Hayley and Ben were privately renting whilst trying to save up a deposit for a home for the last 9 years and like many people, saving whilst paying rent is a huge challenge. They then discovered that Shared Ownership could be the opportunity they needed to buy a share in a brand-new home and get firmly on to the ladder towards owning their forever home!
Hayley told us: ‘We always wanted our own new build property for its build quality, good insulation and the blank canvas that it provides to decorate!’
Hayley went on to tell us that they had started to give up hope and worried that it wasn’t going to happen for them, but things changed for the better.
She said: ‘We then discovered Vivid Homes when visiting a Penny Farthing development’s open day and were keen to find out more’.
When talking about the chance to buy a share with Shared Ownership, Hayley & Ben were pleasantly surprised as it was so much easier than they thought it would be to get to grips with how it all works, and better still, this has allowed them buy a share in spacious a 3-bedroom house.
Hayley is so pleased with the size of the home they have been able to afford, and told us: ‘It now has space for us to grow as a family in the next few years, and be our forever family home!’
When talking about some of the benefits of this buying option, Hayley told us she was happy that Shared Ownership also still allows the creative freedom they wanted to decorate their home how they’d like it. Plus, it worked out cheaper than they thought too!
She said: ‘It really is a feeling like no other, finally being in a house that’s OURS.’
When asked about the best part of being in her new home with her husband Ben, Hayley had a lot of positives things to say. She said:
‘It is the little things, and every day we think of something else that we love!’
Hayley expanded to say, that they have so much storage space at their new house that they’ve just never had before, and they can actually start to organise their belongings exactly how they want.
She added: 'The kitchen is huge, and has a gorgeous floor to ceiling pantry cupboard and another one for all of my little kitchen appliances – it’s my Pinterest dreams come true!'
It’s been so nice as well to have the space for our dining table in the kitchen, so we can sit down at the end of the day, have dinner and chat.
The new build insulation and warmth of their new home was another huge attraction to the couple.
Hayley explained:
‘Having a house that’s warm is so nice. It’s so under-rated but we used to have to wear so many layers in our last property to keep warm in the winter and it’s been an absolute game changer – and the bills will be better here too, because it’s been built so efficiently.'
She said that being able to tell their friends and family that their new home is ours is just such a good feeling! They have the security they have been looking for.
We asked what it was like to live in this lovely area and what had attracted them to the development and the area. Hayley told us that her and her husband have always been local (growing up and going to school in Ringwood), so Fordingbridge was just a short stretch down the road.
She said: ‘We love the town/village feel that it has, and also how QUIET it is, and you can see the stars at night because there’s very little light pollution. We have both lived by a busy dual carriageway for as long as we can remember, and it makes such a lovely difference.’
She went on to say that the development itself is laid out beautifully, it’s not at all cramped, and it even has a little play-area and trail that you can use for walks. Hayley and Ben can’t wait for summer to really enjoy everything that it has to offer, as they’re only about 10 minutes from the town centre.
We asked what the buying process has been like from VIVID and Hayley told us:
‘Every step of the process using Vivid was brilliant. We first dealt with Gemma, then Jess and then finally Zoe. Every one of them was so professional, helpful, didn’t mind us answering a million questions, always came back to us quickly – and the whole process of buying a house went through so quick!’
It was a fast process for the couple, it took just over a month from them first finding out they’d been successful with being offered a home on 16th December, and by 29th January they had the keys to their new home.
Hayley went on to tell us: ‘They say that buying a house is the most stressful thing you’ll ever do, but honestly, we don’t feel that way. The whole process was a breeze, and we thank the wonderful team for that and for guiding us through!’
Hayley also told me that her and her husband Ben have just celebrated their 10 year anniversary, so they’re so happy to celebrate that milestone in their forever home.
We thank Hayley for sharing their Shared Ownership journey with us and we wish Hayley and Ben many happy years in their new home.
If you’d like to find out if we have a home that may suit your needs, all of our Shared Ownership homes can be found here: https://yourvividhome.co.uk/properties
