Berkeley Homes Case Study: James Newman

First time buyer James Newman secured a brand-new home at Ryewood, made possible by using Help to Buy. He is now the proud owner of a two-bedroom apartment at Ryewood, a picturesque new neighbourhood by Berkeley, close to Sevenoaks and surrounded by the scenic lakes and greenery of the expansive Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve.

A Family Recommendation

Previously based in Croydon, James works as a lift engineer in central London and hadn't considered moving, let alone living outside London, until his Kent-based father suggested he visit Ryewood. James comments, "I wasn't actually looking to buy a new home, but one weekend I went to visit my Dad, who suggested I take a look at Ryewood. He lives five minutes away and has a good friend living at the neighbourhood. Until then, I'd never even considered living in Kent, but decided to visit it just in case". 

"The Berkeley team were fantastic from the moment I entered the development, taking me to a two-bedroom apartment which I immediately set my heart on. The high-quality of the new build property really appealed to me, and I loved open plan layout of the kitchen and living room". After a few visits to the site with his family, and exploring the local area, James used Help to Buy to secure his new home.

Prime Location

For James, the proximity to his father and the attraction of countryside living were key draws. James comments, "not only was I impressed by the high standard of the build, and the facilities such as the onsite gym, but the location is fantastic. I'm now very close to my Dad, but I also love being so close to Sevenoaks where there are some great restaurants and Knole Park. Being right next to Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve is also perfect, it's such a beautiful location and I love exploring it."

It was also important that James, who works in London, remained in a commutable location. James comments "importantly Ryewood provides easy access to London, be it by rail or road. I generally commute via car into London, but should I wish to take the train I know the journey from Dunton Green station is an easy one." James isn't along in choosing the area as a prime commuter location. Recent research from Countrywide has highlighted Dunton Green as the most popular commuter location in the UK, with 2,056 daily commuters.

First Time Buyer

A key factor which enabled James to move into his new home was the availability of Help to Buy. As a first time buyer, James was able to purchase his two-bedroom apartment using the scheme, which enabled him to take his first step onto the property ladder and secure his new home with just a five per cent deposit.

James comments, "Help to Buy made it all possible, without it I certainly couldn't even have considered buying such a high-quality new build apartment, especially in such a prime London commuter location".