Over 3,100 guests attended London’s largest event for first time buyers on Saturday 8th October 2022. Returning to the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster for the 16th time, the London Home Show hosted 46 housing providers, conveyancing solicitors, mortgage advisors and first time buyer experts. The event showcased thousands of Shared Ownership and Help to Buy properties available across London and the Home Counties, and provided free financial and legal advice for those looking to purchase their first property.
Hosted by Share to Buy, the UK’s leading online portal for first time buyer homes, the London Home Show has welcomed thousands of guests twice a year since the inaugural event in 2013.
An unparalleled event for those looking to find out more about alternative homeownership options, attendees were able to speak directly with housing, financial and legal experts in the QEII’s main exhibition hall. Guests attended a series of ‘Ask the Expert: Shared Ownership 101’ sessions which took a deep-dive into all things Shared Ownership – from eligibility criteria and applications to staircasing and selling.
After a hugely popular debut in April this year, a series of ‘Affordability Workshops’ returned to the London Home Show, hosted by first time buyer mortgage specialists Censeo Financial. The specialised sessions gave attendees the opportunity to ask their questions about the mortgage process and learn about the options available to them.
For those wanting to find out more about other types of affordable housing, the event also offered information about innovative schemes including Discount Full Ownership, London Living Rent and more.
Nick Lieb, Head of Operations for Share to Buy, comments: “Given the current economic uncertainty, it may feel like a more challenging market than ever for first time buyers hoping to get onto the property ladder. The number of hopeful buyers we saw come through the door at the London Home Show proves that despite this, there remains real appetite in the market, and it was great to help link up attendees with housing providers and property experts to discuss their options.
With the applications for Help to Buy closing at the end of October, attendees of the 16th London Home Show were eager to find out more about homes still available through the equity loan scheme and get their applications in before the deadline. Similarly, interest in Shared Ownership – a scheme which hopes to plug the gap being left by Help to Buy – has skyrocketed, with sold-out Ask the Expert sessions and Affordability Workshops taking place throughout the day.”
Partnering with some of the sector’s leading housing providers and sales agents, sponsors of the event included L&Q, Latimer by Clarion Housing Group, Peabody & Catalyst, SO Resi by Metropolitan Thames Valley, Square Roots, Southern Home Ownership, Notting Hill Genesis, FABRICA by A2Dominion and SiteSales Property Group. All exhibitors had their own stand, making it easy for budding buyers to get their questions answered directly by sales teams.
