Member Article

Downing Street visit for Northamptonshire couple

A Northamptonshire couple who were able to buy a new home thanks to the Help to Buy scheme were special guests of Prime Minister David Cameron at Number 10.

Phil and Lauren Wright from The Hedgerows, Irthlingborough, were invited to Downing Street for a reception with people from around the country who also used the Government initiative.

They were greeted by Mr Cameron who spoke about the importance of Help to Buy in getting people onto the property ladder.

Phil (33) and Lauren (30), took advantage of the scheme which is a Government-backed equity loan that aims to make mortgages more readily available to those who cannot afford a large deposit.

It is available to first-time buyers and people already on the property ladder and requires just a five per cent deposit and a mortgage of up to 75 per cent of the value of the property.

Speaking at the event, Mr Cameron said: “When I became Prime Minister I could see there was something really wrong with our housing market. And it was pretty simple really. The lenders wouldn’t lend so the buyers couldn’t buy and so the builders couldn’t build. And something needed to happen to break that log jam.

“So we came up with the idea of Help to Buy which has really got the housing market moving again, got people buying again. But much more important than all the facts and figures about the 88,000 people who’ve managed to buy a home, is it really has, I think, helped to change people’s lives. What really matters is helping people to achieve their dreams and to achieve what they want in their lives.”

Phil Wright said of their visit: “It was so nice for me and Lauren to be invited to Downing Street. There were lots of people who had just got onto the property ladder so it was good to speak to them and see how it had changed their lives.

“It’s great to say that we had the once in a lifetime opportunity to meet the Prime Minister in his ‘own home’. I thought the speech he gave summed up what a lot of people there had been thinking and he came across really well. We were also fortunate that as part of the reception we were able to independently and freely explore the historical building which we found a truly special experience.”

Suzanne Irons, sales and marketing director for Persimmon Homes Midlands, said: “We at Persimmon Homes are delighted that we were able to find Phil and Lauren a brand new home with the aid of the Help to Buy scheme.

“It’s an excellent initiative that has helped so many people and I’d encourage anyone who wishes to get onto the property ladder to visit one of many our expert sales teams or our website for more information.”

Persimmon Homes Midlands operates new homes developments across Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

To find out more about Help to Buy visit www.persimmonhomes.com/helptobuy

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Caroline Garbett .