A working single mother and her two children have found the ideal home in Bedford in which to make a fresh start - despite it being number 13.
Thanks to the government-backed Help to Buy scheme, Claudine Tilman-Brew and her daughter Chloe (21) and son Thomas (15) have been able to move into a three-bedroom property at Bellway Homes' New Cardington development in Bedford.
They had previously been living in the nearby village of Shortstown, and although they needed to move house they also wanted to remain in the local area.
"Moving from a marital home can be difficult, but my children and I saw it as a positive step," explains Claudine (42), a local mortgage advisor. "As a working single mum I wasn't interested in a second hand property, I knew I wouldn't have the time to spend working on it or decorating it. After hearing about New Cardington, I went and viewed the properties and fell in love with a three bedroom house listed as number 13. It sounds silly, but the house was perfect, but only the number of the house was stopping me from pursuing it. My daughter Chloe then made a very good point; number 13 could be the opposite and actually be very lucky for us!"
Chloe proved to be right, and the family have not looked back since.
"Our favourite room is the kitchen / dining room as we all get together over dinner and talk," says Claudine. "It is also where our house bunnies live, although I'm sure they are looking forward to living outside soon in the summer, as we have a great size garden!"
Help to Buy proved invaluable to Claudine, with the government-backed interest free loan helping her to secure her chosen home with a smaller deposit than would otherwise have been possible.
"It allowed us to purchase our home at a price I could afford, and in the area we wanted to stay in," says Claudine. "The sales team were really helpful throughout the whole purchase."
There are several other Bellway developments in the south of England that have properties available through the Help to Buy scheme.
Abbotswood Park in Leavesden, which is situated less than three miles from both the M25 and M1, has a collection of two-bedroom apartments and two- to five-bedroom properties priced from £224,995 to £685,995, with options for a wide range of buyers.
Perfect for first time buyers, Chrysalis Park in Stevenage has one- and bedroom apartments priced from £127,995, incorporating a range of different layouts and situated in a popular commuter area of Hertfordshire.
Ideal for families and commuters who need easy access to London, Kings Reach in Langley, Slough, has a range of one- and two-bedroom apartments and two- to five-bedroom homes situated right next to a park (prices yet to be confirmed).
Help to Buy is available on selected properties at all of these developments, helping to make home ownership more affordable.