A NEW scheme to make home ownership affordable for first- time buyers has been launched.

The rent-to-buy scheme, which is the first of its kind in the country, is being managed by Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing (KNH).

It involves a private company – Quality Social Housing (QSH) – buying new homes from housebuilder Bovis Homes and renting them out to tenants at an affordable rent, without any government subsidy.

One of the first to benefit is dental nurse Charlotte Middleton and her partner Alex Walmsley, who had been living with family.

The deal means 50% of the couple’s rent paid goes towards a deposit, up to a maximum of £15,000 or 10% of the property’s value, and the tenants agree to buy the homes outright within three to 20 years.

Charlotte, of Mirfield, said: “I was so nervous waiting to find out if our application had been accepted, I couldn’t sleep!

“Getting the keys to our new home and being able to plan how we’re going to decorate it and where we’re going to put our furniture has been fantastic.

“What’s really exciting though is knowing that this is going to be our home.

“We’ve got the peace of mind knowing that any problems will be taken care of while we’re renting but also know that our rent is not dead money – it’s helping build our deposit and we’ll also be able to save the difference between our rent and what we would have to have paid in private rent, which means we’ll have a really good down payment when we’re ready to buy.