First-Time Buyer In Northumberland Uses Help To Buy

Darren Smith has taken his first step on the property ladder with the government-backed Help to Buy scheme at Bellway’s Essendene Rise development in North Seaton, Ashington.

The 42-year-old civil servant, born in nearby Newbiggin, had been looking for the right home for years before finding the one he wanted, a three-bedroom semi-detached house at Essendene Rise, just around the corner from his previous home.

Darren said: “I found out about Essendene Rise as the local press published an article about its planning permission, so I emailed Bellway to enquire. I got in touch with them in November and got the keys to my home in January – it was a really fast turnaround.”

The development is perfectly situated for Darren, as his parents and family live nearby and more family around five minutes’ drive away back in Newbiggin. It’s also around half-an-hour from his front door to his workplace in Newcastle.

He added: “I chose to look for a home in North Seaton as you generally get a lot more space for your money here. The local homes have great value and the estate is positioned in a nice location with easy access to the A189 road.”

Darren purchased 'The Cherry' house type, now priced from £156,995

By using the Help to Buy shared equity scheme, which is backed by the government and currently applicable to brand new homes priced up to £600,000, Darren was able to secure his new home with just a 5% deposit and 75% mortgage. The remaining 20% is provided as an equity loan, which is interest-free for the first five years.

“The Help to Buy scheme turned out to be a really smooth process. I’d been saving up for a while and it enabled me to get an extra boost to buy a home I really wanted, rather than settling for something less.

“The reason I decided to buy a newbuild was for its easiness – the house is all set up for you and there is barely any work on my side involved. My favourite room in my house is the living room, which leads to an open-plan kitchen/diner. It’s well designed and has huge doors leading to the garden.

“The sales process was just excellent, and I would definitely recommend buying with Bellway.”

There is currently a selection of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes available at Essendene Rise, with prices starting from £139,995.

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