Help to Buy Secures Family A Larger Home
Alyssa Fletcher and Ross Digby have been able to upsize into a bigger home in Deeping St James thanks to the government-backed Help to Buy scheme.
The couple, both 34, along with their two daughters, 14-year-old Kiana and 11-year-old Kera, upsized from their three-bedroom property in the village into a four-bedroom detached house at Linden Homes’ Springfields development in February.
The pair bought their previous property on a ‘part buy-part rent’ basis, but using Help to Buy this time round meant they could own a ‘Pembroke’ home, priced at £360,000, with a deposit of just £18,000.
Alyssa said: “Using the scheme meant we could own a bigger home with an extra bedroom, a garage as well as a more spacious kitchen and dining area. Our last place had a cramped downstairs area with no dining space, so we wanted that extra room. Even though we are now paying slightly more in mortgage repayments, it’s so worth it to be in a bigger home and be secure in the knowledge that it’s fully our own.”
The Help to Buy scheme has recently changed; it is now only available to first-time buyers and on new build properties priced at £261,900 or below in the East Midlands. Under the initiative, first-time purchasers can secure a new home with a 5% deposit and a 75% mortgage. The remaining 20% is provided as a government-backed equity loan which is interest-free for five years.
Alyssa added: “The process was quick and hassle-free, especially with the help of an independent financial advisor. It gave us that extra boost to secure our dream home with an affordable mortgage and deposit size.”
Alyssa, a care home manager, spotted Springfields on her way to work last summer whilst it was still being built.
She said: “I drove past the development every morning and imagined us living in one of the houses at the front. After browsing the website, we loved the look of the ‘Pembroke’ and had our heart set on securing one. It turned out to be a really popular house type and we almost thought we had lost out on it when we were looking to reserve it last September.
“Our plot was originally meant to be a show home, so we decided to reserve a ‘Mylne’ instead. But when Colin, our sales consultant, informed us that they weren’t using that particular ‘Pembroke’ anymore, and it was ours if we still wanted it, we were so happy and switched immediately.
“Much to our joy, the walls had already been painted and the floors carpeted, which they threw in as an extra with no added cost. Everything fell into place perfectly in the end.”
Alyssa and Ross were so pleased with the outcome that they gifted the Springfields team a hamper of biscuits, wine and beer. Alyssa said: “I can’t praise Colin and Keiron, the site manager, more. They always went that extra mile and so we dropped off the presents as a way of thanking them.”
It wasn’t just the spacious house type that won over Alyssa and Ross, but the location of Springfields too. Ideally situated on the edge of green open space, the development is perfect for walking their nine-year-old Jack Russell terrier, Bailey.
Alyssa said: “It’s in a quiet rural area which really suits our family lifestyle, but still only within 20 minutes of Peterborough city centre. We are now only a 10-minute walk from Kiana’s secondary school, which Kera will be joining in September too. As a forklift truck engineer for Toyota, Ross is also close to key transport links for travelling across the UK for work.”
Linden Homes, part of Vistry Group, is currently selling a mix of three- and four-bedroom properties at Springfields. Prices start at £225,000. Find out more at lindenhomes.co.uk.
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