Stephen Bisiker – Land and New Homes Area Manager – Sequence

How long have you worked in Land and New Homes?

I have worked for the Group since June 2011, initially starting in estate agency at Fox and Sons Taunton. After selling a vast amount of new homes I knew quickly that my passion was concentrated more on that side of the business than re-sale. I have now worked in New Homes for five years.

What is your day-to-day role in Land and New Homes?

My role is to work with my developer clients to offer advice, market intelligence, and pricing to ensure they buy the correct developments and build the correct houses for the areas they are investing in. Understanding the market and the issues we can face in Land and New Homes, I often find that I am recommending Affordable Housing, and in particular, Shared Ownership properties as I believe there is a large demand for this type of tenure. Whether the development is ‘high-end’ or a mixed tenure scheme, I believe I can quickly identify what is best selling and most in demand in the areas that I oversee. When we assist with developments, my role is to ensure the client is satisfied and is given maximum exposure, and just as importantly, the purchasers have a fantastic customer journey and feel the process of buying their new home is both enjoyable and exciting. I have a drive to provide a high level of customer service; necessitating a detailed knowledge of housing sales and development processes with strong awareness of the current market.

What is the process of affordable housing applications?

The application process can vary from one Registered Provider to the next, but most include an application form, approval from Help to Buy or Shared Ownership (if applicable), a credit check, and an Application in Principle. Most affordable homes have the same criteria, but clients must be at least 18 years old, have sufficient savings for a deposit, and a clean credit history to qualify for a mortgage. For Shared Ownership, client’s annual household income must be less than ￡80,000 (￡90,000 in London) too.

What does a developer need to consider about the affordable housing process?

There are many things developers need to consider when looking at Affordable Housing for their schemes. The most common is the number of units. For smaller schemes with only a handful of affordable homes, it can be quite difficult to identify a housing association that would consider buying the homes as most now look at over ten units as a minimum.?We can work with developers when they are purchasing the sites and get a Registered Provider on board from an early stage so they can be confident that there will be no delay once construction starts. Placement of the affordable homes around the development is also a consideration. We will look closely at whether it is more effective to pepper pot the affordable homes around the development or have them all together. We will investigate whether it is best to have them at the front or rear of the scheme to enhance the sales rate and kerb appeal of the scheme.????????

What can we offer that others can’t?

I feel Sequence Land and New Homes is the perfect agent to sell Affordable Housing because we understand the tenures and the process for people to apply. Affordable homes can often be seen in a negative light, but I feel that’s because of the lack of knowledge of the products available. We offer developers maximum exposure when it comes to marketing but more importantly, we educate potential buyers on the tenures so they have a full understanding of what is available and what they are eligible for.

The process for first-time buyers to buy an affordable home can be a bit daunting when faced with a large amount of paperwork. Registering with Help to Buy, satisfying local connection charges, getting an Agreement in Principle, having credit checks and filling in applications are all part of some?Registered Providers’ criteria. We are perfectly placed to be able to support all parties at this point. The developer can have the confidence that we understand the process so can help purchasers throughout, making sure the customer journey is perfect and packaging up the application so it is straight forward for the developer to assess. We have specialised new homes mortgage brokers that can both qualify applicants and also find them a mortgage. For purchasers we are the friendly face that helps and leads them through all of the paperwork.

What are some affordable housing developments in your area at the moment?

Orchard Brooks – 90 homes located in Williton, marketed by Fox & Sons in Minehead.

Mulberry Meadows - 25 properties with a mixture of Affordable Rent, Shared Ownership and Rent to Buy home being sold by Allen & Harris in Wells.?