Sarah and Steve have lived in Suffolk for over 13 years and had spent the last 19 years renting. They felt they were not able to buy a home, as they couldn’t afford to save for a deposit.

Sarah’s dad was kind enough to give them some money a couple of years ago, enabling them to have a small deposit.

Sarah and Steve spent time looking at their options and decided to sign up to the Share to Buy website to look for homes. They researched the pros and cons of shared ownership as they didn’t know anyone who had done it before and it was a whole new process for them.

Sarah admits there was a small amount of time when they wondered if they were doing the right thing, as it was a big commitment, and they worried about not owning all of their home. After months of research and discussions, they decided that shared ownership would be the right opportunity for them.

“We had a small amount of money, but we wanted to make sure we used it for a good reason. We wanted to have something to show for it and try and get on the property ladder.”

They had initially found a resale property they were interested in, but due to circumstances beyond their control, this purchase fell through.

“The bottom fell out of our world when we lost that home. We were absolutely devastated.”

Sarah said she felt so deflated that she didn’t think she could continue looking for a new home, only to be disappointed again.

However, fate was on their side when this home in Trimley-St-Martin became available on the Share to Buy website, one of only six available at the time. From there, the process went quickly, and they attended a viewing at the home the next day.

“We loved it the minute we saw it; we knew this had to be our home, but I didn’t want to get too excited because of what had happened before.”

Sarah and Steve quickly completed the necessary paperwork, and a few days later, they had the call to say it was theirs if they still wanted it.

The process was brief and straightforward and took around nine weeks, which Sarah credits to the Home Ownership team here at Havebury and the solicitors they had working on their purchase.

“Havebury has been absolutely amazing. They have really rooted for us during this entire process and couldn’t have been more helpful. The customer service has been the best, even after we moved in.”

Steve went on to say: “When we moved in, we had an issue with a leak, but that was sorted three hours after we reported it; they went above and beyond for us.”

Sarah and Steve couldn’t be more grateful for the place they get to call home, they feel like they are part of one big community and say everyone has been so welcoming and friendly.

“Everyone takes pride in where they live, which is so lovely.”

When asked if they would recommend shared ownership, Sarah said she would recommend people look at their circumstances to see if it suits them and, if it does, to go for it.

“We have security, in our own home, I don’t think we could be happier.

Sarah and Steve are already looking ahead to the summer and enjoying their new garden. “We may not own all of it now, but we are determined to make this house our home. We will look to staircase in the future, but for now, we are enjoying every minute of being homeowners – one step at a time.

Find out more about shared ownership with us here.

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