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How can I save a deposit to buy a new build home?

Posted on August 18th, 2016

 

Whether you’re a first time buyer, a second stepper or are buying your “forever home”, saving for the deposit on a new build home can seem like a mammoth task. Yet when you consider the benefits owning your own home can bring, it soon seems worth it.

Before you even consider what house you want to save up for, you need to assess your current situation. How much can you afford to put away each month from what you earn and how much do you realistically need for a deposit? From this, you can begin to work out where else you can save money from.

If you want to save £10,000 in 2 years, you will need to be putting away £416 per month if you’re saving on your own, or £208 each if there’s two of you. Now, saving for two years may seem like a long, hard process but it is 100% worth it at the end of it and there are options available.

Step forward the Help to Buy Scheme: this Government backed initiative can potentially make your dream home much more affordable.

What happens is this: you save a 5% deposit to put towards your new and then the Government will lend you a further 20% of the house price in the form of an equity loan. This means you only need a mortgage for 75% of the asking price, and you’ll own 100% of your new home…simple!

So, if the most you’d want to spend on a home is £140,000, you need to save £7,000 as your deposit, making your 2 year plan much more affordable as you’ll only need to put away £291 per month. The Government will then lend you £28,000 meaning your mortgage will only need to be £105,000.

On certain developments we also run our Deposit Builder incentive which allows you to secure your new home whilst you save for the deposit. To find out more on Deposit Builder, click here.

Once you’ve worked out how much extra cash you’ve got from your pay day, now is the time to start looking at the little luxuries you could sacrifice to save even more. Here are our top 5 ways to save money and get saving.

  • Miss a holiday for the next two years — ok so you probably want to be sat in the sun, sipping Pina Colada on the beach. However, for 2 years without a holiday you can potentially save an enormous amount of money. You don’t even need to cancel your holidays, but you could shop smarter and look for deals or go on “staycation” in Britain!
  • Shop on a budget — Instead of piling the trolley high in expensive supermarkets, try and buy only what you need from discount shops like Aldi and Lidl. Shopping here can help you save up for your deposit much quicker. Also, try and buy only what you need: if you throw anything away at the end of the week just think that’s money for your deposit that’s now in the bin.
  • Make your own lunch — packed lunches aren’t just for school kids, they’re a sensible way of saving! Just think if your lunchtime meal deal costs £4 five days a week, you’re spending £20 on your lunch alone! Why not make a big pan of your own soup to last through the week or a freshly made sandwich? It tastes better and will help you save.
  • NO IMPULSE BUYING. This can be hard, especially if you’re 18 months into your saving regime and feel like you’ve not bought anything in ages. We don’t mean don’t buy any treats, just think before you buy. Most shops will hold onto an item for you for 24 hours, so use that as a cooling off period. If you still want to buy those shoes or that top after thinking about it rationally, go for it!
  • Our final money saving idea is this: if you’re a smoker try and quit — not only are the health benefits a good enough reason but if you saved the money you’d be spending on cigarettes each week you could be well on your way to reaching that saving goal of yours.

So there you have it, some simple tips to save up for your new home deposit. Once you have your deposit, now is the time to look for a house within your budget, as you know how much you have to spend.

To find out more on the Help to Buy scheme click here. If you wish to discuss your mortgage and deposit, please visit or contact your local development who will put you in touch with our independent recommended regulated mortgage advisors.

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