Help at hand for Lichfield's first time buyers

Home hunters looking to get a foot on the property ladder in Lichfield need worry no longer about gloomy market speculation as Redrow is on hand to help with some fantastic advice and incentives.

Potential first time buyers put off making a property purchase this year can start home hunting once again thanks to Redrow. The award winning house builder, which offers properties ideal first properties at City Wharf, Lichfield, has identified three easy steps to getting on the property ladder, as part of its ‘re:assure from Redrow' offering.

Redrow's group marketing director Simon Bennett says: "The whole ethos of ‘re:assure' is to make home ownership as easy as possible from the moment of first enquiry right through until after our customers have moved in. This is more important than ever for first time buyers, for whom buying their first home is an exciting time - but it can be difficult to get going at first."

To help, Redrow has broken the process down into three easy stages.

"Firstly, identify where your first home will be," adds Simon. "The two-bedroom apartments and houses at City Wharf are perfect for first time buyers, whether buying alone, as one half of a couple or with friends. Being brand new, they're low maintenance and economical to run - and there's none of the costly renovations or repairs associated with buying an older home."

The next step is to make it happen; and there are many different options now available to first time buyers to make it easier for them to get onto the property ladder.

Simon continues: "For those who can't quite get there on their own, ‘mortgaging with a mate' is a popular solution. An increasing number of young people are clubbing together with friends to buy their first home. We're geared up to handle this type of enquiry and the financial advisers we work with can identify suitable mortgage products.

"Getting help from parents is another stepping stone to home ownership. Parents can act as a guarantor, come in on the mortgage, or simply help out with the costs of moving. And at Redrow we may be able to match whatever your parents are contributing - up to 5% of the purchase price - on selected plots.

"Through our independent financial advisors we can offer as many as 8,000 mortgage products and help to ensure you're getting the right one. We can also help you understand how different types of mortgages work."

The third and final step is to remove the obstacles they might meet as a first time buyer, arriving at the right solution to overcome them. For example, Redrow being able to pay a 5% deposit on their behalf could give buying a new home the edge over a second hand property for those first time buyers without savings, since the main lenders have withdrawn 100% mortgage products.

Other support Redrow may be able to offer includes paying £500 per month towards the mortgage for up to two years; covering additional expenditure like stamp duty or legal fees; or providing carpets and furniture for that first home.

"It's all about being flexible and treating each first time buyer as the individual they are, with their own set of individual needs," adds Simon. "Hopefully this way we'll see an end to those headlines about dwindling numbers of first time buyers and, instead, a flurry of young people enjoying their newly gained independence."

City Wharf, in Wharf Close, off Upper St John Street, offers two-bedroom Avon and Argal style apartments, prices start from £139,950.

The development is close to the centre of the cathedral city of Lichfield, which offers beautiful architecture teamed with modern amenities such as shops, restaurants, hotels and bars, as well as swimming pools and cinemas within easy reach.

The contemporary design and high quality of the development are matched by its first class location - with direct links to the M6, M6 toll, M42 and M54 via the A38. Walsall is around 20 minutes away while Cannock can be reached in 15 minutes.

As well as Birmingham city centre, Lichfield City train station provides services to Nottingham and London, via Birmingham.

To view the new Argal show apartment at City Wharf, visit the development, on Wharf Close, open Thursday to Monday from 10am to 5.30pm. Alternatively, log on to Redrow.co.uk.