Countryside Properties : CUTTING OUT COFFEEHOUSE CHAINS HELPED US SAVE FOR OUR HOME

The couple, who have been together for seven years, combined some cost-effective saving tricks with the Help to Buy scheme to secure a stunning, three-bedroom Longford home at Countryside's popular Blackberry Vale site in Brinnington.

Elisha, 26, who will marry partner Mike Kirkham, 32, in Cheshire next November said: 'We set ourselves a deadline when it came to buying our home, so when we were saving we had a plan in place. We cut out buying things like a coffee on our way to work and we also reduced our date nights from once a week to once a month. 'I even created a spreadsheet so that we could keep track of our savings and make sure we were on target for making our home buying dreams come true!'

With their saving strategy, the pair are in good company as our recent survey* found that 13% of buyers in the region were also able to save a deposit within just 12 months, whilst 22% took two years and 27% saved for three years.

The couple, who are relocating to Stockport from Prestwich so they can be near Elisha's parents, were impressed by Countryside's spacious layout and high specification design.

Elisha, who works as an Internal Recruiter, added: 'What sold us on the home was the kitchen and the skylight windows. I fell in love, but we genuinely thought that the home was out of our budget because it looked so luxurious - you can imagine our joy when we realised we had a big enough deposit! What I'm really excited about now is hosting a celebratory gathering in our new open-plan kitchen and dining space - it's Mike's Birthday in December so I'm looking forward to planning a big party.'

The Longford house design comes with three spacious bedrooms, a large open-plan kitchen /dining area, French doors that lead out onto a large garden and a separate living room. It also benefits from Countryside's 'Spectacular' initiative, which provides buyers with a number of exclusive extras such as integrated appliances, vanity units and Porcelanosa tiles, as standard.

Elisha added: 'The Help to Buy scheme was really useful and easy, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone. We wanted to move to the area as my parents are nearby, which is ideal for when we start a family. We also think that we've made a good choice buying in Brinnington, as it's an up and coming area.

'The most exciting thing about the whole process is just being in a home that is completely ours - it's hard for young people to get on the property ladder, but we did it!'

James Clark, Regional Sales Director at Countryside, commented: 'Elisha and Mike's story is a fantastic example of how the Help to Buy scheme is assisting first time buyers in achieving their homeownership goals. Combining this initiative with a strict saving plan has enabled them to step onto the property ladder much quicker than expected and further demonstrates the attainability of new-build homes for younger buyers.

'Blackberry Vale was created with first time buyers in mind and our high quality home designs come complete with our popular 'Spectacular' specification, which means that customers can be rest assured that they are getting the most for their money.'

For more information about the new homes at Blackberry Vale visitwww.blackberryvale.co.uk, call 0161 464 4691 or visit the show village on Blackberry Lane, Brinnington, Stockport, SK5 8LA.