Guinness Homes is celebrating after receiving three awards at the First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards 2026, including a win for The Waterside.
The First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards are among the most respected awards in the housing industry. They celebrate the organisations, developments and campaigns helping more people take their first step onto the property ladder.
Now in their 17th year, the awards recognise the work of housebuilders, housing associations, legal firms and other partners supporting first-time buyers through high-quality homes, clear guidance and practical routes into homeownership.
Guinness Homes was shortlisted in four categories at this year’s awards and received recognition in three of them.
Three awards for Guinness Homes
The results were announced at the First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards ceremony on Friday, with Guinness Homes receiving the following:
- Winner, Best Development in the South: The Waterside
- Highly Commended, Best Off-Plan Development: The Waterside
- Highly Commended, Affordable Housing Provider of the Year: Guinness Homes
The Waterside’s success recognises the quality of the development and the work that has gone into creating new homes for first-time buyers.
Being Highly Commended for Affordable Housing Provider of the Year also reflects Guinness Homes’ wider commitment to affordable homeownership and the work of the teams and partners involved in bringing its homes to market.
Previous wins and commendations
These latest results build on Guinness Homes’ recent success at the First Time Buyer Readers’ Awards, including:
- McArthur’s Yard, Bristol: Winner, Best New Development in the South, 2023
- Signal Park, Tolworth: Highly Commended, Best Off-Plan Development, 2023
- McArthur’s Yard, Bristol: Highly Commended, Best First Time Buyer Apartment, 2024
- Signal Park, Tolworth: Highly Commended, Best Large Development, 2024
- The One Hundred at Beresford Avenue, Alperton: Winner, Best Small/Medium Development, 2025
- The Waterside: Winner, Best Development in the South, 2026
- The Waterside: Highly Commended, Best Off-Plan Development, 2026
- Guinness Homes: Highly Commended, Affordable Housing Provider of the Year, 2026
A huge thank you goes to everyone who voted for Guinness Homes and helped promote the awards. These results would not have been possible without the hard work of the dedicated teams and partners involved.
Guinness Homes congratulates all this year’s winners, shortlisted organisations and developments.
What changed: The updated version leads with the results, removes the expired voting call to action and replaces the shortlist section with the three confirmed 2026 successes. It also retains the previous awards history to show Guinness Homes’ record across recent years.