Step by step guide to buying a home
So what is affordable home ownership?
Well, the government has recognised that having a stake in your own property makes for stronger and more sustainable communities. Which, without the jargon, means people like to own at least part of the home they live in. Buying a home makes them feel settled, secure and invested in their future.
To help you get that warm fuzzy feeling that buying a home gives you, and give you a leg up onto the housing ladder, the government has come up with a range of schemes, all under the HomeBuy brand. There's shared ownership housing schemes, where you can buy as little as 25% of your home and rent the rest from a housing provider - ether a housing association, local council or private developer - equity loan schemes where you pay for a percentage and get an equity loan for the remainder.
It's true, though, that if you're not familiar with the idea of shared equity or shared ownership housing, it can seem very complicated. And to make things worse, you're likely to get all kinds of home buying advice from friends, family, television, newspapers, even the milkman!
It can be hard to sort out the facts - and that's where homefocus can help! We'll give you plenty of expert home buying assistance in this step-by-step guide. We'll take you right through the process of buying a home - from making the decision regarding which equity loan or shared ownership housing scheme to go for, through viewing the showhomes and getting the paperwork and money sorted, right up to planning your first housewarming party!
We won't use jargon if we can help it - if we need to use the technical terms, we'll explain what they mean. What we will do is give you the best home buying assistance to ensure that getting on the ladder through the HomeBuy schemes is as painless, as affordable, and as hassle-free as it can be. Can't say fairer than that!
There are plenty of different shared equity and shared ownership housing opportunities to choose from - all of them designed to make buying a house much less of a financial struggle. Chances are you're eligible for one or more of them. So if you want some real-world, jargon-free home buying assistance, read on...