Buyers helped to secure first property in East Sussex
The Government-backed FirstBuy scheme helped Jack Buck and Victoria Bennett to purchase a new home at Taylor Wimpey’s Millers Keep development of property for sale in Stone Cross, East Sussex.
The average age of first-time buyers in Britain may have risen above 35, but East Sussex property-owners Jack Buck and Victoria Bennett are living proof that buying a first home is possible much sooner if home-hunters can get the right help.
The couple, aged just 21 and 20 respectively, have purchased their first property in Stone Cross, near Eastbourne, having spent the last two years living first with Jack’s parents in south east London and then with Victoria’s parents in Eastbourne, so they could avoid wasting their hard-earned money on rising rental prices.
During this period, they managed to save enough for a deposit which allowed them to buy a brand new place of their own under the Government-backed FirstBuy scheme at Taylor Wimpey’s Millers Keep development of new homes for sale in Stone Cross.
Aimed at helping first-time buyers like Jack and Victoria on to the property ladder, FirstBuy lets qualifying purchasers secure selected new homes for 80% of their full price at the Taylor Wimpey East Sussex development – including a deposit of just 5%, subject to status.
“We had a look at a few rental properties when we first moved down to Eastbourne, but we soon realised it would be much cheaper for us to buy a home and pay a mortgage – so we decided to wait a little longer to get the money together,” says Jack, recalling the search for new homes in Stone Cross.
“FirstBuy has been really good as it means our mortgage is lower and our monthly payments are more affordable. We wouldn’t have been able to buy without it because of the size of deposit we’d have needed.
“We were originally looking at buying a small flat, because that’s all we thought our budget would stretch to, but we found at Millers Keep we could afford a house with a garden, which is fantastic.”
Jack has been visiting Eastbourne since he was a child and the famous seaside resort town is where he and Victoria met – so when the couple decided to leave London and make a fresh start together, a new life on the coast seemed the obvious choice.
The couple both work at the Arndale Centre in Eastbourne, which is a short drive away from Millers Keep; Victoria as a cosmetics manager at Boots and Jack as a team leader for Sainsbury’s.
The couple moved into their new two-bedroom ‘Miller’ semi-detached house just before Christmas and are loving life in their own place.
Jack says: “The minute we walked into Millers Keep we knew that’s what we wanted to go for. It’s just off the main road but it’s nice and quiet and there are some small shops nearby.
“We chose the ‘Miller’ because we liked having the car port on the side of the house and parking right outside the door. The garden is a decent size and the kitchen is nice and open, and with the en-suite and downstairs cloakroom we have three bathrooms altogether!
“It’s great to finally have our own place where we can spend time on our own together and have friends and family round – and we wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for Taylor Wimpey and the FirstBuy scheme.”
With no experience of the property market, the couple were delighted with the customer service they received from Rosemary, the Sales Executive at Millers Keep, who helped them through every step of the home-buying process.
“Because we’re at such a young age we didn’t have a clue about what we were walking into,” adds Jack. “Rosemary explained everything about the process and put us in touch with solicitors and an independent financial advisor. She even came in out of hours to enable us to sign paperwork to make sure we met our deadline. She really was amazing.”
There’s a superb selection of homes currently available to reserve at Millers Keep, including two-bedroom coach house apartments and starter homes from just £174,995, and three-bedroom houses from only £239,995.
Selected plots are accessible to qualifying first-time buyers for 80% of their full price under FirstBuy, which works through a joint loan of 20% from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Taylor Wimpey, and means that eligible purchasers only need put down a 5% deposit and obtain a 75% loan-to-value mortgage.
The loan is repayable at the end of the 25-year mortgage term or when the property is sold. To be eligible, purchasers must be first-time buyers and their total household earnings should be less than £60,000.
Carefully planned within a peaceful cul-de-sac, Millers Keep sees a selection of mature trees and hedgerow complemented by new trees in a delightful green open space around an existing pond.
The development occupies the former site of Stone Cross Nursery in an established residential area of the village. Within a short walk is a local supermarket, a primary school, a pub and the village playground.
Regular bus services run from Stone Cross into Eastbourne, Hailsham, Polegate and Pevensey. The new homes lie between two railway stations, Pevensey and Westham, just over a mile to the east, and Polegate, two miles to the west, which both offer train services to Eastbourne, Brighton and London Victoria.
Nestling at the foot of the South Downs, nearby Eastbourne boasts excellent lifestyle opportunities including two shopping centres, a range of individual seafront boutiques and the fashionable stores and restaurants of The Waterfront at Sovereign Harbour.
Those who enjoy an active lifestyle will appreciate the marina’s sailing facilities just minutes from the development, and a choice of nearby swimming pools and gyms.
To find out more about the new homes at Millers Keep, visit taylorwimpey.co.uk.
