First time buyers getting best ever value, says Barratt

A new generation of savvy First Time Buyers sees the current housing market as the perfect opportunity to get onto the property ladder, according to Hampshire’s leading housebuilder.

Barratt Southampton says that more than a third of its customer database currently comprises First Time Buyers, a group often referred to as the ‘lifeblood’ of the housing market.

And many of them are using knowledge gained from the internet as well as lessons learned from their family and friends to get a good deal for themselves.

“Many people who are setting-out in life see this as an ideal time to get into the property market, with prices far more affordable and mortgage rates lower than they were at the height of the boom,” said Mark Docherty, sales director at Barratt Southampton.

“Before the credit crunch we saw some of these people who basically assumed that prices would rise indefinitely. We now find that these buyers are fully equipped with the information they need to make sound decisions, have spoken with a solicitor beforehand and know how the process works.

“Buyers in this group are most likely to be aged between 25 and 34. They are less likely to have children and more likely to be single.

“They tend to be frustrated with wasting money on renting and want to have a place of their own. Often they have one eye on starting a family.”

Barratt Southampton can help First Time Buyers in a variety of ways, including a government backed low-cost home ownership scheme called Homebuy Direct which enables people to buy with a deposit of as little as £4,200.

New homes for First Time Buyers currently available from Barratt in the Hampshire area include Twyford Square and Lakeside in Eastleigh, Highcroft in Winchester and Staunton Place in Havant.

For further information, visit: barratthomes.co.uk