Secure a new home in Basingstoke with FirstBuy
First-time buyers Kerry Symons and David Hood used the Government-backed FirstBuy scheme to secure their place at Taylor Wimpey’s Everest Park development of properties for sale in Basingstoke.
Daunted by the prospect of having to raise a substantial deposit, Kerry and David feared they faced a long wait before they could buy their first property in Basingstoke together.
After searching the Basingstoke property market for a suitable starter home, the 23-year-old couple were disappointed to learn that they’d need to raise around £20,000 for a deposit.
But after visiting Taylor Wimpey’s Everest Park development of new build homes in Basingstoke, disappointment turned to delight when they discovered how the Government-backed FirstBuy scheme could help them get on the first rung of the property ladder for much less.
FirstBuy lets qualifying first-time buyers secure their new home at the development for just 80% of its full price – including a 5% deposit. And with prices at Everest Park starting from just £125,000, the deposit could be as low as £6,250!
“We were both living separately with parents, with me in Basingstoke and David in Reading, and although we wanted to live together we decided we didn’t want to waste money on rent,” says Kerry, a customer service advisor for Southern Electric in Basingstoke.
“But it was a real struggle to try and raise the £20,000 we thought we’d need for our first home, so without FirstBuy I don’t know what we would have done.”
FirstBuy enabled the happy couple to snap up a stunning two-bedroom apartment at Everest Park, which they moved into in March.
“We love everything about it – the flat is just perfect and it feels amazing to finally have our own place together,” says Kerry.
“It’s brilliant to think I now have my very own kitchen, and we’ve got a lovely open plan living/dining room which is the perfect size for us.
“The two bedrooms are a really good size, we’ve got our own en-suite bathroom and a gorgeous main bathroom and there’s even a balcony – it’s the ideal starter home.”
Kerry and David, a deputy manager at a Ladbrokes branch in Reading, were also impressed with the efficient and friendly way they were dealt with by the sales team at Everest Park.
Kerry says: “When we were first home-hunting we contacted Taylor Wimpey and another housebuilder in the area, and Taylor Wimpey got back to us while the other developer didn’t.
“We were invited to come and look at the showhomes at Everest Park and we were really impressed with how friendly and helpful the staff were.
“The whole buying process was simpler than we thought it would be, and that’s down to the help and support Taylor Wimpey gave us. We’re just so chuffed to have got such a beautiful home.”
Subject to status, FirstBuy customers like Kerry and David require only a 5% deposit and a 75% loan-to-value mortgage to purchase selected properties at Everest Park, with Taylor Wimpey and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) providing a 20% loan which is repayable at the end of the 25-year mortgage term or when the property is sold.
To be eligible for the scheme, first-time buyers must have a combined household income below £60,000.
Under FirstBuy the three-bedroom ‘Hewitt’ terraced house, for example, can be secured by qualifying purchasers for just 80% of its full £250,000 price – that’s only £200,000 – with a deposit of just £12,500.
Alternative properties available to reserve now at the development include one-bedroom apartments from only £125,000 and four-bedroom houses from just £249,995.
Everest Park offers homes at the peak of property design, and enjoys a popular location on the northern fringes of Basingstoke, bordered by beautiful countryside to the north and just over two miles from the town centre.
Basingstoke is home to bustling modern shops, good schools and exciting leisure activities, while its Festival Place shopping centre is ranked in the UK's top 10 biggest and best, with 165 stores and 29 restaurants, bars and cafes.
The town is also home to music venues, a choice of multi-screen cinemas, tennis courts, a leisure park, sports clubs, an ice rink, a swimming pool and bowling alleys.
For commuters, Basingstoke railway station is only a mile from the new homes and offers regular services to London Waterloo in just 45 minutes, while the M3 motorway is only three miles away.
To find out more about the new properties available with FirstBuy at Everest Park, customers can visit the Sales Information Centre, which is located off Popley Way, Basingstoke, and open daily from 10.30am to 5.30pm. Alternatively, visit taylorwimpey.co.uk.
