Case Study 3

The difficulty facing first time buyers in today's competitive market is well documented. All hope is not lost however, as the Homes and Communities Agency First Time Buyers Initiative (FTBI), which is designed to give key workers and local residents a step up on the property ladder, meets with great success.

The scheme sees Countryside Properties collaborate with Homes and Communities Agency to enable people who cannot otherwise afford to buy a new home to purchase a property on Countryside Properties' stunning new Lock 38 development in Cliffe Vale, Stoke-on-Trent.

Davina Harper, a secondary school teacher from Stoke-on-Trent, is amongst the first to take advantage of the new scheme at Lock 38. As a teacher in a local school and unable to afford a home of her own, Davina was a strong candidate for the scheme.

Davina said: "As soon as I saw the plans for Lock 38 I fell in love with it.  The apartments will be really trendy and modern but their views overlooking the canal will give a really peaceful and relaxed feel. Clearly I thought there would be no way I could afford to buy here! Countryside then explained the possibilities available through the First Time Buyer Initiative and suddenly I was on the property ladder and owning my dream first home, close to work and without any catch or having to worry about not being able to afford it."

Cool and contemporary, the development is set alongside the Trent and Mersey Canal amongst two carefully restored Grade II listed bottle kilns and the refurbished former ceramic works of the Twyfords Pottery. Tempted by its prime location and stylish design, Davina has purchased one of the 2 bedroom apartments.