Comment
I purchased my home with open market Homebuy in 2001 and subsequently managed the allocation of Homebuy funding for a HA for a couple of years up until the Zone Agents came into being, allocating £1.5 million in funding in the final year.
I loved the scheme, both as a recipient of the funding and from the aspect of being able to help other first time buyers onto the property ladder.
The benefit of Open Market Homebuy? the ability to choose a property in an area of your own choosing and the style of property that you choose, making your home individual and different to all the rest.
As a Lettings Officer, letting both new build and relet older properties. I wouldn't want to be forced into a corner and be only able to receive funding to buy only a new property in a designated area. The new builds are boring boxes, nicely finished maybe, but boring non the less and you and your neighbours are all occupying the same style of "box" I visit many older properties in the course of reletting them and they are wonderful, all different and individual, with quirky layouts and the promise of the occupyer being able to live in an individual home, that for the majority of the time offers a property much larger than a new build.
Had I been taking the opportunity of Homebuy funding today I would not be enjoying the luxury of an enclosed, private, mature 100' x 50' garden on these long summer evenings.
I think it is really sad that this scheme is to be no more and I feel sorry for those people out there who have missed out on this opportunity, particularly at a time when more assistance is needed to help first time buyers onto the property ladder.
I guess as a Lettings Officer I can only expect my workload along with demand to increase substantially as peoples housing choices become more limited, the turnover is already up 35% on the same period last year.
