FirstBuy

Though it's a hub of commerce and employment, London is not the ideal place to live for many people, who would prefer a more tranquil setting to live in when they get home from work.

Families searching for a new-build home in Devon currently have a superb range of developments to choose from, in a good variety of price brackets, with houses for sale in both urban and rural areas.

Bristol - the South West's leading employment, education and leisure hub - is seeing a constant stream of new-build developments springing up across the city, ranging from stylish, contemporary urban pads to more traditionally styled new family houses for sale in the suburbs. With Bristol's thriving creative and digital industries, and its convenient location within an hour of Cardiff and a few hours of London and Birmingham, the city is an attractive place to settle down.

House hunters in the North West have received a boost to their chances of finding affordable new homes in Cheshire thanks to a deal between Bovis Homes and Cheshire East Council, which makes three new two-bedroom cottages at the Brook Valley development in Congleton available with a s

New homes developer Bloor Homes are trying to make it easier for prospective homebuyers to view a new home in the South West of England by introducing Flexi-View, a new service which allows people to visit and take a trip around the home of their choice early in the morning, after work or at a more convenient time.

The gorgeous Peak District National Park is one of the biggest attractions for those house hunting in Derbyshire, and Taylor Wimpey's selection of new houses for sale in Buxton, Swadlincote, Chesterfield and Ilkeston all offer easy access to the great outdoors.

Leading housebuilder Linden Homes, which recently won a coveted Bronze for Best Large Housebuilder at the What House? Awards 2011, is pulling out all the stops to helps house hunters realise their dream of a brand new home.

Shared ownership and shared equity schemes are available across Kent, offering help to those who might otherwise not be in a position to buy a brand new home. A range of affordable new homes in Kent are available under these schemes, which are a partnership between developers, housing associations and the Government.

First-time buyers are being invited to attend a number of events being held at Redrow developments in the North West of England and North Wales this weekend (12th and 13th November). The events are an opportunity for those trying to get on the property ladder to learn more about FirstBuy and easi:buy, two shared equity schemes that make a new home more affordable for them, and Redrow's Deposit Paid scheme.

Home to the popular seaside resort of Bournemouth and the historic county town of Dorchester, Dorset is a largely rural and pleasantly uncrowded county with a gorgeous coastline and a strong tourism industry. Plenty of people also dream of settling down in new homes in Dorset rather than just enjoying their holidays there - and developments are springing up across the county to meet this demand.