Couple purchase a two-bedroom home at The Scene with Help to Buy.
New research by Zoopla suggests one in five new home transactions are supported by the government-backed Help to Buy scheme. For first-time buyers Ivan and Mikolaj, the opportunity to use Help to Buy’s 5% deposit to purchase a two-bedroom duplex at our Deptford development, The Scene, in collaboration with Sherrygreen homes.
The move meant they could get onto the property ladder much sooner than they had originally planned, and start life in their new home with four-month-old Cockerpoo puppy, Griffin.
Ivan, Finance Manager, and Mikolaj, Head of Banking, both work for a pension provider and previously rented a one bedroom apartment through the London Living Rent scheme in Woolwich, Arsenal. After out-growing this property during the numerous pandemic lockdowns, the couple decided to start searching for their first owned home.
Ivan comments: “We moved into our previous flat at the end of 2019, but during the lockdowns the following year, this turned out to be quite small when accommodating two adults that were both working from home. As the property was on the London Living Rent scheme we were paying a discounted rent; we were also able to save the money that we would normally spend on commuting, which was a huge boost to the savings we had already accumulated!”
Help to buy made it possible to own a home with only a 5% deposit
“Although we had a good amount of savings, without the Help to Buy scheme and the opportunity to buy in London with a 5% deposit, we would have had to save for much longer. As it was our first purchase we didn’t really know what to expect, but the scheme was easy to use, and The Scene sales team were helpful in assisting us with any queries we had throughout the process.”
At the top of Ivan and Mikolaj’s checklist for finding a new home was somewhere that they would be able to enjoy life with their new puppy, Griffin. Ivan comments: “We had always planned to get a puppy, so we knew that our new home would have to be big enough to accommodate this, and have plenty of local places to take him for walks. Luckily, Deptford has so many lovely places for walking.”
The Scene offers quality new build homes in vibrant Deptford
“We absolutely fell in love with this property as soon as we viewed it, so we knew we had to put our deposit down quickly to ensure it didn’t get snapped up by another buyer! It ticked so many of our boxes, including the fact that it has its own individual entrance, meaning we didn’t have to share the communal areas like we had done in previous accommodation.
Being a duplex, it also means that we are able to separate day and night easily, which is something you don’t get with a traditional apartment that is all on one level.”
Built-in partnership with Sherrygreen Homes, The Scene is located on the border of Deptford and New Cross, just a short walk from Greenwich. Ivan concludes: “We would really recommend buying a home with Sherrygreen Homes and Peabody New Homes. As established developers, they have finessed an incredible quality of property. All of the properties are fantastic value for money, and you can get a little bit more for what you pay for compared to other new build developments.”
Help to Buy has now ended - Discover other ways to buy your home
After providing Londoners with an affordable route onto the property ladder, the Help to Buy scheme has officially closed its shutters.
However, you can still get help to buy your first home through Shared Ownership. Enabling you to buy a smaller share of your home, and pay rent on the remainder, Shared Ownership is a popular option for anyone struggling to buy their first home.
