Friends make the switch to Davidsons development
A Banbury couple were so impressed with their new Davidsons home that they recommended the site to their friends, who then bought the home next door.
Ben Lockhart, a 25-year-old account manager and John Benisek, a 23-year-old team leader, both wanted to escape the rental trap and move in to a place they could call their own.
The pair fell in love with a two-bedroom, semi-detached home at The Mill and took advantage of the Help to Buy scheme to purchase their first home together.
And within weeks of the couple reserving their home, their friends Chelsea Tyson and Dean Gillard snapped up their own first home together at the site too.
Ben said: “It’s incredibly exciting buying your own home and having friends just next door is the icing on the cake. We’re looking forward to settling down and creating a new life in this part of Banbury.
“It’s very hard to save for a home while you’re renting, so we were rather eager to jump on to the property ladder. When we were told about the Help to Buy scheme and that we could put down just a five per cent deposit we were very keen to use that initiative.
“Our new home is a nice contrast to our small apartment we were previously renting. It’s a spacious and well-designed home with a beautiful kitchen/dining area, which is perfect for entertaining.
“We knew that Dean and Chelsea were looking to buy a home too, so we told them about the great experience we had with Georgina, the sales manager, and the Help to Buy scheme. The homes are great value for money and we’re delighted they decided to join us.”
Dean, 24, and Ben first met in secondary school and have remained friends ever since.
And after Ben had posted about his move on social media, it piqued Chelsea and Dean’s interest in buying a new home.
Both Chelsea, 23, and Dean had been previously living with their parents in Banbury. The couple had been saving for just over a year by the time they moved and were impressed with how smooth the buying process was.
Chelsea said: “We’ve hit the jackpot with Davidsons. Initially we weren’t looking for a new home but we saw what Ben and John had purchased, and how much money they saved using Help to Buy, so we checked out Davidsons’ development.
“Once we looked around The Mill we knew it was where we wanted to buy. There’s a lot of new homes coming to Banbury, but we felt Davidsons gave us the most for our money so we snapped it up quickly.
“We were surprised with how easy the Help to Buy scheme was to use. With the smaller deposit, we could move in to a large two-bedroom home with high quality fittings.
“It’s the first time I’ve moved away from home, so I’m really excited to get the keys and get on to the property ladder. Having Ben and John next door is lovely, we really get on and won’t be having any problems with bad neighbours.”
The Help to Buy scheme enables buyers to purchase their home with just a five per cent deposit and a 75 per cent deposit. The remaining 20 per cent is paid off as an equity loan, which remains interest free for five years.
Davidsons Homes is building 160 new homes, off Dukes Meadow Drive, with prices starting from £279,995.
For more information about the development call the sales office on 01295 298579 or visit www.davidsonsgroup.co.uk