We offer creative solutions for home buyers, whether first-time or not. Our Rent To Buy service in Cardiff and South Wales is ideal for you if you have:

– Low deposit
– Difficulty getting a mortgage
– Poor (or no) credit history
– Recently moved to the UK
– Your own business or are self-employed
– Experienced bankruptcy

It has been very popular in Australia and the US and has taken off in the UK, being used by tenants, buyers and home owners as an alternative way of financing the purchase of their homes. It is a great option not only for first-time buyers in Cardiff but for those who have bought/sold before and want to get back onto the ladder again.

Simply, it allows tenants or buyers to rent a property with the option to purchase it after a period of time under a lease agreement. The buyer has the legal right to buy the property within an agreed time-scale for a pre-agreed price. The rent paid can be put towards the deposit needed for the mortgage.

Rent To Buy is often referred to as Rent To Own, Rent Now Buy Later, Own Now Pay Later, Try Before You Buy and Rent and Own. This initiative is not to be confused with traditional government or Affordable Housing schemes such as Part Buy/Part Rent, key worker or shared ownership.

See below to read recent articles from Grant Shapps, UK Housing Minister, supporting the Rent To Buy scheme and Findaproperty.com’s independent guide on the benefits of Rent To Buy.

1. Small upfront deposit – usually 3 – 5%. Monthly instalments can also go towards the deposit giving you time to save for the deposit rather than a large amount upfront. This also gives you time to build/improve your credit rating.

2. No mortgage needed – move into your new home without securing a mortgage upfront.

3. No extra costs to pay – such as brokers, surveyors or agents.

4. Agreed purchase price – this is locked in with the option of purchasing it in an agreed time-scale with a fixed price. The price won’t rise and you won’t need to ‘catch up with the market/future inflation rises’. Also, if the property rises in equity, then you benefit from it.

5. Quick turnaround – we can make decisions within hours as can the seller so you don’t need to rely on lengthy approval times like with the conventional buying process and you can move into your new home quickly.

6. Control – you will have legal control over the property and the seller cannot sell it to anyone else. You have ownership from day one.

7. Security – no more ‘dead rent’ towards a property you don’t own as the money you pay will be mortgage payments paying towards your own asset.

8. Flexibility – you can walk away without buying if your circumstances change.

9. Home improvements – you can decorate or renovate the property and put your own stamp on it.

10. Try before you buy – buying a property is one of the biggest decisions of your life so it makes sense to live in the property and the area to see if it is what you want to own.

Rent To Buy is a very flexible, ‘win-win’ situation for tenants, buyers and vendors in Cardiff. It is a legally binding contract between a seller and a tenant buyer; the buyer has the right to purchase the property at an agreed price within an agreed timescale, usually 3 to 5 years. If the tenant buyer is able to complete on the property earlier then that’s fine.

The tenant pays a small deposit (minimum 3%) to secure the property and ‘gain legal control’ according to the market value of the property. Solicitors are used to draw up the legal agreements and to check everything is in order.

The tenant pays rent (which is effectively the mortgage) and usually there is an extra amount on top every month which goes towards paying the deposit which is deducted from the final amount paid at the end of the agreement (the completion).

Housing Minister Grant Shapps votes for Rent To Buy and discusses the benefits of the scheme

Findaproperty.com has published a guide on the benefits of Rent To Buy/Rent To Own

Contact us to see if we have any suitable properties in your area in Cardiff or South Wales. We deal with most areas of South Wales and some parts of the rest of the UK.