Owning A Property Becomes A Reality With Help To Buy
21 Apr 2016

Taryn Schmidt hadn’t been seriously considering buying a home when she looked around a couple of Linden Homes’ developments at the end of last year.
But events took over and before she, or any of her friends and family knew it, she was the proud owner of a beautiful, refurbished apartment in the old Grade II St Michael’s Convent building in Waterlooville.

So what happened?

“I was a first-time buyer and I genuinely hadn’t been planning on actually buying a home. I randomly visited The Old Brewery in Horndean first and looked at two apartments there. Inspired by what I’d seen, I travelled down the road to St Michael’s Place. I took one look at a two bedroom apartment with high ceilings and arched windows and knew straightaway that I wanted it. It was instant.”

The sales executive suggested that Taryn call the New Homes Mortgage Helpline to find out what kind of mortgage she would need:

“I knew about Help to Buy – it’s had lots of publicity – and I knew that both the apartment and I were eligible. The options given to me by the helpline were affordable. I decided to go ahead.”

What swayed Taryn were the figures that emerged from her call to the New Homes Mortgage Helpline. Before she moved to St Michaels Place, Taryn had been in a very small rented room in a house shared with six others in Woking. She was paying £740 a month in rent. When she discovered that she could purchase her own beautiful apartment, using Help to Buy, with mortgage payments of £750 month, the decision was clear:

“I couldn’t believe that the difference between what I’d been paying in rent and what I’d be paying as a home owner was just £10 a month. And unlike renting, I’d actually own the property at the end of it.”

So once she’d made up her mind to go ahead, she embarked on organising the mortgage and instructing a solicitor.

The process itself was a seamless and easy procedure to follow for Taryn. She saw the apartment on the 28th November and moved in on the 21st December. It took a little over three weeks from start to finish.

How did she do it?

“The mortgage was approved in principle very quickly and the solicitors also moved very fast. I was on the end of the phone with all the information they needed and everything just fell into place. I moved in in time for Christmas. It happened in such a rush that I had no furniture… when I moved in, all I had with me, was my clothes!”

“When I think about it, I categorically could not have afforded my apartment without the assistance of Help to Buy. I didn’t tell my friends about it until I had completed – they were very surprised, it was so unexpected. I invited all my girlfriends round to see it.

“It’s interesting because many of them assumed that because they were single they wouldn’t be able to afford their own home yet. They’d thought they’d have to wait until they had a partner. But after seeing me go ahead, several of them are now interested in buying their own home – something they had previously thought wouldn’t be possible.”

Susan Whiting, marketing manager at Linden Homes commented: “People are so often unaware of the savings that can be reaped using Help to Buy. The scheme is now three years old and people still don’t understand the real positive difference it can make – not only in the size of the deposit they need to put down at the outset, but also to their monthly repayments. We’d urge people if they are looking to get on or up the ladder to get in touch and learn about how the scheme can really help them out. It could unlock that dream home quicker than you realise.”

Help to Buy is available at a number of Linden Homes’ developments across the South Coast including:

  • Froyle Park in Upper Froyle (01420 384 394)
  • Hawthorn Mews in Bedhampton (02392 809 670)
  • The Old Brewery in Horndean (02392 809298)
  • Crowdhill Green in Fair Oak (02380 082 669)
  • Scholars Grange in Swanmore (01489 222 857)

For more details of Linden Homes’ apartments and houses available on the government scheme, you can visit the website.

-ENDS-

Media can contact Kelly Ward or Fotini Efstathiou at Remarkable Group on 01962 893893 for more information, images and interviews with Linden Homes.

References to “we”, “us” or “our” are to the part of the Vistry Group (including Linden Homes, Bovis Homes, Countryside Homes, Drew Smith, Vistry Ventures or one of Vistry’s joint venture companies) from which you are intending to purchase a new home. References to "you” and “your” are to the prospective buyer or buyers of a new home from us.

All images are used for illustrative purposes only and are representative only. They may not be the same as the actual home you purchase and the specification may differ. Images may be of a slightly different model of home and may include optional upgrades and extras which involve additional cost. Individual features such as windows, brick, carpets, paint and other material colours may vary and also the specification of fittings may vary. Any furnishings and furniture are not included in any sale. Please check with our sales consultants for details of the exact specifications available at the development(s) for each type of home and the associated prices.