 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Buying
your own home just got easier.... |
|
|
Sebastian Maslen is the proud owner of a one-bedroom
apartment in Butetown which he bought last summer through Cardiff
Community Housing Association (CCHA). Its sale price was £115,000
and he has a £72,000 mortgage with a loan for the remaining
£43,000 (33 per cent of the total value). "I had been renting one of CCHA's flats in Adamsdown and, having worked for a mortgage company, I was really keen to get on the property ladder," says the 22-year-old manager at mobile telecomms company, Communications Direct, in Cardiff city centre. |
 |
"House prices had been rising and I knew I couldn't afford a full-priced apartment in the city, so I let CCHA know I was interested in buying an apartment. They wrote to me when this development was nearing completion or else I would have had no idea it was an option for me." Besides the one double bedroom Sebastian's apartment has a spacious, open-plan kitchen/diner and living area and a full bathroom. It is on the top floor of a three-storey block and he moved in last July aged just 21. "The process was so straightforward: I just had to fill in a simple application form, get an agreement in principle from my mortgage provider and provide proof of my identity and where I was working," he said. "Then the housing association took care of everything and worked out how much of the property I could afford to buy and how much I could take as a loan. There was no stress because CCHA called me every day to let me know what was happening." Sebastian viewed the apartment while it was still under construction and then again when it was ready to ensure he was happy. "My apartment is brilliant - and it's mine. I have strong links with the Butetown area through friends and family, so it's perfect for me. I wanted two things from my new home: to buy somewhere I love living and to begin a long-term investment - and I've achieved both. The apartment has already gone up in value and I pay only a little more each month than I was paying in rent. "For young people today it's almost impossible to buy in Cardiff - I'd recommend anyone in a similar position to me to just go for it." |
|
