According to the Land Registry, a first time buyer in England requires £22,689[1] in savings to afford the upfront costs of buying the average home.  This figure is made up from a 10 per cent deposit, stamp duty, valuation and survey fees and conveyancing costs.

Research carried out at the end of last year by the Council of Mortgage Lenders suggested that 80% of adults dreamt of owning their own home within 10 years.[2]  With the Help to Buy scheme available at Bellway’s Evoke development in Brentwood the deposit drops to £15,245 meaning you only need to arrange a mortgage for just £228,746.  These figures make owning a home that is an easy commute into London, a far more viable option.

Divisional Sales Manager for Bellway Essex, Gemma Bannister comments: “Help to Buy is a lifeline for many who aspire to buy a home of their own and we are very pleased that we are able, once again, to be offering this in Evoke, Brentwood.”

The development is situated within walking distance of Brentwood Railway Station, which will include Crossrail next year.  Once open this line is likely to increase the popularity of Brentwood and should further boost the area’s reputation. Brentwood has already seen property prices increase by almost 40% in the past five years[3] and they are unlikely to slow down as more and more people look outside of London to buy their first home.

Gemma Bannister continues: “Our buyers in Brentwood are mainly city workers, they want affordable but high quality homes that are an easy commute to the City.  Buyers also want to live close to outdoor spaces where they can exercise and of course near to a high street where they can enjoy some downtime at the weekend.  Evoke has all of these and this goes someway to explain why Evoke has been so very popular.”

Evoke offers three bedroom houses, one and two bedroom apartments, and two bedroom coach houses.  It is located in the new Parish of Great Warley and is surrounded by a wealth of open green space courtesy of 21 hectares of Warley Country Park, giving local residents ample opportunity to enjoy some fresh air.   There are a number of local gyms, playing fields and a golf club just 5 minutes away.

All Bellway homes at Evoke are built to a high-quality standard and feature modern detailing throughout. Kitchens feature stone work surfaces and a range of high quality integrated appliances, bedrooms are light and spacious, and bathrooms are contemporary and timeless.

The vibrant Brentwood town centre offers plenty of retail therapy, boasting a variety of independent shops and boutiques, combined with a selection of high street brands. And if that’s not enough, one of the largest shopping malls in Europe, Westfield Stratford, can be reached in under 20 minutes by train.

Meanwhile, Brentwood, highly-prized for its nightlife, is brimming with pubs and restaurants, from the Essex Arms where you can enjoy live music to fine dining at The Crown. Elsewhere, you can indulge in fayre from around the world, with Italian, Japanese and Indian restaurants all close at hand. Locals also have a choice of clubs for dancing and for culture lovers there’s the Brentwood Arts Cinema Club which has monthly screenings.

Already boasting excellent travel connections into Central London, trains reach London Liverpool Street in under 40 minutes. Launching in 2018, Crossrail is going to directly connect Brentwood closer to London and beyond, reaching Bond Street in 44 minutes. Major roads easily accessible from the proposed development include the A12, the M25 and the A127.