LEADING housebuilder David Wilson Mercia now has its very first release of apartments at Victoria Place - the five star developer's popular Lichfield development on Friary Road.

The two-bedroom apartments are the first of their kind at the development and give first time buyers in Lichfield the opportunity to live within walking distance of the town centre and train station.

The new properties feature two large bedrooms, a cloakroom, modern bathroom room, utility room and a contemporary kitchen that opens out onto the spacious living/dining room, which forms the centrepiece of the property and provides an excellent space for entertaining friends or relaxing in front of a film.

"We're delighted to have our very first apartments for sale at Victoria Place" commented Carole Ashworth. "They are ideal for first time buyers and it's great to have plenty to offer visitors who are hoping to take their first step on the property ladder.

"We also have a range of services for first time buyers to help and support them throughout their move. Our Head Start service gives anyone buying their first home the opportunity to move in for just 85% of the price - meaning you could find a home here for as little as £129,625 with a deposit of just £6,481.25."

David Wilson's Head Start scheme is specifically designed for homebuyers who want to get on the housing ladder as soon as possible but don't have the large deposit required by some lenders.

Under the scheme, homebuyers can purchase a new David Wilson home for just 85 per cent of the asking price, with an 80 per cent mortgage and a five per cent deposit. The remaining 15 per cent is paid back, interest free, after 10 years or when the property is sold - whichever comes sooner.

"People are often surprised that they can move into a new home with such a low deposit" continued Carole. "But our Head Start scheme offers purchasers an excellent way to make the move from renting to buying.

"We have had a lot of interest in this latest release and one of the six apartments has already been purchased. We're delighted with the popularity of our newest properties and we're looking forward to welcoming visitors to Victoria Place where our friendly and helpful sales advisers will be able to answer any questions you have about moving with David Wilson."

Victoria Place currently offers a selection of two-bedroom apartments priced from £152,500 and three-, four- and five-bedroom homes available from £232,500. For more information, please contact the sales office open daily from 10am until 5pm on 01543 417026. Alternatively, please call the sales hotline on 0844 811 3322 open seven days a week from 8am to 9pm or log on to www.dwh.co.uk/victoriaplace

For 2011 David Wilson Mercia has been confirmed as meriting the maximum five star official rating from the Home Builders Federation (HBF). The news was announced after more than 20,000 new home buyers across the country took part in this year's HBF customer satisfaction survey.

NOTES TO EDITORS

1) For further information about Victoria Place or David Wilson Mercia please contact Hannah Elwell, Director of PR or Tom Lee, PR Account Executive on 0116 247 1777 or hannah@unsworthsugden.co.uk or tom@unsworthsugden.co.uk 2) David Wilson Homes is part of Barratt Group, which sold 11,377 homes in the last financial year, making it the biggest housebuilder by volume in Britain. 3) Barratt Group was awarded a maximum five star rating for the second consecutive year in the 2011 Home Builders Federation Customer Satisfaction Survey. 4) Barratt Group was named Housebuilder of the Year at the Daily Telegraph British Homes Awards 2010. 5) In 2010 site managers working for Barratt Group won the highest number of NHBC Pride in the Job Quality Awards for a record sixth consecutive year. 6) Barratt Group is the only housebuilder to guarantee the fixtures and fittings in place at the time of purchase of its new homes for five years. 7) Barratt Group is also one of Britain's foremost sustainable housebuilders. It has now started on site at the Hanham Hall development near Bristol which will be the first Code for Sustainable Homes Level 6 community in the UK when it is completed. 8) Images of a selection of developments are available to the media at http://www.barrattdevelopments.co.uk/media/photographs/davidwilsonhomes/ ENDS