Selected one-bedroom flats at Tayfen Court in Bury St Edmunds are discounted by 20%. Photo: Weston Homes
Time has run out for first-time buyers hoping to take advantage of the current stamp duty exemption on homes up to £425,000. From 1 April, those completing on a property in England and Northern Ireland will be liable for duty on purchases over £300,000, substantially increasing the costs of buying.
But it’s not all bad news as plenty of properties are on the market within the lower £300,000 threshold — even in London and the south east where prices are highest. Here’s a selection to get you started.
This mid-terrace house is bigger than it looks. Photo: Purplebricks
A well-kept mid-terrace house in a village about half an hour’s drive from Belfast.
It’s arranged over three storeys and is deceptively spacious, with a sitting room, eat-in kitchen and cloakroom on the ground floor, two double bedrooms and a bathroom on the first, and another bedroom and ensuite shower room at the top. There’s also a paved yard and off-road parking. Via Purplebricks.
2. Black Eagle Drive, Northfleet, Kent, £170,000
The second floor flat is ideally positioned for a buyer who commutes into London. Photo: Acorn
This beautifully-presented second-floor flat would be ideal for a commuter as it's a short walk from Ebbsfleet International station and high-speed trains into London.
In a modern development, it consists of a spacious sitting room with a south-facing Juliet balcony, a double bedroom and a contemporary kitchen and bathroom, and has bags of built-in storage plus allocated parking. Get in touch with Acorn.
3. Tayfen Court, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, from £176,000
Homes are finished to a high standard and have private outside space. Photo: Weston Homes
Some of the new one-bedroom flats here are available through the Discount Market Sale (DMS) scheme to buyers who can’t afford a similar home on the open market. They’re offered at a 20% discount, which will be passed on to future owners when the property is eventually sold.
All come with integrated appliances, smart technology and a balcony or terrace, and the station is a five-minute walk. From Weston Homes.
4. The George, New Milton, Hampshire, £192,500
Character and convenience are combined in this historic pub conversion. Photo: Rosemary Owen/Alamy Stock Photo
Fancy living in a former pub? Then check out this bright and airy first floor flat, one of just 10 homes in a freshly-converted red brick building on the edge of the New Forest.
The spacious open plan living area incorporates a well-equipped kitchen and dining space, and it has a double bedroom, a bathroom, and oak doors and sash windows throughout. Contact Pennyfarthing Homes.
5. Whitworth View, Newcastle upon Tyne, from £199,995
You'll be able to put your own stamp on this new house. Photo: Bellway Homes
Only a mile from the city centre, this brand new semi-detached house includes a living/dining room that opens into the garden, a separate kitchen, a cloakroom, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Further homes with identical layouts will be released soon. Find out more from Bellway (BWY.L).
There's potential to extend and boost the value of this seaside cottage. Photo: Bright & Bright
If you dream of living beside the seaside, check out this charming Victorian cottage as it’s a stone's throw from the seafront.
Set on a quiet residential road, it consists of a sitting room with a fireplace, a fitted kitchen, a double and a single bedroom and a first floor bathroom.
A yard at the back leads to a larger garden at the side, offering potential to add an extension. Via Bright & Bright.
7. Sheepcote Road HA1, Harrow, north London, from £262,000
These well-designed flats are aimed at Londoners who can't otherwise afford to buy. Photo: Matt Livey
Only 10 minutes’ walk from Harrow-on-the-Hill train and Underground station, this development features 149 one-bedroom flats, available at a 20% discount compared to the local market to help people living or working in London to purchase their first home.
Some have private outside space, and communal areas include a co-working lounge, courtyard gardens and rooftop terraces. By Pocket Living.
This extended house would suit a family. Photo: Stacy Hilton
There’s more than enough room for a growing family in this immaculate semi-detached house.
The garage has been converted and a conservatory added to create a huge all-in-one kitchen, living, dining and entertaining area leading out to a good-sized garden, and upstairs are three bedroom, a bathroom and a multi-purpose attic room.
Highly-regarded schools are nearby. Get in touch with Bridgfords.
9. Donington, South Lincolnshire, £299,950
The Georgian house is surprisingly spacious. Photo: Fine & Country
Buyers get more bricks and mortar for their money in Lincolnshire than in many other locations, as demonstrated by this impressive Grade II-listed Georgian house.
The 1,400 square feet of accommodation comprises a newly-fitted Shaker-style kitchen, a lounge, dining room, utility, cloakroom, three bedrooms, a bathroom, loft room — currently a dressing room — and a cellar.
The low maintenance garden contains a summerhouse and a refurbished two-storey barn that would make a fantastic home office. From Fine & Country.
10. Chequers House, St Albans, Hertfordshire, £299,950
It's hard to fault this newly converted, very central flat. Photo: Hamptons
St Albans often appears on lists of London’s best commuter towns but also happens to be one of the most expensive. This first floor flat gets full marks for price and location, as it’s newly converted so doesn’t require any work, right in the heart of this small city, and half a mile from the main station.
Ready to move into, it has a 19-foot kitchen and living room, a double bedroom, contemporary bathroom and terrace. Through Hamptons.
