Builders offering the NewBuy scheme will now offer to buy a customer’s existing property before selling them a newly built home.

Homeowners looking to take their next step on the property ladder will now be able to trade their old property in for a new-built home, Housing Minister Mark Prisk said today.

Launching 'NewBuy part exchange', the minister said this new measure would help free up the housing market, not just for these 'second-steppers', but also for aspiring first-time buyers, as more properties are freed up to buy.

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From today, builders offering the NewBuy scheme will now offer to buy a customer’s existing property in advance of selling them a newly built home, alongside their 5% deposit.

This move will address a key issue in the housing market, where existing homeowners are struggling to sell their current property and so move up the chain.

It comes as the Home Builders Federation report that there have been 3,000 reservations made through the NewBuy scheme, which offers the opportunity to buy a newly built home with a fraction of the deposit that’s normally required.

Mark Prisk said: "The NewBuy scheme is unique in the industry in that it not only supports aspiring homeowners, but also those looking to move up the property ladder.

"The part-exchange offer to second-steppers will help them make that move, getting the housing market moving and ensuring those looking to move to a bigger home more suited to their needs can do so."

(CD/GK)