Smart homes, smart mortgages – it all adds up to a smart deal, says Brian Page.

It is not only first-time buyers who are having a tough time in the homes market. With many of the leading banks still behaving like Scrooge with a hangover, loans to take a step up the ladder are not only hard to come by but carry interest rates that make the eyes water...

Which is why it’s nice to report a buyer-friendly move from Charles Church. The developer has linked up with a major mortgage lender to provide a handy low-interest-rate mortgage – fixed at just 2.99 per cent for two years. (At the end of the two-year period, customers switch to the lenders’ standard variable rate for the remainder of the term).

And they have made the offer available at, among other sites, its flagship Yorkshire development at Kirkham Lodge in Wistow, Selby.

Located on Selby Road, the Kirkham Lodge development benefits from stunning views of the picturesque village and its surrounding countryside and also has great access routes to Leeds and York as well as transport links to Manchester and London via the train and motorway networks.

The development offers a smart, select (there are only 13 houses) range of exclusive four and five bedroom detached homes, The Rochford and The Riddlesden property types, which are available from £349,999.

It is, says the Charles Church team, the perfect community for families, big or small, professionals, commuters and those looking for a idyllic retreat.

There’s certainly a nice, airy, spacious feel about the houses themselves. The Rochford, for instance, has a large kitchen open to a family room with French doors opening onto a garden.

There’s a separate utility room and ground floor cloaks. And as well as a nicely proportioned living room (again with doors opening onto the garden) there is also a separate dining room – and a study.

On the first floor the master bedroom and a guest bedroom both have en-suites and there are two further bedrooms and a house bathroom.

The Riddlesden is, if anything, even bigger. There’s a different layout here, having a lounge with doors opening through to a dining room, the utility and cloakroom being off the kitchen and with a separate family room. There’s also an integral double garage.

On the first floor there is a bedroom with en-suite, two double bedrooms and a single and a house bathroom. And then it’s up another set of apples and pears to find two further bedrooms sharing an en-suite shower room.

In both cases, we would suggest, that is a lot of house for the money!

And especially as you’re getting a good deal on our mortgage in the first place… Claire Jarvis, sales and marketing manager for Charles Church, explains: “Our aim is to provide house hunters looking to trade up the property ladder with achievable financial options. We are confident that this mortgage deal, which is only available for a strictly limited time, together with other home-buying schemes we have available including our own part exchange deal, means that house hunters can realistically make the move into a brand new home within a matter of a few weeks.”

To find out more about the deal, and the Kirkham Lodge development contact sales advisor Donna Hampton on 01977 604309 or 0113 2409726 or visit charleschurch.com

But you will have be be quick. The offer is only open until August 26.