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Brazilian First-Time Buyers’ Tips To Finding A Home

Posted 16 April 2021 by Keith Osborne

Alexandre and Jessica moved from renting to buying an ideal family home through Barratt Homes in Cambridgeshire...

A couple who recently bought their first property are sharing their ‘key’ tips on how people can get their foot onto the property ladder.

Originally from Brazil, Alexandre Ruiz Fusco and Jessica Cristiane da Silva Fusco (both 29) were renting an apartment in Royston before securing their first home together at Barratt Homes’ Romans’ Edge development in Godmanchester.

With the average first time buyer being 32, many young buyers who want to get on the property ladder may not know where to start.

As Jessica is a key worker, the Fuscos benefitted from the developer’s NHS deposit scheme and chose their five-bedroom semi-detached property because they were looking to upsize and secure a home with more space.

Now, the couple are reaping the benefits of their new home, and both have their own home offices, as well as a guest bedroom for when their family are allowed to come and stay. They also have space for a gym meaning exercising at home has been made easy, and they’re looking forward to spending the summer months in their spacious garden.

To help more people make their move onto the property ladder, the couple have shared their top tips on buying a home.

Know your priorities

Before starting your house search, it’s important to make a list of your priorities and narrow down what is most important to you in your home.

Alexandre said: “We are the type of couple who doesn’t want to worry too much about refurbishing a room or fixing little things, plus we like the idea of the house being under warranty so knew we wanted a new build property.

“Plus, being a new home, it allowed us to use the Help to Buy, which made our move easier and quicker as the deposit required is lower and more possible to achieve the savings in less time.”

Keep location at the top of the list

Location will forever remain a key priority for many house hunters, so make sure to do your research of an area before making a move.

The couple added: “When we came to visit the house, we fell in love with the development, it’s so beautiful and well designed. That paired with the inside of the property being just what we were looking for made us know we’d found the right place.

“We are not big city people, we actually enjoy small towns and villages, plus this development is close to the main cities if we need to travel such as London and Cambridge.”

Alexandre and Jessica

Get saving

One of the key top tips from the couple is start thinking about your savings early.

Alexandre said: “We would recommend to anyone that they need to start their process by opening a savings account and calculating how much they can save per month, then set this as a personal target.

“Set up a direct debit into these savings accounts and don’t touch them after you’ve committed them to the account.

“Allow time and be patient, you’ve now got a plan to save enough money for the deposit. In the meantime, make sure you’re up-to-date with your credit scores and they’re in a decent range.

“Find your dream house, reserve it, kick off the process, don’t commit to any other big expenses at this stage, until you’ve received the keys to your new home. This really helped us to save enough for our new home.”

Reputation is key

When looking for a new build property, it’s important to consider the reputation of a housebuilder and do your research before committing to a property.

The Fuscos added: “We chose Barratt for the security of committing our money with a big company with a great reputation. Also, when looking at other developments from Barratt, the higher quality was very clear, which reassured ourselves that we were doing the right thing.

“We would absolutely recommend Barratt to anyone else. The purchasing process was smooth and well communicated throughout. The moving as well, was excellent. The local customer service here in Godmanchester with the Sales Advisers Maria and Justine supporting our needs and when we moved in, they even gifted us with a Christmas tree! That was an incredible gesture from them and we will never forget the kindness and personal approach they took with us, it was excellent.”

 

Located on Gumcester Way, Romans’ Edge is selling homes from its final phase which is proving very popular with property seekers. However, there is still a chance for house-hunters to join this growing community, with a limited range of three- and four-bedroom properties still available, perfect for first-time buyers and growing families alike. Prices start at £369,995 with selected homes available through Help to Buy or Part Exchange.

Find out more about Romans’ Edge from Barratt Homes.

 

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