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“We would really recommend buying a home with Sherrygreen Homes and Peabody. As established developers, they have finessed an incredible quality of property."
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Find out how first-time buyer couple purchased a two-bedroom home at Peabody's Deptford development, 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, with 39% of first-time buyers between the ages of 24 and 34 taking the most advantage. For first-time buyers Ivan (31) and Mikolaj (33), the opportunity to use Help to Buy’s 5% deposit to purchase a two-bedroom duplex at Peabody and Sherrygreen Homes’ Deptford development, The Scene. 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!”
Speaking of the Help to Buy scheme, Mikolaj comments: “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.
Our favourite place to go is Deptford Park which is a huge space where Griffin can run around, just a 15 minute walk away, and there’s also a small doggy park locally which is ideal for puppies. If we want to take him on a shorter walk in the evenings, we either walk him around the development which has its own green space, or there’s a number of smaller open spaces within a short distance from our home.”
After initially just viewing the floorplans of the property, Ivan and Mikolaj reserved their two-bedroom duplex just one day after visiting the site to view it. Mikolaj comments: “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 and Peabody, The Scene is located on the border of Deptford and New Cross, just a short walk from Greenwich. Speaking of the fantastic location, Mikolaj explains: “We have completely fallen in love with our new neighbourhood. As well as the numerous parks surrounding the development, we have some really lovely pubs and restaurants close by too. The transport links are incredible – I can get to my office on Blackfriars Road in 15 minutes from Deptford Station, and from New Cross station we can get to London Bridge in under five minutes!”
Ivan concludes: “We would really recommend buying a home with Sherry green Homes and Peabody. 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. We know there are only a few properties left at The Scene, so we’re trying to get some of our friends to move in too!”
Help to Buy has now ended -Discover other ways to buy your home.
Although homes at The Scene are still available to buy through private sale, after providing Londoners with an affordable route on to the property ladder, the Help to Buy scheme has officially closed its shutters. However, as one door closes, another one opens. The Help to Buy scheme may have ended, but you can still get help to buy your first home.
The Help to Buy scheme is ending on the 31st of March 2023, but the scheme already closed to new applicants on the 31st of October 2022.
As the light begins to dim on the Help to Buy scheme, the shine turns to Shared Ownership as a great way to help first time buyers get their foot on the property ladder. 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.
BENEFITS OF SHARED OWNERSHIP
Ready to buy your home with Peabody?
At Peabody, we have a number of homes available to buy with Shared Ownership throughout London. Use our property search to discover a home for you and to register your interest.
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