THE lure of a low deposit on a beautiful family home proved impossible to resist for civil servant Adam Wilkins, who jumped at the chance to take his first step onto the property ladder.
Thanks to the Government's Help to Buy shared equity scheme, Adam, 24, and his 21-year-old girlfriend Charlotte Lister could easily afford a new three-bedroomed home at Taylor Wimpey's Briars Chase development in Ilkeston.
Help to Buy enables first-time buyers like Adam and those looking to move on from an existing property to purchase their new home for 80% of its full price, including a deposit as low as 5%.
With a 75% loan-to-value mortgage all that is required, customers can take advantage of a wider range of competitive deals from lenders, and the more affordable monthly mortgage repayments they offer.
Adam says: "There's no way we would have been able to afford a house like this without Help to Buy. We were looking at two-bedroom properties but then we heard about the incentive at Briars Chase and that opened our eyes to what was possible.
"We have ended up spending far less on a deposit than we had originally budgeted for so we have been able to go out and furnish it exactly how we wanted and buy some nice things for our new house."
Adam and Charlotte are now happily living in their three-bedroomed Denby home and are looking forward to settling down to enjoy life at Briars Chase.
"It's the first time either of us has owned our own home and we're really excited to be in," says Adam. "I'd definitely recommend Help to Buy to others who think a new home may be out of their reach. It makes it so much easier.
"Previously, we were looking at places where we would perhaps live for two or three years then move on but, this way, we've got somewhere to stay for 10 years or more."
Adam has also been impressed with the location of Briars Chase.
"I know the area pretty well as I've been living in Ilkeston anyway but I'm really impressed with Briars Chase, it's perfect for us and has a great feel to it. I've lived in Taylor Wimpey homes before and really like their style and layout. My grandfather worked for them as well so it's great to now own a Taylor Wimpey home myself."
Help to Buy involves a Government loan of up to 20% and is available on new-build properties up to the value of £600,000, with no salary cap for purchasers taking advantage of the initiative.
There's a superb selection of homes currently available at Briars Chase, including two-bedroom apartments from £84,995 and four-bedroom townhouses from £160,995.
All homes at Briars Chase are completed to a high standard. Call 0116 2816470 or visit www.taylorwimpey.co.uk/eastmids.