the beehive - summer issue

The Beehive

Issue 3 Summer 2012

Staircasing—know the

facts

How to achieve a stress free

move

Resales

Out & AboutOut & AboutOut & AboutOut & About————see what we’ve

been up to

Win! Win! Win!

£50 worth of Ticketmaster

vouchers courtesy of

David Wilson Homes

Facebook & Twitter

helping you find

your dream home

See the properties available on The

London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay Route

Changes in the Cookie

Law

Achieving the dreamAchieving the dreamAchieving the dreamAchieving the dream Inspirational stories

from purchasers

The Olympics are well underway, the sun is shining, BBQs are sizzling, everyone is happy… hopefully I have just described your summer so far, if not, then apologies

if you are still having to use umbrellas and wellies! I do however write the welcome for the magazine several weeks before we send them out to you so I have had to guess slightly on the weather

conditions!

What’s been happening since our last issue……. South West Homes achieved the 2nd highest FirstBuy

completions in the country, helping over 500 families achieve their aspirations of owning their own homes.

We attended a very successful Armed Forces day at Babbacombe Downs Torbay.

We are continuing to work alongside Local developers to ensure that we bring you the latest properties available on developments

in our area. We have chosen a festival theme for this edition to ease us into

summer. Please do not forget to enter our competition on page 19 for the

chance to win £50 worth of Ticketmaster vouchers. Have a great summer.

Hayley Rossiter.

HomeBuy Agency Manager.

Welcome to the Summer edition of The Beehive

The Beehive, Summer Issue 2

Stroud District Council working with South West Homes has re-launched a scheme to help first time buyers afford their first home. The scheme, called Stroud HomeBuy, provides eligible applicants with a 25% equity loan on properties valued up to £160,000. The scheme is funded by Stroud District Council and administered by South West Homes, the government HomeBuy Agent for the South West. Councillor Frances Roden, cabinet member for housing for Stroud District Council, said: “Stroud HomeBuy is for people looking for their first home in our district. Unlike, other HomeBuy schemes, which are restricted to properties on specific developments, this initiative applies to any available property in the district, so potential buyers could end up buying their first home where they’ve always wanted to live.” Graham Phillips, HomeBuy Manager for South West Homes added “It is great we’ve been able to secure more funding to help even more first time Buyers in the Stroud district. Anyone interested should email [email protected]

Under Stroud HomeBuy, applicants can find a property through an estate agent or from a developer and apply for a 25% equity loan. They would need to raise 75% of the purchase price through savings or a mortgage. Each loan is calculated according to individual circumstances but funding is limited. The loan must be repaid upon payment of the final instalment of the mortgage, or when the property is sold.

3 The Beehive, Summer Issue

It’s back…. Stroud Open Market HomeBuy

Local businessman, Nail Kose, discovered much more than he bargained for in his quest to find a commercial property in popular Cullompton. A passing visit to Thorne and Carter Estate Agents presented the first time buyer with the perfect opportunity to own a brand new home in the town – at Barratt’s exciting new Kingfisher Reach development. “Mr Kose was considering commercial opportunities in the area,” said Barratt Homes sales manager, Mary Daymond. “But when he popped in to see the local agent, he met our sales team preparing for the launch of Kingfisher Reach,” said Barratt sales manager, Mary Daymond. Situated close to beautiful open farmland but just a few minutes’ walk from the town centre, the development features an impressive selection of brand new homes – including the three bedroom Buchanan design. “It was pretty much love at first sight when he spotted this beautifully-designed home,” added Mary. “And when we mentioned the innovative FirstBuy scheme, on offer at Kingfisher Reach, he decided to reserve there and then.” Under FirstBuy, buyers are offered a loan of up to 20 per cent of the price of the property, jointly funded by Barratt and the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency. They then have to find the remaining 80 per cent of the price themselves made up of the mortgage and deposit. In practice, that means that anyone buying a home from Barratt under the scheme would potentially be able to get on the housing ladder for less than they may imagine. “This ground-breaking scheme provided a wonderful chance for Mr Kose and his partner, to become our first residents at Kingfisher Reach,” said Mary. “And now they are all settled in, we wish them much happiness.” Kingfisher Reach is within touching distance of all local amenities and Cullompton town centre. ‘Cully’ – as it is known – is often described as the gateway to Devon and is delightfully close to beautiful open farmland and the River Culm. Ideally situated for the M5 and A38, this outstanding new development provides all excellent commuter links to nearby Exeter, Taunton and the South West. For details of current availability at Kingfisher Reach, call Barratt on 0844 811 1866 or log onto www.barratthomes.co.uk

Business Search Unearths The Perfect Roost For Nail At Kingfisher Reach

We have a panel of solicitors, independent financial advisors and surveyors on our website and further information can also be found on our Staircasing page at www.southwesthomes.org.uk

For FirstBuy and Shared Ownership you can staircase at any time.

For FirstBuy must be a minimum of 10% of your home’s prevail-ing market value, whether that value is less or more than when originally purchased. For Shared Ownership the minimum percentage is also 10% of your home’s prevailing market value, whether the value is less or more than when originally purchased.

When can I start staircasing?

What is the minimum amount I

must purchase?

Where can I get further help and advice?

You can usually buy additional shares of your property at a later date until you own 100%, if you wish to. This is called staircasing. The cost of the additional shares is based on the market value at the time that you wish to purchase the shares. If you purchase through Shared Ownership and you increase your share in the property, the rent is then re-calculated and reduced proportionately.

What are my options after I have purchased a property?

Staircasing your questions answered

The Beehive, Summer Issue 6 Staircasing can be limited to max. 80% on certain properties. Please check with your landlord for further information

During April we were pleased to be invited to attend a Barratt open event held over 3 days in the Haldon Centre, Torquay to promote HomeBuy at their Torre Marine development. Although spring hadn’t quite arrived there was a lot of interest and increased visits to the show home. Later in the month we went along to meet the residents at a Westcountry Housing Scheme in

Dawlish to promote HomeBuy to one of our priority groups, existing social tenants. For 3 days at the end of the month we were exhibitors at the Chartered Institute of Housing’s SW Event at the Palace Hotel, Torquay. In May we went along to the first meeting of the Cornwall Home Ownership Group. The group consists of housing providers working in Cornwall and, of course, members of the Council. We also went along to the MOD base at Devonport to promote HomeBuy to another of our priority groups, Armed Forces personnel. On 23rd May we had a stall at the Mendip Affordable Housing Open Event, which was extremely well attended. At the end of May we went to the National Housing Federation Conference in London. We were busy during June with fund raising during Armed Forces Week. We had a stall at the Torbay Armed Forces Day which was really well supported. We also took a stand at the Taunton Deane Affordable Housing Day held on the 14th June at Somerset County Cricket Ground. As has been the case in previous years this event always attracts local people to come and find out about their housing options.

Out and About It’s been a busy time at South West Homes. Check out what our HomeBuy Managers, Gwenda and Graham, have been up to in the past three months...

I’ve had a busy summer (if you can call it a summer?) making sure that our customers are aware of the options available to them. I’ve been to many road shows throughout the South West and when speaking to our customers I have realised that you like to talk through your options and how the scheme works in detail. I really enjoyed meeting the people of Salisbury and they really know how to put on a party. I was there with my colleague Krystyna, Homebuy Team, Leader on the day the Olympic Torch was in town. It was a great atmosphere. The Bristol Pride event was very busy and at one point we had to close the gates. If you have an event in your area that you think we should be attending then email us at [email protected]


Statistical Analysis

Total number of properties being advertised on our website 583

272 resale properties being advertised

1,195 followers

on Twitter

426 ‘likes’ on Facebook

Average number of calls received per day 58

8mins 21secs average time spent on our website

11 discounted sale properties being advertised

Average number of hits of our website in April, May, June 24,492

Number of applications received since the Spring issue of The Beehive 2930

99 FirstBuy developments being advertised on our website

61% of applicants stated they found our website very easy to use

Average age of applicants is 16-25

177 shared

ownership properties

being advertised

49% of applicants found our staff very knowledgeable

58% of applicants have not received independent financial advice


Crumbs, changes to Cookie Law

Millions of homes could benefit from improvements under the Green Deal….

Changes introduced to the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (2003) means that any website that uses cookies to track consumer trends or hold personnel information on the user has to seek consent before they proceed. The cookies South West Homes use are ‘analytical cookies’. They allow us to recognise and count the number of visitors and to see how visitors move around the site when they’re using it. This helps us to improve the way our website works, for example by making sure users are finding what they need easily. We also use this information to see what source you have used to reach our website e.g. southwesthomes.org.uk, Google etc. We would like to reassure you that we do not however track any information on you from outside our website.

From August 2012 owner occupiers & tenants will be able to apply for energy efficiency improvements to their properties through the Governments Green Deal programme. Businesses will provide the capital and recoup the money invested through the properties energy bills. Both owners and occupiers of a property will be able to take out a Green Deal, however they will need to obtain consent from all relevant parties that have an interest in the property (this may include the freeholder) ahead of any measures being installed. A wide range of products can be installed under the deal from ground source heat pumps to cavity wall insulation. For more information & to see if you qualify visit www.decc.gov.uk and search for Green deal.

Like many households of their generation Nicola and Chris Hallman found it difficult to get onto the housing ladder. Living in a damp rented house in Appledore, the couple spent the winter months sleeping on the floor of their children’s bedroom as their room, in the attic, froze for three months of the year. Then, in November 2011, Chris fell ill with a severe case of pneumonia. Spending a week in hospital and more time recuperating at home it was clear they needed to do something about their living conditions. Having three small children, Nicola works part-time whilst husband Chris, is a self employed builder. The couple realised it was never going to be easy finding a house that fit their financial situation, that is until they were searching some builders’ websites and came across Teaky Park in Hartland. Owned by Westward Housing Group, the mixed development of 18 properties had four houses for sale through the shared ownership scheme. “We did a lot of research into shared ownership,” Nic Hallman, 40, explained. “The properties being sold by a housing association instilled confidence in our decision to apply for one of the three-bed houses.” The Hallmans found the process around purchasing the property easy; difficulty came with obtaining their mortgage. “It was quite a smooth process getting the application approved by Westward, our real challenge came trying to get a mortgage as I don’t have a credit history,” Chris, 32, told us. “We hit quite a few glitches and actually had to withdraw from the property at one point! Thankfully a lot of phone calls and very helpful conversations with the staff at Westward and a

brilliant mortgage advisor we got everything sorted out.

Don’t give up until you’ve explored all your options!

Nicola and Eliza Hallman enjoying their new home


“The sales team said to us, ‘don’t give up until you have explored all your options and you are a long way from that point yet’, and they were right.” The couple felt more confident, reassured and with determination to see it through got back on the case. Nic spent a lot of time sitting by the phone but after just 13 weeks, the Hallmans got their keys. “Getting our home meant everything to us.” Nic explained. “It was never just a house to us, it meant a future and the lifestyle we wanted for our children. We were able to put our mark on our own home, reduce our outgoings and own our own property.” The couple are settled into a home they say where everything they previously owned organically fitted. The children are calmer, healthier and happier than ever. “At last my seven year old son has learnt to ride a bike.” Nic smiles. “I have outdoor kids, covered in mud and a little sun kissed but most of all, very, very happy.” “This has been without a doubt the best thing we ever did for our family,” Chris told us, “I would urge anyone who can’t afford to buy a house to look into shared ownership.”

Information regarding available schemes can be found on our website www.southwesthomes.org,uk under What is HomeBuy? Alternatively, please feel free to contact our knowledgeable Customer Service Team on 0300 100 0021 who will be happy to help.

Nicola, Eliza and Zachary Hallman enjoying the great outdoors


The Olympic torch visited many towns on it’s route to the Olympic stadium in London. Here’s a selection of properties along the torch route….

Start—Lands End

Truro

Liskeard

Bideford

Newquay

Day 1 - Plymouth

Newton Abbot Bodmin

St Austell

Penzance Falmouth

Cornwall Cottage, Penzance, TR18 2EZ Call Devon & Cornwall Housing on 01752 856037

Trencreek Road, Newquay, TR7 4NV Call Taylor Wimpey on 01637 850625 for the latest details of available plots

6 The Spinnaers,Falmouth Call Coastline on 01209 200 200

7 Rashleigh Grove, St. Austell, PL25 4BL 2 Bed first floor apartment Call Aster on 01380 735351

Key Resale FirstBuy Shared Ownership

2 Bed, 2nd floor apartment at Beacon Heights Call Devon & Cornwall Housing on 01752 856039

25 King Alfred Crescent Northam, Bideford EX39 1UE Devon and Cornwall Housing group on 01752 856 037

Shared Ownership at PL2, Plymouth Contact Plymouth Community Homes on 01752 856039

Olympic Property Search

Day 3—Taunton Yeovil

Day 54—Salisbury

Blandford fourm Dorchester

Bridport Day 56—Poole

Bournemouth

Day 55 - Weymouth

Bath

Day 5—Gloucester

Stroud

Cirencester Swindon

Chippenham

Frome

Cheltenham

Day 4—Bristol

Trowbridge

From Winchester...

Day 6—To The North...

To The East and on to London

The Rydons, Off Topsham Road Exeter Call the Marketing Suite on 01392 873467

Day 2—Exeter

20 Cedar Road, Charlton Down Dorchester, Dorset DT2 9UL Call Hastoe Housing Association on

Mills Court at Shirehampton Bristol BS11 9UE Call Bovis Homes on 0845 2600 471

Persimmon Vale at Brize Avenue, Quedgeley, GL2 2EE Call Persimmon’s Sales Office 01452 729330

The Old Railway Quarter, Swindon, SN2 2EX Call Thomas Homes Sales Office on 01793 538 973

St Paul's Walk, 1 & 2 bed apartments and 2 & 3 bed houses Call Bromford Homes on 0845 6010878

10 Kingston Close, Blandford Forum, Dorset DT11 7UQ Call Ashley Exler at Sovereign Living on 01635 277420

30 Stone Close Winterslow, Salisbury Call Sovereign Living on 01635 277420

Honeycombe Beach, Off Sea Road, Boscombe, Bournemouth BH5 1LE Call Barratt Homes on 01202 391218

Four, 2 bedroom houses available at Wyndham Park, Yeovil Call Spectrum Housing Group - 0800 316 3316

Chocolate Hamper Competition

I Q E A S T E R E G G E E E R A

E S U O I C I L E D C T N D U C

C E S N O T T U B S A O A V T F

T E D T C X S O R O R L I H E E

M I N I E G G S B E A L Z S I N

O E C E G D A V K E M F Z R N W

D I R N L H G G E R E D N I K U

R S U F U D G E R R L A R I O E

C O N K O D S D A R K G D D I R

R I C O G A N D G B D A V D U A

E C H O C O L A T E R L Y O R H

M E I N I T S T E R T A R N X E

E I E N I T E M A R S X A A M M

E N E E O A A E L A T Y E M E N

G U E E N O S A A C A D B U R Y

G L A S A J C F F N K I T K A T

Here is the solution to our Easter themed word search which featured in the last

issue.


Here at South West Homes, we are always trying to find ways to make your life easier. Here are just a few examples of how our Social Media sites you can help you become a homeowner! 1. Looking for the perfect property? Our Facebook and Twitter pages advertise some of the latest properties added to our website 2. Looking for an event in your area? Find details of our upcoming

roadshows to see when we will be in a town near you as well as details of other housing events

3. Want to know the latest housing news? We are constantly scrawling though the news to give you the most up to date housing policies, mortgage advice and more

Facebook and Twitter— how can it help you?

Did you know? • 37.4m adults in the UK

use Facebook regularly (more than once a week)

• The average age of a Facebook user is 38

@swhomebuyagent

www.facebook.com/southwesthomesuk

Where to find us


Here is a brief outline of the key stages in the process of purchasing a property:-

• How much can you afford? You will need to see a mortgage broker to find out how much they will lend you since this will affect the choice of property you can buy.

• When you have confirmed the level of mortgage funding, you can

look for a suitable property to buy.

• When your offer is accepted by the sellers (usually through an estate agent or housing association), sales details are sent out to your solicitor and the seller’s legal representative.

• The seller’s solicitor sends out a pack of contract papers to the

person acting for you and the conveyancing process can begin.

• Your solicitor will check out the contract papers in detail and report

to you on these. He / she will raise any necessary enquiries on the contract papers and put in hand the appropriate searches. The searches can include environmental reports, water and drainage searches, plan searches and the search with the local authority.

• During this time, your mortgage company should send out a valuer

to the property to carry out a valuation / survey. If this reveals any works required to the property or it is down-valued, then sometimes negotiation is required with regard to price and this can be done either through the selling agents or your solicitor.

Moving home should be an exciting time, but can often be a stressful experience. With careful advance planning, you can reduce the stress

levels and enjoy the prospect of moving into your new house. We talked to Clark and Weeks Solicitors to get their top tips for a stress free house

Moving Home


• Once the results of searches and answers to enquiries are through, and your mortgage offer has been issued, your solicitor should then obtain your signature to the contract and ask you for the deposit monies.

• If the seller is in a position to do so, then both parties can move

forward to exchange of contracts which commits you both to the transaction and at that time, you agree a completion date (i.e. moving day).

• Your solicitor will remind you to put buildings insurance and life

insurance (if required) on risk and he will request mortgage funds from your mortgage company for the completion date.

• Once exchange of contracts has taken place, you can then arrange

removals.

• On the completion date, your solicitor will send the purchase monies out to the seller’s solicitor and if all goes smoothly, you can usually collect the keys by around midday.


Resales are often not given the consideration they deserve when applicants are looking for their first home, with their focus on Shared Ownership (Newbuild) or FirstBuy. Sold under the same criteria as new build Shared Ownership properties, applicants are often surprised at the vast choice of properties suddenly available to them. Here’s a selection of what’s currently on offer from our region….

Vale Court, Gi l l ingham, SP8 4QS £55,000 for 50% share, Rent £328.74 pcm Contact the Nectar Homes' Sales team on 08458 504505 or email [email protected]

15 Kingswood Heights, Bristol, BS15 1TD

£62,500 for 50% share Rent £258.17 pcm incl. service charge Contact the Home Ownership Team at Bromford Living on 0330 1234 034

Lock Close, Sidmouth, EX10 9GB £75,250 for 35% share, Rent £294.76 pcm incl. buildings insurance & service charge Devon and Cornwall Housing group's marketing and sales team on 01752 856 037 or [email protected]

Resales

To see the full list of resale properties, visit our website www.southwesthomes.org.uk or call the Customer Service Team on 0300 100 0021 who will be happy to arrange for a resale newsletter to be sent to you

Competition Time

Winner’s Corner

Win £50 worth of ticket master

vouchers courtesy of David Wilson

With the summer finally here, what better way to enjoy the great outdoors than by attending one of the many events being held across the UK. From music festivals to musicals ticket master sells tickets for a vast array of event. For your chance to win £50 worth ticket master vouchers courtesy of David Wilson Homes, simply let us know what would make your ideal festival. You can submit your answers in one of the following ways— Post: South West Homes, Hatfield House, Torquay, TQ1 3HF Email: [email protected] Please include your name, address and daytime telephone contact number with your entry. Closing date for entries is 31st August 2012.

Well done to Paula Blake of Bath who was the lucky winner of our Chocolate hamper which was featured in the last issue of The Beehive.

Paula enjoying her hamper in the sun!


Contact us...

If you or someone you know, would like this magazine on CD or audio tape, in large print, in Braille, or translated into another language, please contact our Customer Service Team on 0300 100 0021 or email [email protected] South West Homes is managed by Westcountry Housing and Sovereign Housing Association Ltd in partnership South West Homes takes all reasonable measures to ensure content is accurate at the time of publication. Legal liability is not accepted for any published content from other organisations.

ONLINE: www.southwesthomes.org.uk E-MAIL: [email protected] PHONE: 0300 100 0021 MAIL: Hatfield House, Hatfield Road, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 3HF

PHONE: 0845 034 3303 E-MAIL: [email protected] FAX: 0870 490 8959

www.facebook.co.uk/southwesthomesuk

@swhomebuyagent

Query with your HomeBuy application or unsure of your next step, then contact the Customer Service Team Purchasing through FirstBuy ?


the beehive - summer issue

Documents

stroud homebuy

stroud district council

summer issue

south west homes

homebuy manager

homebuy schemes

summer edition

great summer