When Deene Tetther and his wife Louise decided to move out of rented accommodation and find a home of their own they assumed they weren’t eligible for the government’s Help to Buy scheme as they had both owned homes previously.

For Kelly and Adam a new-build home was the dream. Kelly had bought her previous home with her dad and lived through months of renovation work and so once she and Adam had decided to buy a home together, she was keen for it not to need any work.

Buying a three-bedroom property seemed a near impossible purchase for first-time buyers Kayleigh Stevens (29) and Josh Morris (28). Believing it wouldn’t be within budget or that they wouldn’t be able to afford it, their initial plan was to aim for a two-bedroom home and upsize later, when necessary. 

New-build homes offer the perfect alternative for second-steppers looking to advance up the ladder and secure more for their money. Dispelling the common misconception that Help to Buy is just for first time buyers, one couple who have ditched DIY for a brand-new four-bedroom home at Millwood Designer Homes’ beautiful development Windsor Meadow in Marden, Kent, is local couple Mark (38) and Kat Baldwin (37).

Shannon and Jacqui O’Reilly, along with their 2 young children, had been privately renting in Kent whilst house hunting for a family home of their own. When homes at Appledown Grange in Kent became available they knew it would be the perfect place for them to put down some roots.

One Kent resident knew that she needed to get smart with her savings to be able to get onto the property ladder. Lauren Cooper (31) knew that she wanted to own her own home, and decided to move back in with her parents for a year to save for a deposit.

Unable to buy in London, Katie and Jason made the move to East Sussex. After a short period of renting and getting to know the area, they decided to buy a family home which was purchased with assistance from Help to Buy: Equity Loan. 

Securing stability was a major factor in Nikki Corcoran and husband Liam's decision to buy a new home. The house-hunt started with the future in mind so their children could have the certainty that this would always be their home.  

Through using the Government’s Help to Buy scheme the Corcoran family settled on a new home with Hopkins Homes at their new Sprowston development in Norfolk. 

Charles and John were unsure how they would ever be able to afford their own home. With the help of some advice from a property lawyer friend, they discovered Help to Buy and what it meant for them.

Lydia Elder and her husband Pete decided to follow the crowd and leave London in search of a better quality of life for their growing family. The couple made the move from their two-bedroom flat in Stratford, East London, to a four-bedroom house at David Wilson Homes’ Castle Hill development in Ebbsfleet, Kent.

Having just purchased a stylish two-bedroom house at Barratt Homes’ Warren Grove development in Storrington, West Sussex, Cheryl Piper and fiancé Billy Humphreys made the choice to live with their parents for two years to save for their home of choice.

At only 22, Hazel Wood, purchased her first home at Redrow’s The Mulberries development in the Essex town of Witham.

With the Government backed Help to Buy scheme available it meant Hazel could access the Government’s 20% five year interest free loan and only needed to raise a 5% deposit to purchase her one bedroom apartment at The Mulberries.

Rachel Devine used Shared Ownership so successfully in her twenties that after the excitement of her recent wedding, she is intending to do it all again! As she future-proofs her home, Rachel hopes to up-size her current two-bedroom flat and swap it for a three-bedroom house.

Faye was determined to stay in her area of choice so she could be close to friends and family. To limit the amount of money she paid in rent, Faye used Help to Buy to enable her to move up the property ladder in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and buy her dream home.  

Keen to purchase by herself, Charlotte Nelson, 26, from Bedford opted for Shared Ownership with Grand Union Housing so she could get herself onto the housing ladder and create a stylish space that was her own.

The family first moved into their three-bedroom house, known as “The Holbeach”, in January 2017 after viewing a number of developments in Cambridgeshire. Alconbury Weald attracted the first-time buyers with its beautifully designed homes, the vision of the development and transport links - a major benefit as both Katherine and Jordach commute to London.

Using the scheme, Robert Staras, 38, - who previously owned a house in south London - has purchased a brand new three-bedroom house at Barratt Homes’ The Orchards development in the village of Allington, near Maidstone, Kent. 

Help to Buy allows buyers to borrow up to 20% of the value of a new build property without having to pay interest for the first five years. It is open to both first time buyers and existing homeowners.

37-year olds Chelsea Bailey-Reardon and Hannah Bailey-Reardon had almost given up on the idea of buying their own property, until Chelsea had a gift of £20,000 from the Bank of Mum and they discovered they qualified for the Government’s Help to Buy 20 per cent equity loan scheme, which enabled them to buy a three-bedroom townhouse at Barratt Homes’ Phoenix Quarter development in Dartford, Kent.