Hf may 2014 whole issue [1]

homefocus MAY/JUNE 2014

KEEP CALM AND BUY A HOME

TV Personality

TOMMY WALSH ‘Where you live needs to be a home first and a house second!’

Buy your way out of renting and into a home of your own

‘We wanted to upgrade to a larger home’

WAYS TO HELP YOU BUY

says Jack

Help to Buy and Shared ownership

MADE MORE AFFORDABLE

Cover photograph: John Lawrence

WI N INNOVATIVE DIGITAL MEASURING GADGETS FROM BOSCH AT T R ACT I V E , ACC E S S I B L E , A F FOR DA B L E HOM E S

Publisher’sComment

homefocus

Affordable homes in fantastic locations

Clock Tower Court

Bond Central

CO SO MI ON NG

L AV AST AI HO LA M BL E E

LA UN M CH AY IN G

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

Kings Highway

(Indicative interior)

Kings Highway, Plumstead SE18

1 & 2 bedroom apartments for sale through the Shared Ownership scheme.

Prices start from £72,000 for a 45% share.

1 bedroom apartment in Southampton available for sale through the Shared Ownership scheme.

Prices start from £33,000 for a 30% share.

1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and 3 bedroom houses for sale through the Shared Ownership scheme.

Prices start from £72,000 Contact us now to register your interest.

L AV AST AI HO LA M BL E E

Canal Walk, Southampton, SO14 3BH

CO SO MI ON NG

ADVISORY PANEL Maddie Cross LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY Gail Davies GD CONSULTANCY Dave Evans BE CREATIVE LONDON Tony Harknell GENESIS HOMES Dave Lakin GRAND UNION HOUSING GROUP John McManus GLA Yvette Ruggins AFFINITY SUTTON GROUP Isabel Saville CONCORDIA HOUSING CONSULTANCY Simon Scott ORIGIN HOUSING Sharon Shaw EAST THAMES GROUP Jo Short HOMES IN HANTS Paul Stagnell-Howe STAGNELL FOX Richard Stone PROGRESS HOUSING SOLUTIONS Andrew Theoff DIRECTION LAW Helen Towner HOMES AND COMMUNITIES AGENCY Greg Warner-Harris SPECTRUM HOUSING GROUP Chris Winfield LONDON BOROUGH OF BRENT EDITOR Alex Randell e-mail: info@homefocus.co.uk

Albion Road, Bexleyheath DA6

AV A NO ILA W BLE

ISSN No 1470-0360

SUBSCRIPTIONS & GENERAL ENQUIRIES Julie Baugh Tel: 01622 772407 e-mail: julie@homefocus.co.uk PUBLISHER Jeffrey Gritzman Tel: 01622 772407 e-mail: jeffrey@homefocus.co.uk PUBLISHED BY Graid Publications, Kent House, Romney Place Maidstone, Kent ME15 6LH Tel: 01622 772407 DESIGN & PRODUCTION John Eldridge Design Associates

Website: www.homefocus.co.uk

The Croft

Super B

Hawthorn Close

The Croft, Cocking, West Sussex GU29

New England Square, Brighton BN1

Piggery Hall Lane, West Wittering PO20

2 bedroom houses and 2 bedroom apartments for sale through the Shared Ownership scheme.

Prices start from £74,000 for a 40% share.

1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments available for sale through the Shared Ownership scheme.

Prices to be confirmed.

Contact us now to register your interest.

2 bedroom homes available for sale through the Shared Ownership scheme.

Prices start from £84,000 for a 40% share.

www.facebook.com/homefocus www.twitter.com/homefocus

KEEP CALM AND THEN CARRY ON Like most arguments, the question of whether or not it’s a good time to buy a home depends on where you start from. If you need confidence to go forward then just read one of the many headlines that scream ‘biggest house price surge for a decade!’ Can there be a better time to be a homeowner? There’s little chance of getting into negative equity and you can build some quick equity that’ll make you feel wealthy. If you want a good reason to hold off getting on the ladder right now, try ‘biggest house price surge for a decade!’ and ask yourself, how can you afford it and even if you can, what will happen when interest rates start to rise?

So at homefocus, we’re not going to try to tell you what’s right, but rather, we suggest you take a cool look at both sides. Sort of ‘keep calm before carrying on’.

In a recent survey, the Money Advice Service (MAS – you’ve probably seen their ads on the telly) said that the majority of first time buyers had overstretched themselves. That one in five first time buyers regret not buying somewhere cheaper. Over half find the running cost of their first home more than they expected. And a huge proportion decided to buy a house without a full understanding of the true costs involved. Removal fees, legal costs, stamp duty, service charges and ground rent, on-going maintenance and repairs and utility costs all came up as ‘forgotten about’ in the survey.

Now we’re not reporting this to keep you awake at night. Rather, to remind you that if you decide that shared ownership is your route to homeownership, then you’ll have someone there to help you ‘keep calm’, a cool, dispassionate view on what you can afford. Remember, unlike buying in the private market, the housing association that works with you has an interest and a duty to make sure that your property is affordable in the long term. And that means checking your finances with you.

We can’t tell you if you should be pleased or worried about rising prices, but we can tell you that if shared ownership is your chosen route to getting your own front door, then the hoops you’ll be asked to jump through will make it less likely that you’ll be another of those who ticked the overstretched box.

Hyde New Homes properties are also available in Happy home hunting

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

Jeffrey Gritzman • Publisher Supports the aims of homefocus

or email: info@hydenewhomes.co.uk Terms and conditions apply. Hyde New Homes is part of The Hyde Group. Prices correct at time of going to print.

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 3

homefocus

Contents MAY/JUNE 2014

32

From house hunting to house war ming

25

34

Do you need help to buy a new home?

42

50 Buyers’ Guide

Hot properties

Celebrity Status

Lifestyle

Competition

6 Keep calm and buy a home

14 Midlands

34 In Conversation

A selection of shared ownership and Help to Buy homes in the east and west midlands

With TV’s DIYer Tommy Walsh

36 Love me… don’t love my car

50 Worth over £300

Forget the hype and the hyperbole and become a homeowner through low cost home ownership schemes

8 Compare the schemes

18 London

Find out which scheme suits you best

And some from the London boroughs

10 Buy, don’t rent!

22 South

Does renting make financial sense?

A selection in the’ new’ south region as defined by the Homes & Community Agency

12 Will you find a place on the ladder?

Low cost home ownership could help you become a home owner

26 East & south east

40 Helping you s-t-r-e-t-c-h

Some from the’ new’ east and south east region as defined by the Homes & Community Agency

Help to Buy helps you buy the house you want

30 South west And a final selection from the south west

48 Stay or move?

The options for buying more shares in your home, or to move on.

Just for you 3 Publisher’s comment House prices are rising again. A good thing or not?

‘I have always said where you live needs to be a home first and a house second’

38 All things bright and beautiful A splash of colour transforms a space

Where next?

Homefinder Directories Your search for an affordable first home can start here or at www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-costhomes-near-you

54 Introduction 55 Shows and Events 56 Property listings 59 East and south east 61 South west 62 London 64 Midlands 65 South 66 Legal and financial directory

4 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

How car clubs help city living

WIN

Win a bundle of innovative Bosch measuring tools

38

42 Food focus A tasty recipe for Salt Cod Fritters plus loads of foodie goodie

44 A mortgage rate rise

To find out more call:

Be prepared

0845 600 3674

or email: homes@orbit.org.uk www.orbithomes.org.uk

46 Budget Buster

52 Moving checklist Who to tell you’re on your way

Orbit Homes has developments of new homes right across the South East, Midlands, and East of England.

So whether you’re looking for a one bedroom apartment, a two bedroom house or a three bedroom family home we’re here to help you get your feet on the property ladder.

Great Advice

Our most requested guide: it’ll help you get control of your finances

With Help to Buy Shared Ownership you purchase a share in a brand new home and pay a subsidised rent on the part you don’t own.

Contact us...

Terms and conditions. Percentage shares offered vary by development and are subject to personal financial circumstances. Following a full financial review applicants will be offered the maximum share they can afford. Full details are available from Orbit Homes.

E-MAIL: info@homefocus.co.uk PHONE: 01622 772407 MAIL: homefocus magazine, Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6LH

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 5

Buyer’sGuide

Help to keep you calm There are specific programmes designed to give you the help you need to buy your own place far sooner than you might have thought possible. And to help you keep calm, you’ll discover that buying through these schemes can end up costing you less per month than renting a similar place privately. Sometimes, a lot less…

The schemes are collectively known as Affordable or Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO) and buying through one of them could be a more relaxed route to getting your own front door. It’s called affordable home ownership for good reason; it’s not cheap or small, but it’s made affordable. It ensures that you won’t be stretching your finances until they snap. Very few people find the early days of home ownership financially easy, but you will be able to have a life, as well as somewhere to live it from.

Just take a look at the comparative figures on page 11 for buying or renting homes around the country.

The comparisons might help keep your blood pressure in check. And when you’re looking at some of the properties made available through LCHO from page 14, you’ll see we give an indication of monthly costs, and the deposit you might need.

So you can compare what you’re paying now, or what you might have to fork out to rent a similar property, with what you could be spending each month on buying a home of your own…

Buy your way out of renting I

mpossible mortgages! Massive deposits!

Rising house prices! But you don’t want to rent? It would be so easy to get into a lather about whether you’ll ever be able to buy a home.

But there could be a way. So in the spirit of keeping calm and working your way through to the right outcome, go grab yourself a cuppa and read on – because maybe you can buy your way out of renting and into a home of your own.

6 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

Relax, you’re in control When you’re looking for a LCHO home, start by contacting a Help to Buy Agent. These are organisations appointed by the government to promote and co-ordinate LCHO in a particular area, and there’s a list of who they are on page 54. Or go to www. homefocus.co.uk/Help_To_Buy_Agents and be redirected to the appropriate website. Things work a little differently in London, but wherever you are, Help to Buy Agents will point you towards finding your own home.

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 run. And unlike renting privately, where your landlord could decide not to renew your tenancy, leaving you needing to start the home finding process all over again, LCHO means that your home will always be there for you, just as long as you pay your bills. So you can stay calm, you’re in control!

You’ll also be in charge when your circumstances alter. You can buy more of your home until you own it outright – this is called staircasing. If you have a shared ownership home, in most cases you can staircase until you own 100%. For equity loan schemes, you can pay off some or all of the equity loan. If you need to move to a different area, or have a pressing need for a larger or smaller home, you can look to move to another shared ownership property. And when you come to sell, your Help to Buy Agent is likely to hold a ready-made list of people who are hoping they can buy from you.

So whatever your future needs, LCHO will help you ‘keep calm’.

Two routes to home ownership…

There are two main types of LCHO – shared ownership and equity loans. Both will get you to a place of your own and the one you choose depends on your particular 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, sometimes even on the same property. There are more details of the 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 - but don’t worry, the key word here is ‘afford’, you’ll be able to discuss what share is right for your financial circumstances.

Equity loans You own 100% of your property, but initially, you’ll only have to cover a percentage of the cost with your mortgage and deposit. You can defer the rest for a while as it’s covered by the equity loan. You won’t have to pay anything on that equity loan for a few years, and the scheme you choose will dictate whether you pay any interest on this loan, and when you have to pay it back.

Is LCHO for you?

Maybe you’ve already heard of LCHO and thought that ‘it’s only for people with specific jobs, or maybe you’ve been thinking ‘it’s social housing by another name and I’m not after that sort of help’.

Well, think again. It is home ownership, and you’ll take on all the responsibilities and enjoy all the benefits that go with it. It’s an opportunity to get onto the housing ladder when circumstances mean that you’ve been priced out of the market in your area.

If you’re a first time buyer, or buying on your own for the first time 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 for shared ownership. And because there are no maximum income levels for equity loans, they’re available to a much broader group of buyers.

You COULD be eligible for the schemes if…

• You’re a first time buyer • You’ve owned a home in the past but don’t own one now • You need to buy a home of your own for the first time, for example after a relationship breakdown • You own your own home but it’s far too small for your needs – for example you have two children in a one-bedroom flat – and you can’t afford to buy somewhere bigger • You can’t otherwise afford to buy a suitable home in the area you need to live in • You’re working even though it’s not full time (you’ll have to show that you earn enough to cover your housing and living costs though. And you might be able to count long-term benefits towards your income) • You don’t need a mortgage (for example if you have equity from

a previous home after a relationship split and use that to buy your share outright. Or maybe you’ve been left some money or had a small lottery win. Again, you’ll have to show you have enough coming in to cover your housing and living costs)

You’re NOT eligible if...

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

• CCJ’s or a bad credit rating make it unlikely that you can pass financial assessments

Jargon-buster LCHO Stands for low cost home ownership. Many organisations also use affordable home ownership, and this is an umbrella term for schemes designed to help you buy a home. We use LCHO throughout homefocus.

Housing provider A ‘shorthand’ term used to describe any organisation which offers LCHO. This organisation can be a housing association, private developer, local council or charity.

Eligibility The LCHO schemes are mostly backed by the government, which means there are rules for who can benefit. When you apply to your Home to Buy Agent they’ll make sure you tick all the right boxes.

Allocation Just because you’re eligible, doesn’t mean you’ll automatically get the first property you’re interested in! If more than one family applies for the same property, the housing association will allocate it to the most suitable according to set criteria.

Open Market Is the term used to mean purchased in the ‘more usual’ way - via an estate agent or from a developer without the advantages of an LCHO scheme.

Specialist IFA & Solicitor An IFA is an independent financial advisor, while a solicitor is the person who acts for in the legal side of your home purchase. We recommend you use ones who specialise in LCHO because they will know the schemes. Your IFA will know where to find the best mortgage, and your solicitor will help things run smoothly. There’s a list of specialists on pages 66 and 67.

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 7

Buyer’sGuide

COMPARE THE SCHEMES...

This page gives you an at-aglance reference to all of the Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO) schemes on offer.

And don’t think it’s for day dreamers and high flyers, it’s a practical guide to finding an affordable home of your own.

Scheme type

Shared ownership

Finding the right LCHO scheme for you can be a bit daunting. But don’t worry, 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…

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…

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

New Build

Resales

Help to Buy Equity Loan

Developers’ own schemes

Rent to Buy

NewBuy

Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee

THE BASICS

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

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

Available on newly built properties up to a value of £600,000. You buy 100% of your home but only have to pay for 80% initially. The rest is covered by an equity loan from the government. There’s nothing to pay on the equity loan for the first five years, after which there’s a small interest charge. There’s more info on pages 40-41.

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 there’s a similar scheme called Rent to Save, 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.

Designed to make 95% mortgages available to a wide range of people.

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

KEEPING YOU CALM

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 48-49.

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

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

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.

THINK ABOUT

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

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

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

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

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.

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% WITH A SMALL DEPOSIT

WIDE CHOICE

NOT JUST FOR FIRST TIME BUYERS

ASK THE DEVELOPER

SAVE TO BUY YOUR HOME

FOR HIGHER WAGE EARNERS

NOT JUST FOR NEW PROPERTIES

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Call homefocus on 0845 4744734 or e-mail enquiries@homefocus.co.uk

8 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 9

SmartBuyer

W

hen you’re looking for somewhere to live, it can be easy to get into a bit of a panic. You’re coming up for 30 and still live at home with your parents?

Flap! You live in a small flat and you’ve got a baby on the way – panic! You’re splitting up with your partner and need somewhere for you and your children – run in circles!

So what’s the first thing that comes into your mind? Renting, right? After all, renting is quick, relatively easy, and if you don’t consider the home you’re about to move into truly YOURS, well, that’s the price you have to pay.

Is there a choice?

Before you make a move, ask yourself.

Do you really want to rent? To hand over you hard-earned money every month to pay someone else’s mortgage? To have no choice in the colours you paint your walls, or the carpets you walk on, or sometimes even the furniture you live with? Do you WANT to hand over so much of your salary each month that you have no chance to save for a deposit and buy a home of your own?

‘Having the second bedroom will be a luxury, especially after living in the cramped studio flat’ Martin Lebeda and his partner Kasia needed to find somewhere bigger to live. Their family doubled in size with the birth of their twin boys, so finding the right place was urgent. They were desperate to get onto the property ladder and luckily for the couple, Affinity Sutton’s The Residences in Coulsdon offered them a choice of shared ownership or an equity loan. Unusually, the choice was dependent on what financial option best suited the buyer, and not what property they chose.

The couple rented a studio flat in Croydon for two years previously, but following the arrival of Alex and Oliver, they were longing for extra space. Martin and Kasia were able to purchase a 50 per cent share in their new two-bedroom apartment for £103,750, with a

10 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

When the chips are down, and you need to think fast, it’s simple to take what looks like the easy option. Rent for a bit, then buy later. But what if renting for a bit is exactly what stops you buying later?

We all agree that buying a home is a huge commitment. But paying rent is a commitment too. And if you never get on the housing ladder, that means you’ll be paying that rent forever, long after you finish paying a mortgage. And what have you got to show for it? Nothing. Not even much security. You can pay your rent on the dot every month, but there’s nothing to stop your landlord selling the house from under you, or giving you notice to quit at any point.

So do you have a choice? Well, maybe you do! With low cost home ownership (LCHO), you could find yourself paying out less per month than you will renting privately.

So keep calm, breathe deeply. Take a look at the figures in the table opposite and do the same calculations for the area where you’re looking to live. If you can scrape a deposit together, home ownership might well be within reach after all.

five per cent deposit of just £5,188. Martin says: ‘When we found out we were having twins, we did of course panic! Living in a studio flat with two newborns is difficult to say the least, so we were very relieved when we found out we could afford to buy at The Residences. It was nice to have the choice of shared ownership and equity loan; but in reality, as we needed the twobedrooms, shared ownership was the only viable route. We’re extremely pleased with this, as a lower deposit is required and having the opportunity to buy more shares in the future was a big draw for us.’

Remaining in the area was also important for the couple, as Martin did not want to move further away from his work as a warehouse manager at a company in Lower Sydenham.

Kasia adds: ‘Coulsdon is a good area and it will be a nice place to bring up our twins - close to the countryside but with great connections to London. Having the second bedroom will be a luxury, especially after living in the cramped studio flat!’

CHECK THE FIGURES YOURSELF...

We’ve done a bit of checking around, and compared the price to rent a typical twobedroom property with the cost of buying outright with a 95% mortgage, buying different shares through shared ownership, and buying through the 80% Help to Buy equity loan scheme. So keep calm and work out the figures for where you want to live.

Ealing £408,000

25% share

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

£5,100

£96,900

£602

£701

£1,303

50% share

£10,200

£193,800

£1,204

£468

£1,672

80% Help to Buy equity loan

£20,400

£306,000

£1,901

£0

£1,901*

100% buy

£20,400

£387,600

£2,408

£0

£2,408

Private rent

-

-

-

£1,415

£1,405

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

Hinckley £132,000

25% share

£1,650

£31,350

£195

£227

£422

50% share

£3,300

£62,700

£390

£151

£541

80% Help to Buy equity loan

£6,600

£99,000

£615

£0

£615*

100% buy

£6,600

£125,400

£779

£0

£779

Private rent

-

-

-

£610

£534

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

Weymouth £180,000

25% share

£2,250

£42,750

£266

£309

£575

50% share

£4,500

£85,500

£531

£206

£737

80% Help to Buy equity loan

£9,000

£135,000

£839

£0

£839*

100% buy

£9,000

£171,000

£1,062

£0

£1,062

Private rent

-

-

-

£1,286

£665

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

£2,075

£39,425

£243

£286

£529

Stevenage £166,000 25% share 50% share

£4,150

£78,850

£486

£190

£676

80% Help to Buy equity loan

£8,300

£124,500

£765

£0

£765*

100% buy

£8,300

£157,700

£769

£0

£969

Private rent

-

-

-

£662

£776

Deposit

Mortgage

Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm

Total monthly costs

Reading £215,000 25% share

£2,688

£51,062

£317

£370

£687

50% share

£5,375

£102,125

£634

£246

£880

80% Help to Buy equity loan

£10,750

£161,250

£1,002

£0

£1,002*

100% buy

£10,750

£204,250

£1,269

£0

£1,269

£653

£895

Private rent

The small print We’ve used an average repayment mortgage over 25 years at 5.5% to get our figures. Deposit amounts are 5% which reflects what is available in the market at the moment. Please note that Help to Buy Guarantee Mortgages are NOT available in conjunction with LCHO schemes. But we have used 5% deposits for 100% purchases assuming that the mortgage will be attained using a Help to Buy Mortgage Guarantee. Rent for shared ownership is based on 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year (we then divide this by 12 to get a monthly rate). Private rents and property prices are based on averages in the area, taken from popular property websites not specific properties. * Please note that with a Help to Buy equity loan, you will be paying back some interest from year 6 onwards.

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 11

OnTheLadder

Is there a place on the ladder

FOR YOU? People used to think that low cost home ownership (LCHO) was only for keyworkers or council tenants. But the reality is that all kinds of people become homeowners this way. So keep your eyes and ears open and find your step on the ladder.

Phil and Estelle Phil’s mum Frances still lives in the village where Phil grew up, and he’d always wanted to move back there with Estelle and their two children, but house prices were so high it seemed out of the question. But then Frances noticed a small development of new houses being built on the outskirts of the village – and a sign alongside them that said they would be available for shared ownership (part buy/part rent). She passed all the details on to Phil, and he contacted the housing association that was building the houses. Since Phil had a strong connection to the village, the journey to home ownership was fairly simple. Phil and Estelle were told they needed to register with their local Help to Buy Agent. A meeting was then arranged with a specialist independent financial advisor (IFA) to make sure that the couple could afford to buy, and the housing association agreed to sell Phil and Estelle a 30% share of a three-bedroom house. They moved in as soon as the homes were finished.

Amelia Amelia had rented with friends for some years, but had always wanted a place of her own. She’d managed to get some savings together and phoned an independent financial advisor (IFA) to see what her options were regarding a mortgage. Eleanor thought she would need to borrow around four and a half times her income in order to afford a one-bedroom apartment, and was aware that mortgages of that kind were very hard to come by, but she couldn’t see how else she could buy. Her IFA told her that borrowing four and a half times her salary wasn’t likely to happen and explained that Amelia could borrow a more manageable sum (she borrowed three times her salary) and still buy a substantial chunk of a shared ownership property.

Her savings would cover a deposit, plus all of the associated legal and moving costs. Amelia was told to register with her local Help to Buy Agent, and was approved to buy through the

12 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

shared ownership scheme. She found three likely properties on the Help to Buy Agent’s website – two of them a little larger than she’d imagined she could afford and the third, she considered compact but in a great area. Amelia contacted the appropriate housing associations and arranged to go to viewing days. It was the location of the third property that ‘did it’ for Amelia and with the help of the IFA, she bought a 45% share from the housing association.

Richard and Kelly Richard and Kelly found out about LCHO through a chance conversation with one of Richard’s colleagues at his job as a teacher. His workmate had bought a shared ownership home five years before, and explained how the scheme worked one lunchtime when Richard was complaining about high rents, and worrying that he and Kelly would never get on the housing ladder. A quick bit of research on the internet that night resulted in Richard and Kelly finding the website of a major London housing association – and there they spotted the place that was to become their new home. A two-bedroom shared ownership apartment had just been listed on the site because the existing owner wanted to sell his share and move on. The apartment was less than five minutes walk from Richard’s school, and close enough to the tube to allow Kelly to get to work in central London. They contacted the housing association, were assessed to check what share they could afford, and went to see the apartment the next week. Richard and Kelly bought the 50% the owner was selling and moved in as soon as he’d had found a new home – around five months after first hearing about shared ownership.

Caroline Caroline and her husband divorced after twenty five years of marriage.

She works part time as a receptionist and although both her children have officially left home, her son does sort of keep ‘rebounding’ back to her before finding somewhere else to go on to. Having been a home owner for most of her married life, Caroline didn’t fancy going back to renting, but the proceeds from the sale of the family home weren’t going to be enough to finance her buying a home outright. And her job and age meant she couldn’t get much of a mortgage. Caroline’s daughter had been looking into buying a home through shared ownership, and suggested to Caroline that she might be able to do the same. Caroline contacted her Help to Buy Agent and discovered that she could use the proceeds from her share of the house to buy a 60% share in a light and airy two-bedroom ground floor apartment with a garden, that was listed on their website. Her wages would be able to cover the rent on the remaining 40% and the second bedroom would be handy if her son needed to ‘come home’ again. She contacted the housing association selling the home, and was able to buy it as soon as the family home was sold.

Charlie and Gina When Gina found out she was expecting a baby, she and Charlie decided that they needed to find a place of their own. But house prices in their area were very high, and on only Charlie’s salary, they wouldn’t be able to afford to buy for years.

They thought their only option would be to live with Gina’s parents while they waited to be allocated a place by the local council. Having registered with the council, they were invited along to a Home Ownership Open Day at the Town Hall, and there they discovered that they might be able to buy a shared ownership home. There was a mortgage advisor at the event, so they were able to get an idea of how much they could afford – and at another table they found a development of two-bedroom houses they thought were perfect. The housing association selling the homes explained the process, including registering with their Help to Buy Agent and really gave them confidence that they would be able to buy. Just twelve weeks after the Open Day, (and with a bit of help with their deposit from both sets of parents) Charlie and Gina bought a 25% share of their brand new house. So baby Dylan was taken home to his own nursery, when he was born a month later.

Dan and Max Dan was a man with a plan. He and his mate Max shared a flat that they rented in the suburbs, and both commuted to London for work. Dan was fed up with the journey, the cost of travel and the fact that he saw paying rent as ‘dead money’. He decided there must be a better way. He targeted areas in London that would be handy for them both to get to their respective places of work and were short hops from all the clubs, pubs, restaurants and bars that they spent time in. Dan knew that they could put their money to better use.

He and Max agreed that if they could find something they could afford, they would buy together and guarantee that they stayed put for a minimum of three years. After that they would be free to stay or sell and move on, knowing that they would each have built up a stake in the property, giving them a reasonable deposit for their next move. Dan and Max went to a mortgage advisor who suggested the Help to Buy equity loan deal, and explained that at first, they’d only have to pay for 75% of their property with a joint mortgage. Their savings paid for the 5% deposit and the rest was covered by an equity loan. It was explained that if the boys kept to their plan of moving on in three years, they wouldn’t have to pay any interest on the equity loan. Dan loved the idea and found a developer offering Help to Buy on some brand new two-bedroom apartments. They asked the solicitor who organised the legal side of their purchase, to formalise their agreement to wait a minimum of three years and to make sure that all the proceeds (after the equity loan was repaid) were split 50:50. They are just waiting for a moving in date now.

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 13

Midlands

Midlands Move

GLEN COTTAGES

million project incorporating fourteen homes. As you’d expect, each home has been finished or upgraded to an exacting high standard.

Ketley is a suburb of Telford with easy access to the restaurant, shopping and entertainment facilities that central Telford has to offer.

Ketley from £63,750 for 50% Unusual, in the sense that it provides a mixed development of new-build and refurbished properties, Sanctuary is offering two new, and two refurbished, two bedroom houses under the shared ownership scheme. The refurbished homes are semi-detached and priced just a little lower than the new-builds - one of which is end terrace, and the other, mid-terrace.

The development is in Brickhill Lane, Ketley, where the four shared ownership houses form part of an overall £1.6

Two-bedroom houses: Full value: £127,500 Minimum share: 50% • Cost of share: £63,750 5% deposit: £3,188 • Mortgage on share*: £372 Rent on remaining share**: £146 • Total costs: £518

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Glen Cottages” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Glen-Cottages

HIGHGROVE FIELDS

Dunston is acknowledged as a familyfriendly area and Westleigh’s new homes

Dunston from £174,360 for 80% Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying be more cost effective than renting or commuting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on page 58 and our Midlands directory on page 64. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/ Low-cost-homes-near-you.

MANOR KINGSWAY

and shops, all in a great location.

The street scenes will be a mix of treelined avenues, boulevards and crescents, designed around a central hub to create an exciting new environment for modern living. Bramble Brook, to the west of the development, is being developed and landscaped into a delightful public open space with walkways, sports courts, equipped play areas, allotments and a wildlife area.

A commercial and retail zone, expected to provide 450 jobs, is an integral part of the development. With shops, schools, employment, recreation facilities and local public transport all within easy walking distance, Derby’s vision for modern living

will come to life in a flourishing and sustainable new community.

Manor Kingsway has been singled out by the government as one of the first five UK developments to meet Building for Life 12 (BfL12) – the revised national benchmark for well-designed housing in England. The homes are being built to Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, which demonstrates a high standard of environmental sustainability. This will reduce running costs significantly and benefit the local environment.All the Kier homes at Manor Kingsway are being offered under the Help to Buy scheme. www.homefocus.co.ukManor-Kingsway

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £141,995 • Minimum equity: 405% • Cost of equity: £113,596 5% deposit: £7,100 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £548 Rent on remaining share**: £323 • Total costs: £654***

Want to know more? We’ll make it easy to get hold of the information you need. Put the name of the development or developments that interest you in the subject line of an email and we’ll arrange for the right companies to contact you. Just email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk and remember to include your name and phone number if you’d like us to pass it on. Or you could call 01622 772407. * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6

14 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

with contemporary style kitchens and

Westleigh Homes has released a number

bathrooms.

of three, four and five bedroom semi-

Two-bedroom apartments: Full value: £217,950 Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £174,360 5% deposit: £10,898 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,004 Total costs: £1,004***

detached and detached homes homes at Highgrove Fields, off Tollgate Way, under the Help to Buy scheme Located on the edge of Duston, Highgrove Fields provides a wide

Apartments and two, three, four and five-bedroom houses in Derby from £113,596 for 80% Built on the grounds of the old Manor and Kingsway hospital site, this residential development will comprise modern apartments, and two, three, four and fivebedroom homes. Currently selling off-plan, Kier Partnership Homes have built this development to exacting standards.

Each state-of-the-art new home will have a stunning, highly specified kitchen with integrated appliances and downstairs cloakroom, plus en suite and fitted wardrobes to the master bedroom. All homes come with allocated parking or carports.

The scheme has been sensitively designed to meet specific local housing needs and takes into account pedestrian and vehicular access. In addition to the contemporary homes, Manor Kingsway will, in due course, provide a new business park, with offices

will boast a variety of modern layouts,

range of traditional family homes and

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email

provides easy access to local amenities

enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Highgrove

and to the heart of Northampton. Yet the

Fields” in the subject. Remember to include your

countryside is just a stone’s throw away

contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/

– the best of both worlds!

Highgrove-Fields

CITRUS GROVE Kegworth from £28,750 for 25% Citrus Grove is a development of spacious two-bedroom apartments in Kegworth, 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 connected to locations throughout the east Midlands, so homes at Citrus Grove are perfect for commuters who would rather not live in the city.

Two-bedroom apartments: 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

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Citrus Grove” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/ Citrus-Grove

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 15

Midlands

CASTLEWARD

SENWICK ROAD

Derby, prices to be advised for 80%

Wellingborough – prices to be advised

Compendium Living has launched a development two, three and fourbedroom homes in Derby’s city centre under the Help to Buy scheme. And new homes there are available to reserve off-plan.

All homes at Castleward benefit from high specification finishes, including a fully fitted kitchen with integrated cooking appliances.

Phase one of Castleward will feature 164 homes, new business premises, with well-designed open spaces and an attractive tree-lined boulevard, which will all form part of a new neighbourhood located between the city centre and Derby Midland Station.

A development of new affordable homes in Senwick Road, Wellingborough is available via a partnership scheme between Westleigh Partnership Homes and Derwent Living.

The former allotment site has been transformed, and six shared ownership properties will be made available to provide local people with high quality affordable living.

Senwick Rd is on the outskirts of Wellingborough, a popular market town boasting major high street chain stores in its town centre. Supplementing these town centre shops are several outof-town retail parks and supermarkets including a Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Aldi and Morrisons. The town has a market three times a week.

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with

“Castelward” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit

“Senwick Rd” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit

www.homefocus.co.uk/Castleward

www.homefocus.co.uk/Senwick -Road

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

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

Jack and Rose Ducker and their children Previous situation:

Owned a smaller home

Scheme:

Help to Buy

Location:

Stanton under Bardon

Provider:

David Wilson Homes

Help to Buy Agent: Orbit

S

econd-time buyers, Jack and Rose Ducker, and their two young children, Imogen and Archie, are the first family to move in at the new-build development, Paddock View, in Stanton under Bardon.

The young family is moving up the property ladder, thanks to David Wilson Homes, and the Help to Buy scheme.

Jack (26), a gas engineer from Shepshed, and Rose (23), an electrician from Stanton under Bardon, had been living together in a 1970s three-bedroom semi-detached home in Coalville when they decided to use the Help to Buy scheme to upgrade to a newly-built, fourbedroom detached home.

Jack said, ‘One of our main reasons

‘We wanted to upgrade to a larger home’ for moving house was that we wanted to upgrade to a larger home. Our last house only had three bedrooms, and they were fairly small, whereas now we have four bedrooms which are all a good size, so Imogen and Archie will have more space, and we’ll be able to have more kids in the future without worrying about running out of room!’

He continued, ‘the location is also ideal for us. There are some great schools in the area and Rose grew up here so her family live just around the corner. On top of that, it’s only 10 minutes from Glenfield Hospital where we both work.’

Rose added, ‘The David Wilson sales team was really helpful and made the

whole moving experience as easy as possible. They were really friendly so we weren’t afraid to ask questions and it felt like they really bent over backwards to help us in any way that they could.’

Surrounded by beautiful countryside and featuring an exclusive range of three and four bedroom luxury homes, Paddock View is perfect for families and first time buyers alike.

Residents benefit from a variety of local amenities, such as a post office and a pleasant pub in the pretty village of, with the larger town of Coalville and its wider variety of shops just ten minutes away.

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on pages 56-58. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or you could call 0845 474 4734

16 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 17

London

London life

CHISWICK POINT West London from £95,550 for 25%

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the capital be more cost effective than renting or commuting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on pages 56 & 57 and our London directory on pages 60 & 61. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

If you’ve dismissed the popular Chiswick area of West London as being out of your price range then think again.

Shared ownership apartments are now available at Chiswick Point through Affinity Sutton.

Chiswick Point comprises 23 one and two-bedroom apartments, designed to suit a wide range of buyers from single professionals to new families.

Each home within the seven storey building comprises a high-specification kitchen with integrated appliances including a fridge/freezer and washing

One-bedroom apartments: Full value: £382,200 Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £95,550 5% deposit: £4,778 • Mortgage on share*: £557 Rent on remaining share**: £657 Total costs: £1,214

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Chiswick Point” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/ChiswickPoint

KINGS PARK Harold Wood from £53,250 for 30%

SHORTCROFT MEAD COURT One two and three-bedroom apartments in Dollis Hill from £68,750 for 25% Looking for an affordable new home with a difference? Genesis has launched Shortcroft Mead Court in Dollis Hill which provides an opportunity to purchase a modern apartment in a Grade II listed former college building.

Built in the 1800’s, this beautiful character building was a working school up until 1999. Now undergoing refurbishment and a sympathetic conversion, this unique development offers everything required for modern living, with all the character and charm of the history that goes before it.

A total of 19 apartments are available in a range of one, two and three bedroom layouts and each home combines a heritage setting with a high modern spec. The clever contemporary interiors are designed to make the most of the space and natural light, giving each home a bright, airy atmosphere.

A high quality specification has been chosen including white gloss kitchen units with integrated Electrolux appliances, sparkling white bathroom

suites, engineered wood flooring and stylish neutral carpets. For peace of mind, a video door entry phone provides extra security and allocated parking spaces are available.

Shortcroft Mead Court is just five minutes walk from Dollis Hill Underground Station on the Jubilee Line in Zone 3. Residents will have an easy commute into Central London, with direct services to Bond Street, Waterloo, London Bridge and Canary Wharf. If travelling by car, the North Circular is close by, as well as the A1 and A40, providing easy access to the motorway network.

Visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Shortcroft-Mead

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £275,000 • Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £68,750 5% deposit: £3,438 • Mortgage on share*: £401 • Rent on remaining share**: £472 • Total costs: £873

Want to know more? We’ll make it easy to get hold of the information you need. Put the name of the development or developments that interest you in the subject line of an email and we’ll arrange for the right companies to contact you. Just email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk and remember to include your name and phone number if you’d like us to pass it on. Or you could call 0845 474 4734. * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6

18 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

East Thames is offering a stylish selection of one and two bedroom apartments and three bedroom houses funded by £7.4m from the Mayor of London. The contemporary new homes, based in a picturesque parkland setting in Harold Wood, include 145 properties for shared ownership and benefit from generous landscaped communal space including children’s play area, parking and bicycle storage.

The homes offer balconies or terraces with wooden decking plus fully integrated kitchen appliances. And

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email

residents get all the benefits of energy efficient living.

Lambeth from £124,000 for 40%

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

The new homes are less than half a mile from Harold Wood train station, giving easy access to central London and Romford’s many shops, market and leisure facilities such as a health club and cinema. The ground breaking Crossrail link means the development will benefit from even better connections in the future.

One-bedroom apartments: Full value: £177,500 Minimum share: 30% • Cost of share: £53,250 5% deposit: £2,663 • Mortgage on share*: £311 Rent on remaining share**: £285 Total costs: £596

OVAL QUARTER A new collection of shared ownership homes are available from Notting Hill Homes, at the award winning development, Oval Quarter. This second phase includes one and two-bedroom apartments as well as three bedroom townhouses.

Forming part of a wider regeneration scheme, the development will be transformed into a ‘walkable neighbourhood’ layout of open streets and excellent on-site facilities including an express supermarket and other independent stores. A new, state of

machine/tumble dryer, fitted carpets and private balcony.

This new development is just 150 metres from Chiswick High Road with its eclectic mix of shops, bars and eateries and is a few minutes’ walk from Chiswick Park and Gunnersbury Station tube stations.

enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Kings Park” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Kings-Park

housing a café, nursery, after school clubs and a venue for public meetings.

Each home boasts a high specification finish, including a fully fitted kitchen with integrated Smeg fridge freezer and washer dryer. Bathrooms feature a Roca suite and some homes benefit from access to an individual balcony, terrace or garden.

One-bedroom apartments: Full value: £310,000 Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £124,000 5% deposit: £6,200 • Mortgage on share*: £723 Rent on remaining share**: £426 Total costs: £1,149

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email

the art community centre will form a centrepiece within the development,

enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Oval Quarter” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Oval-Quarter

** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 19

London

PADDINGTON HOUSE Wembley, prices to be confirmed from 35% A selection of one, two and three-bedroom apartments is being made available in Ealing Road, Wembley, via the shared ownership scheme. This is a flagship canalside development from Network Housing, offered through their sales agent, Currells, and located 200 yards from Alperton Station on the Piccadilly line. So getting around couldn’t be easier.

The finish in these properties combine

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Paddington House” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/ Paddington-House

SO STEPNEY East London from £286,875 for 75%

Previous situation: Living with family Scheme:

Shared ownership

Location:

Coulsdon

Provider:

Affinity Sutton

D

eborah Burrows (31) and Tony Coleman (38) thought they had time on their hands to save and prepare when it came to buying their first home.

The situation suddenly changed when Deborah’s sister, whom they had been living with in South Croydon for the past four years, found out she was expecting her first child. Wanting to give her space and privacy, the couple found themselves searching for their first home sooner than they had expected.

Deborah was really concerned that they were not in a financial position to put down a large deposit on a property but, thanks to the low deposit required

‘The most affordable way for us to buy’ through shared ownership, they were able to purchase a two-bedroom apartment at Affinity Sutton’s The Residences in Coulsdon. Deborah and Tony needed a 5% deposit of just £5,800, in order to purchase a 55% share of a new two-bedroom apartment for £116,000.

Deborah says: ‘I was attracted to shared ownership because it meant I didn’t need to borrow money from my parents, which was something I was reluctant to do. It was great to be able to afford the deposit out of our savings’ Tony adds: ‘shared ownership has been the most affordable way for us to buy

our first home. There is no way we would have been able to raise the deposit for a two-bedroom apartment any other way.’

Deborah and Tony’s new home is in an ideal location for the couple, even though it’s further away from where Deborah works as a solicitor in South Croydon.

‘Moving further away from my job isn’t a concern for me,’ she says. ‘I was happy to sacrifice the very short commute I had because I liked this development so much. The Residences is situated on a road with great bus routes which stop near work: what’s more, Coulsdon South Train Station is within walking distance if I ever need to hop on the train.’

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on pages 56-58. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or you could call 0845 474 4734

20 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

Total costs: £1,644

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “So Stepney” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/So-Stepney

MONDRIAN Shoreditch from £106,250 for 25% Genesis has launched a collection of modern new homes in the heart of trendy Shoreditch. The first phase at Mondrian is made up of 14 one and two-bedroom apartments. Shared ownership makes this fashionable area of East London more accessible than ever.

The development is located on the site of the former Mildmay Mission hospital off Shoreditch High Street, and the apartments are designed to a high quality specification, with wood flooring, white gloss walls and private balconies to all apartments. Kitchens * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%

End and Stepney Green, Limehouse overground station and DLR and an extensive bus network.

Three-bedroom apartments: Full value: £382,500 Minimum equity: 75% • Cost of equity: £286,875 5% deposit: £19,125 • Mortgage on equity*: £1644

Just nine three-bedroom apartments are available through the shared equity scheme in this unique quarter of East London. So Stepney, from East Thames offers style and substance; from living areas and bedrooms to clean-lined kitchens with integrated appliances and well-appointed bathrooms. Finished to a high standard and featuring the latest energy efficiency technologies and generous number of power and telephone points, these homes will let you live in style.

Getting around is simple as So Stepney is excellently served by public transport, including nearby tube stations at Mile

Deborah Burrows and Tony Coleman

the latest style, with all the comfort that modern living dictates. All appliances are included in the high gloss kitchens and every property benefits from a private balcony. Spread over seven floors from the 4th to the 10th floor, some apartments have far reaching views across the canal. Limited parking is available at an additional cost.

boast granite worktops, chrome fittings and integrated Bosch appliances.

The homes are built with a Fabric First heating system, making them highly eco-friendly enabling residents to keep energy bills to a minimum: communal district heating systems, triple glazed windows and denser walls all work together to keep apartments comfortable.

One-bedroom apartments: Full value: £425,000 Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £106,250 5% deposit: £5,313 • Mortgage on share*: £620 Rent on remaining share**: £731 Total costs: £1,351

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Mondrian” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Mondrian

** Assuming rent at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 11 21

South

South Focus

MAYFLOWER MEWS Southampton. Prices to be advised for 80% Mayflower Mews from Lovell Homes offers a selection of beautifully designed, threebedroom homes and one- and two-bedroom apartments, all available through the Government-backed Help to Buy scheme.

So if you’re a singleton, couple, a family or even trading down to retirement, you could find what you are looking for at Mayflower Mews.

The development is just a short drive from the centre of Southampton and all the city has to offer, and at the same time, it’s close to an attractive park and nature reserve. So the best of both worlds!

Located at Laxton Close in Sholing, Mayflower Mews is only three miles from the M27, just under four miles from Southampton Central railway station, and eight miles from Southampton Airport.

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “MayflowerMews” in the subject.

Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Mayflower-Mews

CENTENARY QUAY Woolston from £43,750 for 35% Spectrum Housing Group is offering one and two bedroom apartments at the brand new development, Centenary Quay in Woolston on a shared ownership basis. Woolston is located on the eastern bank of the River Itchen.

This phase of the development consists of two x one-bedroom apartments and fourteen x two-bedrooom apartments all built to a high standard, with excellent fixtures and fittings. This development will make an ideal perfect location for people to live, work and relax. And a state-of-the-art marine quarter will complete the look of the new complex.

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

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying be more cost effective than renting or commuting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on page 58 and our South directory on page 65. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/ Low-cost-homes-near-you.

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Century Quay” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Century-Quay

SOUTHSIDE EMBANKMENT

Two-bedroom houses in Kings Worthy from £94,000 for 40% Located in the pretty Hampshire village of Kings Worthy, just two miles from historic Winchester, Southside Embankment is a collection of 10 brand new homes, specifically designed for first time buyers.

Southside Embankment is available on a shared ownership basis from Hyde New Homes.

The village of Kings Worthy, set in the Itchen Valley, is a traditional Hampshire village which provides the perfect backdrop for family life. Living here, you won’t have to travel far to meet your

daily needs. The village is home to a good selection of shops and services including a Tesco Express, a convenience store, pharmacy, post office, a couple of pubs, hairdressing salon, doctor’s surgery and a good primary school.

However much you enjoy the country life, you won’t be able to resist the attractions of one of England’s most vibrant heritage destinations. Historic Winchester boasts a magnificent cathedral,

ancient monument and museums – but there’s much more to the city than its rich past. For a spot of retail therapy, you’ll find the city has a host of High Street names, independent retailers and street markets. In fact, Winchester hosts one of the UK’s largest farmers’ markets which takes place on the second and last Sunday of each month. www.homefocus.co.uk/Southside-Embankment

Two-bedroom hous: Full value: £235,000 • Minimum share: 405% • Cost of share: £94,000 • 5% deposit: £4,700 Mortgage on share*: £548 • Rent on remaining share**: £323 • Total costs: £871

Want to know more? We’ll make it easy to get hold of the information you need. Put the name of the development or developments that interest you in the subject line of an email and we’ll arrange for the right companies to contact you. Just email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk and remember to include your name and phone number if you’d like us to pass it on. Or you could call 0845 474 4734. * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6

22 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

KING’S LODGE Cinderford fom £109,596 for 80% Kier Partnership Homes is offering two, three and four-bedroom homes at Cinderford, (the illustration is of the four-bedroom Bentley style), all available under the Help to Buy scheme. Each home is finished to a high standard, with contemporary kitchens and integrated appliances, downstairs cloakrooms, plus fitted wardrobes and en suites to the master bedrooms.

King’s Lodge is a great setting whether you’re looking for town or rural life. Whilst overlooking stunning woodland in the beautiful Forest of Dean, the development is only a short distance from Cinderford town centre, which offers a thriving market and a variety of independent shops and places to eat.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £136,995 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £109,596 5% deposit: £6850 • Mortgage on 80% equity*£631 • Total costs: £631***

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Kings Lodge” in the subject.

Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Kings-Lodge

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 23

South

BOND CENTRAL

WOODLARK PLACE

Southampton from £33,000 for 30%

Four Marks from £292,000 for 80%

The last of the one bedroom apartments at Bond Central available from Hyde New Homes through the shared ownership scheme.

These apartments have been designed to maximise light and space, have contemporary fixtures and fittings as standard, and benefit from communal terraces for residents.

Bond Central is an exciting new development of 36 apartments located in central Southampton, close to amenities and transport links. Yet it has a strong affinity with the past.

With cutting-edge design and modern comforts, Bond Central is 21st century living at the heart of one of the world’s most famous maritime cities.

The rooms at Kebbell Homes’ new threebedroom houses in Four Marks are larger than average, encouraging families seeking a spacious and comfortable home to take a look. Further encouragement comes from the fact that all of the homes there are available under the Help to Buy scheme.

Each home offers a high specification kitchen and dining room, and spacious living room with French doors opening onto the garden, while the architectural style echoes the traditional character of Four Marks and ensures the homes sit comfortably in this charming village. With fully fitted kitchens from Omega and bathrooms with sanitary ware from Roca’s Gap each home provides under floor heating to the ground floor.

One-bedroom apartments: Full value: £110,000 • Minimum share: 30% Cost of share: £33,000 • 5% deposit: £1,650 • Mortgage on share*: £193 Rent on remaining share**: £176 • Total costs: £369

Three-bedroom houses: Full value: £365,000 • Minimum equity: 80% Cost of equity: £292,000 • 5% deposit: £18,250 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1681 • Total costs: £537***

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with

“Bond Central ” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit

“Woodlark Place” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

www.homefocus.co.uk/Bond-Central

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

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

Pan Meadows

Jemma Jones and Simon Hume Previous situation:

Council tenant

Scheme:

Help to Buy

Location:

Southampton

Provider:

Lovell Homes

Help to Buy Agent: Radian

W

ith Lovell’s help, first-time buyer couple Jemma Jones (34) and Simon Hume (32) from Southampton, have found the perfect home for their growing family, without having to leave the area they love.

Following the arrival of baby Arya - a sister for 11-year-old Ethan, the family are looking forward to having a brand new three-bedroom house at Lovell’s Montague Place development in Townhill Park where they will have more space and a garden.

Up until now, Jemma and Simon have been renting a two-bedroom council flat near the new development in Meggeson Avenue and for the last year, have been looking to buy.

‘Continuing to live in the neighbourhood was very much wanted’ Continuing to live in the neighbourhood was something that the family very much wanted, explains Jemma. ‘We love it here. My son goes to Bitterne Park School and we like being so close to the river.’ She continues, ‘we spoke to Lovell at the homes show at the Hampshire Cricket Ground and found out they were building near us.

We could see the development going up and the Help to Buy scheme made a big difference. We haven’t had to pay such a big deposit up front, and our mortgage payments will be cheaper.’

Thanks to Help to Buy, Jemma, an occupational therapist, and

physiotherapist Simon, have only had to find a five per cent deposit for their home. ‘For us, this is the perfect first-time buy,’ says Jemma. ‘We have the extra bedroom and outdoor space we wanted and the security of knowing that we have a brand-new home, covered by a ten-year NHBC warranty.’

The family are waiting for a move in date and will probably be able to see when their home is ready. Buying offplan has also given them the chance to decide on some of the interior finishes for their new home, such as selecting the bathroom tiles, kitchen work units and flooring.

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on pages 56-58. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or you could call 0845 474 4734

24 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

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

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homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 25

East & South East

East & South East

BEAUCHAMP MILL Stotfold, Beds from £62,500 for 50% Set in the Bedfordshire countryside, Hightown Homes is offering the Beauchamp Mills development with a two-bedroom house with garden plus one and two-bedroom maisonettes available for shared ownership.

There is a variety of nearby shops and amenities in the vicinity and Letchworth is just a 10 minute drive from the development.

There is a good choice of lower schools within Stotfold for children up to the age of nine, and schools for ages of nine

MARSTON PARK Long Sutton from £100,000 for 80%

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying be more cost effective than renting or commuting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on pages 56-57 and our East and south east directory on page 59. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-costhomes-near-you.

STOKE QUAY

One and two-bedroom apartments and four-bedroom houses in Ipswich from £29,375 for 25% Waterfront properties are few and far between. Affordable waterfront properties are even harder to find. But if you’re looking in Ipswich, you’ll be pleased to find shared ownership homes from Genesis, at Stoke Quay - a prime position overlooking the River Orwell.

The first phase at Stoke Quay will see a collection of contemporary one and twobedroom apartments and four-bedroom houses that overlook the River Orwell, but are mere minutes from the town centre.

With an abundance of leisure facilities just

a stone’s throw away, Stoke Quay is great for both business and pleasure pursuits.

Genesis is at the forefront of extensive regeneration along the River Orwell waterfront. The docks will soon be home to bustling residential and commercial areas, and already have a plethora of restaurants and bars within easy reach.

Ipswich has three theatres, a high street with extensive retail shops, and some of the most historic buildings in Suffolk.

Stoke Quay is just a 13 minute walk to Ipswich train station for regular services to London, Cambridge and Peterborough in just over an hour, Norwich is 43 minutes and Felixstowe in 26 minutes. Ipswich lies close to two major roads, the A14 and A12 with access to the M25 for journeys further afield. Stansted Airport is also only an hour away by car.

Visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Stoke-Quay

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £117,500 • Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £29,375 • 5% deposit: £1,469 Mortgage on share*: £171 • Rent on remaining share**: £202 • Total costs: £373

Interested? We’ll make it easy to get hold of the information you need. Put the name of the development or developments that interest you in the subject line of an email and we’ll arrange for the right companies to contact you. Just email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk and remember to include your name and phone number if you’d like us to pass it on. Or you could call 0845 474 4734 * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6

26 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

Westleigh Homes has released eight two and three-bedroom homes for sale, off-plan, at its Marston Park development in the picturesque market town of Long Sutton. These properties form part of the second phase in the development and will be built to a high specification with a choice of layouts.

Facilities include en-suite bathrooms, contemporary kitchens and spacious living areas, and all are available via the Help to Buy scheme.

Long Sutton is centred on the attractive period Market Place, forming

PRIESTGATE COURT Peterborough £27,500 for 25% Priestgate Court is an exciting development of one and two bedroom apartments available for Shared Ownership from Cross Key Homes.

Located right in the heart of the city of Peterborough, the development comprises tastefully restored Grade II listed buildings dating back to the 17th century, plus brand new buildings providing 29 stylish apartments. Part of the building was a vicarage in the mid 19th century which then became office space and has now been tastefully refurbished back to its original residential use.

and above can be found in Arlesey and Clifton.

Road and rail communications are good—Stotfold is very near to the A1.

Arlesey train station is approximately three miles away from the development and has fast trains into London Kings Cross and Peterborough.

One- bedroom apartments: Full value: £125,000 Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £62,500 5% deposit: £3,125 • Mortgage on share*: £365 Rent on remaining share**: £215 Total costs: £580

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Beauchamp Mill” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Beauchamp-Mill

the main shopping area with local retailers and a host of places to eat and drink. The area provides a delightful mix of rural living – just a short distance from The Wash National Nature Reserve – yet close the nearby towns of Holbeach and Wisbech.

Two-bedroom houses: Full value: £125,000 Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £100,000 5% deposit: £12,500 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £537 Total costs: £537***

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Marston Park” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/MarstonPark

The contemporary interiors and modern finishes have been designed to complement the regeneration of this fine building and where possible, original features, such as sash windows and traditional hard wood panelled doors, have been retained.

One-bedroom apartments: Full value: £110,000 Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £27,500 5% deposit: £1,375 • Mortgage on share*: £160 Rent on remaining share**: £189 Total costs: £349

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Priestgate Court” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/ Priestgate-Court

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 27

East & South East

TRINITY FIELDS Upper Cambourne from £80,000 for 50% Flagship Homes has launched a development of apartments, houses and a two-bedroom coach house under the shared ownership scheme. Focusing on the apartments, each one has an open plan lounge/kitchen/diner, two double bedrooms, with an en-suite and bathroom or shower room. Each apartment has an allocated parking spot and entry is via a communal entrance with secure door.

Kitchens are fitted with base and wall units, co-ordinating work surfaces and tiled splash back. An oven, hob and extractor fan is built in, and there’s space for a free standing fridge, freezer and washing machine. Bathrooms include a Roca white suite, Aqualisa shower and vinyl flooring. The central heating system is gas fired.

Two-bedroom apartments: Full value: £160,000 • Minimum share: 50% • Cost of share: £80,000 5% deposit: £4,000 • Mortgage on share*: £467 • Rent on remaining share**: £183 • Total costs: £650

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “TRINITY FIELDS” in the subject.

Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Trinity Fields

EADES PLACE Great Witchingham. Prices to be advised for 80% Home buyers wanting to live within easy reach of Norwich are encouraged to register their interest in a new development of new two, three and four-bedroom homes – all available under the Help to Buy scheme from Lovell.

Eades Place will feature a range of Lovell’s popular house styles, with homes incorporating stylish fully fitted kitchens with integrated cooking appliances and sleek bathrooms.

Great Witchingham, which benefits from a primary school, butchers, doctors and post office, is located just 12 miles from Norwich, making it an ideal setting for those who want a rural lifestyle with easy access to the city.

Hailey Wells and Terrance Tansley Previous situation: Housing association tenant Scheme:

Shared Ownership

Location:

Peterborough

Provider:

Cross Key Homes

Help to Buy Agent: Orbit

F

or Peterborough couple Hailey Wells, 25 and Terrance Tansley, 24, being given the chance to buy their own home led to the fulfilment of not one, but two of their dreams.

Hailey and Terrance had been renting a one-bed-room flat from housing association, Cross Keys Homes. But before long, they had outgrown the flat and began to search for a new place to call home.

Hailey says: ‘We started to look around to see what we could afford to rent, as we thought buying was out of our price range. While we were looking, we discovered that Cross Keys Homes were

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Eades Place”

‘It’s brilliant! We’re paying less than when we were renting’ building some new homes, available for shared ownership so we decided to find out more’.

In order to be sure that the couple were eligible for the shared ownership scheme, they were told to register with their local Help to Buy Agent. And within days, they heard back with confirmation of their eligibility.

Following a financial check, Cross Keys worked out that the couple could afford to buy a 25% share in the new home and Hailey and Terrance were able to put down a 10% deposit of £1,425. The mortgage plus the subsidised rent each month cost around £360 and this left Hailey and

Terrance £115 better off each month, than when they were renting.

Hailey says: ‘It’s brilliant! We’re paying less than when we were renting and the equivalent property on the private rented market would be £550 a month. It’s so great to know the house is ours and that no-one can take it away from us’.

In addition to fulfilling their dream of becoming home owners, Hailey and Terrance have realised their biggest dream yet. Hailey adds: ’I’ve always wanted a baby and have been trying to conceive for the last few years. As soon as we moved in I fell pregnant, it’s almost as if my body knew it was the right time.’

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on pages 56-58. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or you could call 0845 474 4734.

in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/ Eades-Place

ROEBUCK PARK Hellingly from £95,000 for 50% Roebuck Park is a stunning new development of energy-efficient homes located close to the village of Hellingly, East Sussex. Situated in approximately 38 acres of beautiful parkland and surrounded by countryside and woodland, Roebuck Park is also within easy reach of a range of shopping, leisure and entertainment facilities; the market town of Hailsham is just two miles away.

The development allows easy access to the A22 which connects London and Eastbourne and you can easily reach Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings by road.

The last few two and three bedroom homes are being offered on a shared ownership basis through Orbit Homes.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £190,000 • Minimum share: 50% • Cost of share: £95,000 5% deposit: £4,750 • Mortgage on share*: £555 • Rent on remaining share**: £218

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Roebuck Park” in the subject.

Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Roebuck-Park

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6

28 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 29

South West

South West Corner

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the capital be more cost effective than renting or commuting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on page 58 and our South West directory on pages 61. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

WHITLEY COURT Paignton Taunton from £103,125 for 75% - for the over 55’s Sanctuary Group has built an extra care scheme for the over 55s, in Hayes Road, Paignton and is making homes available there, through the shared ownership scheme.

Whitley Court is made up of individual self-contained apartments, some with sea views, plus bungalows and they’re all designed to give residents maximum independence with care and support on site as needed. Living in an age exclusive development means that alongside the benefits of continuing to live on your own, you’ll find communal facilities that, at Whitley Court, include

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £137,500 Minimum share: 75% • Cost of share: £103,125 Rent on remaining share: n/a on this scheme

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Whitley Court” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Whitley-Court

MALBOROUGH PARK Swindon from £32,250 for 25% Just on the edge of Swindon, Malborough Park has a range of two-bedroom apartments offered through shared ownership, by Places for People.

All of the apartments have been finished to a high specification and include a wide range of added extras. Kitchens include an integrated hob and oven plus a washer dryer, fridge and freezer. The well proportioned apartments have an open plan living, kitchen and dining area and many of the spacious master bedrooms have an en-suite shower room.

MELBURY GRANGE

a restaurant, lounge, hairdresser’s salon and multifunction room. And of course, you’ll find like minded and similar aged homeowners to share them with.

And even though you’re able to buy a 75% share at Whitley Court on a shared ownership basis, under the terms of this extra care scheme, there’s no rent to pay each month. As with all leasehold properties, service charges will be applied.

audio-visual door entry system.

Malborough Park offers views over the countryside, yet is conveniently close to Swindon’s old town. If you’re a commuter, you’ll find the development well connected to London, Bristol and Reading.

Two- bedroom apartments: Full value: £129,000 Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £32,250 5% deposit: £1,613 • Mortgage on share*: £189 Rent on remaining share**: £222 Total costs: £411

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email

For home entertainment, you’ll enjoy integrated digital terrestrial and satellite TV and for peace of mind, there is an

enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Malborough Park ” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/ Malborough-Park

Shaftesbury from £51,000 for 30% Property in Shaftesbury and this part of the south west has a reputation for being highly priced. And many looking to buy their first home, have been worried about how to get their foot on the property ladder.

But now Spectrum Housing Group is pleased to announce the release of three and four-bedroom houses for sale under the shared ownership scheme; making buying a family home more affordable.

The homes on offer are built to a high standard with finish, fixtures and fittings being of an excellent quality. All the

modern features you would expect in a a stylish new build home have been incorporated.

For shoppers, the market town of Shaftesbury has a range of independent shops alongside national retailers, and for entertainment there’s pubs, cafes and restaurants. And the Shaftesbury Arts Theatre. So you get the benefits of a thriving market town plus beautiful views over the countryside For commuters, Melbury Grange is

CHERRY TREE GARDENS Plymouth from £127,996 for 80%

within striking distance of the A30, so the development has good road links and if you need the railway, then there’s a station at nearby Gillingham. www.homefocus.co.uk/Melbury-Grange

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £170,000 • Minimum share: 30% • Cost of share: £51,000 • 5% deposit: £2,550 Mortgage on share*: £298 • Rent on remaining share**: £272 • Total costs: £570

Want to know more? We’ll make it easy to get hold of the information you need. Put the name of the development or developments that interest you in the subject line of an email and we’ll arrange for the right companies to contact you. Just email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk and remember to include your name and phone number if you’d like us to pass it on. Or you could call 0845 474 4734. * Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year.; *** Help to Buy property, interest on the equity loan starts in year 6

30 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

Taylor Wimpey is offering two and three and four-bedroom houses in Plymouth for specially held pre-showhouse price – but only for the moment! And making them even more accessible…the Help to Buy scheme.

A typical four-bedroom, end-ofterrace house, features a spacious living/dining room opening through French doors to the private rear garden, with a kitchen/breakfast room and a guest cloakroom completing the ground-floor layout. Upstairs, the landing leads to an en-suite master

bedroom, three further bedrooms and a main bathroom, while there are two allocated parking spaces outside.

Cherry Tree Gardens is located off Ham Drive, close to a wealth of facilities for day-to-day living. For the weekly shop, there are three supermarkets within two miles and one less than half a mile away.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £159,995 Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £127,996 5% deposit: £8,000 Mortgage on 80% equity*:£737 • Total costs: £737***

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with “Cherry Tree Gardens” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/ Cherry-Tree-Gardens

* Approximate figures only, assuming a 25 year mortgage at 5.5%. **Assumes rent is charged at 2.75% of the share you don’t own, per year. *** Help to Buy property. Interest on equity loan starts in year 6

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 31

South West

HEATHFIELD GARDENS

TREVENSON MEADOWS

Taunton from £87,500 for 50%

Newquay from £119,996 for 80%

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

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

If you’re looking in Newquay, Taylor Wimpey is launching a range of stylish two-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom coach houses – perfect for firsttime buyers – plus spacious three and four-bedroom houses which would suit growing families. Each new home at Trevenson Meadows is completed to a high standard specification, including energy efficient central heating, double glazing and a fitted kitchen with an integrated oven, hob and hood. All homes are offered under the Help to Buy scheme.

Families will appreciate there are schools for all ages within walking distance of the development, and a Morrisons supermarket close by. Trevenson Meadows enjoys a quiet, semirural setting in Trencreek, just a mile and a half from Newquay.

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

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £149,995 • Minimum equity: 80% Cost of equity: £119,996 • 5% deposit: £7,500 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £691 Total costs: £691***

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email enquiries@homefocus.co.uk with

“Heathfield Gardens” in the subject. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Heathffield-

“Trevenson Mews” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or

Gardens

visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Trevenson-Mews

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

Don’t miss out...

Zoe Shelbourne and Simon Taylor

Get the next 6 issues of homefocus delivered through your door

Previous situation: Living with parents Scheme:

Help to Buy

Location:

Yealmpton

Provider:

Taylor Wimpey

Help to Buy Agent: Sovereign & Westward

Z

oe Shelbourne and Simon Taylor had plenty to celebrate after they moved into their stunning new home at Taylor Wimpey’s Kitley Place, and welcomed baby Olivia into the world just 13 days later.

Zoe, 31 and Simon, 32, moved into their three-bedroom home at Yealmpton, Devon, and barely had time to get settled in before baby Olivia arrived just two weeks later. So it’s been a busy time for the couple – as well as enjoying their new home and welcoming their new bundle of joy, Simon also started a new job at the University of Plymouth.

Zoe and Simon feared their budget

‘We thought Yealmpton would be out of our price bracket’ would not stretch to the cost of a home in picturesque Yealmpton, where they had spent the past year living with Simon’s parents, but they are now delighted to be starting family life, with the help of Help to Buy. Zoe says: ‘We thought Yealmpton would be out of our price bracket but after reading about Help to Buy, we thought we’d go and have a look at Kitley Place. Before we knew it, we were reserving our property.

She continues; ‘we found out I was pregnant when we started househunting, so it was quite urgent – we

decided to go for a new-build because it meant we wouldn’t have to do any work on the property, which was ideal as we were preparing to welcome a newborn baby. Yealmpton is a lovely place to live, it’s near to the sea and it has a nice village feel, and because of Help to Buy, we have been able to stay here, which is great’.

Yealmpton boasts a well-regarded primary school, where Simon was educated as a child and which Zoe and Simon hope Olivia will attend when the time comes. The village’s location is also ideal for Simon’s short commute to Plymouth, just seven miles away.

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on pages 56-58. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or you could call 0845 474 4734.

32 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

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

Published every other month to keep you up to date with the latest opportunities in shared and affordable home ownership Just £12.95 for the next 6 issues n The latest affordable developments in your region n Who to ask and where to find an affordable home n Advice on legal and mortgage matters from specialists n Information about shared ownership, New Build HomeBuy, FirstBuy, and all low cost home ownership schemes PLUS MUCH, MUCH MORE; celebrity interviews, competitions and reader offers, jargon busters and homestyle articles To be sure of receiving the next 6 issues of homefocus, fill in the form and send your cheque* for £12.95 to: Graid Publications Ltd, Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, ME15 6LH

*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

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Remember you can call us on 01622 772407 or email info@homefocusmagazine.co.uk for the info you need.

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 33

Inconversationwith...

After rising to fame on the popular TV programme Ground Force, Tommy Walsh has had continued success as a presenter of several home building shows and author of a series of DIY books for Harper Collins publishers. We caught up with Tommy to ask him about his work, his tips for buying a home, and lastly his views about the lack of affordable housing in the UK. This, as you will read, turned out to be something he feels very strongly about.

What attracted you to becoming a builder/ DIY Expert and what do you like most about the job?

I used to go to work with my dad on a Saturday from the age of four. He started manufacturing building blocks and then went on to make landscaping products; the cement must have got into my blood! I really love what I do, to take a tired, damaged old house or garden, and remodel and renovate it, giving it a new lease of life, is rewarding in the extreme. I look forward to going to work every single day!

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

My wife Marie was my girlfriend at the time, and she wanted somewhere independent to live, so on the quick we bought a little two bedroom terraced house, in poor condition without heating or hot water for £13,500. I excavated the basement and underpinned the house to create a huge kitchen diner, and built a bathroom extension onto the back with a roof garden on top, and turned it into a beautiful home. We had six happy years there, and sold it for £82,500, a very tidy profit at the time!

What do you believe are the most important aspects of a home?

The most important aspects of a home are just that, ‘a home’! Not a show-house, it’s a place where everybody is comfortable, kids, animals, friends and family. I have always said where you live needs to be a home first and a house second! Important physical aspects include creating as much natural light as possible, and making the best use of the space available. Any additions must be well designed and thought out, and importantly avoid overdeveloping a house, you’d be better off moving to a bigger home.

What advice/DIY tips would you give to those looking to purchase their first home?

TV PERSONALITY

Tommy Walsh 34 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

When purchasing your first home, try and buy somewhere close to where you work, and near family and friends, who can help out with decorating, and childcare if you have a young family. If possible consider buying a home that is larger than your immediate needs. This will allow you to grow into it, and could provide you with extra income by renting out a room if necessary to help pay for the mortgage, even if only for a limited period of time! As I was self-employed, I always worried that my work might dry up, and I wouldn’t be able to meet my mortgage payments. Any extra cash we could get, bonuses, profits, winnings, etc., we paid it off against our mortgage to counteract

any lean times, (and it paid off the mortgage in super quick time).

In fact, my mortgage was repaid when I was forty, ironically the same year as I started filming Ground Force for the BBC.

Tell us about what you are currently working on and what’s next for you?

Currently, I am involved in negotiations regarding property programming, it’s a bit sensitive so I can’t say anymore at present, but the potential has re-awoken my TV appetite! I am also involved with bringing a new contract to the market, which hopefully will eradicate ‘Cowboy builders’ called the ‘Home Improvement Guarantee’, and something which is free to the public! Most recently I have taken on some product endorsements, one of which I believe to be particularly important, and something that people often overlook, and that is quality purpose made socks for our often-neglected feet. Made by a genuine company in the North East of England called Workforce, the message is clear, don’t forget or ignore the two things you rely on to get you around your whole life – your feet!

What is your opinion about the lack of affordable housing in the UK? The shortage of affordable housing in the UK is nothing short of a national scandal. Young people today are stuck between a rock and a hard place! Property prices are too high so young people have to rent, rents are so high that young people can’t afford to save for a deposit. As the demand grows, and the supply shrinks, both rental and purchase prices increase at an artificial and unsustainable pace, inevitably leading to yet another boom and crash cycle! This disastrous long-term policy obviously suits our political elite, as none of them seem inclined to solve this problem! The fundamental problem is; there are simply not enough homes for the people who want them! Back in 2006, I estimated that as a nation we needed to build 300,000 new homes per year just to stand still. The population predictions for 2050 shows an increase of somewhere between 13 and 15 million people, where are they all going to live? Building new homes, and renovating old homes, cannot be left entirely to the private sector and market forces, because of a conflict of interest, as they are a for-profit organization. As we have seen from the utility companies’ debacle, they can’t be trusted, and are purely carpetbaggers. I predicted a disastrous outcome back in 2006, just wait and see!

For more information about the products Tommy endorses please visit: http://www.workforcesocks.co.uk/index.php

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 35

CarClubs

are removed as their purchase is deferred for every car club vehicle in the UK. Carplus has also found that car club members use cars less than the average driver and that they walk, cycle and use public transport more.

So being a car club member helps: • reduce pressures on parking • reduce traffic congestion • improve air quality • increase your physical activity

Council Initiatives

LOVE ME...

DON’T LOVE MY CAR! A lower cost, lower emission way of driving

I

t’s official. We’re no longer in love with our cars. And whilst they can make big statements about who we are, and the lifestyle we lead (or we seek), more and more people are taking the view that they’re no more than just a convenient way of getting from A to B. Now how has that little snippet found its way into a magazine all about becoming a home owner?

Well, more and more local authorities are granting planning permission for developers and housing associations to build properties on the understanding that they are car free zones.

And the question ‘is there any parking nearby’ is becoming a little bit irrelevant.

pay for insurance or tax, not even petrol - all this will be dealt with by the car club operator. Car clubs provide the convenience of using a vehicle without having to pay for upkeep. So car clubs help to ease parking problems and reduce CO2 emissions, most of them offering electric and low emission vehicles.

Importantly for you, it saves tying up your hard earned cash into some quality engineering that spends an awful lot of time parked up, depreciating and going nowhere. Your cash, as a new home owner, could be spent on other things. And critically, if the home you found and loved is in a no car development, then it solves that problem too.

But sometimes you need a car

And you can help your community

There are times when having a car would be more than a bit handy. What to do then? Well, an ever increasing option is to join a car club. It’s a way of using a vehicle without owning it.

No need to worry about servicing or maintenance, no need to

Being a car club member also helps you ‘do your bit’ for the environment. Research by shared transport charity Carplus, shows that each car club vehicle effectively removes 17 cars from our roads. About eight cars are given up and another 11

36 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

As we said, planning permission for some new developments is dependent on being car free for residents. And many local authorities are encouraging the growth of car clubs to make it practical for people living in those areas. Hackney and Islington is aiming for enough car clubs in the borough to ensure that every resident is within five minutes’ walk of one.

And Camden offers residents the chance to exchange their parking permit in return for a year’s free car club membership and £50 worth of drive hours.

Most London boroughs support the concept of car clubs and feel that this low emission alternative to private car ownership will help them achieve policy targets on carbon and cleaner air.

There are over 130,000 car club members in London and the number is growing all the time. And more than 2,000 car club cars are currently available to them. It’s worth checking the internet - there’s bound to be a car club somewhere close.

The idea is catching on outside London too. The network of car clubs has the potential to grow as more and more people choose not to own a car or are unable to, because of where they live, or the cost of motoring. The market for shared transport is growing, especially as new models of car-sharing, for example using electric vehicles and offering flexible one-way journeys, get established. It all helps make car clubs a viable option for more people.

How does it work?

• Book online or by phone • Unlock using a smart card or your mobile phone • Drive and return to base • Pay by credit card or monthly by direct debit

More Information City Car Club 0845 330 1234 www.citycarclub.co.uk

E-Car Club 0203 603 2259 www.e-carclub.org

Zipcar 0333 240 9000 www.zipcar.co.uk

Hertz 24/7 0207 365 4198 www.hertz247.com

Co-wheels Car Club (outside London) 0845 602 8030 www.co-wheels.org.uk Find a car club operator near you Use the location map on the TfL website to see a detailed regularly updated map of the operators and vehicles in London: (https://www.tfl.gov.uk/modes/car-clubs/) For outside London go to the Carplus website to find your nearest car club car (http://www.carplus.org.uk/car-sharing-clubs/car-clubs).

Or for general info about car clubs www.carplus.org.uk/car-sharing-clubs

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 37

&

ALL THINGS

BRIGHT

HomeStyle

BEAUTIFUL 1

Whether it’s on a piece of furniture, the floor, or a simple cushion, adding a splash of colour to your home can help transform a space from boring to beautiful, and it’s easier than you think. The key consideration is that a little colour can go a long way, even one item can bring colour to an entire space. So if you’re new to colour start by choosing simple brightly coloured or patterned accessories such as a cushion, rug, or lampshade.

Even small items such as these can help you can create an entirely different feel, and if you change your mind they are easy to remove or replace. Alternatively, if you love bold colour and are confident using it, then be brave and pick a bold statement piece of furniture such as an armchair, you can then balance out the room with subtle accessories. As you may have read in our interview with DIY expert Tommy Walsh on pages 34-35, the key thing to remember is, where you live needs to be a home first and a house second, so when adding colour choose what makes you happy.

1 Jacobean Satin Bedding, double size £50 www.johnlewis.com 2 Iza Pearl Garden Party Cha Cha Tray £11.99 www.creative-tops.com 3 Ditsy Floral Tumbler, set of six £9 www.next.co.uk 4 Red X Ray Gerbera Wall Canvas £7.99 www.arthouse.com

2

3

5 Vireo Handmade Charley Harper Lampshade £42 www.hunkydoryhome.co.uk 6 Mint Enamel Bumble Bee Jug £26 www.berryred.co.uk 7 Birdy Blue Tit Cushion £20 www.magpieline.com

4

8 Fancy Flowers Garland Kit £8.99 www.oakroomshop.co.uk

5

9 Butterfly Print Cushion £16 www.mandco.com

6

10 Floral Camper Box £10 www.wilko.com 11 Hummingbird Rug £149 www.very.co.uk

7

12 Beau & Elliot Nesting Storage Tins £35 www.hintonshome.com

8 9 11 12

10

38 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 39

HelpToBuy Abbotswood Park Three and four-bedroom homes in Abbots Langley, available through Bellway Properties from £327,996. Full asking prices start at £409,995.

HELPING YOU S-T-R-E-T-C-H

JUST A BIT FURTHER

The Help to Buy equity loan scheme has been extended until 2020

A

major cause of the property price bubble? Or a real chance to buy the property you want? Both have been claimed about The Help to Buy scheme. And like most arguments, it depends on where you’re starting from. But at homefocus, we say be practical. If you need a first home and it’s just out of your reach or a home that’s big enough for you and your family to grow into, but you can’t quite manage it – then the Help to Buy scheme is made for you. And rather than stretch yourself financially until you snap, the idea is to stretch the money you do have, to buy the place you want.

How it works If you can afford 80% of the property you want, then the other 20% will be lent to you – in the form of an equity loan - by the government. Just as an example, let’s imagine you see a new build property on the market for £180,000 (it’s a sort of typical price across the country). With Help to Buy, you will need to put down a 5% deposit of £9,000 and find a mortgage for £135,000. If you can do that, then the Government will lend you the extra £36,000 to make up the difference. And that £36,000 might buy you the extra rooms you will need in the future. Crucially, there’s nothing to pay on that £36,000 equity loan for the first five years and during that time you can adjust your budgets and hopefully, increase your income. After that, there’s a small interest charge which rises each year.

40 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

You will have to pay the equity loan back eventually, but right now, it’s made all the difference. It’s perfect if you’re planning for the future. You can only apply for the Help to Buy equity loan if you’re buying a brand new property and if the developer is participating in the scheme – and a lot of them are. Properties up to a maximum full value of £600,000 are included, and there are no maximum income limits for you to think about.

‘from renting to owning a twobedroom house and I’m paying out £75 less a month!’

Public Service professional, Rachel Elding, 37, bought a new 2 bedroom semi-detached home at Hatton Grange, after previously renting in nearby Werrington. She was able to put down a 5% deposit on a new home by using the Help to Buy scheme.

Rachel says, ‘I found myself in a position to buy a home of my own after saving for a deposit. However, my search did start off with a struggle as I wanted to stay close to where I lived, find a property within my budget and buy a home that I could move straight into.

Nothing seemed to match my criteria.

She continues, “Everything seemed to fall into place when Westleigh Homes launched its Hatton Grange development. I booked a viewing and saw a two bedroom house that was just perfect. I had previously been renting a two bedroom house just up the road in Werrington and I longed to invest in a place of my own rather than pay somebody else’s mortgage. At first I did feel that buying was still a bit out of my reach, yet after taking a look at the Westleigh homes available I was amazed that there were properties in my price range and available on Help to Buy.’ Rachel adds, ‘Hatton Grange is perfect for where I want to live, the house is a manageable size and, best of all, I’ve gone from renting to owning a two bedroom house and I’m paying out £75 less a month with a mortgage!’

THE HELP TO BUY MORTGAGE GUARANTEE Sometimes called Help to Buy Part 2, this is another government initiative called Help to Buy. And this one lets you buy a home - new or old - with just a 5% deposit. The Help to Buy mortgage will let you buy any property up to £600,000 and the government guarantees 15% of the loan for 7 years.

But that’s not making any guarantees to you – it’s making them to your mortgage lender.

Effectively it makes you a better risk when a lender decides whether or not to lend you the money you need. So in theory, the bank or building society should be able to offer you a better interest rate than if you were applying for a 95% loan in any other way.

Here’s a few of the fantastic homes you could purchase through Help to Buy right now…

Castleward Two, three and four-bedroom homes in Derby, available through Compendium Living.

Prices to be advised.

Not just first time buyers You can use Help to Buy if you’re a first time buyer, but you can also take advantage of the scheme if you’re already a home owner. So if you need to move to a more expensive area, to be nearer a job, or schools for your growing family, then a Help to Buy equity loan could be what you need.

Moving on…

When it comes to selling up, you simply sell your home and split the proceeds. Assuming you haven’t paid a lump sum off of the equity loan, you get 80% of the sales price and the government gets the other 20%. That’s fair. If you’ve already paid off the equity loan, you get to keep the whole 100%.

And if you sell up within the first five years, you’ve had the benefit of the equity loan without having to pay anything at all towards it.

Oakgrove

Woodlark Place

Three, four and five -bedroom houses in Caterham-on-the Hill, available through Berkeley Homes from £344,000. Full asking prices start at £430,000.

Three, four and five-bedroom homes in Four Marks, available through Kebbell Homes from £292,000.

Full asking prices start at £365,000.

Eades Place Three and four-bedroom homes in Great Witchingham, available through Lovell.

Quad Apartments One, two, three and four-bedroom homes in Canning Town E16, available through Countryside Properties from £168,000.

Full asking prices start at £210,000.

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 41

FoodFocus

EASY DOES IT

With the better weather that May and June offers now is the perfect time to make the most of the great outdoors, whether simply enjoying a walk in the park or playing sport. With this in mind we’ve taken a quick look at some of the latest time saving culinary products on offer and discovered an authentic Brazilian tapas dish that would make a great meal to share with friends whilst watching the FIFA World Cup.

Full Steam Ahead

Twice As Nice Rice

meal try the new Roasted If you’re looking for a quick and tasty flavours from Tilda. Already Vegetable and Golden Vegetable rice in a matter of minutes ed cook be partly steamed so they can s combine wholegrain pack the hob, the on or in the microwave delicious vegetables. We tried basmati rice with a combination of peppers, sweetcorn and red Golden Vegetable which contains e pan fried chicken som with yed crunchy carrots that we enjo easy and offered the added breast, it was extremely quick and £1.29 for a 250g pouch bonus of no saucepan to wash up. and Tesco , available from Sainsburys, Waitrose

SALT COD FRITTERSi

With Piri-Pir Dipping Sauce

Bored with sandwiches at lunchtime and looking for a new tasty snack?

Then John West’s new Steam Pots might be the answer. Quick and easy to use you simply add boiling water to the couscous, wait five minutes, and then mix in the tuna. There are five flavours available, we tried Basil Infusions with Sundried tomato couscous, the flavours worked well together and it was satisfyingly filling. £2.69 available from supermarkets and independent stores.

Note: To create this recipe the cod must be precooked to packet instructions, soaked, rinsed and flaked overnight before making the fritters

Method • In a food processor take the shallot, garlic, chillies, fresh herbs, salt & pepper and ginger paste and pulse to the consistency of a ‘fine chop’.

Scoop into a bowl and set aside • Using the food processor again, pulse the cooked prawns and salted cod (which has already been prepared by packet instructions and soaked as above). Add the chopped prawns and cod to the bowl of herbs and spices and mix well.

Patriots and footie fans alike will be delighted with this fun new microwave from Whirlpool. Featuring a magnetically attached England flag which doubles as a take-to-the-table, heat resistant mat, the 700W Max Sport limited edition model has a retro curved design that makes it easier to fit into a worktop corner. It offers a choice of five power levels, a jet defro st, and Crisp plate technology that ensures crispy brown food. £179 .99 www.whirlpool.co.uk

• In a separate bowl take the flour and make a well in the centre. Add the eggs, yogurt and sparkling water and mix with a whisk until a smooth batter is achieved. Pour the batter over the fish mix and stir well.

• In a large deep saucepan heat one inch of vegetable oil until very hot.

• Working in batches, take a tablespoon of the batter and fry for about 1-2 minutes, until golden all over. Drain each fritter on kitchen towel to remove excess oil.

• Transfer to a platter and keep warm until ready to serve.

Rise To The Challenge

Perfect Pasta Riso Gallo’s 3 Cereali is a new gluten free pasta range. Made from rice, corn and buckwheat it provides a lighter, more digestible alternative to wheat pasta and is certified ‘gluten free’ by the Coeliac Association. The spaghetti, penne, and fusilli are available in 250g and 500g packs and cook in six to eight minutes. £1.99 for a 250g pack available from www.simply-free.co.uk.

42 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

1 shallot 2 Garlic Cloves 1 green scotch bonnet chilli 1 red chilli – deseeded 80g fresh coriander 30g fresh thyme 1tsp salt 1tsp ground black pepper ½ tsp ginger paste 100g cooked prawns 250g salted cod fillets, soaked, rinsed & flaked (note: traditional cod fillets or loins can also be used if salt cod cannot be sourced) 180g plain flour 3 eggs 100g Rachel’s Greek Style Natural Yogurt 100ml sparkling water, iced or very cold Vegetable oil for frying Pepper Sauce 200gms Rachel’s Greek Style Natural yogurt 1 tbsp piri piri sauce Paprika to serve

Patriot Waves

Calling all bread makers, dust the flour from your hands and get yourselves entered into the Tiptree World Bread Awards 2014. Launched for the first time in 2013, the awards are open to home and professional bakers both young and hold, and seek to celebrate the rise and rise of the British passion for bread.

Entries close on 31st August, full details can be found at www.worldbreadawards.com

Ingredients

• To make the piri-piri dip, mix together the yogurt and piri-piri sauce until smooth and glossy. Pour into a serving dish and sprinkle with paprika to serve.

Serves 4-6 Makes: 35-40 fritters Preparation & cooking time: 1 hour (plus overnight soaking)

Tip: Test the heat of the oil with a cube of bread - if it browns and rises to the surface quickly then the oil is the correct temperature

For more delicious recipes visit www.rachelsorganic.co.uk homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 43

MoneyWorry

seen the average cost of these increasing, albeit marginally, over the past 6 months. It’s a trend that looks set to continue.

Remember, the lenders don’t have to wait till the Bank Base Rate actually rises before they change their mortgage interest rates. So think about fixing your mortgage rate, as there are some excellent longer-term fixed rates available right now – you don’t want to miss out.

Putting this into hard figures, the Bank of England has confirmed the average cost of a five year, fixed rate mortgage on a 95% loan has moved up slightly to 5.54%, but at 75% loan to value it remained steady at 3.36%. It is not inconceivable, therefore, to expect five year rates to increase to around 7% over the next few years.

The pound in my pocket

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN MORTGAGE RATES RISE?

And based on experience, they will! So we asked Richard Stone, Director, Progress Housing Solutions to offer a few tips...

F

or the last 5 years, the Bank Base Rate has been set at 0.5% representing the cheapest extended lending period in recent history. However this could soon be coming to an end as Mark Carney, the Governor of the Bank of England, has warned that rates could rise six-fold over the next 3 years. This means a Base Rate of 3% could be on the horizon. Now whilst this may seem a dramatic increase from the rates you’ve probably been hearing about, it’s still relatively low in historical terms and likely to be less than the interest rate when your parents first took out a mortgage. So with the right precautions you can

44 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

take heart from the advice that has run throughout this issue of homefocus – keep calm and buy a home.

Bank rate v mortgage rate The first increase in Base Rate is expected in 2015 although some economists predict it could be before the end of this year.

And the harsh reality is that changes to mortgage rates might be even sooner, perhaps well before any announcements about Bank Base rate are made. This is particularly true for fixed rate products (normally 2, 3 or 5 years) and we have already

So how might that affect you? The following figures are based on the monthly cost of a £100,000 mortgage over a 25 year term and reflect monthly repayments at a range of interest rates. This is only a guide and if you have any concerns about what your own mortgage costs will be, you should contact your lender or mortgage advisor directly.

We’ve started at 5.5% for two reasons. First, that it’s currently the average interest charged on a fixed rate mortgage with 5% deposit (as quoted by the Bank of England above) and therefore the most likeliest scenario for many first time buyers and second, it’s the interest rate that homefocus magazine uses when giving illustrative costs for all the examples of affordable homes between pages 14 and 33. £100,000 at 5.50% = £611.38 £100,000 at 6.00% = £641.20 £100,000 at 6.50% = £671.69 £100,000 at 7.00% = £702.81

whole term and also give consistency of outgoings. Always make sure you are aware of the early repayment charges that apply during the term and just in case you decide to move home before the product expires, check that the product is portable.

• You will get some warning of an increase in mortgage rate, so make sure the rest of your finances are in order before an increase in your outgoings is due to take place. Pay down any credit card balances and loan commitments and if you can’t repay an unsecured loan in full, you should be allowed to make extra payments to reduce the balance. In the event you have several debts to clear, aim to clear the most expensive ones first and once again always check any charges for early repayment.

• If your finances and time allow, consider building up some additional savings. Make it easy by setting up a Direct Debit to transfer money into a savings account on a regular basis and very soon it becomes a habit and you won’t miss it.

Where to go for advice?

Worrying about money is a tough position to be in, but however difficult it is, never bury your head and assume the matter will go away on its own. It won’t! If you ever get into financial difficulty there is plenty of free confidential advice available through reputable organisations. Take care and watch out for debt management companies with misleading names that sound like charities who charge for their services.

Here is a selection of genuine sources of help to contact.

• Citizens Advice Bureau www.citizensadvice.org.uk

So that’s £90 or 15% difference between the top and bottom figures. Remember the increase is likely to happen slowly over time, but just think what that might do to your budgets.

• StepChange Debt Charity 0800 138 1111 (Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm, Saturday, 9am-3pm) www.stepchange.org

Be prepared

• National Debtline 0808 808 4000 (Monday-Friday, 9am-9pm, Saturday, 9.30am-1pm) www.mymoneysteps.org

So, how do you go about preparing for this? The following suggestions will depend on your individual circumstances but will hopefully provide food for thought and help with planning ahead.

• Before agreeing to any particular deal, research the market to see if any cheaper options are available through other lenders, or, use a specialist IFA (Independent Financial Advisor) who understands the ‘affordable market’.

• Consider opting for a longer term fixed rate of around five years, if available. This may be slightly dearer than short term fixed rates but should pay dividends over the

• Debt Advice Foundation 0800 043 4050 (Monday-Friday, 8am-8pm, Saturday, 9am-5pm) www.debtadvicefoundation.org There are plenty more organisations offering free help available and a good web site to access information is The Money Advice Service which provides unbiased and free information. www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk.

Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/ Budget_Buster and download our helpful budget buster pdf.

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 45

MoneyMaestro

BUDGET BUSTER

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? We can’t give you more income to play with, but if you follow our simple steps, we can help you get your finances under control. And that’s important when you’re saving for that vital deposit, and the fees you’ll need to buy your home. 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 your

46 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

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, and 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…

BUDGETPLANNER If you’re trying to get to grips with your finances, you must do a budget – it’s so easy to miss off important expenses. Remember to budget everything on a monthly basis, even if you only get and pay the bill once a year! So we’ve come up with a handy sheet to help. Our advice?

Photocopy it a few times so you’ll have something to fill in as your budget changes. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Budget_Planner to download an electronic version and print off as many times as you need.

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 • MAY/JUNE 2014 47

StayorMove

Buying more shares You’ve bought your first share...what next?

F

or most people, shared ownership is simply the first step.

For some, perhaps older people who’ve traded down, or established families who won’t grow out of their homes, they’re happy to stay put and they can’t see themselves moving on... and that’s fine, shared ownership will work for them as long as they want it to. But for most, shared ownership is the route to somewhere else.

So some of the first questions people ask about becoming shared owners are ‘what happens when I want to move and, can I buy more shares?’

What if?

Selling On

Some people choose to buy more shares in their property and there are two good reasons for doing so. First of all, every time you increase your share (in a process called staircasing) you reduce the amount of rent you pay to the housing association.

And in most cases you can carry on buying shares until you own 100% of your home, leaving you with no rent to pay at all.

The second reason is that providing the value of your property has increased since you purchased, then the more of the property you own, the more of the equity that’s gained will go to you. So you’ll have more to put down on your next home...

It’s important to know that shared ownership is flexible enough to alter with you when your personal circumstances change. Buying, selling, having a family, paying less (or no) rent and getting ready to move on – shared ownership can be the foundation for whatever you want to do.

Well, unless you have found just the right place for the long term, you will want to move on, and for as long as it stays hard to get onto the home ownership ladder, there could be a line of people looking to buy your share. They’ll be people in the same position you’re in now: keen to buy, but needing some extra help to become home owners. And it’s probable that your housing association and Help to Buy Agent will have a list of them.

Better still, some of the potential buyers will be more interested in an established home than in a new build. So selling on your share to one of them will be your first option. When the time comes, ask your housing association how to go about it. They’ll help you value your share, advertise your property, line up buyers and assess their suitability to buy your share under shared ownership rules.

Just a taste

There are examples after examples when shared owners found no problem selling on. But just suppose that isn’t the case.

Well, that happens sometimes and shared owners have to try something else. It’s usual for the housing association to be given 8 weeks (sometimes more, sometimes less - it’ll be logged in your documentation) to find the most appropriate buyer for your share. But after that you can go out to the market through an estate agent or any way you choose.

And, there is another way

50% of this two-bedroom apartment in Hemel Hempstead, from Hightown Homes for £87,500

48 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

Dianne Holthausen, 32, and here husband Brian, 35, moved here from South Africa a decade ago and rented a house in Borehamwood. They were desperate to get on the property ladder and start a family, but at the time they didn’t have anything like enough of a deposit.

‘We were really tired of paying out money to other people through renting and wanted to actually put our wages towards something of our own’ explained Dianne. ‘But without a bigger deposit, we couldn’t afford to get a mortgage on the entire value of a property.’ That’s when the couple came across shared ownership and the idea of buying a share to start off with and then buying more in the staircasing process.

In 2010, Dianne and Brian bought a 60 per cent share of a one-bedroom apartment from Affinity Sutton in Manor Way, Borehamwood, for £84,000 and paid Affinity a subsidised rent on the share they didn’t own. Two years ago they purchased the remaining share, costing them another £47,000, leaving them with no more rent to pay at all. Dianne said: ‘We would never have been able to afford to buy a home on the open market because the banks just wouldn’t accept our deposit. We had always planned on buying 100 per cent of the property and the shared ownership scheme has given us the tools to be able to do that.’

But the couple don’t plan on selling up when they do outgrow the home as it is the perfect-size for them to live in once Harper – and any other children they plan on having - have flown the nest. Dianne says, ‘this is our first home and now that we own it outright, we could never bring ourselves to sell it, so we might keep it for a retirement home! We can put money aside now because it’s so affordable to live here.’

40% of this one-bedroom apartment in St Albans, from Hightown Homes for £92,000

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

Just a taste 40% of this one-bedroom apartment in St Albans, from Hightown Homes for £92,000

‘We wanted to actually put our wages towards something of our own’

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

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

More information 25% of this one-bedroom apartment in London SE28, from Currells for £32,500

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

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 49

homefocusCompetition

TOOLED UP! WIN INNOVATIVE DIGITAL MEASURING GADGETS FROM BOSCH

N I W

Bosch is giving away the ultimate bundle of measuring tools to set you up for summer and help with those difficult DIY jobs around the home. The tool bundle includes: • The PMD 10 multi detector – ensures you know what’s in your walls before you start drilling through. Whether drilling, screwing or banging into a wall, the PMD 10 will detect the most frequent materials found under the surface of your walls, ceilings and floors. DIY enthusiasts needn’t worry any longer about drilling into a water pipe or damaging a power cable.

• The ingenious Quigo cross line laser – for perfect alignment on any wall.

This gadget simultaneously projects a horizontal and vertical laser line for 100% straight self-levelling. Turn walls into works of art, whether painting, shelving or wallpapering, the Quigo will ensure you get it precisely level.

• The PLT 2 tile laser – makes light work of tiling and laminating jobs in the home. With fast configuration and a lightweight, compact design, this nifty measuring tool projects two 90° laser lines, enabling tiles to be laid quickly in different patterns and with maximum precision. Also great for laminating on walls and floors or even aligning pictures and shelving.

• The PTD 1 thermo detector – saves energy for a healthier home. This is the only instrument that not only measures room temperature, surface temperature and humidity, but also interprets them at the same time. It will alert you if you have a cold bridge in your home or if you have the likely conditions for condensation damp. Whether it be in the kitchen, the attic or the bathroom, the PTD 1 uses contactless infrared to quickly and efficiently ascertain room conditions and provide information on how to improve the indoor climate.

This bundle of essential gadgets is worth over £300, but answer the question below to be in with the chance of winning all four!

For more information on Bosch’s range of measuring tool products visit www.bosch-do-it.com

50 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

To be in with a chance of winning, answer the following question: Which Bosch gadget provides the best assistance for laying tiles?

A: Quigo B: PMD 10 C: PLT 2

How to enter: Email your answer, along with your name and address to comps@homefocus.co.uk and don’t forget to include ‘Bosch’ in the subject line. Or go to www.homefocus. co.uk/Competitions The winner will be picked at random from correct replies.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS • The closing date is 10th July 2014 • The Editor’s decision is final • No purchase necessary • There is no alternative cash prize • We accept no responsibility for entries not received

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 51

OnTheMove

When you’re due to move there always seems like an endless list of things to do, people to inform, boxes to pack and things to organise, so here’s a helpful guide to make sure you don’t forget anything…

4 WEEKS BEFORE… n complete a change of address form at the Post Office to re-route mail (www.royalmail.com)

n inform magazine subscriptions and clubs of

your new address and moving date

n decide which items you’re keeping and which

MOVING

CHECKLIST PRACTICAL PLANNING FOR MOVING DAY Finally, after all the searching and dealing with mortgage advisors and solicitors, you’ve exchanged contracts and have been given a date to move in!

And then you get to thinking… ‘Who do I need to tell? What do I need to find out? What about moving all my stuff?’

Supposedly, moving home is one of the most stressful things you can do. But the actual process doesn’t have to leave you sitting up in bed at night, eyeballs out, panicking because you haven’t told the library your new address!

So take a deep breath, make yourself a cup of tea and have a quick browse through our moving checklist. We’ve come up with all the people you generally need to inform about your move – if you have extra people we haven’t thought of, we hope you remember to tell them!

Consider yourself reminded by homefocus…

Pack it in!

It’s a fact of life that you ALWAYS have more ‘stuff’ than you ever believed possible! Now is

52 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

a good time to weed out things you don’t want any more – if you think you might be able to sell them put them all in a separate box marked ‘Sell’ so you don’t unpack it and put it all away again when you get to your new place!

It goes without saying that you should use strong boxes – and don’t make them too heavy to lift! Use smaller boxes for books, photo albums and other heavy items or they might as well be bolted to the floor – and mark on top that they’re heavy to stop you doing yourself an injury when you try to pick them up. Label each box clearly with the contents and which room it’s to go in. Surprises are lovely, but unpacking nineteen boxes the day you move in just to find the TV remote is beyond the pale…

The Move First of all, have a look at how much you have in the way of possessions. If you’re in furnished rented accommodation, or live with family and aren’t taking much in the way of furniture it can be cheaper to move everything yourself. Just

enlist anyone you can find to help, particularly if they’ve got transport. A friend with a van is a very good friend indeed when you’re moving. If you don’t have this luxury, then renting a van is likely to work out cheaper than a removal firm.

If you’ve got lots of furniture to move, then professional movers are essential. Look for ones that are members of the British Association of Removers (BAR) which has a code of practice that protects you and your possessions. Get at least three quotes and make sure your contents insurance covers moving – get it set up for your new place to cover it if need be.

If you’ve got children or pets it can be less stressful to have them looked after by someone else on the day. Keep all the essentials (we’ve called it your ‘First Night Kit’) in one box and make sure you know where it is! If you make sure your bed is one of the first things you put together when you get to your new home you can just collapse on it, exhausted, at the end of the day – and leave all the unpacking until the next morning!

you can chuck or donate to charity

2 WEEKS BEFORE… n discontinue regular services such as

newspapers, window cleaners etc

n arrange to have your satellite dish moved to

your new property if necessary

n arrange to discontinue your phone service

and broadband and have it installed at your new address

n arrange to transfer your TV licence to your new address (www.tvlicensing.co.uk/moving) n complete the relevant section on your car

registration document and licence and send them to the DVLA (more info at www.dvla.gov.uk)

n call your vehicle insurance to keep cover

valid. The price may change due to the new area, new parking arrangements and type of home you’re moving into

n notify water, gas and electricity suppliers to

have your services turned off at your present address

n arrange for utility connections at your new home

n contact your new local authority about

schools and colleges in the area

n notify schools, churches etc of your

impending move

n notify your own and research alternative

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

n check parking arrangements at your new

home and apply for permits if necessary

n get to know your new area and work out the

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

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

n tell credit and store card companies your

n finish up your frozen food supply or give it away

n pack! n find and label keys n send out change of address cards, text

new areas regarding council tax and electoral registration

n defrost and thoroughly clean the fridge and n Request packing materials from your

removals company, or buy some if you’re doing it yourself

n return things you’ve borrowed from friends n start to run down the contents of your freezer n arrange to transfer home insurance, or set

up new policies to begin the day you move in.

Arrange transit insurance if necessary

n research car boot sales to get rid of stuff

you’re not taking with you

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

messages and Facebook or MySpace alerts

1 DAY BEFORE…

friends, van rental etc

3 WEEKS BEFORE…

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

n notify relevant authorities in your old and

n book removals company or arrange help from

new address

People to tell

freezer

n take down pictures, mirrors, non-essential

curtains and blinds

n disconnect your cooker, washing machine

and dishwasher

n confirm minders for children and pets

ON MOVING DAY… n make sure you personally take cash and

jewellery with you

n lock all windows and doors when you leave

If you’d like a copy of our moving checklist to help you tick off the organisations you’ll need to tell you’re moving, go to www.homefocusmagazine.co.uk/Moving_Checklist and download a copy to print off and stick on your fridge!

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

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

Bottle of champagne

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 53

ShowDiary

WhereNext

homefinder

FORTHCOMING

EVENTS

Your steps to making all the right moves…

WHERE NOW?

If you’ve got the feeling that affordable or low cost home ownership (LCHO) can help you, then here’s what to do next Step 1 – Get registered If you want to buy through shared ownership or Help to Buy Equity Loan you should register with your local Help to Buy Agent. They’ll process your application to make sure you’re eligible for the scheme and provide you with a list of all the LCHO properties on offer in your area. It’s a little different in London but there’s still an online LCHO portal to point you in the right direction. Or you can go to www. homefocus.co.uk/register and be taken to just the place you need to be. The homefocus website will help minimise the amount of duplication you have to go through and offer all kinds of practical help.

Step 2 – Work out how much you can afford There’s no point falling in love with a place only to find out that it’s way above your price bracket. Outside London, your Help to Buy Agent will take you through a basic financial check, just to confirm that you’re eligible for shared ownership and/or Help to Buy and will give you an indication of how much you’re likely to afford. The figures will be more closely reviewed later on in the process. In London, your housing association will go over the figures with you once you’ve found a home you like. No matter where you live, we advise that you go to a specialist financial advisor who understands the LCHO market inside out. You can find one on page 67 of the magazine.

For most of England, the government-backed schemes will have the Help to Buy logo - so wherever you see it, you’ll know that there are LCHO options available.

In London you should look for the First Steps logo!

Your local HELP TO BUY AGENT will have a comprehensive list of all LCHO properties in your area. That includes shared ownership new build, shared ownership resales and Help to Buy properties.

You can visit their website as listed below, or if you’re not sure which is the correct one for you, go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Help_To_Buy_ Agents and be redirected. homefocus will help make sure you get to the right place.

Step 4 – Details Getting down to the nitty- gritty! Once you’ve found the home you want, and whether you live in London or not, you’ll formally apply for your home through the housing association or developer and they’ll give you a more detailed affordability check, often asking an independent financial advisor (IFA) of their choosing to find out how much you can afford.

www.helptobuyeastandsoutheast.uk.com

Queens Theatre, Hornchurch, RM11 1QT 17 May 2014 2:00pm until 5:00pm Call 01708 431010 or email privatehousingsolutions@ havering.gov.uk to register your interest

Low Cost Home Ownership Conference 21 May 2014

The Royal Greenwich & South East London New Home Show 2014 Woolwich Town Hall, Wellington Street, Woolwich SE18 6PW 7 June 2014 11:00am until 4:00pm

The Southern Homebuilding & Renovating Home Improvement Show 28-29 June 2014

www.helptobuysouth.co.uk

SOUTH WEST www.helptobuysw.org.uk

EAST & SOUTH EAST MIDLANDS www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk

REST OF THE COUNTRY Homefocus magazine doesn’t cover the north of England, but if you go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Help_To_Buy_Agents, then you will be redirected to the appropriate website.

HERE’S THE KEY To help you on the way to getting the keys to your own door...

We’ve colour coded our development sections on pages 14-33 and our homefinder property listings on pages 56-58, to make finding a property in your area a little easier. The key is as follows:

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

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Call homefocus on 0845 474 4734

e-mail enquiries@homefocusmagazine.co.uk or Facebook us at www.facebook.com/homefocus

54 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

www.sharetobuy.com/firststeps

SOUTH

Step 6 – Get moving Sorry, but there’s still more practicalities to go through before the excitement of moving into your own home, like telling DVLA to change the details on your driving license or registering with a new doctor, letting the bank know your new address and organising schools for your children. If you’d like a helpful checklist to make sure that you let everyone (who needs to know) that you’re on the move, go to www. homefocus.co.uk/Moving_CheckList and download a printable pdf.

Affordable Home Ownership Event

LONDON

Step 3 – Home hunting Now for the fun part. Take a look at some of the affordable homes around, including the ones we feature in our regional property sections from page 14 of the magazine. There’s a fuller list on pages 56-58 or at www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or you can go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Search where you’ll get directions to a full listing of LCHO properties in the region you’re searching.

Step 5 – Check the small print If all goes ahead, then you’ll need to get in touch with a solicitor to take you through the legal side of buying a home. We advise using one with experience of LCHO transactions and you’ll find a list of them on pages 66-67 of the magazine.

FIND OUT ABOUT EVENTS NEAR YOU!

LOOK FOR THE LOGO!

Can we help?

Don’t forget you can contact homefocus if you’ve got a question about low cost home ownership or are interested in any of the properties we’ve featured. Just call us on 0845 474 4734 or e-mail us at enquiries@homefocus.co.uk and we’ll do our best to help!

Until the next issue of homefocus… happy homehunting!

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 55

PropertySearch

PropertySearch

AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES

NEAR YOU!

Name of Development

No of Units

Type of Properties

Available From

No of Units

Type of Properties

Help to Buy Agent: Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association www.helptobuyeastandsoutheast.uk.com Upper Caldecote Biggleswade Road 4 2 & 3 bed houses, 2 bed bungalow Waverley The Cranes 12 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Wymondham Oakfield Green 1 3 bed house

Available From

Provider

2015 Summer Now

Aragon Affinity Sutton Orbit Homes

July July Autumn October October Coming soon Summer Now Summer Summer Summer Now Now Summer September Spring 2015 Now March Summer Spring Spring Spring 2015 Summer March Now Autumn Now Now Summer March July Now Now 2014 Spring 2015 Spring 2014 Summer 2015 Summer Winter Summer Now Now Spring Summer Now Now Now Now Now Coming soon Now Summer July Now Now Spring Now Now 2014 Now

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

LONDON

Provider

EAST & SOUTH EAST Help to Buy Agent: Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association www.helptobuyeastandsoutheast.uk.com Ampthill Saxon Grange 1 3 bed house Now Hightown Homes Ashford Meridian House 1 2 bed duplex Now Affinity Sutton Bedford St Bede’s Independent Living 53 1 & 2 bed flats - for over 55’s Now Orbit Homes Biggleswade Saxon Fields 2 2 bed flat, 3 bed house Now Hightown Homes Biggleswade Kings Reach 18 1 & 2 bed flats, 2, 3 & 4 bed houses 2014-2015 Aragon Brentwood Casa 10 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Summer East Thames Brighton The Barrows 2 2 bed flats, 2 bed duplex Now Hyde New Homes Brighton Super B 29 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Coming soon Hyde New Homes Brighton Woodland View 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Brighton Alexandra Apartments 13 1 & 2 bed flats Summer Affinity Sutton Brighton Alexandra Apartments 1 2 bed flat wheelchair adaptable Summer Affinity Sutton Brighton & Hove The Edge 14 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Southern Housing Brogborough Leeward Point 6 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Burton Latimer Glade Gardens 14 2 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Bury St Edmunds Vinefields 7 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Cambourne, Cambridge Spitfire Road 9 2 & 3 bed houses Now Metropolitan Canterbury Wicketts End 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Chichester Canal Walk 13 2 & 3 bed houses Summer Affinity Sutton Chichester Affinity Sutton at Graylingwell Park 22 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now Affinity Sutton Chichester The Oaks, Forest Road 2 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Chichester Apple Treed Road 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Chigwell Grange Manor 9 2 bed flats Summer East Thames Crawley Lampson Court 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Diss Frenze Hall Mews 3 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Dunton Boot Lane 3 2 & 3 bed houses End of 2014 Aragon Epsom Noble Park 16 1 & 2 bed flats Now Orbit Homes Everton Sandy Road 2 2 bed houses August Aragon Gravesend Clarendon Court 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Hadleigh Hadleigh Park 14 2 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Harlington Hillside Road 2 1 & 2 bed houses Now Aragon Hastings Sycamore Chase 16 2 & 3 bed houses March Orbit Homes Hastings Kingswood Gate 11 2 bed flats, 2 bed houses March Orbit Homes Haywards Heath Chapman Way 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Hellingly Roebuck Park 10 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Hemel Hempstead Gade Place 1 2 bed flat Now Hightown Homes Hitchin Lavender Place 10 1 & 2 bed flats Now Origin Housing Horsham Gatehouse 5 2 bed flats Now Southern Housing Horsham Kilnwood Vale 8 2 bed flats Now Southern Housing Hove One Hove Park 30 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Coming soon Hyde New Homes Hoveton Meadow View 11 2 & 3 bed houses Summer Orbit Homes Ipswich Scholars Quarter 4 3 bed house Now Orbit Homes Maidstone Westborough Mews 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Milton Keynes Felstead 2 1 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton Norwich Rosary Point 1 2 bed flats Now Orbit Homes Redhill The Kilns Canalside 12 1 & 2 bed flats Coming Soon Southern Housing Sandy Sunderland Road 13 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses 2014-2015 Aragon Shefford Stanford Road 15 1 bed flats, 2, 3 bed houses & bungs 2013-2015 Aragon Shoreham-by-Sea Falconers Court 2 2 & 3 bed flats Now Affinity Sutton St Albans Scholars Court 1 1 bed flats Now Hightown Homes St Leonards on Sea Oakwood Rise 11 2 & 3 bed houses Oct 14 & Apr 15 Orbit Homes Stevenage Hepworth Court 1 2 bed flat Now Hightown Homes Stevenage Knott Close 2 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Stevenage Stephensons Mews 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton Stotfold Beauchamp Mill 8 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 bed house Now Hightown Homes Tandridge Oakgrove 18 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Spring/Summer Affinity Sutton Thanet Weyburn Place 4 2 & 3 bed houses March Orbit Homes

56 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

Name of Development

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

Location

Help to Buy Agent: FIRSTSTEPS www.sharetobuy.com/firststeps Barking & Dagenham Academy Central SO 24 Barking & Dagenham Academy Central IMR 27 Barnet The Lexington NW11 4 Bexley Ratio 8 Bexley Erith Park 9 Bexleyheath Clock Tower Court 43 Bow The View 4 Bow, London The Courtyard 10 Bromley Rokewood Apartments 16 Bromley The Ridge BR5 20 Bromley The Ridge BR5 1 Bromley Hardwick House 1 Bromley Amethyst Court 1 Chingford Mayfield 6 Croydon Scholars Place 12 Croydon The Deacons 7 Croydon Saffron Square 36 Dagenham Castle Green Place 10 Ealing Chiswick Point 23 Ealing The Garden Court Apartments 19 Ealing The Garden Court Apartments 4 Elephant & Castle L&Q @ Trafalgar Place 20 Enfield St Paul’s Court 11 Enfield Watermill Lane 30 Feltham Manor Lane 4 Fitzrovia W1 Cleveland Street 14 Gidea Park Dreywood Gardens 4 Greenwich L&Q @ Greenwich Square 88 Hammersmith & Fulham Fulham Riverside 52 Haringey Rivers Apartments 100 Haringey High Road, Tottenham 9 Harold Wood Kings Park 74 Harrow 74 High St, Wealdstone (Essence) 12 Harrow High St, Edgware (Chandos) 15 Hornsey Rise Harrington Court 14 Isle of Dogs Pier St 10 Islington The Fable Apartments at the Lexicon 70 Kensington The Baronets 9 Kensington Bard Road 14 Kidbrooke SOKV 61 Kidbrooke Halton Court 14 Kingston Affinity Sutton at Kingston Heights 18 Kingston The Langley Apartments 8 Lewisham Goldcrest House 29 Lewisham The Aurora Apartments 32 Lewisham City Walk 1 Lewisham Stafford House 1 Leyton Cornwell Square 32 Leyton Capworth Court 83 London Stonebridge 27 Mitcham Lavender Gardens 16 Paddington Basin Merchants Square 10 Redbridge Chigwell Road 4 Southwark Roseberry Street 14 Southwark Old Kent Road 13 Southwark The Arc 13 Southwark Vancouver House 1 Stepney So Stepney 3 Tower Bridge The Arc 15 Walthamstow The Grangeway 15

Walthamstow Abbots House 27 Wandsworth Sesame Apartments 7 Wandsworth The Schoolyard 20 Wandsworth (Phase 2) Spectra@Wandsworth Village 19 Wembley Elizabeth House 6 Woolwich L&Q @ Woolwich Central 60 Woolwich The Liberty 98

2 bed flats 1 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 3 bed houses 2 & 3 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats & duplexes.

2 bed flat wheelchair accessible 1 bed flat 2 bed flat 3 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 3 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 bed flat wheelchair accessible 1, 2 & 3 bed flats, 3 & 4 bed houses 1, 2, 3 & 4 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed maisonette 2 bed flats 1 bed flats 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 2 bed flats, 3 bed maisonettes 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 bed flats - over 55s 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 2 bed flat 2 bed flat 1 & 2 bed flats 1 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 bed flats 2 & 3 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 & 4 bed houses 2, 3 & 4 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 bed flat 3 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 bed w/chair units, 3 bed houses 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1 & 2 bed flats 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2 bed flats - over 55s

Now Now Summer Summer Now Now Summer

L&Q Metropolitan L&Q Octavia Living Octavia Living L&Q Viridian Housing

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 57

PropertySearch Location

homefinder East & South East Name of Development

No of Units

Type of Properties

Available From

Provider

MIDLANDS Help to Buy Agent: Orbit www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk Brackley Normandy Lodge Breedon on the Hill Breedon Burbage Brittania Road Cringleford Aura, Round House Park Enderby St Johns Great Blakenham Blakenham Fields PH2 Hathern Terracotta Gardens Hinckley Leicester Road Hockliffe Watling Street Husbands Bosworth Husbands Bosworth Kegworth Citrus Grove Kings Sutton Banbury Lane Leamington Spa Queensway Court Leicester Leicester Square Leicestershire Watermead Lincoln Cherry Bank Long Marston Beaufort Mead Narborough Copt Oak Gardens Northampton Upton Square Northampton Chapel Lane, Blisworth Northampton Booth Park Northamptonshire Paling Close Nottingham Southreef Quorn Meynell Road South Northants Chaplins Yard, Roade Southam Tithe Lodge Stratford-upon-Avon Brooklands @ Poppy Meadow

4 2 & 3 bed houses 4 2 bed house & bungalows 3 3 bed houses 6 2 & 3 bed houses 2 3 bed house TBC 2 & 3 bed houses 5 2 & 3 bed houses 1 3 bed house 2 3 bed houses 2 2 bed houses 4 2 bed houses & flats 2 2 bed houses 90 1 & 2 bed flats - for over 55’s 11 2 bed flats 5 2 bed flats 1 2 bed flats 29 2 & 3 bed hses,2 bed m-etttes & flats 1 2 bed house 82 1 & 2 bed flats, 2, 3 & 4 bed houses 2 2 & 3 bed houses 56 2 & 3 bed houses 5 1 & 2 bed flats 4 1 & 2 bed flats 2 3 bed houses 10 2, 3 & 4 bed houses 30 1 & 2 bed flats - for over 55’s 1 2 bed house

2014 Now Now Summer Now 2015-16 Now Now Now Now Now 2014 Now Now Now Now Now Now Now November 2013-2014 Now Now Now Early/mid 2015 September Now

Aragon Hello Homes Raglan Housing Orbit Homes Hello Homes Orbit Homes Hello Homes Raglan Housing Raglan Housing Hello Homes Hello Homes Aragon Orbit Homes Metropolitan Metropolitan Metropolitan Orbit Homes Hello Homes Metropolitan Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Hello Homes Metropolitan Raglan Housing Orbit Homes Orbit Homes Orbit Homes

homefinder East & South East A home of your own with Shared Ownership Bedfordshire, South Northants & Milton Keynes

SOUTH Help to Buy Agent: Radian www.helptobuysouth.co.uk Aldershot The Orchards Basingstoke Englefield Way Bracknell Forest The Parks Bristol Maytrees East Cowes, Isle of Wight Victoria Walk Gosport Alver Village Gosport Whiston House Lyndhurst Knightwood Lodge Newport, Isle of Wight Pan Meadows Porchester King Richards Place Reading The Cedars Reading Kennet House Reading Southern at Portman Square Salisbury Vanners Court Southampton Bond Central Southampton Studland Road Southampton The Cloisters Winchester Southside Embankment Woolston Centenary Quay

5 1 15 1 3 1 1 2 9 1 17 10 2 1 1 7 18 10 16

1 bed flats Now First Wessex 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Summer Affinity Sutton 2 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton 2 bed houses Now Spectrum Housing 3 bed house Now First Wessex 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton 1 bed flats Now Raglan Housing 2 bed houses Now Spectrum Housing 3 bed house Now First Wessex 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Coming Soon Southern Housing 1 & 2 bed flats October Raglan Housing 2 bed flats Now Southern Housing 3 bed house Now Spectrum Housing 1 bed flat Now Hyde New Homes 2 & 3 bed houses Now Raglan Housing 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity Sutton 2 bed houses Now Hyde New Homes 1 & 2 bed flats Now Spectrum Housing

1 5 5 12 6 9 4

2 & 3 bed houses Now Raglan Housing 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Summer Spectrum Housing 2 & 3 bed houses Now Spectrum Housing 2 & 3 bed houses Now Raglan Housing 3 & 4 bed houses Now Spectrum Housing 2 & 3 bed houses Summer Spectrum Housing 2 & 3 bed houses Now Raglan Housing

SOUTH WEST Help to Buy Agent: Sovereign & Westward www.helptobuysw.org.uk Chard Great Western Road Hamworthy Old School Place Hooe Lake Reflections Monkton Heathfield Monkton Heathfield Shaftesbury Melbury Grange Throop Broadway Mews Weymouth Destiny Fields

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.

58 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

The Orchards, North Town Aldershot

Tel. 01525 844460

www.grandunionhousing.co.uk

4281 Southern Housing HF ad_HR.pdf 1 28/03/2014 Grand Union Housing Group comprises: Aragon Housing Association, MacIntyre Housing Association and South Northants Homes

16:32

INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE PROPERTIES IN HOMEFOCUS? Call 0845 474 4734 or email the name of the property to enquiries@homefocus.co.uk or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-costhomes-near-you

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

homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014 59

homefinder South West

homefinder East & South East

homefinder East & South East

Continued

Affordable Hyde New Homes Shared Ownership • Discounted Rent

homefinder South West

Homes for sale on a shared ownership basis across the South East 0300 100 0303

affinitysutton.com email: sales@affinitysutton.com

Get on the property ladder with

Affordable properties in various locations: 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

shared ownership from Hightown Homes

www.direct.gov.uk/ontheladder

Call our sales team now!

Tel: 0845 606 1221 Email: info@hydenewhomes.co.uk www.hydenewhomes.co.uk Follow us on

Need a helping hand to get on the property ladder?

and

Call us: 01442 292381 12/8/11 Visit us: www.hightownhomes.com

Origin HF directory ad 12.8.11:Layout 1

We leave good advertising to the professionals.

14:57

Pa

Don’t miss out... get the next 6 issues of homefocus delivered through your door Call: 0800 068 8990 sales@originhousing.org.uk www.originsales.co.uk

Published every other month to keep you up to date with the latest opportunities in shared and affordable home ownership Just £12.95 for the next 6 issues n The latest affordable developments in your region n Who to ask and where to find an affordable home n Information about shared ownership, New Build HomeBuy,

Here at the Advertising Standards Authority, we judge ads on whether they’re harmful, misleading, or offensive. Not on whether they’re funny, clever or they look good. Which is just as well, really.

Telephone 020 7492 2222 www.asa.org.uk

60 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

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 Keeping advertising standards high

Name_______________________________

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 • MAY/JUNE 2014 61

homefinder London

homefinder London

homefinder London

Providers of quality affordable homes

Get on the London property ladder with an Shared Ownership home

Telephone: 020 8709 4352 Fax: 020 8709 4400 Email: sales@gatewayhousing.org.uk www.gatewayhousing.org.uk 409-413 Mile End Road London E3 4PB

www.lqg roup.co.u k/pricedin

Affordable Hyde New Homes

LAQ_044_HomeFocus_91x61mm_v3.indd 1

feeLs gooD when you finD what you’re Looking for

Homes for sale on a shared ownership basis across London shared ownership homes in London & the South East

Developing homes in London

octaviaafforDabLe homeownership

0300 100 0303

for more information please call

affinitysutton.com

Developing where people want to

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

020 8354 5601 www.octaviahousing.org.uk

email: sales@affinitysutton.com

Find out more: 0844 225 3077 · www.redloftsales.co.uk

06/02/2014 14:45

Don’t miss out...

3998 OH Home Focus Ad_V2.indd 1

10/02/2014 10:44

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 Call the sales team now

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.

0800 058 2544 www.newlonhomeownership.org.uk

Origin directory ad FROM 12.8.11:Layout 1 12/8/11 NEWLONHF WELCOMES INTEREST ALL FIRST TIME BUYERS EARNING 14:57 UP TO £66,000 FOR ALL OF OUR ONE AND TWO BEDROOM HOMES

Tel: 0800 012 1442

Pa

www.viridianhousing.org.uk

Just £12.95 for the next 6 issues n The latest affordable developments in your region n Who to ask and where to find an affordable home n Advice on legal and mortgage matters from specialists n Information about shared ownership, New Build HomeBuy, FirstBuy, and all low cost home ownership schemes PLUS MUCH, MUCH MORE; celebrity interviews, competitions and reader offers, jargon busters and homestyle articles To be sure of receiving the next 6 issues of homefocus, fill in the form and send your cheque* for £12.95 to: Graid Publications Ltd, Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, ME15 6LH

Call: 0800 068 8990 sales@originhousing.org.uk www.originsales.co.uk

62 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

*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

Name_______________________________ Address_____________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Postcode____________________________ Phone number _______________________ Email address _______________________ ____________________________________ Signature____________________________ Date________________________________ Payment options: n I’d like to receive the next 6 copies of homefocus and my cheque is enclosed 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 • MAY/JUNE 2014 63

homefinder Midlands

homefinder Midlands

homefinder South

‘hello homes’ throughout the EAST MIDLANDS…

CITRUS GROVE, KEGWORTH 2 BEDROOM GROUND FLOOR APARTMENT 25% SHARE AVAILABLE FROM £27,312

TERRACOTTA GARDENS, HATHERN 3 BEDROOM TERRACED HOUSE 25% SHARE AVAILABLE FROM £37,500

homefinder South

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…

Need a helping hand to get on the property ladder?

Affordable properties in various locations: Hampshire Wiltshire Dorset, Devon Isle of Wight

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

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

A home of your own with Shared Ownership

Affordable Hyde New Homes Shared Ownership • Discounted Rent

Bedfordshire, South Northants & Milton Keynes

Call our sales team now!

Tel: 0845 606 1221 Email: info@hydenewhomes.co.uk www.hydenewhomes.co.uk

Tel. 01525 844460

The Orchards, North Town Aldershot

www.grandunionhousing.co.uk

Follow us on

and

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

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

Published every other month to keep you up to date with the latest opportunities in shared and affordable home ownership Just £12.95 for the next 6 issues n The latest affordable developments in your region n Who to ask and where to find an affordable home n Information about shared ownership, New Build HomeBuy,

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 • MAY/JUNE 2014 65

legal&financialadvice

legal&financialadvice

homebuyers

GUIDE

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

Put your conveyancing in experienced hands

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

Please contact one of our team for further information, advice and a quote for costs and disbursements: Janice Maskell 020 8215 1077 jmaskell@wiseman.co.uk Gary Gillespie 020 8215 1062 ggillespie@wiseman.co.uk Debra Rose 020 8215 5040 drose@wiseman.co.uk

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

Ros Grant 020 8215 5041 rgrant@wiseman.co.uk

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

Tel: 020 8215 1000

www.directionlaw.co.uk

Web: www.wiseman.co.uk HOMEBUY / STAIRCASING / RESALES

Contact us for a friendly, no obligation quote:

ALL HOUSING ASSOCIATION SCHEMES RESIDENTIAL / COMMERCIAL CONVEYANCING

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

Don’t miss out...

Get the next 6 issues of homefocus delivered through your door

• Shared Ownership

Property Solicitors

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

• Shared Equity (formerly GTCLaw)

Residential Conveyancing

• First Buy • Staircasing

Commercial Conveyancing

• Right to Acquire

Affordable Housing

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.

Housing Association Schemes Staircasing Right to Buy Lease Extensions

Just £12.95 for the next 6 issues

• Resales

n The latest affordable developments in your region n Who to ask and where to find an affordable home n Advice on legal and mortgage matters from specialists n Information about shared ownership, New Build HomeBuy, FirstBuy, and all low cost home ownership schemes PLUS MUCH, MUCH MORE; celebrity interviews, competitions and reader offers, jargon busters and homestyle articles

Landlord & Tenant

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

Personal Injury

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

Family Law Wills and Probate

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

66 homefocus • MAY/JUNE 2014

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

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

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

HomeFocus ad-Shared Ownership_April13.indd 1

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

10/04/2013 17:00

Name_______________________________ Address_____________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Postcode____________________________ Phone number _______________________ Email address _______________________ ____________________________________ Signature____________________________ Date________________________________ Payment options: n I’d like to receive the next 6 copies of homefocus and my cheque is enclosed 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 • MAY/JUNE 2014 67

PRIVATE SALE - MARKET RENT - SHARED OWNERSHIP

WHO KNEW THERE WAS

SO MUCH

CHOICE?

At Genesis, we offer more homes for more people, than ever before, in a wide range of styles, to suit all budgets.

We provide more ways to get the home you want, including shared ownership, open-market renting and outright purchase.

Our new and refurbished homes are exceptionally well designed and carefully located.

The choice is all yours.

Building quality new homes and services across London, Essex & Suffolk to enable our customers to build better futures.

0800 954 0147 genesishahomes.org.uk