Homebuyer's Hero operates on the basis of billing the home builder at two points on the journey. 1) At the point that buyers commit to a project and 2) at the point that buyers sign the contracts after planning permission has been granted and before the construction process phase commences. As we start, this means that revenue for Homebuyer's Hero is some distance away and we are thankful for the Enterprise Ireland investment, therefore.

However, there is an alternative option. We are putting forward an alternative, due to the fact that although we create a symbiosis between buyer and builder, some people may feel that because home buyers are not paying, that makes them the product. And if they are the product, our allegiances may silently lie with the homebuilder and this could mean that there is scope for something to be disadvantageous for the ordinary buyer.

Because of this, if and when we reach 500 homebuyers registered on the system, we will take this as a reasonable sample size and allow homebuyers to vote on other options which see them pay in part or in full. This is only viable if we have not reached revenue stages with any projects before we have 500 registered buyers.

It should be understood that there is no difference to how our models work if one or other party is paying and in essence, the homebuyer is always paying as it will be a cost in bringing their home into existence. That said, we reduce risk, marketing costs and push down the price of the home generally, so our presence is definitely a win in financial terms, aside altogether from the fact that many home builders cannot currently build at all without our models.

We are not engineers, architects or manufacturers. These homes are not different in any way from other homes nor are they produced in a system which is ultimately any different from that which operates currently. The homebuilders will have all the same professionals operating to the same standards as any other property developments in the country.

What we do is fix the market, not change how homes are built. That said, our processes will have a positive influence on production quality. When homebuilders enter our systems, one of the earliest hurdles they must cross is proving track record and capacity to borrow construction finance. This, and the fact that we intend to monitor projects which go through our systems to be able to block homebuilders in future who do not meet standards, provides a market-based assessment which will act to keep home builders to certain standards.

However, for clarity, understand that we cannot offer any warranty regarding the homes to be built, but there will be tendencies within our systems to encourage and promote high quality.

The timeline can vary depending on factors such as planning processes and construction schedules. However, our system is designed to streamline the process as much as possible. While it might seem like a journey, remember that you're securing your future home from the very beginning, unlike traditional methods where you might wait indefinitely for suitable properties to become available.

Step 1 & 2 (Apply, Validate, Wait for Contact): This is largely up to you, but let's estimate 1 month.

Step 3 (Join "Preliminary Queue"): Availability depends on buyer interest and homebuilder readiness. Initially, we are focusing on specific areas. Estimate: 2 months.

Step 4 (Commitment Process): Depends on zone popularity and development specifics. Given demand, estimate: 2 months.

Step 5 (Planning Process): This is the main variable. Our demand-led approach aims for success, but objections and appeals can occur. Estimate: 15 months (can be more or less).

Step 6 (Post-Planning Contracts): Can run concurrently with other post-planning tasks for the homebuilder. Estimate: 2 months.

Step 7 (Construction): Highly variable (time of year, construction type, site works). Phased construction is possible. Estimate: 14 months.

This gives an approximate, ball-park total time of about 36 months, which is 3 years.

Let's put this in context. For many, the current timeline to homeownership feels like 'never'.

Even if other solutions emerge, achieving homeownership through traditional routes will likely take longer, without the price benefits or transparency our platform aims to provide.

Our processes empower you to take concrete steps towards locking in a home, hopefully within a few months of starting. The more people who join, the faster we can move projects through the necessary milestones. You have little to lose by starting your journey.

Buyers' financial commitments (typically around 3% of the purchase price) are protected in several ways. These funds do not pass directly to the home builder and are not at risk if planning fails. They become part of the purchase price only when the project proceeds. We have strict conditions in place to ensure buyers don't lose their commitment unfairly, which are detailed in our terms and conditions at the point of making your commitment.

However, at its most basic, the funds are held by a solicitor with a clear, logical flow of when the money must pass and to whom. It is simply the presence of it and the fact that it must go the home builder when certain conditions are met means that homebuilders have much less risk and you, the homebuyer, in return for their having less risk, lock in a home to the extent possible under the mechanics of our processes.

Our models are designed to stabilise prices by creating a direct link between buyers and builders early in the process. The price agreed upon at the binding stage is based on actual costs and a fair profit margin, which helps insulate against market fluctuations. However, specific terms regarding price changes would be outlined in the project agreements.

How can prices fluctuate if the costs are agreed?

Well, seeing as the costs are known before planning permission, things like changes to the homes (unlikely, but possible) or changes to the number of homes can change the dynamics. Even simply the length of time can cause prices of materials to change.

This is OK because we will make sure that all buyers have the capacity for some price expansion for their chosen home. This means that buyers will be assessed to ensure they have the capacity to go up a bit, just in case, and are as far as can be understood at the outset, willing to do this.

However, remember that the commitment between buyer and builder has responsibilities in both directions. The home builder will not be allowed to arbitrarily increase the price. It will only increase through two ways.

• An increase in the amount of materials in the home or a necessary, unavoidable change to a costlier product or material
• A change in the unit cost of a material or product, causing the recalculation of the price

This will have to be in line with the national cost of construction figures generally using an index specially crafted for this purpose. There will be no random price hikes and prices may well revise downwards as there will be a final cost revision done post-planning which ensures fairness and that the benefit of a reduction in the cost of construction makes its way to the home buyer.

There is a further protection in place such that home buyers will not have to accept price hikes outside of the originally stated "wiggle room" and there will be further protections against any effort to push the price up to the degree the original buyers won't want to purchase, in an effort to simply free the home builder up to try the market again, unencumbered by the original buyers or even to court any large investment funds. Our binding agreements are structured with strong legal protections designed to prevent this scenario.

Simply, there is no room for any loopholes or underhandedness. The binding between home buyer and home builder is solid and keeps both sides honest!

Our queue system is designed to be transparent and fair. Positions in queues are based on factors such as the timing of joining and meeting necessary criteria. We do not allow queue-jumping or preferential treatment. The system is based on clear triggers to ensure consistency and fairness for all participants.

The idea behind having a series of queues is to act as a filter. There is one goal we all have in common. That is, to surface the earliest and least risky buyers to the top, so as to derisk developments and get homes built. That is the sole intent and it is what will govern how queues are managed.

If you are in early and are high in a queue, you will have passed a threshold deemed to represent acceptable risk, regardless of differences between buyers beyond that threshold. However, if you start to drop, because you don't maintain your proofs of funds in order, for example, you will be warned and then your score will change, based on the possibility of there being an increasing risk that you will not perform when offered a contract to purchase, after the planning permission is granted.

We don't care what colour your skin is, what your name is, where you come from or anything else like that. You will not get any preferential treatment because you are connected to a home builder or a member of the Homebuyer's Hero team. Political connections won't carry any weight at all.

What matters is that you are able to take part in derisking property developments under our models. That's all that matters. That and maintaining your capacity to purchase on our system throughout our journey together.

As an integral part of ensuring that fairness is maintained, we will sometimes add a weighting to a buyer who was all ready to buy and through reasons outside of their control, such as a planning authority reducing the number of homes in a development, for example, have to fall back on backup developments. It is this mechanism which essentially means that if you enter the Homebuyer's Hero ecosystem, all things being equal, you will get a home. For now, we will stop short of explicitly guaranteeing that.