Banish the housing blues - now is a great time to buy

Contrary to some media headlines, now could be a brilliant time to buy a brand new home - with interest rates falling, UK employment at record high levels and the housing market still strongly under-pinned by supply and demand economics.

That's the view of Paul Cleveland, director of Wokingham-based mortgage advisers Allensons, who are available to offer whole of market advice to customers at Redrow's new developments in the south of England.

He said: "The housing market has always hinged on supply and demand, and we now find ourselves in a buyer's market. It is a great time to buy, simply because there are fewer purchasers in the market, meaning there are some great deals to be done.

"The housing market has always seen peaks and troughs, yet property has always been, and we believe will continue to be, an excellent long-term investment.

"It's a misconception that it is currently difficult to get a mortgage. It is only harder for people with a poor credit history but the vast majority of buyers do not fall into this category.

"Neither is it true that lenders are no longer offering deals to first time buyers. If they have a deposit - and in many cases Redrow can offer to pay a 5% deposit on their behalf - there are still some great mortgage rates out there. Recent interest rate cuts show that the Bank of England is supporting the housing market and doing its bit to increase public confidence in the economy.

"It doesn't cost potential homebuyers anything to come and talk to us and we can give them the facts, rather than the misconceptions that can arise from reading some of the horror stories in the press."

New homes like those at Imperial Heights, in Bracknell, Kennet Heath in Thatcham, The Boardwalk, in Eastbourne and Farnborough Central, in Farnborough, have the edge over their older second hand counterparts in the current climate, not least because of the flexible choice of incentives that Redrow has to offer.

Barry Stiles, sales director for Redrow Homes (Southern) said: "The lack of 100% mortgage products from all the main lenders gives us an advantage over most private sellers, as we may be able to pay a customer's 5% deposit.

"It's just one of the offerings in our ‘re:assure' package of help, advice and incentives, which are designed to make buying a new home as easy as possible for all of our customers - from the moment of first enquiry right through to after they've moved in.

"Other options include helping with people's mortgage repayments for up to two years, covering other moving costs like stamp duty and legal fees, or, for those with an existing home to sell, an assisted move scheme or even part-exchange."

Redrow's developments across the south of England offer something for everyone from apartments to family homes. To register your interest in any of the developments log on to Redrow.co.uk, where you can find details of all Redrow ventures.