FTBs in South Devon spoilt for choice for new-build apartments

For first-time buyers setting up home in South Devon, the area currently offers a good choice of developments incorporating stylish, contemporary apartments - many with purchase assistance schemes available to help make buying more affordable.

In the historic market town of Newton Abbot, Linden Homes has created a collection of contemporary one- and two-bedroom apartments at Ogwell Brook, priced from £104,950 upwards. Some plots are available through the Government-backed FirstBuy shared equity scheme, whereby first-time buyers only need to secure a mortgage for 75% of the purchase price, because the remaining 20% is provided in the form of an equity loan. Set in a pretty wooded valley and incorporating a private nature reserve, the development feels green and spacious, with reserved off-street parking or garages. A one-bedroom apartment at the lower end of the price scale includes a master bedroom, a bathroom, a lounge/kitchen, a store room or study, and a hallway, and comes complete with its own garage. The town centre hosts regular market days; is full of shops, restaurants and businesses; and has a fully-equipped leisure centre with pool. Nearby, Stover Country Park and Haldon Forest Park offer pleasant open spaces for leisure time, as does the area around Canonteign Falls, England's highest waterfall.

In the historic university city of Exeter - identified by Dun & Bradstreet in 2001 as one of the top ten most profitable UK locations for a business to be based - The Hub from Linden Homes is made up of 67 contemporary one- and two-bedroom apartments priced from £103,960 to £149,950, again with some properties available through FirstBuy. Exeter is a lively city with plenty going on, while it's also within easy reach of Bristol, Plymouth and London by rail or road. Alternatively, just three miles from the centre, Taylor Wimpey's Chancel Park development in Pinhoe incorporates a choice of one- and two-bedroom apartments. There are local shops, a bank, pubs and a post office nearby, and Pinhoe Station is within walking distance, from where trains into Exeter take about ten minutes.

In the small town of Bovey Tracey, Taylor Wimpey's Monterey Park development includes some two-bedroom apartments priced from £142,995, with FirstBuy available on some properties. Bovey Tracey is full of character and offers excellent local amenities including a delicatessen, butchers, fruit shop, newsagent, independent boutiques and a leisure centre, all within walking distance of the development - which is also situated right on the edge of Dartmoor National Park. Transport links are good for commuters, too, with the M5 Junction 35 about 13 miles away, and Newton Abbot's railway station nearby offering services to London Paddington (3 hours), Reading (2 hours 40), Bristol (1 hour 30) and Plymouth (45 minutes).

Another option for apartment hunters in Devon is Taylor Wimpey's The Manor House in the market town of Tavistock, well known as a foodie haven. This is a small, classic development of luxury two- and three-bedroom apartments with allocated parking, and while the exterior has a traditional country manor house-inspired design, the interiors offer style and comfort suited to a contemporary lifestyle.

Taylor Wimpey's Monterey Park in Bovey Tracey incorporates a wide range of property types, including these two-bedroom apartments, priced from £142,995, with the FirstBuy assistance scheme available on selected plots