Young West Sussex woman finally able to buy dream Angmering home thanks to Government's Help to Buy scheme

According to research, 70 per cent of young people between 18 and 30 aspire to own their own home, but affordability is cited as the biggest barrier to homeownership amidst the cost-of-living crisis.

For Izzy Fitz, 25, finding a property within her budget meant a wide search across her home county of West Sussex where she found a two-bedroom property for £326,000 at Ecclesden Park by David Wilson Homes, in Angmering.

Izzy only considering moving for six months before discovering Ecclesden Park, looking to move out from living with her partner’s parents, where she had been living since the beginning of the pandemic in March, 2020.

Izzy said “I really did not expect to move so quickly and find somewhere that felt like home from home. The property market in this area is incredibly fast-paced and I believed that homeownership here was out of reach within the foreseeable future. However, that was not the case at Ecclesden Park and by using Help to Buy I was able to put down just a five per cent deposit of £16,000.”

Izzy had been looking at both older properties and new builds but was worried that she was not in a position to buy at all with the savings she had put aside whilst living at home during the pandemic.

Izzy said: “I also looked at older properties, but everything within budget needed serious work, and I realised that it was important at this stage to move in somewhere that was hassle-free and new. Moving back in with my partner’s parents for the past two years was crucial in helping to save as much of my income as possible to put towards this move. The mortgage is £863 per month, which is over £500 cheaper than what I would pay if I was renting a two-bedroom property in this area.”

MORE STORIES: Littlehampton veterans pledge their allegiance to the King

Littlehampton Bonfire Society calls for volunteers to safeguard future of event

Izzy added: “A village environment was really important as I have always lived amongst a small close-knit community, so I feel more comfortable with the location. The area also works really well with current hybrid work schedules and, as I work in communications, I often travel for filming so having that option to easily commute to larger towns and East Sussex was crucial as a deciding factor.”