Homes that are easy on the environment, and the pocket

Did you know that you can buy a three-bedroom, eco-friendly house in Desborough for as little as £28,750? Or that you could rent one of these fabulous homes from just £440 per calendar month? Well, you can find out how by visiting an Open Event hosted by Orbit First Step at its development of new homes at Peaselands on Wednesday 5 August from 4pm until 7.30pm.

All visitors to the event will have the opportunity to have an informal chat with staff from Orbit First Step about the five remaining homes at the site. An independent financial advisor - Mark Singleton of APH Mortgage – will also be on hand to provide no-obligation advice and visitors can enter a free prize draw to win a £50 shopping voucher.

Regardless of whether or not you consider yourself to be an ‘eco-warrior’, the homes are certainly appealing as a range of environmentally-friendly features will keep your fuel bills down. As well as having softwood double glazing and a rainwater harvesting system, which is recycled in to the grey water system of each house, the properties, built by ISG Jackson Special Projects, are fitted either with air source heat pumps or solar panels, and feature low energy lighting throughout. The properties are also built with a state-of-the-art structural insulated panel system by leading manufacturer Kingspan TEK to provide outstanding thermal insulation levels.

Each of the properties is offered through the New Build HomeBuy or the Rent to HomeBuy schemes, giving buyers flexibility to suit their individual needs.

Under the New Build HomeBuy scheme, buyers purchase a share of the property, with a minimum 25 per cent currently available from just £28,750. Most purchasers will need to raise a mortgage to purchase their share and then pay a subsidised rent on the remaining share. They can also ‘staircase’ - purchasing additional shares in the future, if they wish, until they own the property outright.

Alternatively, the houses are available on the innovative Rent to HomeBuy scheme that provides a stepping stone between renting and purchasing. Under this option, people can move into the property they want to purchase straight away as a tenant and pay a discounted rent – saving 20 per cent against the current market rental rate. While they are renting, they are encouraged to save for a deposit – one of the major hurdles for first time buyers. The monthly rents currently start an incredibly competitive £440.

Orbit First Step’s Marketing Manager, Diane Webster said: “ISG Jackson Special Projects has done a fantastic job in sourcing environmentally friendly solutions that will ensure these properties offer a really modern way of living that will offer lower fuel bills for residents as well as helping to protect the environment from harmful CO2 emissions. With the low property prices and affordable purchasing options we are offering, combined with lower fuel costs, these properties are good for both the environment and for your pocket so please come along and have a chat with us at the event to find out more.”

If you are interested in any of the properties available but are unable to attend the event, you can get more information by visiting orbitfirststep.org.uk where you will also find details of additional affordable homes in the Northamptonshire area.