Scheme makes owning a home in Swindon more affordable

Getting your foot on the property ladder in an area known for its high house prices is now easier – thanks to a new ‘part buy, part rent’ low cost home ownership scheme, offered by Westlea Housing.

Westlea has a range of brand new homes on offer through the scheme – including Swindon town centre apartments and family homes on new developments built by well-known names like Wimpey and Bellway.

Westlea’s sales and marketing manager, Sheryl Thomas, explains: “The high cost of buying a property means many people believe they will be renting forever - but that’s because they haven’t heard of the New Build Home Buy scheme which enables people on lower salaries to get a foot on the property ladder.”

This new Government-sponsored ‘shared ownership’ scheme allows you to buy an initial share (often 50%) of a property and pay a subsidised rent on the rest.

“This means you can take out a lower mortgage than if you were buying the property outright, and the monthly repayments are also lower.” says Sheryl. “You have all the same rights and responsibilities of any home owner and you can buy more shares if you want to until you own the whole property.”

Current New Build HomeBuy opportunities offered by Westlea include houses and apartments within the popular new development Oakley Park. Located on the east side of Swindon, where the Cotswolds meets the West Country, these homes are also within a short drive of Coate Water Country Park and Broome Manor Golf Club.

“Those who prefer to be at the centre of activity are sure to be interested in one of our stylish new apartments in Princes Street,” says Sheryl Thomas. “These apartments are close to the theatre and shopping and will be right at the heart of the exciting new regeneration projects that are set to transform Swindon town centre. Cafes, bars and a whole new retail area is due to be developed right across the road!”

Out of Swindon, new homes in a more rural setting are available on a small development in Malmesbury and future developments are planned in Calne, Corsham and parts of Gloucestershire.

To qualify for this scheme you must be unable to afford to buy a property suitable for your needs on the open market. In general, you’re unlikely to be accepted for the scheme if you have an income of less than £15,000 or more than £60,000. Westlea will give priority to people already renting housing association or local authority homes; people on housing waiting lists; first-time buyers; and ‘keyworkers’ – police, firefighters, teachers, and hospital staff for example.

Westlea’s sales and marketing team at Westlea will be happy to talk to anyone interested in the scheme – answering your questions and providing more details of New Build HomeBuy or any of their current developments. Call them on 01249 466109, email sales@westlea.co.uk or see www.westlea.co.uk/so