Buying a home for your family

*Collaborative post.

There are lots of things to consider when buying a home but there is even more to bear in mind when you have little ones to think about. Not only will you have to consider schools, colleges and catchment areas, you have to think about ensuring everyone has enough space while still sticking to your budget. This isn’t always the easiest so knowing a few tips and tricks is essential in getting the very best you can at a price you can afford. 

Government Schemes

One of the best ways you can get you and your family on the property ladder is by tapping into a government scheme specifically designed to meet your needs. There are plenty of ways to do this and with 2021 being the best time for first-time buyers to get themselves on the first rung, you’re best acting sooner rather than later. 

Help to Buy

The first scheme is help to buy, which can be very beneficial for anyone looking to get on the property ladder sharpish with their family but don’t have a lifetime worth of savings to fork out for a deposit on a property. Help to Buy allows you to put down a 5% deposit while taking on a 20% equity loan that holds 0 interest for the first 55 years. This means you won’t have to apply for such a heft mortgage and you are more likely to be accepted by the mortgage broker. The 5% deposit also certainly helps to cut out those initial fees especially given the fact you’ve probably been paying rent for quite sometime and we all know renting never leaves you much left over for the savings pot at the end of the month. So Help to Buy is definitely worth looking into especially if you want to get on the property ladder sooner rather than later!

Shared Ownership 

This is also a great way to find your feet on the property ladder without having to put down huge sums when you have a million other things to be paying for! It’s not easy to keep up with saving especially if you have dance lessons, new uniforms and clarinet tutoring to pay for every month so this is where Shared Ownership comes in. This allows you to buy a portion of a property, often between 25% and 75% and rent the rest. The rent you pay is to a housing association which are often non-profit organisations so you can rest-assure you won’t be being ripped off! You can also staircase, meaning you are able to buy more of the property overtime which is ideal if you have trouble getting a mortgage for a large sum but you still plan to be there a long time or even just as the kids grow up. Shared Ownership is especially great for families with big 3 & 4 bedroom houses available in rural villages or London boroughs that have plenty of green spaces to let the kids run wild as well as a great choice of schools and plentiful transport connections. 

Keaze

This website is a great place to start if you are seriously looking to find somewhere before the year is out. Keaze.com allows you to pop all your details into its search engine, from you financial situation to how many bedrooms you need to the share you want to buy and you will be presented with a completely tailored-to-you set of results. And with the helpful F&Qs page you have plenty of information at your fingertips should you find something that tickles your fancy. So whether you have a small family, big family or soon-to-be family, checkout what options are available to you when buying a home and you may just surprise yourself!