Family bids farewell to renting thanks to Persimmon’s FirstBuy

A young family who admit they’ve been throwing money away by renting have now been able to take their first step onto the property ladder thanks to Persimmon Homes and the Government-backed FirstBuy shared equity scheme.

Kim Waters, her partner, Filipe Brito, and their daughter, Chloe, are settling into a stunning three-bedroom house they could once only have dreamed of, at Persimmon’s popular Saxon Gate @ Sarum Meadows development in Salisbury.

The couple had been renting a property for the past four years and were keen to buy their first home together.

Kim, who works with the elderly, says: “We knew we were just throwing away around £800 a month on rent but we simply couldn’t get enough money together to buy the kind of property we wanted.

“We’d looked at various schemes designed to help people like us get onto the property ladder but nothing had come to fruition and we were starting to feel it was never going to happen.”

But then the couple heard about the new Government-funded shared equity scheme which offers eligible applicants an equity loan of up to 20 per cent of the purchase price of a property. Buyers then gain a mortgage for the remaining amount.

The scheme is particularly aimed at helping first time buyers onto the property ladder and is available on selected plots at Saxon Gate @ Sarum Meadows.

Kim says: “When we realised FirstBuy was available at Saxon Gate we decided to go along and find out more. The sales adviser was exceptionally helpful and was able to answer all the queries we had.

“Filipe grew up in this area so he knows it well and he thought the development would be ideal for us.

“It is well located for us both in terms of getting to work as I work in Bournemouth and Filipe works in Salisbury as a plumber and boiler engineer.

“There is also a primary school which has just been built within walking distance, which will be great for Chloe when she’s a bit older.

“We were really pleased when we found out we could take advantage of the FirstBuy scheme and afford a lovely property which is ideal for a growing family.”

Kin and Filipe snapped up an attractive Coate house design, which boasts three bedrooms, plus en-suite to the master bedroom and a family bathroom on the first floor and a good sized living / dining room, kitchen and breakfast area and cloakroom on the ground floor.

Kim says: “The house has quite an unusual shaped living room which offers a lot of space and we also really like having a spare bedroom.

“We have a garage on the side of the house which we can access from the back garden and there is also room to park a second car on the drive so, all in all, it’s ideal for us.”

Saxon Gate @ Sarum Meadows is an exclusive development of two, three and four bedroom homes in a picturesque location. Pauline Fletcher, sales director for Persimmon Homes Wessex, says: “Saxon Gate provides the best of both worlds as it’s set in a rural location steeped in history, yet has excellent links to the popular Salisbury city centre, just two miles away.

“It is an ideal choice for those wishing to be in beautiful surroundings while still being close to the bustle of a city centre which many buyers have come to realise, proven by the fact that only a few homes now remain for sale here.

“Anyone interested in moving to this stunning location shouldn't feel disheartened however, as we have a further allocation of homes at our soon-to-launch Roman Quarter development at Old Sarum which will come as welcome news to local house hunters.”

With FirstBuy, homes at Saxon Gate are currently priced from just £194,396.

For further information on the last remaining homes at Saxon Gate, visit persimmonhomes.com.