HomeBuy surgeries help would-be home buyers

A series of drop-in surgeries organised by Orbit HomeBuy Agency has given many would-be homeowners hope that they can take their first step onto the property ladder.

The company has held 11 events across its areas of operation over the past few weeks and there is another opportunity for people in Bedfordshire to find out more about affordable home-ownership on Thursday 15 December. The last event in the current series is taking place between 10am and 4pm, at Central Bedfordshire Council, on High Street North, in Dunstable.

All events held so far – Bedford, Cambridge, Ipswich, Norwich, Rugby, Solihull, Sandwell, Telford, Tamworth, Worcester and Peterborough - proved extremely popular, with an average of 50 visitors at each location taking away application forms for a variety of schemes designed to help them purchase a home.

These schemes include New Build HomeBuy and HomeBuy Direct which enable buyers to choose from a wide range of brand new homes that are available through participating registered social landlords (RSLs) and developers in the region.

Under the New Build HomeBuy scheme, you would generally take out a mortgage for a share of a property offered through a housing association and rent the remaining share at a discounted rate. You can then purchase additional shares in the future until you own the property outright.

HomeBuy Direct allows those eligible to purchase a brand new home, available on the open market from participating developers. Buyers can take advantage of equity loans provided jointly by the developer and the government of up to 30 per cent of the property value, with no interest to be paid on the loan for the first five years.

HomeBuy Agency Team Manager, Karen Coleman said “We are delighted that our events, which gave us the opportunity to have an informal chat with those people interested in low-cost home ownership, were so successful. The feedback we had was excellent and there was a lot of interest in our schemes.

“One young couple attending our event said that they were incredibly grateful that the New Build HomeBuy scheme was available as they would have no way of getting on the property ladder without it, while another visitor, attending with his wife, told us that for the first time in years, they felt the option to get somewhere of their own was within their grasp. These comments reflect the despair that some people have been feeling about the property market but fortunately, our events have shown them that there is hope.”

Karen continued: “Both the New Build HomeBuy and HomeBuy Direct schemes were very popular but also, the Rent to HomeBuy scheme, which lets people initially rent their property with a view to buying it at a later date, also generated a lot of interest. We’re now looking forward to working with our new clients and to helping them to buy the home they’ve been dreaming of and we are, of course, looking forward to meeting some more new clients at our event in Dunstable, so if you are looking for an affordable home, please come along.”

Orbit First Step is the largest HomeBuy Agent in England, covering six ‘zones’ - Norfolk and Suffolk; Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire; Coventry and Warwickshire; Hereford and Worcestershire; Staffordshire and Shropshire; and Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country. It promotes a wide range of products to those seeking low-cost home ownership. Whether you are a first time buyer, a key worker, someone looking for a new home following a relationship breakdown, a social housing tenant or on a local authority waiting list, providing your household income is less than £60,000, Orbit HomeBuy Agency may be able to help you.

For further information about the event or Orbit HomeBuy Agency, visit orbithomebuyagents.co.uk.