TWO cousins have stepped onto the housing ladder and moved in next door to each other at Daresbury Garden Village near Warrington, thanks to the First Homes Scheme.
Stephanie Wiggins decided it was time to buy her own home following a change of circumstances.
“I’d considered renting initially, but the rental market is horrendous at the moment so started thinking about buying,” she recalled.
Stephanie had been looking for a couple of months when she discovered Castle Green Homes were building at Bridgewater View at Daresbury Garden Village.
Her cousin Simon Fuller was also looking for his first home and, on her recommendation, he visited the development.
“I’ve lived in a new build before so didn’t want an old house,” Stephanie said.
“When I saw the homes at Bridgewater View, I thought ‘wow!’”
Simon explained: “I was living with my parents in Altrincham and as a single person there was nothing in the area suitable. Stephanie said there was a property available next door to her new home, so I went to look and said yes straight away.”
They have both purchased two-bedroom Oakley style properties at just 70% of the market value using the First Homes Scheme.
“The First Homes Scheme has made owning my own home more affordable, particularly with the rising cost of living and being on my own with a little girl,” Stephanie said.
“It’s a steal with the 30% discount to market value. I struck gold with the scheme because it’s quite rare in the area. I’m a key worker as I’m a nurse and was already a Halton resident so I met the criteria.”
Simon had been saving for a deposit for five years and was able to put down a 17% deposit.
“The First Home scheme has made a massive difference,” Simon said. “Without it I would have had to put down a larger deposit and my monthly mortgage repayments would probably be higher.”
When they first enquired their homes were still under construction.
“When I first saw my home, it was just a shell – they hadn’t put the utilities in yet. Castle Green kept me up to date with the progress and sent me pictures if I couldn’t go in to see where it was up to. It was crazy to see it develop so quickly,” Stephanie said. “I couldn’t be happier with it.”
The ground floor is almost entirely open plan.
“My daughter is two and has settled in really well,” Stephanie said. “She loves having all the space downstairs.”
Energy efficiency was a key factor for both Stephanie, 34, and Simon, 35.
“I was interested in buying a new build home because I had heard how energy efficient they are, especially with solar panels,” Simon said.
Stephanie added: “The team told me how much insulation they had used and that they had part-boarded the loft. The homes also have solar panels to make them more energy efficient and an electric vehicle charging point, which would have been an extra cost if I’d bought an older property.”
Location was also a factor for Simon.
“I work at Manchester Airport so it’s only 15 – 20 minutes’ drive down the M56. The views from here are good and it’s nice to be part of a new neighbourhood,” he added.
For more details on the First Homes Scheme CLICK HERE
