Young first-time buyers Chris Dodd, 22, and his girlfriend Emma Wenham, 20, have purchased a two-bedroom apartment at Ward Homes' Capstone Heights in Chatham.

The couple were able to buy a top floor apartment on Ash Tree Lane, with a deposit of just £6,000, with a helping hand from the developer's shared equity scheme.

Chris, a local estate agent, says: "We honestly did not expect to be able to buy when we first went to look at the development, it was more curiosity really.

"Being an estate agent I know how hard it can be for first-time buyers to get on to the property ladder, so when the sales adviser told us about the schemes available for first-time buyers such as ourselves, we quickly realised this was an opportunity we could not afford to miss."

The latest scheme available to first-time buyers is the new government initiative, FirstBuy. Under FirstBuy, buyers will be offered a loan of up to 20% of the price of the property, jointly funded by Ward Homes and the Governmen's Homes and Communities Agency.

The buyers then have to find the remaining 80% of the price themselves.

Up to 75% of this could be a mortgage, leaving a deposit of just 5%.

Capstone Heights is a contemporary collection of homes with stunning views across Chatham and the surrounding countryside.

Made up of 55, one and two-bedroom apartments alongside a range of two and three-bedroom houses, the development has been designed to enjoy extensive views of Capstone Farm Country Park and beyond.

Prices at Capstone Heights start at £109,995 for a one bedroom apartment.

For more information contact the sales team on 01634 579027 or visit www.wardhomes.co.uk