Just weeks after moving into her mhs home Alison McCulloch is already overwhelmed with the new life it’s given her.
But for Alison, it’s much more than just bricks and mortar. She opted for shared ownership so owns 55% of her property – something she thought was never possible.
“I never, ever thought I’d be able to have a mortgage but being able to do part-buy, part-rent has made a huge difference to me.
Alison works for Go Train, a company that helps those that are unemployed to find work.
She used to rent privately in Tunbridge Wells but was spending a lot of time on the road, commuting to work in Maidstone.
But she’s now saving money as she lives closer to work and is investing her money in property, rather than renting.
“I’m £150 better off now because I’m not commuting and rent is so much less. I own half of this home too so it’s a win-win situation!”
Alison found her home at Langley Park in Maidstone through a share-to-buy website.
In 2015 we pledged to build 450 more shared and affordable homes by March next year, 350 of which have already been delivered.
Langley Park is situated in Maidstone and is part of a bigger scheme by Taylor Wimpey.
It’s split into two parts, with the first phase completed in May 2017 and the second phase with final completions due in early 2018.
We have 41 properties, which form part of phase one – 17 of which are shared ownership.
Phase two includes 49 mhs homes, 20 of which are shared ownership.
Ashley Hook, Chief Executive at mhs homes said: “Shared ownership is a fantastic way to get a foot onto the housing ladder. We’re proud to be helping deliver affordable homes to the people who need them most”.
It can make a huge difference to people’s lives, like Alison’s.
“This is totally life-changing. I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to own a home, plus it’s mine and I can change it how I’d like” Alison continued.
“I was so excited to get the keys; I can’t even describe the feeling. When I walked in for the first time it sunk it that ‘actually, this is going to be my house’ – and it took ages to sink in!”
If you’d like to find out more about shared ownership click here.