THE spotlight falls on first-time buyers this weekend when developer Thomas Homes offers them the chance to buy a brand-new home free of stamp duty.

Thomas Homes is refurbishing the old Park Prewett hospital buildings and complementing them with new build as part of the Limes Park scheme for more than 1,000 homes in Basingstoke.

The Crescent West, on the Thomas Homes development, will be completed early next year and two-bedroomed town houses are priced at £175,000 to bring them under the £175,000 stamp duty threshold.

Buyers will not only save on tax but can also take advantage of the MyChoice HomeBuy, another Government scheme with would-be homeowners.

The scheme will lend first-time buyers and key workers up to 50 per cent of the property price at a yearly interest rate of 1.5 per cent. Applicants need to have a single or joint income of between £20,000 and £60,000 and secure their own mortgage.

It means that potential buyers, who cannot raise a deposit, can consider home buying by taking advantage of a top-up loan from the Government.

Thomas Homes is staging an open weekend on September 20 and 21 for prospective purchasers to see the floor plans, talk to an independent mortgage adviser, a solicitor and a representative from the MyChoice HomeBuy scheme.

There are also schemes in place to help people with existing homes to sell such as Easystart or Part Exchange.