Affordable new homes in Bristol for first-time buyers

First-time buyers house hunting in Bristol can now take advantage of the Government's new FirstBuy scheme at several housing developments in and around the city. This national scheme helps those struggling to get on the property ladder by providing an equity loan, enabling them to purchase their home with a much smaller deposit. Alongside FirstBuy, many housebuilders also have their own alternative purchase assistance schemes that are worth considering.

Bovis Homes has a wide selection of affordable new homes in Bristol available through purchase assistance schemes such as FirstBuy or its own 'Jumpstart' shared equity scheme. This enables buyers to pay as little as 85% of the purchase price upfront yet enjoy 100% ownership, with Bovis Homes paying the remaining 15% balance. Buyers then have ten years to pay back the balance, which can be achieved in stages. Its Charlton Hayes development in Filton, in north Bristol, combines the best of both worlds: Bristol city centre to the south, and green countryside to the north. Many of Bristol's major employers are practically on its doorstep, while the M4, M32 and M5 are close by for commuters. One-bedroom apartments at Charlton Hayes are priced from £134,500, two-bedroom examples from £140,495, and three-bedroom styles from £174,995 - with both FirstBuy and Jumpstart available.

Over in Horfield, a sought-after residential area of Bristol popular with young families, the Butterfields development, also from Bovis Homes, offers a choice of two- and three-bedroom homes. Just five miles north of the centre, these homes are ideally situated for first-time buyers looking for a pleasant area in which to raise a new family. Available through FirstBuy from £143,500 to £235,995, buyers need just five per cent deposit and 75% mortgage. Horfield has excellent local shops, a good choice of schools, and excellent public transport links with the city centre. For commuters, the area is two miles from the M32, providing easy access to the M4, M5 M49 and M48.

FirstBuy is also available on some homes from Redrow at its Aurora Spring urban village development just a few miles north east of Bristol city centre. Its Arts and Crafts-inspired New Heritage Collection homes promise craftsman-built quality, while the location near Bristol's main ring road offers excellent access to the city centre and the M5 and M4. Bristol Parkway station is just a few miles away for trips to London or the north.

Eight miles north east of Bristol, in the village of Frampton Cotterell, Barratt Homes has created The Meads, a development of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes priced from £172,500 to £350,000, with selected plots again available through FirstBuy. Joined to the villages of Winterbourne and Coalpit Heath, Frampton Cotterell is just two miles from Bristol's main ring road, with quick links to the M4.

Finally, for house buyers who would prefer to live south of the centre, Brislington offers an affordable option. FirstBuy is available at The Nightingales, another development from Bovis Homes just four miles from Bristol city centre, with a choice of two- and three-bedroom apartments and coach houses, and good commuter links.

There's a great range of apartments available to first-time buyers with FirstBuy or the Jumpstart shared equity scheme at Bovis Homes' Charlton Hayes development in Filton, north Bristol, priced from £134,500