A new collection of highly affordable family houses and apartments is now available at Countryside Properties' 'Horizon' development in Gravesend, providing easy access for commuters into London. 'Horizon' is ideally situated close to the centre of Gravesend and commuting takes just 23 minutes by train into central London. There are also excellent road connections via the A2 and M25 to London and the Kent countryside and coast.
The Homes and Communities Agency's (HCA) FirstBuy, an equity loan scheme now available to help first time buyers get on the property ladder, is available on all the new homes at Horizon. FirstBuy means that eligible first time buyers can purchase 100% of their new property for 80% of the purchase price and they only need a deposit of just 5% with a 75% mortgage. FirstBuy prices at Horizon One start from just £79,960 for a one bedroom apartment, while house prices start from £128,400 for a house with two bedrooms and £140,000 for three bedrooms.
Ian Hepworth, Sales and Marketing Director for Countryside Properties, commented: "FirstBuy is working very well at Horizon and making home buying highly affordable for those looking to step onto the ladder. Recent figures have shown that the average deposit for a house is 21%, for which it would take first time buyers an expected eight years to save.* At Horizon the deposit is just 5% and with FirstBuy customers only need to arrange a 75% mortgage. We are doing everything we can to assist buyers to realise their home buying aspirations."
The houses are all built to Countryside Properties' award-winning standards of quality with thoughtful and well-designed detailing. The new collection's Ridgeway and Northridge style houses are arranged in attractive terraces with turfed gardens. They offer spacious, open-plan living accommodation with good-sized bedrooms and a fully-fitted bathroom.
Horizon features an excellent specification which for the apartments is enhanced with flooring fitted throughout, light fittings, curtains or blinds in every room, and washer/dryers and microwaves in kitchens. Plus reserve before 29th February and Countryside Properties will give customers a 50" plasma screen TV!
Horizon is also close to Ebbsfleet International with travel times to St Pancras of 17 minutes and with rapid connections to the Continent, and is only 8 miles from Bluewater, one of the largest indoor retail and leisure destinations in Europe.
More information is available by telephoning the marketing suite on 01474 536 008 or visiting www.horizongravesend.com.
*Source: Nationwide
NB: PRICES CORRECT AT TIME OF PUBLISHING
The Homes and Communities Agency’s (HCA) new home ownership initiative, FirstBuy, an equity loan scheme now available to help first time buyers get on the property ladder, has been secured by Countryside Properties at its developments at Springhead Park in Ebbsfleet and Horizon One in Gravesend. With FirstBuy, prices start from as low as £88,000 for a one bedroom apartment at Horizon One.
At Horizon One, the scheme is available on one and two bedroom apartments and two and three bedroom houses, whilst at Springhead Park it is available on the one and two bedroom apartments.
FirstBuy means that eligible first time buyers can purchase 100% of their new property with the assistance of an equity loan of up to 20% of the full purchase price. The loan will be jointly funded by the HCA and Countryside Properties. Of the 80% that purchasers are required to fund, they will need a deposit of 5% of the purchase price, so they just need a 75% mortgage.
For example, for a one-bedroom apartment at Horizon One, priced at full market value of £110,000, buyers who take advantage of FirstBuy can receive an equity loan of up to 20%, equating to £22,000. Through the scheme, buyers need only contribute a further 5% towards the deposit, equating to £5,500; and raise a mortgage for the remaining 75%, equating to £88,000.*
The FirstBuy equity loan remains interest free for five years and is repayable within 25 years of property purchase or upon the sale of your home.
Ian Hepworth, Sales and Marketing Director for Countryside Properties, commented: “Countryside Properties is delighted to announce the availability of FirstBuy at Springhead Park and Horizon One. We have seen previous shared equity schemes such as Homebuy Direct and our own Countryside Properties shared equity scheme making a big difference in the market, and FirstBuy will also make home buying more affordable for those looking to step onto the ladder.
“Recent figures have shown that the average deposit for a house is 21%, for which it would take first time buyers an expected eight years to save.** Through FirstBuy we have pledged to match the deposit contributions of the HCA, which will be a crucial factor in assisting buyers to realise their home buying aspirations.”
The scheme was announced in the Government’s Budget in March 2011 and forms part of the Government’s wider proposals to help people access home ownership. The announcement follows the HCA’s recent pledge of £180m funding to assist approximately 10,500 first time buyers in England.
FirstBuy prices at Springhead Park range from £99,950 for a one bedroom apartment and from £128,000 for a two bedroom apartment. For further information, and for details of the 4 bedroom houses overlooking parkland at Penn Green from £249,950, please contact the marketing suite on 01474 335 195. The marketing suite is open from Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm and on Monday from 1pm to 5pm, or by visiting www.springheadpark.co.uk
FirstBuy prices at Horizon One start from £88,000 for a one-bedroom apartment and from £129,600 for a two-bedroom house. More information is available by telephoning the marketing suite on 01474 536008 or visiting www.horizonone.co.uk
* Percentage of equity loan may vary, not exceeding 20%
**Source: Nationwide
NB: PRICES CORRECT AT TIME OF PUBLISHING
First time buyer Joanna Herrington, an auditor at Gravesham Borough Council, has taken advantage of Countryside Properties’ Shared Equity offer to purchase a one-bedroom apartment at Horizon One, in Gravesend, Kent. The company’s Shared Equity scheme is enabling first time buyers to escape the renting trap and purchase a home of their own. Shared Equity provides an affordable solution for purchasers to own 100% of their homes but only pay 80 per cent of the price at the time of purchase. The rest is paid for over a 10 year period.
Joanna, 25, had been property hunting for the past two years, yet similar to many first time buyers with only one income, found securing her first home a daunting task. On recommendation from her older brother David, who owns a house on an earlier phase of Horizon One, Joanna has finally received the support she needed. Joanna said “Without the Shared Equity scheme I would not have been able to afford the property. The scheme has provided a way for me to leave my parent’s family home and buy my first house.”
‘Horizon One’ is ideally situated close to the centre of Gravesend and is within the Thames Gateway, providing easy access for commuters into London. The houses are all built to Countryside Properties' award-winning standards of quality with thoughtful and well-designed detailing. Joanna was delighted with the quality of her new home, “I love the modern interiors, especially the bathroom and kitchen finish. Everything was just as I hoped it would be. I didn’t think I would be able to afford such a modern and attractive house as my first home.”
The development offers an excellent range of two and three bedroom houses and one and two bedroom apartments arranged in attractive terraces with turfed gardens. They offer spacious, open-plan living accommodation with good sized bedrooms and a fully-fitted bathroom. Joanna concludes “My brother is extremely happy with his property and I have every confidence in my future home too. I have been recommending the housing scheme to all my friends and can’t wait till September when my house will be complete and I can move in to my first new home.”
More information is available by telephoning the marketing suite on 01474 536008 or visiting www.horizonone.co.uk.