want to rent for longer, you can do that as well. At Stratford Halo we offer rental tenancies for 1, 2, 3, 4 or even 5 years, giving you peace of mind and security. And that security comes with flexibility. After the first six months of your tenancy, if your circumstances change and you need to move out, you only need to give us 2 months’ notice. And once you’ve moved in, if you ever have any problems you’ll really appreciate our dedicated property managers and a 24-hour helpline for out of hours emergencies. Add in a transparent fee structure and the experience and resources of one of the UK’s leading housing providers and it’s clear to see why we think we’ve come up with a better way to rent. Call us today to book a viewing.