Rebecca, 29, was living at her parents’ home in London when the whole family decided they fancied a change of scenery and a different lifestyle.
When the family moved to Dartmouth, Devon, Rebecca decided she wanted to get onto the property ladder. Working part-time and receiving benefits, she was unable to afford a property outright and went down the route of Shared Ownership with Legal & General Affordable Homes. This meant she was able to get a foot onto the property ladder in this notoriously expensive seaside hotspot.
She moved into a two-bedroom home at Legal & General Affordable Homes’ Little Cotton Farm in Dartmouth, while her mum and dad moved just down the road to continue caring for her.
While all the homes at Little Cotton Farm are reserved, there are new homes coming up at The Berries, in Devon later this year.
Rebecca and her mum, Christine, share their experience with us…
Rebecca: I've been in my home since January. I enjoy living here. It's a very nice little home to start with. I was living with my mum before.
Christine: My husband has been coming here for many years and we didn't even know Dartmouth at all, but we came on holiday and then we were looking to move out of London. We both said, well, we really like Dartmouth and he did, so it was Dartmouth. We've not looked back since, have we? We absolutely love it.
Rebecca: It was different at first, living on my own. But now I’m used to it, I enjoy it.
Christine: For the last couple of years, she'd been saying, ‘I want to, I want to live on my own’, but I'm nervous, and you know, a lot of things come with it. I'd seen these homes, and I showed you the photo of the advert on Facebook. It has good open space, she knows the area, which is sort of safe for her as well. We both fell in love with it. She said ‘I want one, I want one’, I said ‘I want one as well!’ It was so nice because it was sort of fresh.
Rebecca: I liked picking all my own furniture and picking where everything goes. The neighbours are really friendly. Some of them have pets. I think my favourite part of Dartmouth is probably just walking around. I like to sit at the front. I love living here. I've got past the homesickness. I don't want to leave.
Christine: She likes it. What did you say to me today? You said, ‘I like being here all on my own with nobody else here’, which is fantastic for us because it's such a big step.
Shared Ownership was a great choice for Rebecca...
Christine: She only works part time and she's on benefits as well, so it was perfect all round for her. You know, having to buy a bit, get on the ladder, buy a bit, but not have too much commitment. We could see that there was a community already, even though there's still building. There's babies, there's dogs, there's families. She's in a building where the door shuts and then she's got another door, but also she's got neighbours who are sort of concerned about each other.
Christine: Suzanne from Legal & General, the Affordable Homes team, was absolutely fantastic. Took us through the journey all the way, held hands. Good for us because I know nothing about Shared Ownership and I bought many, many homes but you know it was a whole new experience for me so for Rebecca it would have been very daunting with all the different paperwork. Legal and General have helped me help Rebecca to move independently in a property that's absolutely fantastic that she would never have ever been able to afford herself.
While all the homes at Little Cotton Farm are reserved, there are new homes coming up at The Berries, in Devon later this year. The Berries offers a mix of stunning homes, a quaint seaside town nearby, close to Devon’s picturesque “English Riviera”. The homes are equipped with all you need for contemporary living, while the development itself offers a play area onsite and plenty of open space. Everything you need is at hand, with an array of supermarkets, great pubs and restaurants, cinema, gyms, schools and medical facilities, even a zoo. You can be in the town centre in minutes, Dartmoor in half an hour or Exeter or Plymouth in around an hour. There are also excellent rail connections to Torquay, Exmouth and London Paddington providing you with the perfect base to explore the South West.
With a long sandy beach, local footpaths, bustling seafront, colourful pier and Victorian grandeur, Paignton is the perfect town in South Devon to celebrate the great outdoors. Whether you’re paddle boarding, playing a round of golf next to the sea or exploring the nature and wildlife of the Dart Valley, there is lots to enjoy. One weekend you might be hiking the rugged granite terrain of Dartmoor, the next heading for a gourmet dinner at one of the restaurants of Padstow.
The next phase of homes at The Berries will be ready to move into from Autumn 2023.
Guide prices for LGAH Shared Ownership homes in Devon like The Berries: for a minimum 25% share, prices start at £58,750 for a two-bedroom home.
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