With the government’s Help to Buy scheme due to close in Spring 2023, first-time buyers are being encouraged to make the most of it while they can, and two housebuilders have introduced it to developments across Kent.
Redrow – multiple WhatHouse? Award winners in recent years – has three notable sites where properties purchased through Help to Buy will only require a 5% deposit and 75% mortgage – the remaining 20% provided by the government in the form of an equity loan, which is interest-free for the first five years.
At Manor Court in Rainham, Help to Buy available on two remaining ‘Letchworth’ house types, with prices starting from £399,995, requiring a deposit of £20,000. Manor Court is a small community of just 29 homes and all the homes are from Redrow’s award-winning Heritage Collection, mixing Arts & Crafts-inspired architecture with the latest quality of build and specification. There are local schools rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted and Rainham’s railway station is only a 15-minute walk away.
The ‘Letchworth’ is a characterful semi-detached home. Downstairs boasts a large open-plan kitchen dining room with bifold doors opening out onto the back garden. Separately there is a spacious living room, along with a downstairs loo and separate laundry closet. Upstairs there are three bedrooms. The principal room benefits from its own en suite, alongside another double room and a single, which could be reconfigured into a home office. Redrow customers are able to select home office furniture and storage systems using its digital customisation tool MyRedrow.
At Amber Fields in Quinton Rd, Sittingbourne, is part of a major development to the north-west of Sittingbourne in Kent. It comprises a range of three- and four-bedroom homes from Redrow’s award-winning Heritage Collection. The new homes are set amongst pockets of green open space, including allotments and a community orchard to encourage people to ‘grow their own’. There’s a selection of ‘Good’ and ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted-rated local schools, and shops, leisure facilities and the well-served railway station are all within walking distance of the new homes.
‘Grantham’ house type
Here, Help to Buy is available on four-bedroom ‘Grantham’ house types. These three-storey terraced homes have a kitchen/dining room, separate lounge, downstairs cloakroom, three double bedrooms (one with en suite), single bedroom, family bathroom and multiple storage cupboards. Prices for this house type start from £399,995, requiring a deposit of £20,000.
There are 15 apartments remaining for sale – all available through Help to Buy – at Monchelsea Park, around 15 minutes’ drive from the centre of Maidstone. A network of new and existing cycleways and footpaths have been integrated into the new community to provide connections to the town centre and surrounding area too. Within walking and cycling distance are schools, supermarkets, a garden centre, pubs, and restaurants, including the popular Potting Shed, a nearby restaurant and hotel.
The apartments are spread across two sets of three-storey buildings, named Bicknor House and Sutton House. They each come with two double bedrooms, a sweeping open-plan kitchen-diner and living room, ample storage, and an allocated single parking space. The main bedroom is accompanied by a private en suite, and there’s a separate bathroom. Prices start at £249,995, requiring a deposit of £12,500.
Find out more at www.redrow.co.uk
Hyde New Homes now has Help to Buy at two of its Kent developments, Spring Acres in Bapchild and Whitstable Heights in Whitstable.
Spring Acres
Spring Acres offers a choice of three-, four- and five-bedroom homes just minutes away from Sittingbourne. Current availability through Help to Buy includes three-bedroom homes priced from £365,000, with a 5% deposit of £18,250 and government funding for five years on the interest-free equity free loan of £73,000. The nature-focused development, complete with a new country park, is the perfect opportunity for balancing countryside living with excellent transport links, making it an ideal haven for those seeking more space or escaping the hustle and bustle of city living. More homes are set to be released here throughout 2022.
Newly launched Whitstable Heights forms part of the newly-proposed “Garden City” in the seaside town, with community and sustainability at its heart, the development currently offers three-, four- and five-bedroom homes. Current availability for Help to Buy includes three-bedroom homes priced at £412,000, with a 5% deposit of £20,600 and an equity loan of £82,400. More eligible homes will be released here soon.
Minnie Dando, head of marketing and communications at Hyde New Homes, said: “With so many now benefitting from more flexible working, it comes as little surprise that around 6,269 people moved to the county between 2020-21. As the fourth most in-demand location in the country, Kent has long been a top choice thanks to its excellent transport links, bustling market towns, historic cities and stunning coastal landscapes. It is an excellent option for first time buyers, commuters and families alike.”
Of Hyde New Homes’ sites, she added: “Each development has a selection of fully dressed show homes, which we look forward to welcoming visitors to. In addition, virtual tours are available on our website, meaning interested buyers can make their choice from the comfort of their sofa as everything on offer is also available to view online.”
Find out more at www.hydenewhomes.co.uk.
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