The mortgage event will be held at David Wilson Homes’ The Lapwings and The Catkins development in Stafford on Saturday, 2 August. The event will take place from 10am until 1pm at The Lapwings on Martin Drive, and will then resume from 2pm until 5pm at The Catkins on Meadowsweet Avenue.
Attendees will have the opportunity to receive expert guidance from the Mortgage Bureau, and explore available properties without booking an appointment. The David Wilson Homes Sales Advisers will be on hand to offer advice on how to secure one of the brand-new homes at the development in a comfortable and more affordable move.
With the support of the Mortgage Bureau, David Wilson Homes has shed light on the range of mortgage products that could be available to help first-time buyers get a foot on the property ladder, and second steppers achieve their dream home.
Mortgage Bureau reports that there may now be greater affordability for first-time buyers seeking a mortgage. In March, the Bank of England updated its guidance on mortgage stress testing, which is the process lenders use to check whether borrowers could still afford repayments if interest rates were to rise.
Following this shift in policy, several major banks and building societies have now adjusted their own stress test criteria to align with the new guidance.
A few key examples are Lloyd Banking Group (April 2025) revising its criteria to potentially boost the average household’s borrowing power by as much as 13%. Similarly, HSBC (April 2025) estimates that its changes could help an additional 20,000 customers secure a mortgage, increasing the average first-time buyer’s loan potential by around £39,000.
Santander (April 2025) could allow customers to borrow between £10,000 and £35,000 more, depending on their financial profile, whilst Nationwide could enable buyers to borrow up to £28,000 more – including those applying through its first-time buyer-focused Helping Hand scheme.
Tim O’Hanlon, Managing Director at Mortgage Bureau, said: “For many first-time buyers, it’s not just the deposit that’s the barrier – it’s the gap between what you earn and what lenders will let you borrow. These changes could give you access to homes that were previously just out of reach.
“By relaxing the notional interest rates used in affordability assessments, lenders are now able to offer higher maximum loan amounts, which is a welcome development for those struggling to get on the property ladder.”
Steve Barton, Senior Sales Manager at David Wilson Homes Mercia, said: “We are delighted to welcome prospective buyers to The Lapwings and The Catkins developments and aim to provide helpful mortgage guidance to those taking their first or next step on the property ladder.
“These events present a valuable opportunity to tour our high-quality show homes and discover the wide variety of mortgage products available to suit different needs. With a selection of offers and moving schemes currently in place, it is an ideal time to visit our developments and speak with our experienced sales teams.”
Visitors at the mortgage events can also learn more about the moving schemes designed to make a move easier and more affordable for potential home buyers, including Part Exchange and the Key Worker Deposit Contribution scheme.
For more information about the homes available across the county, call the David Wilson Homes sales team on 033 3355 8479 or visit the website.