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AT T R A C T I V E , A C C E S S I B L E , A F F O R D A B L E H O M E S

WAYS TO HELP YOU

BUYShared ownership

and Help to Buy

Be a home owner

MAKEYOUR

MOTTOJEAN-CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI‘I think space, light, smell and aroma are the most important aspects of a home’

‘It’s a good way to buy a flat if you have a low income’says Wioleta

UK Chef Of The Year

MADE MORE AFFORDABLE

ONE OF FOUR CASES OF BLUE NUN

SPARKLING GOLD

NOV/DEC 2014

WIN

TAKING MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN HANDSAs homefocus Magazine goes to press, Ed Miliband is about to launch new plans to help first-time buyers. He’s concerned that up to a third of young people in London could be living with their parents within a generation.

Mr Milliband said, ‘the dream of home ownership for many families in the capital is fading fast. Many young people may be trapped in generation rent, or have to live with parents until they are in their 30s.’ And although the problem is worse in London than elsewhere, the trend is there in the rest of the country too.

Now whether you like Mr Milliband’s solutions or not – and at this time homefocus doesn’t know what they are, the reality is that most young people just can’t wait for the Government to solve the problem. They have to get on with finding a home of their own right now!

It isn’t easy. There are more people wanting to be homeowners than there are homes to buy. Deposits are high, perhaps as much as two-thirds of a typical first time buyer’s income, and mortgages are getting harder to get. So what do you do? Give up? Wait for Government initiatives to sort it out? Or take matters into your own hands?

This issue of homefocus highlights quite a number of first time buyers who did just that. You’ll find examples throughout the magazine of how people made shared ownership and Help to Buy work for them.

I hope homefocus will help you achieve your home ownership dream in 2015.

Happy home hunting

Jeffrey Gritzman • Publisher

ISSN No 1470-0360

ADVISORY PANELMaddie Cross LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY

Dave Evans BE CREATIVE LONDON Tony Harker GENESIS HOMES

Dave Lakin GRAND UNION HOUSING GROUP John McManus GLA

Trevor Morley DIRECTION LAW

Yvette Ruggins AFFINITY SUTTON GROUP

Isabel Saville CONCORDIA HOUSING CONSULTANCY

Simon Scott ORIGIN HOUSING

Sharon Shaw EAST THAMES GROUP

Richard Stone CENSEO LTD

Helen Towner HOMES AND COMMUNITIES AGENCY

Greg Warner-Harris SPECTRUM HOUSING GROUP

Chris Winfield LONDON BOROUGH OF BRENT

EDITORAlex Randell

e-mail: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS & GENERAL ENQUIRIESJulie Baugh Tel: 01622 772407


PUBLISHER Jeffrey Gritzman Tel: 01622 772407


PUBLISHED BYGraid Publications, Kent House, Romney Place

Maidstone, Kent ME15 6LHTel: 01622 772407

DESIGN & PRODUCTIONJohn Eldridge Design Associates

Website: www.homefocus.co.uk

www.facebook.com/homefocus

www.twitter.com/homefocus

homefocus

Supports the aims of homefocus

Publisher’sComment

homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014 3

Lo nd on

HAMPSHIRE

HERTS

BUCKS

BERKSHIRE

EASTSUSSEX

Southwark

Southampton

Haywards Heath

Yapton

SURREY Croydon

KingstonLewisham

Chichester

Caterham

Cranleigh

IslingtonChiswick

WEST SUSSEXMidhurst

Barnet Kensington

Ealing

BromleyBracknellOrpington

Barnham

GodalmingGuildford

Lewes

Hurstpierpoint

Crawley DownOxted

Hailsham

Eastleigh

Welwyn

GREATER LONDON

Brighton

Hassocks

Fulham

LLLLS

Littlehampton

Your next step:Email [email protected] 100 0303

www.affinitysutton.com

Follow us on Twitter

Join us on Facebook

Location of homes currently available

Fabulous apartments and houses for saleacross London and thesouth east.

Shared ownership: the affordable way to get on the property ladder.

Terms and conditions apply and a mortgage from a 3rd party is required. You will alsoneed to fund stamp duty, legal costs and other costs associated with purchasing a home.Availability of this product is subject to eligibility and affordability assessments and criteria. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up with repayments on yourmortgage or rent/service charges. Affinity Sutton is one of the largest affordable housingproviders in England. It is not allowed to sell mortgages or give financial advice. Independent financial advice should be sought. The value of your home can go down as well as up.

*

ONLY

5%*

DEPOSIT

H.Focus SE Map ad.qxp_Layout 1 06/08/2014 15:14 Page 1

52

Contact us... E-MAIL: [email protected] PHONE: 0845 474 4734

MAIL: homefocus magazine, Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6LH

Lifestyle 36 Home treatsGifts for your home to suit every budget

40 Food focusA selection of festive treats

Great Advice 38 Budget Buster Our most requested guide: it’ll help you get control of your finances

42 Never Mind the Buzzwords The real story about low cost home ownership

50 Moving Checklist Who to tell you’re moving

Competition 52 A case of Blue Nun Sparkling Gold Win one of four cases in our easy to enter competition

homefocus

36

30

46

16

From house hunting

to house warming

3418 13

Hot properties 12 London A selection of affordable homes in the Capital

16 East & south east And some from the east and south east region (as defined by the Home & Communities Agency

20 South westYou’ll find properties in the south west region of the country

24 South Properties in the south

28 Midlands And finally, some in the midlands

Just for you 3 Publisher’s comment Taking matters into your own hands

ContentsNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

Buyers’ Guide 6 It’s a cracker Make your motto, be a home owner. Give yourself a gift this Christmas

8 Compare the schemesWhich scheme works best for you?

32 Buy for less than you’d pay in rent And leave yourself a little over to pay for unexpected treats

44 New home, but not new-build Buying from an existing shared owner increases your choice

46 Will you find a place on the ladder?Low cost home ownership brings all kinds of opportunities

48 A 20% saving Help to Buy’s gift to you when buying a home

Celebrity Status 34 In ConversationJean-Christophe Novelli, The Michelin starred chef who says‘space, light, smell and aroma are the most important aspects of a home’

Where next? Homefinder DirectoriesYour search for an affordable first home can start here or at www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you

54 Introduction

55 Shows and Events

56 Property listings

59 South West

60 East and South East

62 London 64 Midlands 65 South 66 Legal and Financial Directory

WIN

4 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014 5

6 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014

Buyer’sGuide

Arecent survey showed that people appreciate gifts that they’ve told you they want far more than surprises

you love and think they will too. It makes for good advice if you’re buying Christmas presents for friends and family; and it makes for great advice if the present you want is a home of your own. Of course it’ll be a present that you buy for yourself; one that you thought you’d have to put off for a year or two; a present that you thought you could never afford.

Surprise! So here is something to put a bang in your cracker. There are schemes available that allow you to come up with just a percentage of the cost of your home. Collectively, these deals are known as Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO), and because they’re designed to make home ownership affordable, they’ll leave you a little over to gift wrap your wonderful present.

Take a look at the comparative figures on page 33 for buying or renting homes around the country. And when you’re checking out the properties available through LCHO, shown in regional sections from page 12 onwards, you’ll see we give a guide for monthly costs, and the deposit you might need.

Gifts galore

When you’re looking for a LCHO home, the place to shop is at your local Help to Buy Agent. In London, things are slightly different, but in the rest of the country Help to Buy Agents are organisations appointed by the government to promote and co-ordinate LCHO in a particular area. Think of them as the LCHO ‘one stop shop’- there’s a list of Help to

Once you’ve found your home through LCHO, the schemes are flexible enough to suit you as your circumstances alter. You can buy more of your home until in most cases you own it outright – this is called staircasing. And when you come to sell, your Help to Buy Agent will have a ready-made list of potential buyers in your area. People who are in the same position you’re in now – keen to become home owners for the first time.

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

Shared ownershipAlso known as part buy/part rent. This works by allowing you to buy a share of your home and pay a subsidised, capped rent on the remainder, which is owned by a housing association. You’ll be expected to buy the largest share you can afford –but don’t worry, the key word there is ‘afford’, so you’ll be able to discuss what share is right for you.

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

The checkout You may have already heard of LCHO but thought ‘it’s just for people with specific jobs or it’s social housing by a different name.’ Well, you couldn’t be more wrong! It’s home ownership, and you’ll take on all the responsibilities, and have all the benefits, that go with it. LCHO is designed for a whole range of people who’ve been otherwise priced out of the market.

Ticking the right boxes…For shared ownership, the eligibility criteria is pretty wide. And for the Help to Buy equity loan scheme, it’s even wider – there’s more on that scheme on pages 48-49. For shared

ownership, if you’re a first time buyer 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.

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

You’re NOT eligible 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

Buy agents and the areas they cover on page 54. The Help to Buy Agent will have the details of every

new LCHO home on their patch and will deal with your application in the first instance. They will check that you’re eligible for the LCHO schemes, and give you a basic affordability check to see just how much you could afford. Once you’ve found a home you want, you’ll have a more detailed affordability check through the housing association or developer you want to buy from.

In London, it’s slightly different, because the responsibility for LCHO in the capital comes under the umbrella of the Mayor. There’s still a one-stop-shop website to go to, but once you find a property on there, you contact the relevant housing association or developer to take you through the process. To take into account the high house prices in London, there are different income thresholds for the first time buyer schemes - see ‘Ticking the right boxes’ on the next page.

Buy with confidenceThe majority of LCHO schemes are backed by the government, so you can be sure that the help you receive will be there for the long term. And unlike renting privately, where your landlord could decide not to renew your tenancy, LCHO means your home will always be there for you (as long as you pay the bills, of course!).

Making home ownership truly affordable starts at the beginning – with the deposit. For many people, saving enough to put down is the real stumbling block. The gift of LCHO is that in almost every case, you’ll need a smaller deposit than you’d be asked for when buying in the usual way.

Make your motto ‘be a home owner’...

IT’S A CRACKER

Sounds good? Check out the schemes on

the next two pages and find out how you might

buy the best gift you could give yourself this

Christmas. You might discover a whole new way

to live your life. And LCHO will turn out to be a

real cracker!



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

Between 25% and 75%

Shared ownership could be right for you

Around 70% or more

Consider Help to Buy or an equity loan

100%, but I can only afford a 5% deposit Check out the mortgage guarantee schemes

I haven’t got enough for a deposit yet Time to start saving! Or take a look around for a try before you buy option

Finding the right LCHO scheme can be a bit daunting, so here’s a simple homefocus guide to help pull it together.

Buyer’sGuide

There’s more than one way to get yourself on the housing ladder, and buying through Low Cost Home Ownership (LCHO), opens up your options. This guide gives you an outline of all of the schemes on offer...

THE GIFT OF HOME OWNERSHIP IS A

CRACKERScheme type Shared ownership Equity loans 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 GIFT 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 48-49.

Many private housing developers have their own equity loan scheme, and the details vary but in general you pay for between 70% and 90% 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 newly-built 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.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

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 44-45.

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.

THE PRICE YOU PAY

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 [email protected]

Buyer’sGuide


LIVE THE HIGH LIFE

100 HOMES FOR SHARED OWNERSHIP SALE IN TOTTENHAM

Tel: 0800 058 2544

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST NOWwww.riversapartments.co.uk

One bedroom apartments from £88,000 (40% equity of a market value of £220,000)

Priority will go to those living in the London Borough of Haringey

Wouldn’t it be great to have the life of a Premiership footballer? Live in a mansion and play at White Hart Lane? Well you’ll need a lottery win and loads of talent for that. But thanks to Newlon and shared ownership you can live in a brand new apartment very close to White Hart Lane. It’s part of a fantastic refurbishment of the area.

More than a new ground for Tottenham Hotspur and more than new jobs, public spaces, a primary school and community facilities, more than improved roads and upgraded transport links, this ambitious Tottenham project

dishwasher. Wood laminate floorings are standard in the kitchen, living room and hallway, with wool mix carpets in the bedrooms.

The bathrooms at Rivers Apartments offer modern white suites with ceramic wall and floor tiling.

Some apartments have allocated parking and there’s 268 cycle spaces for those who prefer a more environmentally friendly way of getting around.

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the capital be more cost effective than renting or commuting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on pages 57 & 58 and our London directory on pages 62 & 63. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

London

RIVERS APARTMENTS One, two and three-bedroom apartments in Tottenham from £88,000 for 40%

Want to know more? Then email [email protected] with the name of the development that interests you in the subject line and don’t

forget to include your contact details. Or you can call 0845 474 4734.

One-bedroom apartment: Full value: £220,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £88,000 5% deposit: £4,400 • Mortgage on share*: £513 • Rent on remaining share**: £303 • Total costs: £816

London Properties

* 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

Visit www.riversapartments.co.uk

will mean high-quality homes. Newlon has 100 apartments available

on a shared ownership basis with priority given to those living in Haringey. And all of the homes at Rivers Apartments will have a balcony and access to a rooftop garden.

Each apartment will have a fitted kitchen from the Symphony Woodbury range with a Zanussi oven, hob and stainless steel extractor and splash back. White goods include a fitted fridge/freezer, a washing machine and

STAG LANE Kingsbury from £87,500 for 35%

PEARMAIN HOUSEHarrow, prices tbc

Stag Lane is a boutique development of 11 apartments, offered for shared ownership by Network Living. Located down a quiet cul-de-sac and surrounded by tranquil settings, this combination of one, two and three-bedroom apartments is located in a lovely building in up-and-coming Kingsbury.

The stylish apartments offer buyers a choice between white or cappuccino high gloss finish for their kitchens, laminate worktops and the latest integrated appliances. Bathrooms and en-suite shower rooms have wall and floor tiling, heated chrome towel rails and fitted wall mirrors. Most of the apartments benefit from allocated parking and all apartments have a balcony or terrace.

One-bedroom apartments: Full value: £250,000 • Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £87,5005% deposit: £4,375 • Mortgage on share*: £510 • Rent on remaining share**: £372 • Total costs: £882

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Stag Lane” in the subject.

Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Stag-Lane

Pearmain House is due for completion in March 2015 and will be situated in a leafy corner of Harrow not far from Rayners Lane. And Metropolitan will be offering one and two-bedroom apartments there, under the shared ownership scheme.

Although prices are yet to be confirmed, it is expected that applicants will have a household income of between £28,000-£40,000 per year and, in addition to the usual shared ownership criteria, priority will be given to those on those living in Harrow.

Pearmain House is just five minutes walk from Rayner’s Lane London Underground station which serves the Metropolitan and Piccadilly lines.

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Pearmain House” in the

subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Pearmain-House


ASHLAR COURTHammersmith from £118,750 for 25%

As part of a stunning restoration and conversion of the Grade II listed former Royal Masonic Hospital’s nurses accommodation, Affinity Sutton is offering one and two-bedroom apartments and two-bedroom duplexes through shared ownership. More shared ownership is available in a new four-storey extension to the eastern end of the building.

The 1930s’ Art Deco style building is located is just a short walk to Ravenscourt Park and Chiswick High Road.

Each home has been carefully created to maximise the space with open-plan living/kitchen/dining areas and many enjoy views over the courtyard and gardens to the side and rear. Bedrooms are good-sized doubles, master bedrooms have fitted wardrobes and many have en-suite bathrooms or shower rooms. Each apartment has underfloor heating, controllable in individual rooms.

Three-bedroom apartments: Full value: £475,000 • Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £118,750 • 5% deposit: £5,938 • Mortgage on share*: £693Rent on remaining share**: £816 • Total costs: £1,509

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Ashlar Court” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.

homefocus.co.uk/Ashlar-Court


homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014 1514 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014

London Properties

When 27 year old Kirsty Duncan returned to London having lived in

Switzerland for several years, she knew she wanted to set down some roots and buy a home. A Brixton resident before her move abroad, Kirsty knew that it was this area she wanted to settle back in, and Genesis’ brand new development, Acre Lane, made it possible.

Kirsty explains: ‘When I first moved back from Geneva I had every intention of buying, but I couldn’t find anything I liked, so I moved in with some friends into an old Victorian conversion property.

It was nice, but I needed my own space, so when I saw the adverts for Acre Lane, I jumped at the chance to visit. I went along to the open day, and after seeing the development decided it was something I definitely wanted to pursue.’

Kirsty says of the shared ownership scheme: ‘it wasn’t my first intention, but the affordability of shared ownership at Acre Lane made perfect sense. I purchased a 50% share in my apartment and am hoping that within in a couple of years I will be able to buy more shares and own it outright.

The whole process was easy and quick, the most frustrating bit was waiting for the builders to finish so I could move in! It was definitely worth the wait though.’

Kirsty adds: ‘When we first moved in, Genesis organised a meet-your-neighbours event, which was really nice. It’s great to have a community within the building, and have neighbours that you can trust. The fact that it’s a new property is also great; the open plan layout works nicely, and has plenty of storage, meaning I can have so many things that I couldn’t in the house share!’

Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on pages 56-59. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or you could call 0845 474 4734

Kirsty Duncan

Previous situation: Sharing with friends

Scheme: Shared ownership

Location: Brixton

Provider: Genesis‘the affordability of shared ownership made perfect sense’

SANDRINGHAM Ruislip from £196,000 for 80%

THE JUNCTIONBrixton 199,999 for 50%

Taylor Wimpey is due to release the final phase of one-bedroom apartments at their Sandringham development in Ruislip with Help to Buy available on all apartments.

For shoppers, Ruislip provides excellent shopping facilities featuring Waitrose and Marks & Spencer, while a wider choice of outlets are nearby at The Chimes Shopping Centre in Uxbridge.

For commuters, the M40 and M25 are a 15-minute drive away and there are direct local bus services to Pinner, Northwood and Ruislip. The Sandringham development is within walking distance of a number of stations on the Metropolitan, Piccadilly and Central lines.

One-bedroom apartments: Full value: £245,000 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £196,0005% deposit: £12,250 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,228 • Total costs: £1,228

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Sandringham” in the

subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Sandringham

Network has released one and two-bedroom apartments at The Junction, just minutes from the buzzing hub of Brixton town centre, available under the shared ownership scheme. The Junction is phase 4 at The Park, an innovative project which, once complete, will feature over 1,000 new build and refurbishment properties. The Park has focused on creating a sustainable community with open public open spaces and impressive community facilities. The apartments are located across two contemporary buildings sat around an inner central courtyard peppered with mature trees and communal seating.

Internally bright and spacious, the apartments all benefit from external space such as a patio, terrace or sunspace. The homes come with underfloor heating to optimize living space, whilst the kitchens are well equipped with integrated Neff and Zanussi appliances. Bathrooms are fitted with Villeroy and Boch sanitary ware, smart glass shower screens, heated towel rails and coordinated tiling to the floors and walls.

One-bedroom apartments:Full value: £399,999 • Minimum share: 50% • Cost of share: £199,999 • 5% deposit: £10,000 • Mortgage on share*: £1,167Rent on remaining share**: £458 • Total costs: £1,625

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “The Junction” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Junction


CHERVIL HOUSEHackney from £154,100 for 40%

Hackney Council is offering three and four-bedroom family duplexes available for shared ownership through their agents, Metropolitan. At this stage, priority is restricted to Hackney residents with a household income likely to be in excess £66,000.

There’s no doubt that this part of Hackney is up and coming, just around the corner from London latest fashion district, where Aquascutum and Pringle outlets jostle for attention.

There’s a good selection of local primary and secondary schools, with the local City Academy recently achieving OFSTED outstanding status.All the homes are built to above London design guide space standards, and all have balconies.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £385,250 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £154,100 • 5% deposit: £7,705 • Mortgage on share*: £899Rent on remaining share**: £530 • Total costs: £1,429

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Chervil House” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Chervil-House



East & South East

Genesis is launching its brand new development, Stoke Quay in Ipswich. Located in a prime position overlooking the River Orwell, many apartments boast riverside vistas and they are available through shared ownership.

The last few years have seen extensive regeneration of the area and the docks will soon be home to bustling residential and commercial areas, with a plethora of restaurants and bars. The first phase at Stoke Quay sees a collection of one and two-bedroom apartments and some

four-bedroom houses that overlook the River, yet are only minutes from the town centre.

All apartments have been designed to a high specification, with modern integrated appliances including washing machine and fridge/freezer. Open plan living spaces, cool and contemporary interior design and private balconies make the new homes perfect for relaxing in the evening.

Stoke Quay is just half a mile to Ipswich train station, with regular services to London, Cambridge and Peterborough in just over an hour, Norwich in 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.

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

STOKE QUAY Ipswich from £29,375 for 25%

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


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

East & South East Properties

BEAUCHAMP MILLStotford from £75,000 for 50%

Set in the Bedfordshire countryside, Beauchamp Mills offers two-bedroom maisonettes for shared ownership through Hightown Homes.

Each maisonette comes with a contemporary Symphony Boston white gloss fitted kitchen with a built in stainless steel cooker and hob, integrated fridge/freezer and integrated washer/dryer.

You’ll find a variety of shops and amenities in the vicinity and Letchworth is just a 10 minute drive away. For young families, there is a good choice of local,


Arlesey train station is approximately 3 miles away from the development and has fast trains into London Kings Cross and Peterborough.

Two- bedroom maisonettes: Full value: £150,000Minimum share: 50% • Cost of share: £75,0005% deposit: £3,750 • Mortgage on share*: £438Rent on remaining share**: £172Total costs: £610

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

THEATRE QUARTER Chatham from £45,500 for 35%

KINGLEY GATE Littlehampton from £46,250 for 25%

Heart of Medway is offering shared ownership on two-bedroom apartments at a new development on the site of the old Theatre Royal. The development is due to be completed in February, with apartments available to reserve off plan now.

Theatre Quarter is close to Chatham High Street, with a wide selection of shops and only a mile from historic Rochester with its castle, cathedral and array of bars and restaurants. The homes feature stylish fitted kitchens with integrated appliances, along with allocated parking in a secure undercroft car park.

The first phase of Kingley Gate, a new development in Littlehampton, West Sussex, comprises 6 two and three-bedroom houses and 1 two-bedroom coach house available on a shared ownership basis through Affinity Sutton.

All the homes have a high quality fitted kitchen, complete with appliances, such as a fridge/freezer and washing machine. Each of the houses benefit from rear gardens and all homes come with two allocated parking spaces.

Kingley Gate is close to the amenities of Littlehampton’s town centre including

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email

[email protected] with “Theatre Quarter” in

the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Theatre-Quarter

number of bus routes to Brighton and Portsmouth.

Priority will be given to those living or working in the District of Arun.

Two- bedroom coach house: Full value: £185,000Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £46,2505% deposit: £2,313 • Mortgage on share*: £270Rent on remaining share**: £318 Total costs: £588


[email protected] with “Kingley Gate”

in the subject. Remember to include your contact

details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Kingley-

Gate

Chatham station is little over a five minute walk away and London can be reached by rail within 45 minutes. Bluewater can be reached in 25 minutes, and Gatwick airport in 50 minutes by car.

To be eligible for these properties you need to be living or working in the Medway local authority area, and meet minimum household income requirements.

Two-bedroom apartments: Full value: £130,000Minimum share: 35% • Cost of share: £45,5005% deposit: £2,275 • Mortgage on share*: £265Rent on remaining share**: £194 Total costs: £459

the railway station, which provides regular, direct services to Chichester and Brighton, with journey times between 30 and 40 minutes. There are also a

lower schools for children up to the age of 9.Road and rail communications are

good with Stotfold very near to the A1.



East & South East Properties

BUCHANS MEAD Crawley from £200,000 for 80%

THE MONTAGUESMidhurst, prices to be confirmed


CITY PARK WESTChelmsford, prices to be confirmed

Sam Farrell is delighted with her two bedroom home in Elmwood Grove,

Bennetts End, bought with the help of shared ownership from Hightown Homes.

Sam was introduced to Hightown about five years ago and at first, Sam and her partner Luke just rented through the intermediate rent scheme. Intermediate rents from housing associations are around 20% cheaper than renting the same sort of property privately, and the idea is to help the renter save up a deposit to put down on somewhere of their own. And here, the system worked just as it should.

Sam and Luke first rented a Hightown flat at Bulbourne House, near the KD Tower, and then moved to an apartment at Lockview Court, overlooking the canal in Apsley. During this time, they saved enough money for a deposit, so were able to buy a 50% share of a two bedroom house with its own garden and allocated parking.

Sam said, ‘I would 100% recommend shared ownership to other people’. The couple both have good jobs, Sam a team leader at Metro Bank and Luke, a product tester at Arqiva. But Sam continues, ‘without the shared

ownership scheme we would never have been able to afford to buy our own house’.

‘Having registered online with the Help to Buy Agent, we contacted Hightown about some of the properties they had in Hemel Hempstead. The Sales Manager, Eva, talked through our financial details to check how much we could comfortably afford and helped to find the right property for us. Obtaining the mortgage was the trickiest part of the process as not all banks offer shared ownership mortgages. Our experience has been a really positive one’.


Sam Farrell

Previous situation: Renting from a housing association


Location: Hemel Hempstead

Provider: Hightown Homes

Help to Buy Agent: Helptobuyese.org.uk

‘without shared ownership we would never have been able to buy’

Buchans Mead is Countryside’s brand new development in Crawley, where there is a range of two and three-bedroom properties, ideal for young families or professionals.

The homes are located near the vibrant town centre, which has a great range of local amenities, a 45 minute train service to London and stunning countryside just minutes away.

The three-bedroom houses boast spacious living accommodation, comprising an open plan kitchen/living/dining room with French doors opening onto the rear garden and a cloakroom on

Located on the former Anglia Ruskin University site, City Park West is the first phase of a brand new development in Chelmsford and Genesis will be offering one and two-bedroom apartments on a shared ownership basis. All properties are designed to a high quality specification and benefit from undercroft parking.

Eventually, City Park West will provide a range of property types, from one-bedroom apartments through to four storey townhouses and the development will fuse new and old architecture to incorporate the refurbishment of three

Recently launched by Affinity Sutton, The Montagues is an outstanding collection of newly-built houses, apartments and a carefully restored Grade II listed Regency Villa set around beautifully landscaped gardens in the heart of the picturesque market town of Midhurst.

With shared ownership available, The Montagues is perfect for young professionals or families, as a number of well-regarded schools are just a few minutes’ walk from The Montagues development, as well as having good connections to a number of West Sussex’s most vibrant towns including Petworth and Petersfield. Midhurst also has excellent rail links to the capital, as you are able to reach Waterloo within just under an hour.

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “The Montagues” in the

subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/The-Montagues

of integrated appliances, including microwave, electric oven, fridge/freezer, dishwasher and dryer. Bathrooms have quality white sanitaryware, chrome accessories and ceramic tiling.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £250,000Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £200,0005% deposit: £12,5000 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,151Total costs: £719


[email protected] with “Buchans Mead”


details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Buchans Mead

listed buildings. Everything at City Park West is centred within a landscaped setting including an open piazza, while the town centre is just a stone’s throw away.

Chelmsford is only one stop from Shenfield for Crossrail connections from 2018, making the new homes at City Park West ideal for commuters.


[email protected] with “City Park West ”


details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/City-Park-

West

the ground floor. Upstairs there are two double bedrooms, a single bedroom and a family bathroom.

Contemporary kitchens are fitted with handleless driftwood effect units and come equipped with the full range

Sam with her sister in the garden of her

new home in Elmwood Grove.


20 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014 21homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014 11


South West Properties

* 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

Taylor Wimpey is making a range of family homes available under the Help to Buy scheme at their Kitley Place development in Yealmpton.

Illustrated is a four-bedroom ‘Bawden’ house with a kitchen/breakfast room and spacious living room that both open through French doors to the private rear garden – with a utility room, a dining room and a guest cloakroom completing the ground floor layout.

Upstairs, there’s an en-suite master bedroom, three further bedrooms

(one with a shower room) plus a main bathroom.

Outside, the property benefits from driveway parking for two cars and a garage.

Yealmpton is a charming rural village steeped in history and surrounded by rolling countryside and ancient woodland. The village boasts several traditional pubs and also a well-regarded primary school, which is just a stone’s throw away from the new homes.

The development lies just eight miles east of Plymouth, where there’s an excellent range of shops and restaurants, plus leisure, entertainment and sports facilities.

Plymouth and Ivybridge railway stations are close by for services to Exeter, Taunton, Reading and London Paddington. The A379 runs through the village for direct access to Plymouth and beyond.

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the south west be more cost effective than renting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on page 58 and our South West directory on page 59. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

KITLEY PLACE Four, five and six-bedroom houses in Yealmpton from £319,996 for 80%

South West



www.homefocus.co.uk/Kitley-Place

HEATHFIELD GARDENS Taunton from £87,500 for 50%

Heathfield Gardens in the village of Monkton Heathfield, has a range of two and three-bedroom 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 London-Penzance 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.

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

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Heathfield

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

COAL YARD Sparkford from £66,000 for 40%

With completion expected at the end of the year, Raglan Housing is offering two and three-bedroom homes for shared ownership at The Coal Yard in Sparkford.

These are traditionally designed houses with their own private garden and parking, and feature stylish kitchens with integrated oven, hob and chimney-style extractor hoods along with attractively designed bathroom suites and fitted carpets throughout. A unique design feature is an opened-up roof-space providing extra accommodation with a Velux roof window to allow more natural light into the house.

Set within stunning rural countryside with good road and rail transport links, The Coal Yard is close to Yeovil which offers excellent schools, healthcare, shopping, business and leisure facilities.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £165,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £66,000 • 5% deposit: £3,300 • Mortgage on share*: £385Rent on remaining share**: £227 • Total costs: £612

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Coal Yard” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.

homefocus.co.uk/Coal-Yard

WHITLEY COURT Paignton from £103,125 for 75%

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.

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.

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

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Whitley Court” in the

subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Whitley-Court

Four-bedroom house: Full value: £399,995 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £319,996 • 5% deposit: £2,000Mortgage on 80% equity*: £1,953 • Total costs: £1,953***

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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 [email protected] for the info you need.Will this story inspire you to become a homeowner? See the list of low cost home ownership (LCHO) properties on

pages 56-59. Or go to www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you. Or you could call 0845 474 4734

South West Properties

* 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

FORCES HELP TO BUY Throughout the south west

The Government is offering extra special help to servicemen and women via The Forces Help to Buy scheme enabling military personnel to secure an interest-free Government loan of up to 50% of their salary to put towards the cost of their first home or to help them move to another house. The money can be used towards a deposit and other costs such as solicitor’s and estate agent’s fees.

The Forces Help to Buy scheme is designed to help the military to put some roots down and get on to the property ladder. Purchasers can borrow up to a maximum of £25,000 and the normal term of the loan is 10 years

Taylor Wimpey is making this scheme available on a wide selection of apartments and s new houses on their developments throughout Devon, Cornwall and Somerset.

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with

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

www.homefocus.co.uk/Forces-HTB

In the last issue of homefocus, we reported on Ryan May and Nadine Gray.

The couple had considered buying via the Help to Buy and the shared ownership schemes and eventually went for Help to Buy at Taylor Wimpey’s Cherry Tree Gardens in Plymouth. Ryan said, ‘myself and Nadine are both quite proud of the fact that we’ve got a mortgage and a house by ourselves, especially at quite a young age, so the image reflects what we’ve done and achieved. I think it really does show that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.’

Others were impressed with their achievement too. So much so, that a photo of Ryan and Nadine is now emblazoned on a billboard at Cherry Tree Gardens as the official faces of the development! Ryan says: ‘we went up to view the house, the next minute we’ve bought it and now there’s an enormous photograph of us up in our neighbourhood! It’s a weird thing to happen. We sometimes feel like local celebrities, with people saying they’ve seen us somewhere. The best part is that our dogs see the picture and recognise themselves – Winston just stands and

stares at himself, and I’m sure he now thinks he’s a lot scarier and more powerful than he really is!’

The couple moved into their home after living with parents and saving hard for their deposit. Initially they didn’t realise that they would qualify for Help to Buy and assumed they would have to wait longer and save even harder before they could buy a place of their own. So they were delighted to be able to afford a two-bedroom house. ‘Exactly what we’d hoped for, in a lovely quiet area and in a great community’ says Ryan.

Ryan May and Nadine Gray Previous situation: Living with parents

Scheme: Help to Buy

Location: Plymouth

Provider: Taylor Wimpey

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

‘we’ve got a mortgage and a house by ourselves, at quite a young age’

DUKES RISE Shepton Mallet from £123,960

Bloor Homes is offering a range of two, three and four-bedroom homes under the Help to Buy scheme in Cannard’s Grave Road, Shepton Mallet.

The properties all boast large open-plan living areas, high quality fitted kitchens and spacious double bedrooms. Each of the homes has a landscaped garden at the front and a single/double garage, carport or driveway.

Shepton Mallet is full of history, with a variety of listed buildings, a beautiful Parish Church and evidence of a Roman settlement. The town centre provides a mix of shops, restaurants and cafes, with an excellent selection of well performing schools, supermarkets and health services. The M4 and M5 are within easy reach.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £154,950Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £123,9605% deposit: £7,748 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £714 • Total costs: £714***


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

www.homefocus.co.uk/Dukes-Rise


Wentworth Place, a development of 21 new apartments is being made available for shared ownership by Thames Valley Housing.

Located on London Road in the village of Binfield, Berkshire, these smart two-bedroom apartments give no compromise in quality or location. The homes are just two miles from Bracknell and nine miles from Reading, and on the doorstep of some of the county’s loveliest countryside. Transport links are excellent, with London just over an hour away.

The apartments are housed in an attractive three-storey building of warm red brick and cream render set in attractive landscaping, and are arranged in three groups, each with its own entrance.

Inside, the homes offer a choice of three different layouts. Each has a large open plan sitting/dining/kitchen area that uses space to maximum effect and full-height

windows flood light into the room. The sleek Manhattan kitchen is very well equipped with fully integrated appliances: a ceramic hob, electric oven, dishwasher, washer/dryer and fridge/freezer. And every home has two bathrooms, one of which is an en-suite shower room to the main bedroom.

Starting to think that you can buy your own home? Could buying in the south be more cost effective than renting? Then take a look at this selection of low cost home ownership (LCHO) homes. There are more listed on page 59 and our south directory on pages 65. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you.

WENTWORTH PLACETwo-bedroom apartments in Binfield from £88,000 for 40%

South



Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £220,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £88,0005% deposit: £4,400 • Mortgage on share*: £513 • Rent on remaining share**: £303 • Total costs: £816***


Visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Wentworth-Place

South Properties

* 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

TRAFALGAR COURT Theale, prices and shares to be advised

MATSON LANEGloucester, from £42,000 for 30%

Work has got under way to build 30 new affordable homes for older people in Theale.

Sovereign Housing Association is building a new development of one and two-bedroom apartments, specifically for older people and three of the homes will be offered under shared ownership scheme.

The apartments will be ideal for older people wanting to downsize and the development will incorporate a communal lounge and garden.

Sovereign has been working closely with West Berkshire Council to meet the needs of older people on the area and The Homes and Communities Agency is investing almost £640,000 in this development.


“Trafalgar Court” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or

visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Trafalgar-Court

If you’re looking for a home in Gloucester, Severn Vale Housing has two new shared ownership properties at Matson Lane, near Robinswood, Gloucester. These end-of-terrace houses both come with two double bedrooms and parking is available for each property.

Ideally located close to beautiful countryside, Matson Lane is still a convenient distance from the city centre and has good bus routes, plus local schools and leisure facilities nearby.

Priority will be given to those with a connection to Gloucester, living or working in the area.

Two-bedroom apartment: Full value: £140,000 • Minimum share: 30%Cost of share: £42,000 • 5% deposit: £2,100 • Mortgage on share*: £245Rent on remaining share**: £372 • Total costs: £224


“Matson-Lane” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or

visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Matson-Lane

Pan MeadowsIsle of Wight

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

Crack

the Crunch

with the get move-in

FREE Smart-Start Plus

package+!

Help with your deposit

Mortgage and rent

payment protection

Protection against falling

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+ subject to terms and

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Pan MeadowsIsle of Wight

[email protected]


Woleta Drozdzik, 29, works as an administrator in the NHS and

has recently moved into her new shared ownership home.

Owning a home was a dream for Wioleta. She had been living in a rented flat with two friends but was looking for something of her own to call home because she wanted more privacy.

Wioleta found out about shared ownership through an open day organised by the local Help to Buy Agent and she then attended a follow up meeting at St Mary’s

stadium to find out more. Having decided that shared ownership was right for her, Wioleta started to look for specific shared ownership properties. And she fell in love with a development under construction in Maybush, Southampton and knew she had to have it.

The properties were being developed by Get Move-in, the shared ownership division of Spectrum Housing Group, who invited Wioleta to a meeting at a school literally next door to the new development, and they told her all she needed to know

in order to apply for the home she wanted. It was just 8 months from Wioleta’s first meeting about shared ownership until she was actually moving in. The process was straightforward and made all the easier by a package called Smart-Start that offers Get Move-in customers something towards their deposit plus mortgage and rent payment protection.

Wioleta is loving her new home and says ‘It’s a good way to buy a flat if you have a low income. It has given me privacy and independence.’


‘It’s a good way to buy a flat if you have a low income’

Wioleta Drozdzik

Previous situation: Renting with friends


Location: Southampton

Provider: Spectrum Housing

Help to Buy Agent: www.helptobuysouth.co.uk

South Properties


MORETON PARK Moreton-in-the-Marsh from £164,000 for 70%

WILDWOOD Downend from £76,000 for 40%

Bloor Homes is offering their own shared equity scheme on a few three and four-bedroom houses at its Moreton Park development in Moreton-in-Marsh. And the initiative, designed to help local people into home ownership, allows you to buy just 70% with a deposit and mortgage. This initiative doesn’t fall under the Help to Buy umbrella, so for full details, you should contact the developer.

Moreton Park enjoys a picturesque position, adjacent to woodland and open countryside, whilst being conveniently located for easy access to a great range of facilities in Moreton-in-Marsh. The development is fairly close to Cheltenham and Oxford, with a direct line train service to London Paddington. Priority will be given to those with a connection to Moreton and the surrounding area.

Three-bedroom house: Full value: £234,285 • Minimum equity: 70% • Cost of equity: £164,000 • 5% deposit: £11,715 • Mortgage on 70% equity*: £935 • Total costs: £935***

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Moreton Park” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

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

Looking for a family home near Bristol? These two and three-bedroom homes are located in the desirable area of Downend, less than ten miles outside of the city.

Built by Cotswold Homes for Merlin Housing Society, these two high quality shared ownership homes are part of an exclusive development of 31 homes on the site of the former Blackhorse Day centre. All properties benefit from off-street parking, a fully fitted kitchen with built-in oven, hob, extractor, washer/dryer and fridge freezer, gas central heating, lovely gardens, and are fully carpeted.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £190,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £76,000 • 5% deposit: £3,800 • Mortgage on share*: £443Rent on remaining share**: £261 • Total costs: £704

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Wildwood” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details.

Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Wildwood

SOUTHSIDE EMBANKMENTKings 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, doctor’s surgery and a good primary school.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £235,000 • Minimum share: 40% • Cost of share: £94,0005% deposit: £4,700 • Mortgage on share*: £548 • Rent on remaining share**: £323 • Total costs: £871

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Southside Embankment”

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

-Embankment



Two-bedroom house: Full value: £140,000 • Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £35,000 • 5% deposit: £1,750Mortgage on share*: £204 • Rent on remaining share**: £241 • Total costs: £445

Midlands



If you are looking for an affordable first home in a beautiful, semi-rural location with stunning views, then Poppyfields Close in the Darley Dale is certainly worth viewing.

Built by developer Westleigh and being offered under the shared ownership scheme by Waterloo Homes, these houses are ideal for singles or couples looking for their first home of their own

Just a handful of two-bedroom terraced houses remain for sale on this new development near Matlock, on the southern edge of the Peak District National Park

with its attractive scenery and array of recreational activities.

The homes have been built to high energy efficient standards with one double and one single bedroom. They also feature a living room, downstairs toilet/cloak room, together with a stylish bathroom and a quality fitted kitchen to include oven, hob and extractor.

Outside is a turfed rear garden with shed and water butt, security alarm and

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

POPPYFIELDS CLOSE Two-bedroom houses near Matlock from £35,000 for 25%.

Midlands Properties


KINGS MEADOW Wingerworth prices to be confirmed

EDISON PLACE Rugby from £83,996 for 80%

Rippon Homes has three and four-bedroom homes to offer off-plan at Kings Meadow, Deerlands Lane in Wingerworth. And buying off-plan provides buyers with the opportunity to add their own finishing touches to the kitchen and secure their preferred plot.

There are a total of 31 homes at this new development at Kings Meadow, an attractive village setting within easy reach of Chesterfield, just 3 miles away.

With a mix of traditional and modern open-plan layouts, all homes benefit from a fully fitted kitchen and stylish bathroom, while some homes also feature a master bedroom with en-suite. The Kings Meadow show homes will open in early 2015.

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “King’s Meadow” in the subject.

Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.homefocus.co.uk/King’s-Meadow

A new phase of apartments has been launched by St. Modwen Homes at Technology Drive in Rugby. When complete, the new phase will deliver 40 new homes across 6 apartment blocks.

With a mixture of one and two-bedroom apartments, each property has a modern design, benefitting from open plan kitchen and living area, and allocated parking as standard. Additionally, each of the two-bedroom apartments will feature an en-suite leading off the master bedroom. The apartments will boast higher than average ceilings and large windows, creating a bright and spacious feeling throughout the home. Help to Buy is available at the development which is located near to Rugby Train Station and the town centre.

One-bedroom apartments: Full value: £104,995 • Minimum equity: 80% • Cost of equity: £83,996 • 5% deposit: £5,250 • Mortgage on 80% equity*: £484 Total costs: £484***

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Edison Place” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.

homefocus.co.uk/Edison-Place

CASTLEWARDDerby from £37,500 for 25%

Compendium Living is working together with Riverside Home Ownership in the launch of Derby’s £100 million Castleward development. Compendium offers Help to Buy on a range of apartments and houses and Riverside is offering shared ownership on some two and three bedroom houses. Between them there’s a good choice of homes for first time buyers and families.

All homes feature a spacious open-plan designs and a first class specification with the three-bedroom houses benefitting from an en-suite to the master bedroom.

Castleward sits on the edge of the city centre, right on the doorstep of the Intu shopping centre, bars, restaurants and much more. And when finished, residents will enjoy a tree-lined boulevard, linking the city centre with Derby railway station.

Two-bedroom house: Full value: £150,000 • Minimum share: 25% • Cost of share: £37,500 • 5% deposit: £1,875 • Mortgage on share*: £219 Rent on remaining share**: £258 • Total costs: £477

Interested? Call 0845 4744734 or email [email protected] with “Castleward” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or visit www.

homefocus.co.uk/Castleward

www.homefocus.co.uk/Poppyfields-Close


satellite dish, plus a parking space and visitor parking.

The nearby town centre has a good variety of shops, supermarkets, public houses and leisure facilities, as well as primary and secondary schools. There’s a railway station, excellent bus services and is close to the A6 for easy access to Derby, Sheffield and Nottingham.


Midlands Properties

Laura & Stuart Franklin from Stoke on Trent were both in work and felt that

as a stable and recently married couple, it was time to buy their first home. But with new homes in the area selling fast, they thought they would never get onto the property ladder.

That’s when Laura started to do some research. She says, ‘I made a mistake of working out how much money we had spent on rent and it was astronomical!’ On the other hand, she realised that some banks required a 15% deposit for

a mortgage and the Franklins just didn’t have that put by. But the research paid off. It became clear that with the help of a Help to Buy equity loan, the newlyweds could get onto the property ladder. Not only that, but with careful budgeting, they could save up enough money to pay back at least half or even the whole equity loan after 5 years.

They then found that Seddon Homes was offering Help to Buy on a development nearby and everything came together. Laura and Stuart made an

application to Help to Buy Midlands and four months later were very happy, living in their new home with a mortgage they could afford.

Laura’s dad helped them move and gave them a sofa for the living room and Laura has furnished a lovely new home to be proud of. A home that they love having friends and family to visit.

Laura and Stuart are eager to share their Help to Buy story with friends: ‘Every time we show people around the house we tell them that they should do it’


Laura and Stuart Franklin

Previous situation: Renting

Scheme: Help to Buy

Location: Stoke on Trent

Provider: Seddon Homes

Help to Buy Agent: www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk ‘money spent on rent was astronomical’


CENTRAL PLAZA Birmingham City Centre from £103,200Crest Nicholson announce the central phase at the development, Central Plaza – which is made up of two 13 storey ‘eye-shaped’ buildings. However, most of the properties have been sold off-plan and just a few remain under the Help to Buy scheme.

Crest Nicholson currently has available a selection of one and two bedroom apartments offering city centre accommodation with views right across Birmingham and leafy Edgbaston.

All the apartments have been built with high quality fixtures and fittings, including designer kitchens and contemporary bathrooms.

One-bedroom apartments: Full value: £129,000 • Minimum equity: 80% Cost of equity: £103,200 • 5% deposit: £6,450 Mortgage on 80% equity*: £594 • Total costs: £594***


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

visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Central-Plaza

CITRUS GROVEKegworth 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.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.

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


“Citrus Grove” in the subject. Remember to include your contact details. Or

visit www.homefocus.co.uk/Citrus-Grove

www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk

We’ve opened the door to home ownershipfor thousands of people, just like you.Just get in touch to find out more.

Help to Buy Midlandsdelivered by OrbitHelp to Buy Agents

Want Help to Buy in the Midlands?

03458 50 20 50

because we’reall different...

...tailored options to help you find your perfect home

@HelptoBuyMids

@HelptoBuyMidlands

[email protected]

Orbit Advert 22/10/2014 16:19 Page 1

With energy bills on the rise, call us free on 0800 0014 706 or visit www.myhomeenergyswitch.org.uk today to find the best price for your gas and electricity.

It’s free, fast and simple to switch and we’ll take care of all the paperwork.

Do you want to pay less for your energy

Billscutter is part of the group


SmartBuyer

Deposit Mortgage Mortgage pcm

Rent pcm Total monthly costs

25% share £2,550 £48,450 £298 £351 £649

50% share £5,100 £96,900 £596 £234 £830

80% Help to Buy equity loan £10,200 £153,000 £940 0 £940

100% buy £10,200 £193,800 £ 0 £1191

Private rent - - - £795 £795



25% share £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 £1901*

100% buy £20,400 £387,600 £2,408 £0 £2,408

Private rent - - - £1,415 £1,405



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



25% share £1,788 £33,962 £209 £246 £455

50% share £3,576 £67,924 £417 £164 £581


100% buy £7,150 £135,850 £834 £0 £834

Private rent - - - £662 £615



25% share £2,075 £39,425 £243 £286 £529

50% share £4,150 £78,850 £486 £190 £676


100% buy £8,300 £157,700 £769 £0 £969

Private rent - - - £662 £662

Bournemouth £204,000

Shoreditch £408,000

Weymouth £180,000

Northampton £143,000

Herne Bay £166,000

The small printWe’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.

‘I’m saving money and I have a really lovely one bedroom apartment with a balcony.Pete, 24, was fortunate to go straight from University into a job in London. Not wanting to spend money on rent he decided to move back in with his parents to save up for a deposit. But this meant a commute of a gruelling hour and twenty minutes each way.

Pete says ‘I found out about shared ownership while reading the paper on the way to work and I realised that I had a choice: buy through shared ownership or live in a shed!’

He came across The City Mills, an L&Q development in Haggerston E2 on the internet and put down a reservation fee off-plan. Pete then had a number of practical questions and says that L&Q answered very promptly. ‘It was so smooth’ he says ‘nobody at work even noticed I was buying a flat because I was so relaxed’!

Pete bought a 30% share of a one-bedroom apartment with a balcony and the mortgage, rent and service charge together come to around £900 per month. ‘I never wanted to rent as I thought it was a waste of money, but after one particularly trying weekend with my parents I did look into renting a studio flat in Islington and it was about £1000 a month’ he says. ‘So I’m saving money and I have a really lovely one bedroom apartment with a balcony. I was the first person amongst my friends and work colleagues to go for shared ownership, but lots of people I know are now looking into it as it is the ONLY realistic way of becoming a first time buyer.’

CHECK THE FIGURES IN YOUR AREAWe’ve done a bit of checking around, and compared the price to rent a typical two-bedroom property with the cost of buying outright with a 95% mortgage, buying different shares through shared ownership, and buying through the 80% Help to Buy equity loan scheme. So do the sums and see if low cost home ownership works for you.

We know that living at home with mum and dad is the

cheapest way of getting through the month. But it’s not always what we want. And it’s easy to assume that renting is the next cheapest way – but that’s not always what we want either. More importantly, it’s not necessarily that cheap. In fact – hold onto your crackers here, this might surprise you – buying through low cost home ownership (LCHO) might mean you paying out less each month than you will on rent. That’s worth looking into and if it’s right, it may mean you can save something each month for the unexpected – like Christmas!

The key to lower outgoings each month is of course (and perhaps unfortunately), having a deposit to put down. But if you can’t raise a large

deposit and repay a full mortgage, then LCHO may be the gift you’re looking for. The figures on the next page suggest that if you can come up with a deposit – 5% for Help to Buy and just 5% of the share you’re buying with shared ownership, then maybe you shouldn’t rent at all. And if you’re strong willed and budget minded, you can use the savings towards a big splash out at this time of year.

The idea of LCHO is to help you live, as well as own the place where you can live it from. The affordability checks that housing associations insist on before offering you LCHO mean that rather than paying every penny you earn in housing costs, you can have a life too. No, you won’t be able to party every night, but the housing association will make sure you can get through the

month and have a little left over. If becoming a home owner is one

of your New Year resolutions, then renting somewhere as a stop-gap might get in your way. After forking out everything you can afford to pay someone else’s mortgage, you’re often left with nothing at the end of the month to save for a deposit. So home ownership slips further and further away.

Take a look at shared ownership and Help to Buy and see if either works for you. Remember, the deposit you’ll need for LCHO might be far less than you think. You will see from the breakdowns on page 33, LCHO means you’ll need a smaller mortgage too – one you can actually afford! In most cases LCHO means paying out less each month than renting privately.

Every year it takes us by surprise; just how much Christmas costs and how long into the following year it takes us to pay for it. So buying your own home as well? It just can’t be done…, can it?

BUY A HOME AND HAVE ENOUGH LEFT OVER FOR

CHRISTMAS


Inconversationwith...

What attracted you to becoming a Chef and what do you like most about you do?Every women in my family can cook, especially my mum. From a young age I have had a passion for cooking and it is this that drove me to become a chef and open my own restaurants, and latterly the Novelli Academy. I love being able to pass on expression and passion through cooking. It is the only career where as a human being you can use all five senses at the same time. It’s all about being creative and doing artistic things when I cook, and I get great pleasure from people enjoying the recipes I create.

When did you buy your first home? When I was planning to move back to England everyone was trying to convince me not to, but I wanted to go to a country with new opportunities. I am very glad that I followed my own instincts or I wouldn’t be where I am today. My first home was in the New Forest, Hampshire, which I bought three years after moving to England, in the early 1980s. I bought it when my daughter was a baby as I loved the location and knew that one day I would want to pass the house onto her.

What do you believe are the most important aspects of a home? I think space, light, smell and aroma are the most important aspects of a home. It doesn’t matter so much about the location. Whether you’re in a city or a village it’s what you do with a house that matters. Everyone should feel free to decorate a home to suit their needs and personality and not feel restrained by following the latest interior trends.

As for the kitchen, I believe that smell can tell a great deal about the home. It isn’t about materialistic things, such as the appliances and furniture but more about the aroma which can really help make a kitchen feel welcoming, a place where the whole family will want to be. Creating a good aroma is easy, when cooking the ingredients you use will help to do this, and when you’re not then simply having a couple of fragrant herbs on a windowsill will do the job.

Tell us about what you are currently working on and what’s next for you? I am currently working very hard at expanding my cookery school, the Novelli Academy. We have received extremely positive comments about this and it is something I am very proud of. In terms of the future, we are constantly working on new designs, new possibilities, and new recipe titles. At the moment we are really enjoying looking at the opportunities surrounding cooking for students and promoting healthy cooking and eating. My long term aim is to be able to pass all this onto my son.

For more information about the Novelli Academy please visit www.jeanchristophenovelli.com

Inconversationwith...

NOVELLI Jean-Christophe Novelli is a world renowned French chef with five AA Rosettes and four consecutive Michelin Stars to his name. Having started his career at the tender age of fourteen as a baker in his home town of Arras, Northern France, his life changed completely when he arrived in Great Britain in 1983 and spent a year as head chef running Keith Floyd’s pub, ‘The Malsters’. In 1996 he opened four restaurants in London, a real accolade to someone who started out with just £500 to invest in their first business. Today Jean-Christophe is kept busy with his expanding Novelli Academy, where we caught up with him to chat about his life.

AA

UK

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R JEAN-CHRISTOPHE


At this time of year when you’re busy buying gifts for family and friends, why not treat yourself as well with something new for your home. Here’s a few suggestions to suit every budget.

TreatsHOMEUNDER £20 UNDER £40 UNDER £80

HomeTreats

www.bhs.co.uk


Glass tea light holders in red and purple, gift boxed as a set of four £14.95 www.annabeljames.co.uk

The portable Canvas Radio available in a sleek copper metallic finish £29.99 www.goodmans.co.uk

Chunky knit lambswool throw available in aubergine and grey marl £55 www.soakandsleep.com

Sandalwood and myrrh scented candle with 36 hour burn time £18.00 www.nationalgallery.co.uk

Personalised Christmas Glitter Bauble Cushion available filled from £28 www.morethanwords.uk.com

Antique style cut glass candelabra £45 www.marksandspencer.com

Unusual bark vase with glass inner, 31cm high £14 www.next.co.uk

Erroll the Owl gold table lamp made from glass and steel £25 www.bhs.co.uk

Carolyn Donnelly Eclectic picture frame £55 www.dunnesstores.com

World Food cheese board with knives £18 www.sainsburys.co.uk

Artistic 3D stag head available in a choice of vibrant colours £27.99 www.astburygreen.co.uk Beaded square mirror £79

www.marksandspencer.com

Remembrance tea towels available in dark blue and light green £6 www.iwmshop.org.uk

Set of four pretty Garden Birds side plates in presentation box -£37.50 www.vam.ac.uk

Kartell Infinity bottle rack available in orange, blue, white, and yellow £46 www.amara.co.uk

BUDGETPLANNERIf 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.

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

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

1 – Income

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

TOTAL INCOME (BOX 1) £

2 – Housing and utilities

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) £

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) £

4 – Everyday expenditure

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 EVERYDAY COSTS (BOX 4) £

5 – Other expenditure

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) £

6 – Your budget

Total income BOX 1 £

Housing costs BOX 2

Important expenditure BOX 3

Everyday expenditure BOX 4

Other expenditure BOX 5

Total Outgoings

(add boxes 2,3,4,5 & 6) BOX 6 £

MONEY LEFT OVER (BOX 1 – BOX 6) £

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…


FoodFocus

Festive TreatsLoathe or love the shorter days and colder weather of winter, there’s always one

thing guaranteed to add a touch of cheer, and that’s all the fab food and drink that the festive season has to offer. With so many treats to choose from we’ve put

together a selection of the latest additions as well as a few old favourites.

Mull It OverIf like us you like the taste of ginger then you’ll love Crabbie’s Mulled Wine, a new combination of their Green Ginger wine and the best quality British

Ruby. Best served warm, it’s blend of natural ginger,

spices and citrus fruits give off a lovely aroma, making it the perfect

drink to enjoy on a chilly winter’s day.

£6.50 available from Sainsburys and Tesco

Festive RedThe Kumala Zenith Merlot Cabernet Shiraz is a juicy,

smooth, full-bodied wine with berry, ripe plums and a hint of

spice. As recommend by Kumala we tried

this with a spicy tomato based curry

and really enjoyed its smoothness.

£9.99 available from Morrisons and Ocado.

Pass The PortThe festive season

wouldn’t be complete without a bottle of

Cockburn’s Special Reserve Port. Great for sharing with family and friends at the end of a

celebratory meal, it has a full bodied dry finish that is enhanced by the oak casks

it matures in. If you don’t fancy waiting for yours try a tipple after a long blustery walk, it’s great as a winter warmer! £12.99 for 75cl available from Waitrose, Tesco, and Morrisons.

Turn Up The HeatEnglish crisp brand Tyrrells has introduced a range of wintery warmer nibbles guaranteed to deliver a kick with every crunch. Perfect for the party season, the new products include Roast Beef and Horseradish

crisps, a great accompaniment to a glass of full-bodied red, Habas Fritas, Spicy Coated Peanuts, and our firm

favourite, Thai Chilli Rice Crackers. From £1.29 available from Waitrose and Tesco.

Delightful DesertsBored with strawberry creams, and

Turkish delight, then try Thornton’s new Dreamy Winter Deserts chocolate range. Presented in an elegant box with a pull

out drawer, the new range encapsulates delicious desert flavours such as Almond

& Cranberry Torte, and Clementine Crème Caramel in a variety of dark,

milk, and white chocolates. Served with fresh coffee we found these a great after dinner treat. £10 www.thorntons.co.uk

Oh CrumbsDecadent Dark Chocolate Florentines and Stem Ginger Blisscuits dipped in Dark Chocolate are two new sweet biscuit ranges from

Thomas J Fudge. Whilst the traditional Florentines boast the sweet taste of almonds and sultanas, the aptly named Blisscuits contain a hunk of cyrstallised ginger and are half dipped in dark chocolate,

who could possibly resist? And for those who prefer a savoury crunch there’s the ultimate cheeseboard accompaniment, Many Shaped Miscellany of Biscuits for Cheese. Prices start at £2.99

www.thomasjfudges.co.uk

Perfectly PreservedThe Christmas Preserve Hamper contains

a selection of festive chutneys, marmalades and jams to suit the whole family. From

orange marmalade with whisky for a festive breakfast to old English chutney with cider to accompany Boxing Day lunch, there are nine flavours to choose from. £22.99 from

www.suttons.co.uk

Chocs AwayThese Fabulously Festive chocolate bars from Chococo make a lovely gift. Dusted with edible gold shimmer they are available in a choice of Venezuelan milk chocolate or Grenada origin dark chocolate, both are embossed with

fun festive words. £5 each www.chococo.co.uk

Fizzy FunNo matter what their taste, the whole family can have fun using SodaStream’s new ‘Play’ fizzy drinks maker. The Play can be used to create a huge variety of flavoured drinks from cola to passion mango. And especially for the festive season the company has released a limited edition non-alcoholic Christmas Cocktail range that includes favourites such as Pina Colada and Mojito. We found these particularly easy to use as they come in individual capsules that release the exact amount of flavour in a single dose. £69.99 www.sodastream.co.uk



TheLowdown

What if we haven’t answered all your questions here? If you’re after help to kick-start your home ownership dreams, then get in touch with us! We can offer a bit of advice or extra explanation, help you find your Help to Buy Agents, a specialist legal or financial advisor, or even properties available in your area. So if you’re looking for help, just contact us and we’ll find you what you need.

and register with every housing association or developer offering LCHO in your area – you just fill in ONE set of initial registration forms, undergo ONE basic affordability and eligibility check, not the same thing over and over for every organisation. So when you’re looking for a home you will have a ballpark figure of what you can afford, and the organisations selling the homes will know that you’re eligible to buy. Once you find the right home, there will be more checks to work out exactly what share you can buy.

In London, things are a bit different, less centralised. But it’s perfectly usual to register with Rightmove and Zoopla and then give your details to every estate agent they redirect you to. So it’s not really that different.

They tell you how much you can afford and what share to buy! Yes, housing associations have always given their buyers an affordability check to make sure you don’t over-stretch yourself financially and try to borrow more than you could reasonably expect to pay back.

Time was when mortgage companies would lend people huge amounts, and we all know the results of that! And it led to the Mortgage Market Review to make sure that everyone, not just shared owners, undertake a sensible assessment of what someone can pay back.

So the affordability check is there to see how much you might be able to pay for your housing costs, and takes all of your other regular expenses into account, for example car loans, credit cards, monthly bills etc.

The result is that you might discover you can buy a bigger property than you originally thought – maybe a two-bedroom home that will suit you for a while to come, rather than the one-bedroom apartment that’s fine for now. You could also find that you can afford to buy a larger share of the property.

At the other end of the argument, you’re receiving help to get onto the housing ladder. So it’s only fair that you buy as much of the property as you can, to leave as much in the kitty as possible, to help others too. So yes, you will be asked to buy the maximum share you can reasonably afford.

to be someone in their mid thirties, perhaps with a partner, perhaps with children. So the homes have changed too…

As for the properties being tiny, don’t be fooled by anyone who says that LCHO homes on a development are likely to have smaller rooms than their full-ownership equivalents. In fact, they have to meet higher standards of space, storage and eco-efficiency than typical new builds, so you’re actually getting more home for your money.

You still have to earn a lotTrue. Buying a home is an expensive business. But so is renting a home. You’ll have to have enough coming in to pay for your housing costs and your life as well. But nothing like the amount you’d need if you were buying the full cost of the home or even renting privately. If you don’t believe us, check out the comparisons on page 33.

Mortgages are hard to getTrue again. But it’s no harder to get a mortgage for an LCHO property than it is any other. Especially since the recent Mortgage Market Review has laid down guidelines for anybody getting any sort of mortgage.

The LCHO industry has been working hard to encourage lenders and make sure that specialist mortgages are available. Many housing associations have links with lenders and special rates, so it’s worth asking about when you find a home you like. Plus, as an LCHO buyer you’re statistically less likely to get into mortgage difficulties than other buyers, which makes you a good candidate for lending.

In fact, LCHO buyers are far MORE likely to be able to get a 95% mortgage than other first time buyers.

Rent AND mortgage – isn’t that more expensive?It’s not called Low Cost Home Ownership for nothing! If you buy through shared ownership you’ll have a mortgage on

NEVER MIND THE

Buzz WordsHERE COMES THE TRUTH ABOUT LOW COST HOME OWNERSHIP…

QUESTION TIME

QUESTION TIME

NEED HELP?

Opinions. There are plenty of them when you’re buying your first home. It’s a good time to buy; leave it 6 months; it’s an up and coming area; it’s overpriced. Everyone has an opinion. And low cost home ownership (LCHO) triggers even more points of view. So here’s the homefocus response to some of the things we’ve heard.

It’s not the same as owning your home outright, is it?No, it isn’t. But people who buy their home with a mortgage in the usual way don’t own their home outright either – the mortgage company owns it and lets them live there while they pay for it!

Think of it as an affordable way to start the home buying process. You could stay where you are and put the money you would have paid on your LCHO home into a savings account (assuming you’re not already spending every penny you earn on rent, that is). Then, when you’ve got enough, walk into an estate agent or developer and buy something. Or you could buy a share of a home now (or a percentage, if you’re buying through the Help to Buy equity loan scheme) and enjoy living in your home straight away. Whether you own it ‘outright’ or not is irrelevant – the fact is, you get to live there NOW, not some time in the future.

LCHO homes are just tiny starter flats…Some of them may well be starter homes, but they’re not tiny…

Have a look through the regional property sections of homefocus from page 12 onwards and you’ll find a wide range of home types. While you will see some one-bedroom apartments, you’ll also find larger family homes with gardens.

The fact is, the type of homes first time buyers need has changed, because first time buyers have changed. Perhaps twenty years ago the typical first time buyer was a young, trendy singleton in their mid twenties, but now it’s more likely

the share you buy, and pay rent on the share you don’t, so it generally works out less per month than renting privately, and definitely less than buying the full 100% of your home. Plus, you’ll need to find a much smaller deposit to get you started. And for an equity loan property, there’s no rent to pay anyway. In fact, there’s nothing to pay on the equity loan portion of your purchase for several years.

Shared ownership? Does that mean I have to share with someone else?No! Although you can, if you want to!

You’re sharing the ownership of your home with the housing association, and you’ll pay them rent on the share you don’t own. Plenty of people buy their shared ownership home with a friend or sibling though. But trust us, no one from the housing association will move in with you, and they won’t move another family in either! It’s the ownership you share, not the living space.

Why can’t I just find a property I like at the estate agents and ask the housing association to buy a share with me?You used to be able to do that, but nowadays, the majority of schemes are available for specific newly-built properties so that government funding can help developers and housing associations to build the homes the country desperately needs.

There are exceptions though. In South London and Sevenoaks, Moat Homes is working with local authorities to develop just such a scheme for council tenants. And if your taste isn’t for a new-build home, take a look at your Local Help to Buy Agent’s website, or check out a housing association, because along with all the new builds, you’ll find details of older, resale shared ownership properties. There’s more on resales on page 44.

Isn’t there more form filling to do? Well probably, but the result is being able to find a home of your own. Outside of London, you will have to register with a Help to Buy Agent – set up by the government to match you with the right home!

What this means for you is that you don’t have to track down

E-mail – [email protected]

Call – 0845 7474737

Online – go to our website at www.homefocus.co.uk

Message – add us as a friend on Facebook and chat to us there, or send us a message.

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

50% of this two-bedroom

apartment in Hemel

Hempstead, from Hightown

Homes for £87,500

A new home but not necessarily a new-buildYou can buy shared ownership properties from existing shared owners who are ready to sell their share and move on. Which means a wider choice for you.

25% of this one-bedroom apartment in Rochester, from Currell’s for £31,250

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

More informationIf 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 [email protected] or call 0845 474 4734.

When Michael and Victoria Powell, and their family outgrew their two-bedroom house, the couple knew that they would need to move up the property ladder to a larger home.

Because they were existing home owners, the Powells were far from ‘front-runners’ to take advantage of the shared ownership scheme. But on the other hand, their existing home was no longer suitable and they simply couldn’t afford to trade up without assistance, so they decided to see if shared ownership could help them.

‘We came across a number of properties on the radianhomes.co.uk website that we really liked’ said Victoria. ‘We registered our interest in a three-bedroom house in Lindford - a shared ownership resale - and were given the chance to view the house. We were really pleased when Radian offered us the property.’

As existing home owners, the Powells needed to have an offer in place on their existing home before being offered shared ownership in Lindford and the timing worked out perfectly. After a financial assessment and the usual conveyancing, Michael and Victoria became proud home owners of a three bedroom house, with garden and parking.

‘All of the rooms are much bigger than we initially expected. We have three generous bedrooms and a lovely large living/dining room area. Our garden is all we need and it’s great having two off road car parking spaces.’ said Michael. “We live on a lovely new estate and really pleased with our new home.’

The Powells pay approximately £500 per month in mortgage payments and £385 in rent and service charges, a manageable amount for the couple. In return they own 40% of the £215,000 home.

‘We needed a larger property and wanted to stay in the area for the children’s education and great local community’ said Victoria. ‘We couldn’t see how we could continue with three children in a two bed house. We were so lucky’.

‘we couldn’t see how we could continue with three children in a two bed house’

MoreChoice

50% of this one-bedroom apartment in St Albans from Hightown Homes for £120,000

Just a taste

information on any resales they have. In fact, if you’re looking to move onto a particular development, it’s worth finding out who the relevant housing association is and getting in touch to let them know you’d be interested in a resale if one comes up.

Insider infoWhen you’re looking for a home, nothing beats a good chat with the people who already live there. If you’re only looking at newly built homes, you’ll get information from the sales team, but if you’re buying a resale you’ll get the real insider info. Ten minutes from the station? ‘Yes, and only five from the shops…’ Good parking? ‘Yes, allocated to the homes, but if you’ve got visitors tell them to get here early if they come at the weekend.’ Utility bills? ‘We didn’t have to turn our heating on at all until November…’ See what we mean? Nothing beats the personal touch.

More choiceResales add to the choice of homes you could buy. Of course, a lot of the resale homes will be nearly new, simply because most shared ownership homes were new build at the time of their first purchase. But there are other kinds of property available too – including older properties that have been refurbished and sold through shared ownership in the past. So if you’ve got your heart set on an older property, check out the resales available in your area.

When you’re looking to buy a home through shared ownership, you might be forgiven for thinking that

the only properties available are brand new ones. You see advertising in local papers, information at housing events, even hoardings alongside new developments being built.

But what if you want to stay living in the area you know and it hasn’t seen any new development for a while? Or if staying close to family and friends is a key factor in your life? What if your children are established in schools or you’ve outgrown the place where you live. What then?

Well maybe an existing shared ownership home could improve your chances of finding what you’re looking for!

A resale propertyWhen a shared owner is looking to sell their share and move on, their housing association will help them find the right buyer to take over the share. Housing associations often refer to these existing shared ownership properties as ‘resales’, and it adds to the stock, style and locations of where you can buy under the shared ownership scheme.

Your Local Help to Buy Agent (or the sharetobuy.com/firststeps website for London) will have details of many of the resales properties available in their area, and be able to let you know which housing association to contact about each one. You can also check out individual housing association websites for

Buying a resale property might also give you a bit more choice in the area you live in. For a start, you’re not restricted to places where there’s development going on right now. Perhaps you already know the development, have friends or family in the area, and fancied buying a home there yourself but weren’t ready when the homes were being sold new. In fact, a resale property might not be part of a development at all, because early low cost home ownership schemes did allow people to buy homes other than new builds.

How it works With most resale properties you buy the share that the sellers own – so if they’ve bought 35%, you buy 35%. But if you want to buy more, you can. Let’s say you can afford 50% of the home you want, but the sellers only own 35%. In that case, you buy their 35% plus a further 15% from the housing association. It sounds complicated, but it really isn’t, and if you use a specialist financial advisor or solicitor (we have a list on pages 66-67) they will know how best to advise you.

When the time comes to sell up, you’ll find that your housing association and Help to Buy Agent will have a list of people who are all in the position you are in now – keen to buy and looking for an affordable home in the area. And they will do all they can to find you a buyer for their share. But if they don’t succeed, you’ll be able to go out to an estate agent.

So, don’t restrict yourself to just looking at new properties – you could get more choice, more opportunities, and maybe a better fit for you and your family if you check out the resales too!

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

Get in touchIf you want more information about resale homes or any of the properties featured in homefocus, go to www.homefocus.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 0845 4744734


GregGreg had been saving up for a deposit for an apartment while paying £950 in rent for a one-bed apartment in Seven Sisters. He was determined to buy a place as he considered renting a waste of money.

So he went along to an Affordable Homes show in central London to get an overview on what was available in his price range. One of the great things about being at this type of show was that Greg no longer felt alone in being priced out of the market. Everyone there was looking to get onto the home ownership ladder in a way that could be paid for and leave enough over ‘for a normal life’.

After an interview with a mortgage advisor, Greg booked appointments to view several suitable shared ownership properties. He found what fitted the bill at L&Q’s Capworth House, a smart, energy efficient, two-bedroom apartment ideal for his commute to Hackney for work.

Ryan, Rebecca and their children

Ryan and Rebecca lived in a two bedroom flat in London, but needed a bigger home for their family to grow into. They targeted areas where property was more affordable and chose Kempston because of its proximity to Bedford Station (less than 40 minutes to London) and a new build development where Barratt Homes was offering Help to Buy.

Help to Buy has made it possible for them to buy a new four-bedroom house with much more space and a nearby play area their children could enjoy. Mum, Rebeccasays ‘the play area is brilliant for us, as it’s handy to have somewhere within walking distance to take my daughter Isabella instead of having to get in the car and drive’.

AlisonFed up with renting, Alison had looked into all the home ownership options and decided that her chances would be greater if she could save harder for a deposit, so she moved back home with her parents.

She had previously looked at a new-build shared ownership development quite close to where she worked, but the time to buy just wasn’t right for her. Fortunately Alison kept her eye on the ball, regularly checking to see if anything ‘came up’ at her chosen development. It did! The owners of a two-bedroom apartment at the block wanted to move to a different area. So now Alison, with a good deposit behind her, was able to buy the 35% share being sold by the previous owners. About three months after viewing this ‘resale’

apartment, Alison was able to move in.

FINDING YOUR PLACE ON THE

LADDERLots of people think that low cost home ownership (LCHO) is a great opportunity but it can’t be for them…can it? Surely it’s only for keyworkers or council tenants. But you’d be surprised at how accessible the schemes are, and just who climbs onto the home ownership ladder this way.

BuyerProfile

Andy and daughter GraceWhen young dad Andy Wells heard about shared ownership he straight away registered with his local Help to Buy Agent. But he waited nearly a year till the right place came up. He knew that where he wanted to live in Whitstable was out of reach for anyone on a lower income, but persisted, didn’t give up and eventually, received an email about Orbit Homes’ development of new houses at Arum Way, available under the shared ownership scheme.

Andy could have considered a flat as a cheaper way onto the property ladder, but decided that a house, with outside space for his daughter Grace to play in, was worth waiting for.

Peter and Michelle Peter and Michelle had been privately renting a two-bedroom flat in Sevenoaks for six years. During this time they started a family and had their son Kieran in 2011. They soon realised it was neither practical nor ideal to be living in a small two bedroom flat without any private, outside space.

House prices in the area were out of reach for them - a familiar story – and on the other hand, private landlords were charging higher and higher rents. But then they found out about a new scheme, Home of Your Own, run by housing association Moat Home Ownership in conjunction with the Sevenoaks District Council.

The family found a three-bedroom family home in Swanley and moved in earlier this year.

Get in touch If you want to know more about how staircasing works, contact your housing association, a mortgage advisor or solicitor (a number of specialists appear on pages 66 & 67), email [email protected] or call 0845 4744734.


Acouple have begun planning their wedding after the groom- to-be proposed to his now fiancé on the day they moved

into their new home at Barratt Homes’ Perry Wood Oaks development in Ronkswood, Worcester.

Carl Wilkins, 34, believed the time was right to pop the question to his then girlfriend Kate Robinson, 32, who was born round the corner and knew the area well.

Civil servant, Carl, said; ‘I had pre-warned the site and sales staff that I was planning to propose to Kate when we moved in. They had worked so hard to get the house ready in time and even left us a bottle of champagne. It’s a good job Kate said yes!’

The couple, who had been renting close by in Worcester, have bought a new three bedroom Faringdon house at the development on Popert Drive with the aid of Help to Buy. Carl, said; ‘this is the first home either Kate or I have bought, as we have always rented so it is a huge financial commitment but one which we are both happy about. The development is wonderful, the house suits us down to the ground and we both know the local area very well.

He continued, ‘we decided to use Help to Buy as it quickened the process of us buying a new home. Without it we would have had to save for at least another year.’

‘it quickened the process of us buying a new home’

The Help to Buy Mortgage GuaranteeSometimes 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.

Central Plaza One and two-bedroom apartments in Birmingham, available through Crest Nicholson from £103,200. Full asking prices start at £129,000

Drovers Way Four, five and six-bedroom houses in St Agnes, from Taylor Wimpey. Properties from £283,996. Full asking prices start at £354,995

Kings Meadow Three and four-bedroom houses in Wingerworth near Chesterfield, available with Help to Buy from Rippon Homes

Mayflowers Mews Apartments and three-bedroom houses in Southampton, available through Lovell from £119,996. Full asking prices start at £149,995

Buchans Mead Two and three-bedroom homes in Crawley, available through Countryside from £200,000. Full asking prices start at £250,000

Welbury Meadows Three and four-bedroom homes in Hailsham, available through Taylor Wimpey from £185,596. Full asking prices start from £231,995

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

A GIFT OF A 200/0 SAVINGWhy it’s a cracker! 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. Yes, you will have to pay it back in time, but right now, right when you need it, the last 20% is a sort of temporary gift.

As an example, let’s imagine you see a new build property on the market for £180,000 (it’s a 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. There’s nothing to pay on that £36,000 equity loan for the first five years (that’s the gift part) and after that, there’s a small interest charge which rises each year.

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.

Not just first time buyersYou 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% - but if you’ve already paid back 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. So not exactly a gift, but not something to turn your nose up at!

Well maybe not quite a gift in the way that Christmas presents or birthday presents are gifts. But if you’re struggling to find that last piece of finance, that last bit you need to buy the home of your choice rather than a home you’ll make do with, then Help to Buy could come as a bit of a gift for you.

HelpToBuy


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

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 MoveFirst 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!

CHECKLISTMOVINGPRACTICAL PLANNING FOR MOVING DAY

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

n Inform magazine subscriptions and clubs of your new address and moving date

n Decide which items you’re keeping and which you can chuck or donate to charity

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

n Book removals company or arrange help from friends, van rental etc

3 WEEKS BEFORE…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

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

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

n Tell credit and store card companies your new address

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 messages and Facebook or MySpace alerts

n Notify relevant authorities in your old and new areas regarding council tax and electoral registration

1 DAY BEFORE…n Defrost and thoroughly clean the fridge and 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

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…

People to telln Friends and family

n Post Office

n Inland Revenue

n Schools and colleges

n Local councils

n House insurance company

n Electricity and gas suppliers

n Water and sewerage companies

n Telephone company

n Internet supplier

n Satellite/cable TV provider

n TV Licensing

n Banks and building societies

n Credit card/store cards

n Doctor

n Dentist

n Car insurance company

n DVLA

n Car breakdown company

n Library

n Milkman

n Newsagent/magazine subscriptions

n Sports and social clubs

n Church/place of worship

n Children’s clubs

First night kitn Kettle

n Mugs, cutlery, plates, glasses

n Coffee, tea, milk, sugar, water

n Washing-up bowl and liquid

n Rubber gloves

n Map

n Vacuum cleaner/dustpan and brush

n Tea towels and cloths

n Toilet roll

n Bin liners

n Towels/soap/shampoo

n Lightbulbs

n Candles and matches

n Fuses

n Screwdriver

n Local takeaway menus!

n Bottle of champagne

OnTheMove

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!


An ideal festive tipple!

Create Your Own Sparkling Gold cocktailsBlue Nun have teamed up with a top mixologist to create five sparkling white wine cocktails, each featuring the distinctive floating fine flecks of their delicate 22 carat real gold leaf!

The stunning cocktails combine the Sparkling Gold wine and a selection of gorgeous and delicious flavoured liqueurs, cordials, mixers and fruit garnishes. Here’s a couple for you to try...


homefocusCompetition

ONE OF FOUR CASES OF BLUE NUN SPARKLING GOLD

Ideal for festive celebrations, Blue Nun has

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The Gold Edition is ideal as an aperitif or

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suggestion! Its fab, fruity and under £10

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To be in with a chance of winning one of four cases containing 6 x 75cl bottles worth £60 simply answer the below question:

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS • The closing date is 10th January 2015• The Editor’s decision is final• No purchase necessary• There is no alternative cash prize• We accept no responsibility for entries not received

WIN

Violet Fizz 10ml Violette liqueur15ml Poire WilliamAdd Blue Nun Sparkling Gold wineGarnish with 3 blueberries

Gliteratti 15ml Elderflower liqueur (or elderflower cordial)10ml Rose liqueur (or syrup)Top up with Blue Nun Sparkling Gold wineGarnish with orange zest spiral


WhereNext

homefinderWHERE 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 registeredIf 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 affordThere’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.

Step 3 – Home huntingNow for the fun part. Take a look at some of the affordable homes around, including the ones we feature in our regional property sections from page 12 of the magazine. There’s a fuller list on pages 56-59 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 4 – DetailsGetting down to the nitty- gritty! Once you’ve found the home you want, and whether you live in London or not, you’ll formally apply for your home through the housing association or developer and they’ll give you a more detailed affordability check, often asking an independent financial advisor (IFA) of their choosing to find out how much you can afford.

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

Step 6 – Get movingSorry, 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.

Your steps to making all the right moves…


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

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

We’ve colour coded our development sections on pages 12-31 and our homefinder property listings on pages 56-59, to make finding a property in your area a little easier. The key is as follows:

ShowDiary

FORTHCOMINGEVENTS

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 [email protected] and we’ll do our best to help!

Until the next issue of homefocus… happy homehunting!


FIND OUT ABOUT EVENTS NEAR YOU!

WANT MORE INFORMATION? Call homefocus on 0845 474 4734 e-mail [email protected] or Facebook us at www.facebook.com/homefocus

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

In London you should look for the First Steps logo!Ideal Home ShowOlympia London20th March-6th April 2015

The National Homebuilding & Renovating and Home Improvements ShowNECBirmingham26-29 March 2015

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.

LONDON www.sharetobuy.com/firststeps

SOUTH www.helptobuysouth.co.uk

SOUTH WEST www.helptobuysw.org.uk

EAST & SOUTH EAST www.helptobuyese.org.uk

MIDLANDS www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk

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

Ideal Home Show at Christmas Earls Court London19-23 November 2014

The South West Homebuilding & Renovating and Home Improvements ShowBath & West ShowgroundSomerset22-23 November 2014

PropertySearch

Location Name of No of Type of Available Provider Development Units Properties From


PropertySearch

56 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014 57

EAST & SOUTH EAST

LONDON

Help to Buy Agent: Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association www.helptobuyese.org.ukLewes St Helen’s House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonMaidstone Westborough Mews 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonMilton Keynes Cornwall Grove 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonMilton Keynes Yorkshire Close 2 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonRochester Summerson Close 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonSandy Sunderland Road 13 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses 2014-2015 AragonShenley Brook End Garthwaite Crescent 1 3 bed house 2015 AragonShoreham Lark Rise 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonSt Albans Davy House 1 2 bed flat Now Hightown HomesSt Leonards on Sea Oakwood Rise 11 2 & 3 bed houses Now - April Orbit HomesStevenage Miller Way 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonStevenage Monument Court 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonStevenage Stephensons Mews 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonStotfold Beauchamp Mill 5 1 & 2 bed maisonettes Now Hightown HomesThanet Weyburn Place 4 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesUpper Caldecote Biggleswade Road 4 2 & 3 bed houses, 2 bed bungalow 2015 AragonWare High Oaks Grove 2 3 bed houses Now Hightown HomesWymondham Oakfield Green 1 3 bed house Now Orbit HomesYapton Emerald Gardens 4 2 & 3 bed houses Now Raglan HousingYapton Taylors Close 1 2 bed house Now Affinity Sutton

Help to Buy Agent: FIRSTSTEPS www.sharetobuy.com/firststeps Barking and Dagenham Barking Riverside IMR 52 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QBarking and Dagenham Academy Central IMR 27 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QBexley Ratio 8 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesBexley Erith Park 9 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Bow LIVE3 9 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed dublex house Coming soon Gateway LivingBow The View 4 2 & 3 bed flats Coming soon East ThamesBrentford Brook Road South 2 3 bed houses Now Red Loft Brentford Lateward Road 1 4 bed house Now Red Loft Bromley Rokewood Apartments 16 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QBromley Cuckmere Way 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBromley Krueger House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCanada Water Quebec Quarter 69 1 & 2 bed flats Late 2015 L&QChingford Mayfield 6 3 bed houses Coming soon East ThamesColindale Zenith 8 1 ,2 & 3 bed flats Now Genesis Housing Croydon Balmoral House 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCroydon Bedford House 35 1 & 2 bed flats Summer Affinity SuttonCroydon The Deacons 7 2 bed flats Spring Affinity SuttonCroydon Scholars Place 12 1 & 2 bed flats - for the over 55’s Now Orbit HomesCroydon Hampton Mews 10 2 & 3 bed houses May Orbit HomesDagenham Castle Green Place 10 3 bed houses Now Newlon Home Ownership Docklands New Providence Wharf 47 1 & 2 bed flats Coming Soon Genesis Housing Ealing L&Q @ Liberty Quarter 11 1 & 2 bed flats Summer L&QEaling The Garden Court Apartments 19 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonEaling The Garden Court Apartments 4 2 bed flat wheelchair accessible Now Affinity SuttonEast Ham Butterfly Gardens 6 1, 2, & 3 bed flats Coming soon East ThamesEnfield Bolingbroke Park 50 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Early 2016 L&QEnfield Watermill Lane 30 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed maisonette March Newlon Home Ownership Epping Arboretum 4 3 bed houses Now L&QFeltham Chichester 2 4 bed houses Now Red Loft Feltham Lake Court 8 2 bed flats Early 2015 Red Loft Fitzrovia Cleveland Street@Fitzroy Place 14 1 bed flats Spring OctaviaForest Hill City Walk 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonFulham Ashlar Court 8 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonFulham Fulham Riverside 52 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonGolders Green The Lexington NW11 4 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonGreenwich L&Q @ Greenwich Square 76 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now L&QGreenwich L&Q @ Greenwich Peninsula 34 1 & 2 bed flats Spring L&QGreenwich L&Q @ Platinum Riverside 14 1 & 2 bed flats Spring L&QGreenwich L&Q @ Enderby Wharf 46 1, 2 & 3 bed flats 2015 L&QHackney The City Mills 115 1, 2 & 3 bed flats, 4 & 5 bed houses 2015 & 2016 L&QHammersmith & Fulham Factory Quarter 4 2 bed flats Now Genesis HousingHarold Wood, Havering Kings Park 17 1 & 2 bed flats Now East ThamesHarrow Essence 12 1 & 2 bed flats Now Origin HousingHarrow Chandos 15 1 & 2 bed flats Now Origin HousingHarrow Pearmain House 38 1 & 2 bed flats Coming soon Metropolitan Harrow Bridge Street 26 1 & 2 flats Spring/Summer MetropolitanHounslow Hawker Terrace 2 3 bed house Now Red Loft Hounslow Muntz House 3 2 bed flats Now Red Loft Hounslow Packwell Place 10 3 bed maisonettes, 2 bed flats February Red Loft Hounslow St Valery Place 1 2 bed house Now Red Loft Hounslow Redwood 2 3 bed houses February Red Loft

Help to Buy Agent: Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association www.helptobuyese.org.uk Ashford Tower Point 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonAshford Wellesley View 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonAylesbury Oasis at Buckingham Park 6 1 bed flat Now Hightown HomesBedford St Bede’s Independent Living 53 1 & 2 bed flats - for the over 55’s Now Orbit HomesBexhill on Sea The Point Phase 2 8 1 & 2 bed flats March Orbit HomesBiggleswade Kings Reach, Biggleswade 18 1 & 2 bed flats, 2, 3 & 4 bed houses 2014-2015 AragonBletchley Newton Leys 2 3 bed houses Now Hightown HomesBognor Regis Harrington House 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBracknell Forest Harrier Way 1 2 bed house Now Affinity SuttonBracknell Forest The Parks 15 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonBrighton Alexandra Apartments 1 2 bed wheelchair accessible Now Affinity SuttonBrighton Matthew House 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBrighton Old Mill Mews 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonBrogborough Leeward Point 6 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesBury St Edmunds Vinefields 7 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Buxted Totease Mews 1 3 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCaterham Oakgrove 18 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonChatham Admirals Place 8 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 bed houses March Orbit HomesChatham Theatre Royal 9 2 bed flats January Red Loft Chatham Theatre Quarter 8 2 bed flats February Heart Of MedwayChelmsford St John’s 18 1 & 2 bed flats Now East ThamesChelmsford City Park West 18 1 & 2 bed flats Now Genesis HousingChichester Canal Walk 13 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonChichester Affinity Sutton at Graylingwell Park 22 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonChichester Bleaches Court 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonChichester St Margarets 14 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonChigwell Grange Manor 6 2 bed flats Now East ThamesCranleigh The Cranes 12 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonCrawley Haweswater Place 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonCringleford Aura, Round House Park 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesEastbourne Churchdale Road 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonEastergate Brooks Nursery 4 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonEpsom Noble Park 16 1 & 2 bed flats - for the over 55’s Now Orbit HomesFaygate Kilnwood Vale 10 2, 3, 4 bed houses Jan-15 Southern HousingGillingham Hayter House 2 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonGillingham Amherst Heights 4 4 bed houses Now Red Loft Gillingham Amherst Heights 9 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now Heart of MedwayGodalming Riverside 12 2 bed houses, 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonGreat Blakenham Blakenham Fields PH2 TBC 2 & 3 bed houses 2015/16 Orbit HomesGuildford The Paddocks 9 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonHadleigh Hadleigh Park 14 2 bed houses Now Orbit HomesHalling St Andrews Park 11 3 & 4 bed houses Spring Red Loft Halling St Andrews Park 18 3 bed houses, 1 & 2 bed flats Autumn 15 Red Loft Hastings Sycamore Chase 16 2 & 3 bed houses March Orbit HomesHastings Kingswood Gate 11 2 bed flats & houses Now Orbit HomesHatfield Princes Gate 13 2 & 3 bed houses, 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonHellingly Roebuck Park 10 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesHitchin Lavender Place 10 1 & 2 bed flats Now Origin HousingHove New Church Road 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonHoveton Meadow View 11 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesHurstpierpoint Chalkers Vale 6 3 bed houses Spring Affinity SuttonIpswich Stoke Quay 57 1 & 2 bed flats End of 2014 Genesis HousingIpswich Scholars Quarter 4 3 bed house Now Orbit Homes Kents Hil Bedgebury Place 1 3 bed house 2015 AragonLeverstock Green Kings Copse 7 2 bed flats Now Hightown HomesLewes Yew Tree Court 10 1 & 2 bed flats Spring Affinity Sutton

AFFORDABLE PROPERTIES

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

NEAR YOU!

PropertySearch



LONDON

MIDLANDS

Help to Buy Agent: FIRSTSTEPS www.sharetobuy.com/firststepsHounslow Crane Lodge Road 2 3 bed houses Now Red Loft Isle Of Dogs Triangle E14 8 2 bed flats Now Gateway LivingIslington Harrington Court 14 2 bed flats, 3 bed maisonettes Early 2015 L&QIslington The Fable Apartments at the Lexicon 70 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Summer Affinity SuttonKensington The Baronets 9 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonKensington The Kells 14 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonKidbrooke SOKV 61 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Viridian HousingLambeth Annie McCall 1 1 bed flat Now Metropolitan Lewisham Goldcrest House 29 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QLewisham L&Q @ Greenland Place 74 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QLewisham Thurston Point 42 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Summer L&QManor House, Hackney Woodberry Park 63 1 & 2 bed flats Coming Soon Genesis Housing Newham Chobham Manor 8 1 bed flats, 3 bed houses Early 2016 L&QOrpington Amethyst Court 4 1 & 2 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonOrpington William Petty Way 2 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonPaddington Merchant Square 23 1 & 2 bed flats Now OctaviaPutney Putney Plaza 34 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Launching 2016 OctaviaRedbridge Westview Drive 9 2 bed flats Spring/Summer MetropolitanRotherhithe The Arc 13 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Affinity SuttonShoreditch Mondrian 4 1 & 2 bed flats Now Genesis Housing South Woodford Crest Walk 4 2 & 3 bed flats Now Newlon Home Ownership Southwark Old Kent Road 2 3 & 4 bed flats Now L&QSouthwark L&Q @ Trafalgar Place 28 1, 2 & 3 bed flats, 3 & 4 bed houses Early 2015 L&QSouthwark Harvard Gardens 27 1 & 2 bed flats Spring L&QSouthwark Roseberry Street 14 3 & 4 bed houses Now Metropolitan St Mary Cray The Ridge BR5 20 1, 2 & 3 bed flats & duplexes. Now Affinity SuttonSt Mary Cray The Ridge BR5 1 2 bed flat wheelchair accessible Now Affinity SuttonSt Mary Cray Cray View Close 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonStratford Stratford Gate 52 1 & 2 bed flats Early 2015 L&QStratford Stratford Plaza 22 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Coming soon East ThamesSutton Sweet Briar Avenue 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonTottenham Rivers Apartments 100 1 ,2 & 3 bed flats March Newlon Home Ownership Tottenham John Cameron Court 9 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Newlon Home Ownership Tower Hamlets The Dockyard 23 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Coming soon East ThamesWaltham Forest Shernall Street 21 1, 2 & 3 bed properties Spring/Summer MetropolitanWandsworth The Schoolyard 20 1 & 2 bed flats Now L&QWandsworth Spectra 19 1 & 2 bed flats Now OctaviaWembley Elizabeth House 1 1 bed flat Now OctaviaWoolwich The Liberty 98 2 bed flats - over 55s Summer Viridian Housing

Help to Buy Agent: Orbit www.helptobuymidlands.co.uk Bedworth Milliner Court 10 2 & 3 bed houses February Orbit Homes Bidford upon Avon The Waterways 5 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesBrackley Normandy Lodge 4 2 & 3 bed houses 2014 AragonBugbrooke The Willows 8 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesBurton Latimer Glade Gardens 14 2 bed houses Now Orbit HomesLeamington Spa Queensway Court 90 1 & 2 bed flats - for the over 55’s Now Orbit HomesLong Marston Beaufort Mead 29 2 & 3 bed houses, maisonettes, flats Now Orbit HomesMiddleton Cheney Waters Lane 6 2 & 3 bed houses 2014 AragonNorthampton Booth Park 56 2 bed houses Now Orbit Homes Nottingham Southreef 4 1 bed flats Now Metropolitan Nuneaton Viscount Place 6 2 & 3 bed houses January Orbit HomesNuneaton Waterside 11 2 & 3 bed houses January Orbit HomesPineham Butterfly Gardens 37 2 & 3 bed houses Now Orbit HomesRushden Woollard Gardens 8 2, 3 & 4 bed houses August Orbit HomesRushden Nightingale Place 4 2 & 3 bed houses February Orbit HomesSouth Northants Stonecutters, Roade 10 2 bed houses Early/mid 2015 Orbit HomesSoutham Tithe Lodge 30 1 & 2 bed flats - for the over 55’s Now Orbit HomesStratford-upon-Avon The Chapelry 15 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now Orbit HomesThrapston The Sidings 28 1 & 2 bed maisonettes, 2 & 3 bed houses Spring Orbit HomesWellesbourne Ettington Mews 19 2, 3 & 4 bed houses Now Orbit HomesWhetstone Whittle Park 13 2 & 3 bed houses Summer Orbit Homes

Help to Buy Agent: Sovereign & Westward www.helptobuysw.org.uk Bournemouth Broadway Mews 9 2 & 3 bed houses Now Spectrum HousingBristol Maytrees 1 2 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonPlymouth Maple Walk 9 2 & 3 bed houses Spring Spectrum HousingPoundbury South West Quadrant 4 3 bed houses Now Raglan HousingShaftesbury Cranbourne Heights 3 3 bed houses Now Spectrum HousingSparkford The Old Coal Yard 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now Raglan HousingTaunton Monkton Heathfield 4 3 bed houses Now Raglan HousingWeymouth Pemberley 2 2 bed houses Now Raglan Housing


SOUTH

SOUTH WEST

Help to Buy Agent: Radian www.helptobuysouth.co.uk Aldershot The Orchard 2 3 bed houses March First WessexAldershot The Orchard 9 2 bed flats March First WessexBanbury Longford Park 7 2 & 3 bed houses Now Raglan HousingBasingstoke Englefield Way 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonBasingstoke Merryweather Way 1 3 bed house Now Affinity SuttonEastleigh Allbrook View 2 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonEmsworth Redlands Grange 6 1 & 2 bed flats July First WessexFreshwater IOW Freshwater Fields 14 2 & 3 bed houses Spring Spectrum HousingGlastonbury Chilkwell Street 6 2 & 3 bed houses Now Raglan HousingGosport Bligh House 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity SuttonGosport Alver Village 9 1 & 2 bed flats Now First WessexLee-on-the-Solent Sea Crest Gardens 5 2 & 3 bed houses Now First WessexNewport IOW Pan Meadows 9 2 bed houses Now Spectrum HousingPortsmouth Guardians Gate 2 4 bed houses Now First WessexPortsmouth Southdown View 24 2 bed flats March First WessexReading Kennet House 4 1 & 2 bed flats Now Raglan HousingReading The Cedars 17 1 & 2 bed flats, 3 bed houses Coming Soon Southern HousingSouthampton Queensway 12 2 bed houses, 1, 2 & 3 bed flats Now Raglan HousingSouthampton Centenary Quay 8 1 & 2 bed flats Now Spectrum HousingSouthampton Centenary Quay 4 1 & 2 bed flats Now Spectrum HousingSouthampton The Cloisters 18 1 & 2 bed flats, 2 & 3 bed houses Now Affinity SuttonSouthampton The Compass 1 4 bed mid terrace house Now Affinity SuttonSouthampton Meggeson Ave 11 1 & 2 bed flats Now First WessexSouthampton Laxton Close 9 1 & 2 bed flats Now First WessexSouthsea Priory View 1 1 bed flat Now Affinity Sutton

homefinderSouth West

Need a helping hand to get on the property ladder?

HampshireWiltshireDorset, DevonIsle of Wight

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

Affordable propertiesin various locations:

If you want to find out about your government funded housing options, contact your local Help to Buy Agent.

You can find out more details by going to: www.gov.uk/affordable-home-ownership-schemes

Interested in any of the properties listed?

Call 01622 772407 or email the name of the property to [email protected] and we’ll do the rest. Remember to include your name.

homefinder South West

homefinder East & South Easthomefinder East & South East


Don’t miss out...get the next 6 issues of homefocus delivered through your doorPublished every other month to keep you up to date with the latest opportunities in shared and affordable home ownershipJust £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,

FirstBuy, and all low cost home ownership schemes

nAdvice on legal and mortgage matters from specialists






homefinderEast &South East

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

Keeping advertising standards high

We leave good

advertising to theprofessionals.

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4281 Southern Housing HF ad_HR.pdf 1 28/03/2014 16:32

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

0300 100 0303affinitysutton.comemail: [email protected]

Bedfordshire, South Northants &

Milton Keynes

A home of your own with Shared Ownership

Tel. 01525 844460www.grandunionhousing.co.uk

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


Milton Keynes




from Hightown Homesshared ownership

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Call our sales team now!Tel: 0845 606 1221Email: [email protected]

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homefinderLondon

homefinder London

Telephone: 0208 709 4409Fax: 020 8709 4400Email: [email protected]

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Providers of quality affordable homes

www.octaviahousing.org.uk020 8354 5601for more information please call

Developing homes in London

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feeLs gooD when you finD what you’re Looking for

3998 OH Home Focus Ad_V2.indd 1 10/02/2014 10:44

Homes for sale on a shared ownershipbasis across London

0300 100 0303affinitysutton.comemail: [email protected]

homefinder London


Get on the London property ladder with an Shared Ownership home

www.lqgroup.co.uk/pricedin

Ownership home


Ownership homeOwnership home


LAQ_044_HomeFocus_91x61mm_v3.indd 1 06/02/2014 14:45

Developing where people want to

www.viridianhousing.org.ukTel: 0800 012 1442

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.

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

Call the sales team now

NEWLON WELCOMES INTEREST FROM ALL FIRST TIME BUYERS EARNING

Call the sales team now

0800 058 2544www.newlonhomeownership.org.uk

SALES & MARKETING CONSULTANCY AND AGENCY SERVICES

shared ownership homesin London & the South East

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

Don’t miss out...Get the next 6 issues of homefocus delivered through your doorPublished 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 nAdvice on legal and mortgage matters from specialistsn Information about shared ownership, New Build HomeBuy, FirstBuy, and all low cost home ownership schemes






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Award winning homes in North London and Hertfordshire

originsales.co.uk l 0800 068 8990

Shared Ownership • Discounted Rent



Follow us on and

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homefinder Midlands


homefinder South

Need a helping hand to get on the property ladder?

HampshireWiltshireDorset, DevonIsle of Wight

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

Affordable propertiesin various locations:












homefinderSouth

Redlands Grange, Emsworth


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Milton Keynes





Milton Keynes




With energy bills on the rise, call us free on 0800 0014 706 or visit www.myhomeenergyswitch.org.uk today to find the best price for your gas and electricity.

It’s free, fast and simple to switch and we’ll take care of all the paperwork.

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If you want to find out about your government funded housing options, contact your local Help to Buy Agent.

You can find out more details by going to: www.gov.uk/affordable-home-ownership-schemes Shared Ownership • Discounted Rent



Follow us on and

legal&financialadvice

Buying a new home requires essential legal and

financial advice…contact a mortgage advisor

or specialist solicitor

homebuyersGUIDE

legal&financialadvice

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 [email protected] Gary Gillespie 020 8215 1062 [email protected] Debra Rose 020 8215 5040 [email protected] Grant 020 8215 5041 [email protected]

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

Tel: 020 8215 1000Web: www.wiseman.co.uk

HOMEBUY / STAIRCASING / RESALES

ALL HOUSING ASSOCIATION SCHEMES

RESIDENTIAL / COMMERCIAL CONVEYANCING


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

Please contact our solicitors; Kerry Hicks, Sophie Treszka, Dorothy Johnstone or Rachel Turner on 020 8567 3477, or email [email protected]

• Shared Ownership

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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.

HomeFocus ad-Shared Ownership_April13.indd 1 10/04/2013 17:00

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Online Assessmentcenseo-financial.com

Put your conveyancing in

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

PRIVATE SALE - MARKET RENT - SHARED OWNERSHIP

WHO KNEW THERE WAS SO MUCHCHOICE?

HOMES TO FIT YOUR POCKET HOMES TO FIT YOUR NEEDSWe know how hard it is to get a foot onto the property ladder. It’s why we’re here – to help make that � rst step a little easier. Whether you’re looking to buy outright, for a partner to buy a share or a supportive landlord to rent from, Genesis can help. All of our properties are built to the highest standards and in a wide range of styles.

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hf nov 2014 whole issue

Documents

young people

dream of home ownership

home ownership dream

e sways

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c t i v e

time homefocus doesnt

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