SWINDON-based developer Bloor Homes South West is urging buyers to secure dream homes quickly, as competition intensifies.

The company has recorded an increase in off-plan purchases across the region as buyers look to satisfy growing wish-lists.

Michele Rose, regional sales director for Bloor Homes South West, said: “We are seeing plots being snapped up more quickly than at any time since the recession.

“The customer journey now begins long before people visit our developments. We usually find they have already researched our properties, the development and the wider area.

“They know what they want and are prepared to commit to a purchase to ensure they secure the plot which ticks the right boxes for them.

“Where buyers once struggled to commit to off-plan buying, it is now accepted as standard. It’s not unusual for two or three buyers to be waiting for a plot to be released.

“On occasions we have had to advise interested parties exactly when a home will go on the market and the first person to arrive on the day has made the reservation.”

The Adver recently reported on the rise in demand for new homes in Swindon, which some claim has been helped by the Government’s Help to Buy scheme, which was introduced in April 2013.

It enables purchasers to secure a new home with a five per cent deposit and a 75 per cent mortgage. The remaining 20 per cent is provided as an equity loan backed by the government which is interest-free for five years.

Michele said: “We are seeing plots being snapped up more quickly than at any time since the recession.

“Help to Buy, low interest rates and increased mortgage availability have created a new wave of purchasers with high expectations – and they understand the sense in committing early so they don’t miss out on their ideal home.”