Help To Buy First Step For Marathon Runner
Long-distance running fan Ben Cook has just bought his first home, securing it through Best Small Housebuilder Hayfield and the government-backed Help to Buy initiative.
He’s a finance manager who has worked in a number of countries around the world and is now returning within a few miles of where he was born to a three-bedroom ‘Warmington’ house type at Hayfield Green in Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire. With the government planning major changes to Help to Buy in Spring 2021, He thought that now is the right to make use of the chance to need just a 5% deposit and 75% mortgage, the balance provided in a 20% equity loan, interest free for five years.
He said: “I have lived in Belgium, Japan and London, but wanted to put down roots and buy my first home, so took the opportunity to move back to West Oxfordshire, as my family and friends are close by. I wasn’t sure what type of home I was looking for and was dissuaded by the quality of another development a few miles away, but Hayfield Green totally turned my head. Before I first visited, I thought it would be like any other new build, but it wasn’t. As soon as you enter the development, the aesthetics are so pleasing and the history is impressive. When I took a closer look at the quality of the new houses, I knew it was the perfect blank canvas for me to call home. Being able to use the Help to Buy scheme was beneficial as it assisted with affordability.
The 'Warmington' house type at Hayfield Green
“I had plans to run 12 marathons in 12 countries across the world this year, but Covid-19 has put a stop to that! Instead, I’ve been running 40-50 miles per week. It’s great being able to leave my home and immediately access such fantastic scenery.”
The 21-acre Hayfield Green site is notable for having been a departure point for Winston Churchill for the pivotal Casablanca Conference. It was also a starting point for a bomber raid on the German battleship Scharnhorst. The restoration of the air raid and blast shelters, Guard House and original Water Tower were part of the first phase of the development, which is now complete. Hayfield is currently in the process of sensitively refurbishing the Bomber Training Building and Crew Lockers, as well as installing a heritage trail which will incorporate the airfield runway and immortalise the history for generations to come.
Close to these homes are shops, an award-winning pub, a cricket club and an ‘Outstanding’-rated primary school.
Take a look at the July 2020 update on Hayfield Green from Hayfield:
Prices at Hayfield Green range from £330,000 to £725,000, with a wide range of newly released, high-specification two-, three- and four-bedroom homes available. Hayfield’s new discount schemes for Key Workers and Armed Forces personnel have proved very popular since the easing of the Covid-19 lockdown. The government’s Forces Help to Buy initiative is also available to help Armed Forces Personnel raise deposit funds. Part Exchange and the regular Help to Buy initiative are offered to all eligible buyers.
The development is open by appointment from 10.00am to 5.00pm daily. Find out more at www.hayfieldhomes.co.uk.
To follow Ben Cook’s marathon journey for the Alzheimer’s Society, visit his website www.runningmancook.com.
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