Kent’s first time buyers queue to jump on property ladder

Fri, Oct 27th 2006, 11:00

Spirits were sky-high, despite the rain, as dozens of first time buyers waited in line for the opportunity to own their first home.

With brand new homes available from less than £70,000 demand was always going to be high and, within five hours, award winning housebuilder Redrow had sold more than half of the 70 available properties.

Would-be purchasers arrived early at the Hilton Hotel, Maidstone, to queue for their chance to snap up one of the ‘Debut by Redrow’ homes currently being built in Sittingbourne, Kent.

Many were local to Sittingbourne and other nearby Kent towns, while some had travelled from further afield, including South London, for their chance to get onto the property ladder at a price they could afford.

George Cronin, managing director for Redrow Homes (Eastern), says: "This was Redrow’s very first Debut development in the south of England and, as such, was always likely to create intense demand. We’d already whittled down a list of several hundred potential purchasers to eliminate any prospective buy-to-let investors and to check people’s financial ability to proceed.

"By Sunday we were dealing mostly with people who had made the decision to purchase and knew that they could go ahead, but even so, there were still a general air of excitement interspersed with nervous intrepidation. However, by lunchtime we had brought smiles to a lot of faces and taken reservations on more than half of the one and two-bedroom properties available."

As well as low prices, Debut offers customers the chance to defer 10% of the initial purchase price for up to 10 years – and a single monthly service charge that covers all external maintenance, buildings insurance and utility bills including gas, electricity and water.

First to pass through Redrow’s pre-qualification process and graduate with a new home were 19-year-old Donna Bones and her boyfriend Gary Reynolds, age 24. The happy couple, who walked away with a two-bedroom property, were extremely excited at getting their foot on the property ladder. Donna says: "It’s so surreal. We now have a home to call our own, which is just the best news."

Donna has lived with Gary and his parents for the last two years. Gary says: "We have wanted our own place for a long time and it has been amazing to finally buy a home to call our own. It’s a great price for homes in this area and we will really benefit from the fixed monthly payments for the upkeep of the homes as we can budget better. It’s brilliant to know what the outgoings are each month so we will be able to put all of our finances in one basket."

For 22-year-old doctor’s receptionist Gemma Warner, who currently lives with her parents in Herne Bay, Debut is a lifeline. Having purchased one of Redrow’s smallest one-bedroom homes, she says: "I didn’t ever think I could afford a place of my own but Debut and the 10% deferred payment have made all the difference. I think it’s a great idea as you control when you repay it and it’s even better news that it’s interest-free."

Steven Thompson, 24, an operations manager for Next who currently lives with his parents on St Mary’s Island in Chatham, said: "Debut is excellent value for money - you’ll not find prices like this anywhere else in the south east."

Debut @ Sittingbourne features 70 private sale, one- and two-bedroom homes, the first of which will be ready to move into by spring 2007.

Prices start from just £69,995 for a single-storey one-bedroom home, requiring an initial outlay of just £62,995 for those choosing to use Easi-buy, which allows customers to defer up to 10% of the purchase price for up to 10 years. Even the largest two-storey, two-bedroom home with additional workspace is priced at only £119,995 (an initial outlay of £107,995 with Easi-buy) – which is well below the stamp duty threshold.

This comes at a time when the average house in Sittingbourne is said to cost upwards of £172,000 and the average flat or terrace – the typical domain of first time buyers – will set someone back £119,000 or £133,000 respectively in the town.

Much of the cost saving in a Debut home comes from the way in which the properties are built, using lightweight steel frame. Reliance on trades and the overall build time is reduced through the use of offsite-manufactured components such as the steel frame and shower pods.

Communal heating and hot water systems also provide cost efficiencies, while replacing private gardens with carefully planned, shared outdoor space, maintained by Redrow’s own management company, means Debut properties take up less land than conventional new homes – all resulting in a lower priced home.

Redrow’s designers have also turned conventional living on its head, with areas such as the open plan lounge and kitchen located upstairs in two-storey properties, while bedrooms and bathrooms are at entrance level. High vaulted ceilings in the first floor main living areas of two-storey Debut homes allow for natural light to pour in, creating a further dimension of space.

Debut @ Sittingbourne is located off Staplehurst Link Road, about one-and-a-half miles from Sittingbourne’s railway station, from where trains to London Victoria or Cannon Street take a little over an hour. There are also easy commuter links to the M25.

There is still a selection of the Debut properties available in Sittingbourne for those who act swiftly. For further details call 0845 6760333 or go online at www.debutbyredrow.co.uk.