Member Article

Help to Buy unlocks dream home for young family

A young family have reserved their dream home – and saved thousands of pounds in the process – thanks to one of the region’s leading house builders and the Government’s Help to Buy scheme.

Bradley and Louise Luckman have swapped their old three-bed semi for a stunning new four-bedroom home at Charles Church’s luxurious Skylark Meadows Development in Malvern.

And the couple – who have a two-and-a-half year old son – say the move could not have been easier thanks to expert advice from Charles Church South Midlands staff and the savings they were able to make with Help to Buy.

Sales Engineer, Bradley, 32, said the Help to Buy scheme – under which buyers can pay a minimum of five per cent deposit and as little as 75 per cent of the mortgage - had allowed the family to buy their ‘forever home’ sooner than they had imagined.

“The Help to Buy scheme was introduced to us by the Charles Church sales advisors, Fiona and Caroline. They passed us on to the mortgage advice department who discussed all the options available to us. They made the whole process easy and stress-free. “Buying a new build home has never been more attractive. The flexibility of the scheme is one of the reasons we opted to buy new rather than look at second hand properties. It is amazing that we’re able to purchase our dream home with just a ten percent deposit. It really is a more economical way of buying a property.”

The timing couldn’t have been better for the couple, who also managed to get their stamp duty paid thanks to a special August offer from Charles Church.

“The fact that Charles Church paid our stamp duty for us was a bonus. The £10,199 we saved went towards our deposit, which in turn has given us a better mortgage rate. Everything has just fallen into place quite nicely.

“Our new home is absolutely perfect for us. We needed the space as we’re planning to expand the family in the near future and our semi-detached house just isn’t big enough.”

The couple say they fell in love instantly with their new home which boasts a spacious lounge, dining room, study and kitchen, and sits on a prestigious development which boasts the Malvern Hills as its backdrop. Bradley says: “The amount of space that we get for the price we paid is fantastic. There are so many options on how to use it all, we can chop and change depending on our circumstances. It makes family life that bit more versatile.

“I work from home a lot so the study is definitely a plus point, the fact that I don’t have to use one of the bedrooms as an office like I do in our current home is great. “The location of the development is unbelievably perfect. There is immediate access to the public footpath that runs along the countryside so we can take our dog for walks easily without having to drive anywhere.”

Alison Reading, Charles Church South Midlands sales and marketing director said: “Help to Buy is a fantastic scheme that is really helping people get on or move up the property ladder. It has been so exciting watching Bradley and Louise buy their lovely home together. The development is proving to be popular with so many families and a wonderful community spirit is being built.” Help to Buy is a Government backed shared equity scheme. It provides a 20% loan on the term of your mortgage, which is interest and repayment free for the first five years. You only need a minimum of five per cent deposit and it is available across the vast majority of Charles Church developments. It’s for first time and next time buyers and there is no salary cap. Prices start from £233,995* - £349,995*

For more information about the homes at Skylark Meadows and to register your interest visit the website www.charleschurch.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Amandeep Garcha .