‘Without Help to Buy none of this would be possible’

Christine McLaren used Help to Buy to secure a threebedroom house at Victoria Mews by Barratt Homes in Southport, Merseyside, moving in with son Oscar, three, Elvis the dog and Wayne the cat last summer.

‘We were in a rented maisonette and I needed a fresh start following a change in circumstances,’ explains Christine, 31, a nurse specialist.

‘Toddlers need space to run and I needed a bigger kitchen. The thought of a pristine new home was ideal. As a single parent at the time I never thought it would be possible to get a mortgage. But the sales team at Victoria Mews put me in touch with a mortgage adviser who was able to help me find one with competitive rates, and I worked a lot of extra hours and had financial help from my family.

‘Help to Buy made buying my house affordable on a single wage, and without it none of this would be possible.’ She reserved her home while it was still being built. ‘It was fun to pick my own tiles, flooring and kitchen, as choice is something I never thought I’d have after renting for 10 years.’ She and Oscar were soon joined by her partner Ryan McGuinness, a personal banker. ‘The house is the perfect size for all of us,’ adds Christine. ‘We’ve a garden

for Oscar and Elvis, Wayne sunbathes in the middle, and the area is quiet and beautiful.’ Three and four-bedroom houses are currently for sale at Victoria Mews, just outside Southport and a 40-minute drive from Liverpool city centre. Prices start from £210,000 with Help to Buy on offer, barratthomes.co.uk