Record number of buyers find dream home on the web
House hunters across the North West are turning to the web to find their dream home.
Miller Homes North West has looked at the trends affecting people searching for a new home and it appears an increasing number of prospective buyers are now starting their new home search using the internet.
Kay Halls, Sales Manager at Miller Homes, said: “There is definitely a changing trend in the way people are starting their search for a new home and we are now finding more and more customers are more informed when they visit their chosen development having done their research on both home types and areas on-line. As a result, they know more about the type of home which they would like to purchase.
“The internet and website are so accessible and people are able to view and find instant information while on the move, via their phones and ipads.
“In a fast-paced society people want quick answers and the website provides them with this.
“In an effort to make the home buying process even easier for customers, we have also introduced the book an appointment element to our website and as a result we have seen an increase in the number of people who are making appointments to view homes via the website week on week.”
Birkacre Park in Chorley is one example of where a large number of visitors have been coming to view after booking an appointment on the internet.
A selection of six two bedroom apartments have also just been released for sale on this site, with prices starting at £122,950. These include ground, first and second floor apartments.
This development has a real countryside feel and is set in a loop of the River Yarrow on the southern edge of Chorley. On one side there is Yarrow Valley Country Park and on the other Duxbury Park Golf Club.
And while enjoying this countryside setting which has a delightful village green and pond marking the entrance to a peaceful, beautifully landscaped new neighbourhood, this superb development does offer the best of all worlds, as it is also just a mile from the lively amenities of Chorley town centre.
Birkacre is also a Home Zone, which is an innovative way of considering both the needs of car users and pedestrians. The development is designed with 20mph speed limits in place on the feeder roads and 10mph speed limits on roads close to homes. This helps to encourage greater use of public areas and helps residents to feel safer in addition to making streets more visually attractive.
In addition to the apartments, there are also three Kipling properties still available. These are three bed semi detached homes, all with a single garage, with prices starting at £178,995. If you are looking for something a little larger, there is the Paver and Darwin to choose from. There are just one each of these remaining. The Paver is a four-bed link semi-detached property, priced £174,995 and the Darwin is a three-bed detached with a parking space, priced £177,950.
This is the final opportunity to purchase a Paver on this development and with the FirstBuy scheme available it becomes even more desirable.
FirstBuy works with the buyer paying 80% of the asking price but still owning 100% of their new home. The balance is provided by Miller Homes and the Government in the form of an equity loan which is interest free for the first five years and repayable over a 25-year term or whenever the property is sold, whichever comes first.
The FirstBuy scheme could also reduce the amount of deposit which is required and lowers the monthly mortgage repayments at the same time.
If you are a first-time buyer with a household income of less than £60,000 a year you are eligible to apply for FirstBuy. The scheme can also help people who have previously owned properties but are now in a position where they are unable to buy or move without support. This could be as a result of a relationship break-down or growing families looking for a larger home.
Further Darwin homes will, however, be available in the next phase of building at Birkacre when a selection of three and four bed detached homes will also be released.
As an added incentive to help buyers, the New Buy scheme is available on all of the properties. This is particularly beneficial to those people who are unable to buy a home or move house because of the large deposit which is required. The NewBuy scheme is designed to help overcome this deposit gap. It is aimed at people who already own a home or first time buyers who only have funds for a 5% deposit. This scheme will allow loans to be secured at 95% of the property’s value.
For further details, visit millerhomes.co.uk.
