It can be tough for first-time buyers. But there is support in place. KERRY ANN EUSTICE looks at one incentive a property developer has devised to help.

In response to a report which predicts house prices are set to rocket over the next six years in a boom which will see the average cost of a UK home exceed £300,000, Countryside Properties has launched a new initiative.

Oxford Economic Forecasting has suggested interest rates will rise by an average of 4.5 per cent for the next six years.

Although owners are seeing their property investments soar in value, the housing developer realises first-time buyers are going to find it harder and harder to get onto the property ladder.

In an attempt to help combat a first-time buyer crisis, Countryside Properties has launched a Grand Idea at Woolwich Green, a development in Shooters Hill.

The Grand Idea is a new range of incentives which have been specifically tailored for first-time buyers and enable potential purchasers to reserve and move into a new home at Woolwich Green for the cost of a reservation fee - which is typically around £1,000.

The five per cent deposit, stamp duty and any legal fees are all covered and the £1,000 goes towards the first year's ground rent and service charge.

The developer says more than 60 per cent of the owners at Woolwich Green are first-time buyers.

This includes 26-year-old Julie Turner, now the owner of a one- bedroom apartment since taking part in the Grand Idea scheme.

She said: "I have wanted to buy my first home for a long time and I have lived at home with my parents for the past five years to save money for a deposit. Even having done this though, taking the first step onto the property ladder has been expensive, but the Grand Idea scheme has made it affordable for me."

Ian Hepworth, sales director for Countryside Properties, said: "We are delighted we are helping first-time buyers such as Julie onto the property ladder.

"House values are set to increase annually by around £20,000 from this year, according to the National Housing Federation, and in 2012 the average home is likely to cost almost 10 times the predicted average salary. I think first-time buyers need all the help they can get."

It's not too shabby at the bottom of the ladder for buyers at Woolwich Green either.

The site combines traditional warm red brick architecture with modern white render and steel detailing. The use of glazing retains natural light throughout the apartments and buyers can often tailor their interiors prior to moving in by choosing fittings and flooring to suit their own tastes.

For more information, visit the website woolwichgreen.co.uk