Basildon Council to hold free First Time Buyers Event in Wickford on 22 October

Basildon Council will host its annual First Time Buyers Event at Wickford Community Association on 22 October, from 3.30pm to 6.30pm, with free tickets booked in advance. Visitors can put questions to mortgage lenders, estate agents, surveyors and financial advisers in one room, covering affordability, deposits, fees and the legal steps of a purchase. For first-time buyers in Basildon and Wickford, that is a practical way to test a budget and understand deposit options before approaching a lender; for sellers of entry-level homes in the borough, it is a modest signal of continued local support for buyers at the bottom of the ladder. It is an advice event rather than a funding scheme, so it does not change what anyone can borrow, and attendees should still compare lenders independently.