First-time buyers take advantage of new scheme to get on property ladder

Local homebuilder, Persimmon Homes Essex has described its pride in delivering a new scheme to help first-home buyers get on the property ladder.

First Homes, a new initiative from Homes England offers first-time buyers a minimum discount of 30 per cent on the market value of a new home worth up to £250,000 in England or £420,000 in London. The 10 new homes made available by Persimmon, working in partnership with Colchester City Council, have been immediately snapped up by residents with many local first-time buyers moving for Christmas.   

Richard Hush, Managing Director of Persimmon Homes Essex said:

“Nothing fills us with more pride than helping people buy their own home and we’re incredibly excited to see our customers moving in for Christmas.

“The First Homes scheme is an exciting new initiative to help first-time buyers. We’re hoping to make even more First Homes available in the coming weeks and are working closely with Colchester City Council to make this happen.”

Local authorities can also give priority to people already living within the area, key workers or those on low incomes when it comes to accessing the First Homes scheme. 90 per cent of customers accessing this initial batch of First Homes were first-time buyers already living in Colchester.   

Emma, a Persimmon customer and first-time buyer taking advantage of the First Homes scheme commented:

“Buying our first home was a dream that had seemed hard to achieve with increasing property values and rocketing cost of living. The First Home Scheme helped us make our dream become reality.

“We didn't need a huge deposit to be able to buy our flat, and the Persimmon team were fantastic. They were there for us every step of the way, helping with sorting out the details of the purchase and supporting us through the journey of buying our new flat using the First Home Scheme.”

Persimmon are currently working in partnership with Colchester City Council to make more First Homes available in Colchester.

Cllr Julie Young, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Communities, added:

“We are committed, as a priority, to providing decent homes for the people who need them. Safe and affordable homes are crucial to people's health and quality of life, and we have as a council and along with our partners a key role to play in achieving it.

“Working in partnership with Persimmon enables us to provide affordable high-quality new homes for market sale in support of our commitment to tackling the housing crisis in Colchester.”

Further information about First Homes that might be available with Persimmon Homes Essex can be accessed at the following link: https://www.persimmonhomes.com/locations/east-england/essex