Housebuilder Barratt Developments has sold more than 200 properties in West Yorkshire to home buyers taking advantage of the Government’s Help to Buy scheme.

The company, which has developments in Bradford, Pudsey and Halifax, said the average price paid for its homes under the scheme was £180,648, ranging from £69,995 to £600,000.

According to the Government, 14,823 properties in England were bought through the scheme in its first ten months, with the total value of the loans amounting to £600 million.

Help to Buy, which enables people to buy homes with a five per cent deposit, has been extended until 2020.

Sam Wood, Barratt Developments Yorkshire West sales director, said: “Any help that can be given to people making that all-important first step on to or up the property market is vital, and I am glad we can be a part of that.”

Help to Buy provides two options – one for buyers of new-build homes involves the Government advancing up to 20 per cent of the property value through an equity loan, which can be repaid at any time or on the sale of the house, leaving buyers with a 75 per cent mortgage.

Option two , open to all borrowers and all property types, is a mortgage guarantee scheme, with buyers needing a five per cent deposit.