EXPERTS
Agony agent Readers put their property questions to our guest panel of experts: solicitors, mortgage advisers, property gurus and Help to Buy providers
THIS MONTH’S PA N E L O F E X P E R T S Wayne MooreRead, Senior Partner, Direction Law
Rich Login, Director of Sales and Marketing, Optivo
Simon Scott Assistant Director of Commercial & Property Marketing, Origin Housing
Can I use Help to Buy and live by the sea?
Q
T E S T T H E PA N E L
We need your questions... If you have any queries, or difficulties in understanding the property buying process, our panel of experts is waiting to help. Send our team your questions on buying property, Help to Buy, legal issues, or your financial problems and we’ll find the best person from the panel to give the advice you need. Email your questions to: lynda@firsttimebuyermag.co.uk
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I have managed to save up towards a deposit for my first home. Now that I can work remotely, I am looking to move away from London. I hope to move closer to the coast but with the option to use Help to Buy to supplement my deposit. Is there an opportunity where I can buy a new build with Help to Buy nearer the coast, and where is best to invest? Poppy Sedgwick, Stockwell
A
There are many Help to Buy opportunities across the country, and as we shift to more hybrid working, living nearer the coast or into the country is becoming more appealing. To purchase a property with Help to Buy in London you need a much higher deposit, therefore the Government scheme offers up to 40% equity loan of the property price. In the South East, the equity loan is 20% but property prices are normally lower to begin with. It’s great to hear you have saved up a deposit. One option would be to look at where the latest new builds are being developed along the coast. Brighton, in the past, has been a go-to for
London commuters wanting to be by the sea. And now there is a whole new neighbourhood being built in North Brighton, offering first time buyers the chance to own a home with Help to Buy. Home X in Lewes Road, by Optivo, offers high spec apartments without the traditional Brighton price tag, making homeownership in this area more achievable. You will have fast connections to London, while also being only a 19-minute bus ride to the beach or a short walk to the Wild Park Nature Reserve, part of the South Downs. The town, in recent years, has seen a growth in the digital sectors so you would be among like-minded creatives and techies too. The selection of studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments, available with Help to Buy, start from £231,000. Home X’s high quality residential homes include cuttingedge technology, landscaped outdoor spaces and inspiring flexible workspaces, perfect for those who want to divide their home and work environments. Residents at Home X also benefit from a concierge service in the ultra-cool communal space, a wellness area for time out and bike and car club membership. Rich Login
First Time Buyer December 2021/January 2022
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