homefocus - homefocus nov 2014
DESCRIPTION
This is a free sample of Homefocus issue "Homefocus Nov 2014" Download full version from: Apple App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id968731232?mt=8&at=1l3v4mh Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.presspadapp.homefocus Magazine Description: Designed to help you get to know and understand the more affordable ways to getting onto the housing ladder. Shared ownership and Help to Buy properties. Renting can cost more each month than buying. Improving your credit rating helps you get the best possible mortgage. Case history examples – you can be a homeowner! Covering; shared ownership, low cost home ownership, affordable home ownership, help to buy, estate agent. You can build your own iPad and Android app at http://presspadapp.comTRANSCRIPT
Cov
er p
hoto
gra
ph:
Jo
hn L
awre
nce
homefocus
AT T R A C T I V E , A C C E S S I B L E , A F F O R D A B L E H O M E S
WAYS TO HELP YOU
BUYShared ownership
and Help to Buy
Be a home owner
MAKEYOUR
MOTTOJEAN-CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI‘I think space, light, smell and aroma are the most important aspects of a home’
‘It’s a good way to buy a flat if you have a low income’says Wioleta
UK Chef Of The Year
MADE MORE AFFORDABLE
ONE OF FOUR CASES OF BLUE NUN
SPARKLING GOLD
NOV/DEC 2014
WIN
Lo nd on
HAMPSHIRE
HERTS
BUCKS
BERKSHIRE
EASTSUSSEX
Southwark
Southampton
Haywards Heath
Yapton
SURREY Croydon
KingstonLewisham
Chichester
Caterham
Cranleigh
IslingtonChiswick
WEST SUSSEXMidhurst
Barnet Kensington
Ealing
BromleyBracknellOrpington
Barnham
GodalmingGuildford
Lewes
Hurstpierpoint
Crawley DownOxted
Hailsham
Eastleigh
Welwyn
GREATER LONDON
Brighton
Hassocks
Fulham
LLLLS
Littlehampton
Your next step:Email [email protected] 100 0303
www.affinitysutton.com
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Facebook
Location of homes currently available
Fabulous apartments and houses for saleacross London and thesouth east.
Shared ownership: the affordable way to get on the property ladder.
Terms and conditions apply and a mortgage from a 3rd party is required. You will alsoneed to fund stamp duty, legal costs and other costs associated with purchasing a home.Availability of this product is subject to eligibility and affordability assessments and criteria. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up with repayments on yourmortgage or rent/service charges. Affinity Sutton is one of the largest affordable housingproviders in England. It is not allowed to sell mortgages or give financial advice. Independent financial advice should be sought. The value of your home can go down as well as up.
*
ONLY
5%*
DEPOSIT
H.Focus SE Map ad.qxp_Layout 1 06/08/2014 15:14 Page 1
TAKING MATTERS INTO YOUR OWN HANDSAs homefocus Magazine goes to press, Ed Miliband is about to launch new plans to help first-time buyers. He’s concerned that up to a third of young people in London could be living with their parents within a generation.
Mr Milliband said, ‘the dream of home ownership for many families in the capital is fading fast. Many young people may be trapped in generation rent, or have to live with parents until they are in their 30s.’ And although the problem is worse in London than elsewhere, the trend is there in the rest of the country too.
Now whether you like Mr Milliband’s solutions or not – and at this time homefocus doesn’t know what they are, the reality is that most young people just can’t wait for the Government to solve the problem. They have to get on with finding a home of their own right now!
It isn’t easy. There are more people wanting to be homeowners than there are homes to buy. Deposits are high, perhaps as much as two-thirds of a typical first time buyer’s income, and mortgages are getting harder to get. So what do you do? Give up? Wait for Government initiatives to sort it out? Or take matters into your own hands?
This issue of homefocus highlights quite a number of first time buyers who did just that. You’ll find examples throughout the magazine of how people made shared ownership and Help to Buy work for them.
I hope homefocus will help you achieve your home ownership dream in 2015.
Happy home hunting
Jeffrey Gritzman • Publisher
ISSN No 1470-0360
ADVISORY PANELMaddie Cross LONDON BOROUGH OF BEXLEY
Dave Evans BE CREATIVE LONDON Tony Harker GENESIS HOMES
Dave Lakin GRAND UNION HOUSING GROUP John McManus GLA
Trevor Morley DIRECTION LAW
Yvette Ruggins AFFINITY SUTTON GROUP
Isabel Saville CONCORDIA HOUSING CONSULTANCY
Simon Scott ORIGIN HOUSING
Sharon Shaw EAST THAMES GROUP
Richard Stone CENSEO LTD
Helen Towner HOMES AND COMMUNITIES AGENCY
Greg Warner-Harris SPECTRUM HOUSING GROUP
Chris Winfield LONDON BOROUGH OF BRENT
EDITORAlex Randell
e-mail: [email protected]
SUBSCRIPTIONS & GENERAL ENQUIRIESJulie Baugh Tel: 01622 772407
e-mail: [email protected]
PUBLISHER Jeffrey Gritzman Tel: 01622 772407
e-mail: [email protected]
PUBLISHED BYGraid Publications, Kent House, Romney Place
Maidstone, Kent ME15 6LHTel: 01622 772407
DESIGN & PRODUCTIONJohn Eldridge Design Associates
Website: www.homefocus.co.uk
www.facebook.com/homefocus
www.twitter.com/homefocus
homefocus
Supports the aims of homefocus
Publisher’sComment
homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014 3
Lo nd on
HAMPSHIRE
HERTS
BUCKS
BERKSHIRE
EASTSUSSEX
Southwark
Southampton
Haywards Heath
Yapton
SURREY Croydon
KingstonLewisham
Chichester
Caterham
Cranleigh
IslingtonChiswick
WEST SUSSEXMidhurst
Barnet Kensington
Ealing
BromleyBracknellOrpington
Barnham
GodalmingGuildford
Lewes
Hurstpierpoint
Crawley DownOxted
Hailsham
Eastleigh
Welwyn
GREATER LONDON
Brighton
Hassocks
Fulham
LLLLS
Littlehampton
Your next step:Email [email protected] 100 0303
www.affinitysutton.com
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Facebook
Location of homes currently available
Fabulous apartments and houses for saleacross London and thesouth east.
Shared ownership: the affordable way to get on the property ladder.
Terms and conditions apply and a mortgage from a 3rd party is required. You will alsoneed to fund stamp duty, legal costs and other costs associated with purchasing a home.Availability of this product is subject to eligibility and affordability assessments and criteria. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up with repayments on yourmortgage or rent/service charges. Affinity Sutton is one of the largest affordable housingproviders in England. It is not allowed to sell mortgages or give financial advice. Independent financial advice should be sought. The value of your home can go down as well as up.
*
ONLY
5%*
DEPOSIT
H.Focus SE Map ad.qxp_Layout 1 06/08/2014 15:14 Page 1
From house hunting
to house warming
3418 13
Hot properties 12 London A selection of affordable homes in the Capital
16 East & south east And some from the east and south east region (as defined by the Home & Communities Agency
20 South westYou’ll find properties in the south west region of the country
24 South Properties in the south
28 Midlands And finally, some in the midlands
Just for you 3 Publisher’s comment Taking matters into your own hands
ContentsNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014
Buyers’ Guide 6 It’s a cracker Make your motto, be a home owner. Give yourself a gift this Christmas
8 Compare the schemesWhich scheme works best for you?
32 Buy for less than you’d pay in rent And leave yourself a little over to pay for unexpected treats
44 New home, but not new-build Buying from an existing shared owner increases your choice
46 Will you find a place on the ladder?Low cost home ownership brings all kinds of opportunities
48 A 20% saving Help to Buy’s gift to you when buying a home
Celebrity Status 34 In ConversationJean-Christophe Novelli, The Michelin starred chef who says‘space, light, smell and aroma are the most important aspects of a home’
Where next? Homefinder DirectoriesYour search for an affordable first home can start here or at www.homefocus.co.uk/Low-cost-homes-near-you
54 Introduction
55 Shows and Events
56 Property listings
59 South West
60 East and South East
62 London 64 Midlands 65 South 66 Legal and Financial Directory
4 homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014
52
Contact us... E-MAIL: [email protected] PHONE: 0845 474 4734
MAIL: homefocus magazine, Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, Kent, ME15 6LH
Lifestyle 36 Home treatsGifts for your home to suit every budget
40 Food focusA selection of festive treats
Great Advice 38 Budget Buster Our most requested guide: it’ll help you get control of your finances
42 Never Mind the Buzzwords The real story about low cost home ownership
50 Moving Checklist Who to tell you’re moving
Competition 52 A case of Blue Nun Sparkling Gold Win one of four cases in our easy to enter competition
homefocus
36
30
46
16
WIN
homefocus • NOV/DEC 2014 5