According to Share to Buy, the leading property portal for first-time buyers, more and more people are planning to buy a home on their own.
Setting out to buy a home by yourself can be daunting; raising a large enough deposit to buy on the open market alone could feel impossible to many (if so, you should check out London Living Rent– a Government-backed scheme enabling you to increase your savings by renting at a discounted rate)! However, there’s no need to panic. Whether you’re flying the nest and looking for your first home, or simply prefer going it alone, Shared Ownership could be the answer you’re looking for.
Under the Government’s Shared Ownership scheme, you part-own and part-rent your home, making it possible for solo home hunters to get on the property ladder – and often in a location that would otherwise be out of reach.
You don’t have to be a key worker or have a family, and you don’t need to share a home with anyone else! You just need to be aged 18 or older and fit within one of these three groups:
- First Time Buyers.
- People who have previously bought a home but can’t afford to buy one now.
- Existing Shared Ownership homeowners who want to move.
This means Shared Ownership could potentially be right for somebody looking to buy alone, including separated couples looking for a property each, retirees and downsizers.
Having heard about Shared Ownership through a friend, Pastry chef Paulo was surprised to find that buying through the Shared Ownership is sometimes a cheaper option than renting.
Now, he has a two-bedroom apartment to call home after purchasing a 25% share of an L&Q apartment at Barking Riverside, with plenty of space to bake, host dinner parties and wind down after a busy shift.
“I’m hoping that over time I can start to staircase and eventually own 100% of my home – I see myself here for a long time,” explains Paulo.
Laura, 34, bought on her own twice through the scheme. After purchasing a one-bedroom apartment at L&Q at Beaulieu back in 2018, Laura knew that when it came time to purchase a bigger home, she wanted to purchase through Shared Ownership again.
“Upsizing was already on my mind when I saw an advert for L&Q’s two-bedroom homes at The Arbour, a neighbourhood within the Beaulieu development, just five-minutes from my current home! I knew I had to go for it!” Acting fast, Laura purchased a 30% share of a two-bedroom Shared Ownership house at The Arbour, through L&Q.