Steve gets his dream start at Copper Quarter

Steve Richards has at last managed to get a foot on the property ladder after years of renting, thanks to Barratt’s Dream Start scheme available at Copper Quarter, Swansea. Steve had previously been renting an apartment but he decided it was time to move back with his parents and sort himself out financially. This gave him the time and space to think about what he wanted; top of his list was to buy his first home.

Determined to stay in Swansea, close to friends and family, Steve looked around a number of new developments in the area before spotting the potential at Barratt’s Copper Quarter riverside scheme.

Steve was initially interested in the iPads, but soon fell in love with a two-bedroom coach house; a property he thought he would never be able to afford.

However, with Dream Start, an offer created with first time buyers in mind, Steve was able to buy his home for 75 per cent of the purchase price and to defer the remainder as an interest free loan.

“Dream Start made it cheaper to buy than to rent,” says Steve. “The purchase price of my coach house was £133,000, but I was able to buy it for £112,496 with Dream Start. I own the 100 per cent of the property, but bought it at 75 per cent, with a deferred loan for the remaining amount. Since I bought the showhome, I was able to move into a fully-furnished apartment and only had to buy my fridge-freezer and washer-dryer. All of this made it impossible to say no!”

Steve first viewed the property at the end of November and moved in just in time for Christmas. He adds: “The whole process went very smoothly, it couldn’t have been easier.”

Steve works as an Environmental Health Officer in Port Talbot, only a 20- minute drive from Copper Quarter. He is an avid fan of rugby and loves the fact his new home is ideally located close to the Liberty Stadium.

Copper Quarter offers one and two-bedroom apartments and two and three-bedroom houses, all with parking. Residents can enjoy attractive landscaped areas within the development, plus lovely river walks. Swansea city centre is only a short drive, or there is a Park and Ride bus station close to Copper Quarter with a regular bus service straight to the city centre. The train station at Swansea is around a mile from the development; Swansea Airport is around six and a half miles.

Prices for homes currently available are from £144,995 for a two-bedroom apartment and from £176,995 for a three-bedroom mid-terrace house with a garage. The sales and marketing suite at Copper Quarter, Brunel Way, Swansea, West Glamorgan, SA1 7FF is open seven days a week from 11am to 6pm.

Barratt is the premier housebuilder in South Wales where it has been building new homes for 30 years. Barratt South Wales works closely with local Housing Associations, in addition to the Welsh Assembly Government, to bring forward opportunities for first-time-buyers and key workers.

For more information, visit Barratthomes.co.uk.