Emma and her partner Bryan Garnett were renting and finding it hard to save the deposit to buy their first home together. At one point they even moved back in with her parents to speed up the saving.

But now they are in their own place after discovering the Help to Buy scheme from Story Homes.

Emma said: “Without using this scheme we couldn’t have managed to buy our own home. The whole process was very easy and I would absolutely recommend it.”

Story Homes' head of sales Hayley Blair said: “Help to Buy is a Government initiative to help all homebuyers, not just first-time buyers, to own their own new-build home in England.

"With just a 5 per cent deposit and a 20 per cent Government loan, you can easily become a homeowner like Emma has, using the Help to Buy scheme at any of our developments.”

The scheme uses a 20 per cent equity loan from the Government’s Homes and Communities Agency to top up your 5 per cent deposit, meaning that you need just 75 per cent secured on your mortgage. The equity loan is interest-free for five years and you can pay it back at any time or on the sale of your home.

Emma and Bryan have now settled into their two-bedroom apartment, which comes with parking.

She said: “I like the fact that we are going to own our house and as it’s brand new, we have a blank canvas for decorating and furnishing.”