This spring is a better time to buy a home than last year, that’s the message from a major Scottish housebuilder.
-
Some Press and Journal online content is funded by outside parties. The revenue from this helps to sustain our independent news gathering. You will always know if you are reading paid-for material as it will be clearly labelled as “Partnership” on the site and on social media channels.
This can take two different forms.
“Presented by”
This means the content has been paid for and produced by the named advertiser.
“In partnership with”
This means the content has been paid for and approved by the named advertiser but written and edited by our own commercial content team.
And, owning your own brand new home could be closer than you think, thanks to several tempting incentives to help keep costs down.
Incentives for new home buyers
Imagine living mortgage-free* for the first year in your new home. Buy a three-bedroom property from CHAP Homes and you will. Or take advantage of the developer’s generous £10,000 donation towards your deposit. These incentives are just two ways CHAP Homes is helping make it easier, and more affordable, to buy one of their high-quality homes in Aberdeenshire, either at Crest of Lochter or Countesswells.
At CHAP Homes, they work closely with a local mortgage advisor so are always keeping abreast of the latest mortgage rate deals and increases. Karen Davidson, sales supervisor at CHAP Homes, believes it is a good time to buy.
She said: “Mortgages on fixed rates have stabilised and, although there is a general increase in mortgage rates, it is a better time to buy than the end of last year when they were more volatile.
“There are many viable solutions that we can offer to help people buy this year and we are here to help them do just that.”
Before you arrange a visit to see the quality properties built by CHAP Homes, let’s hear from two couples who bought new homes from CHAP Homes last summer and took advantage of incentives for new home buyers. We asked them:
What attracted them to CHAP Homes?
And how are their enjoying life in their new dream homes?
‘It was like coming home’ – Mark Rennie and Claire Beattie
Mark and Claire moved into their new home in July 2022 after receiving £10,000 from CHAP Homes. The couple live with two teenagers and Ronnie the dog at Crest of Lochter.
“The first time we stepped over the threshold of a CHAP home, it felt like we had come home.
It was a fresh start for us both, our first home together and we love it. Claire found it all quite overwhelming and burst into tears of happiness. We’d split the £10,000 incentive between the deposit and our choice of new carpet and lino throughout the house. And CHAP also let us pick the worktops, cupboards and handles in the kitchen – all at no extra charge.
It’s so nice for everything to look new. The house is well-built with a decent-sized back garden, fully fenced-in for our sprocker Ronnie.
There are still two teenagers living with us, so it’s good that we have a bit of space. The walk-in shower as well as a bath in the main bathroom is a real bonus, although we tend to stick to the luxury of our own en-suite.”
Peace and quiet
“One of the things we love about living at Crest of Lochter is it’s so peaceful and quiet. But despite the glorious rural location, the connectivity is good. The efficient router is installed out of the way under the stairs, and there are no issues – despite various Xbox and Playstations in the house giving it a good work-out.
And it’s also really close to Inverurie. You walk across the bridge over the river and you’re there in less than 10 minutes.
We’re so happy with our new home and Christine, the sales advisor at CHAP, was wonderful from start to finish. She was really helpful and not at all pushy.
Our advice would be to talk to CHAP Homes. Don’t just look at the website and presume your dream home is out of reach, give them a call.”
‘The importance of storage space’ – Emma Brown and Gethin Griffiths
Gethin and Emma live with children; Grace and Caleb and were impressed by the amount of storage space in their new home at Countesswells development. The family also moved to their dream home in July 2022.
“I love my CHAP home because it is solidly built and so well thought-out. Housebuilders sometimes forget the practicalities of life – and the importance of storage space.
The Harry Potter cupboard under the stairs is great and I’m a little bit in love with my new pantry. With two kids, you accumulate a lot of stuff and it’s brilliant to have two cupboards in the vestibule. The utility room is the perfect size for all the washing and appliances, and it means everything isn’t right there on show.
It’s a real warm and welcoming home that looks beautiful, and we can enjoy having family over. And it’s also energy efficient. The house heats up really quickly: you flick the switch and it’s toasty in 10 minutes.”
Street party with neighbours
“Before we made any commitment, Caroline, the sales advisor at CHAP, asked us along to a street party that was being held. It was a brilliant way to meet the neighbours, who were helpful and friendly from the minute we met. And now we’re moved in and part of the group chat, you’re never short of someone to take in the bins or help out in bad weather.
Our new home is close to the city but far enough out to be able to enjoy the beautiful countryside and parks with the children.
Buying our CHAP home was a really good deal for us. We took up the £10,000 payment towards our deposit which really helped us. And now we have a lovely family home in a great community.”
The couples above are just four – of many – happy CHAP Homes customers. Hear from four more housebuyers, here.
Karen, at CHAP Homes, said: “We’re delighted with the positive feedback from our homeowners and to hear they’re happy in their CHAP Homes. We continue to provide high levels of quality and customer service that our customers have come to expect from CHAP.”
What homes are still available to buy?
There are seven new homes left available at Countesswells and seven new homes still available in the current phase at Crest of Lochter. So, if you are looking for a three or four-bedroom property, head out to the sites to get a feel for what life could be like and view the showhomes.
View the showhome at Countesswells:
View the showhome at Crest of Lochter:
How can I view a CHAP Homes showhome?
Both CHAP Homes’ developments at Crest of Lochter and Countesswells have beautiful showhomes that can be visited on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays or Mondays.
If you wish to visit outwith these times, then arrange an appointment for a personal viewing by calling Karen Davidson on 07825 337145 or Caroline McNicoll on 07796 446881.
*up to £1,000-a-month, on selected plots
Visit CHAP Homes website to find out more about Crest of Lochter and Countesswells developments and how easily you could live there.