Dreams of homeownership become reality in the heart of Kent as Lisa La Haye, inspired by her brother’s positive experience, embarks on her first-ever home purchase at the award-winning Spring Acres development near Sittingbourne.
Embracing Shared Ownership: Following in Family Footsteps at Spring Acres
A Kent homebuyer is “keeping it in the family” by following in her brother’s footsteps and embarking on her homeownership journey at Spring Acres. This is the first-ever home Lisa La Haye has purchased. Lisa shares the four-bedroom Foxglove design with her husband Ben and their three children aged four, nine, and fifteen.
Spring Acres in Sittingbourne, offers a community feel in a countryside setting, perfect for Lisa’s family. With a choice of good schools within walking distance as well as excellent transport links, making it a fantastic place for families and professionals.
Discovering the Perfect Fit: Lisa and Ben’s Journey to Homeownership
It wasn’t just chance that led Lisa, who works in education, to our attractive development. A few years prior, her brother, Stephan, bought a shared ownership home at our neighbouring development Heron Fields. Thanks to his hugely positive experience Lisa was inspired to visit herself.
Fate seemed to be at play when we launched Spring Acres, an award-winning nature-inspired development boasting an array of two, three, and four-bedroom homes.
Lisa and Ben took a tour of Spring Acres and as if by chance, the perfect home had just become available. This not only enabled them to secure a 25% share of the property against a deposit of £12,000, but also made it possible for them to comfortably afford a home that would provide ample space for their growing family.
Lisa said: “We needed a four-bedroom home, especially as our children have larger age gaps so needed their own rooms. But with the price of housing the way it is, it felt an unachievable dream.”
“After seeing how happy my brother was in his own home, we decided to put our name down at Spring Acres. It was the best decision we ever made, and now we have plenty of space including a fantastic kitchen diner which is perfect for entertaining, two bathrooms so there’s no arguing in the mornings, and a gorgeous country park being developed on-site, which we can’t wait to explore once it is finished.”
Shared Ownership Benefits: A Closer Look at Lisa and Ben’s Decision
Prices for a two bedroom home at Spring Acres start at £320,000, for the full market value. A 45% share of this equates to £144,000 and would require a minimum deposit of £14,400. Alternatively, a three bedroom home starts at £395,000 for the full market value with a 30% share of £118,500 and a deposit of £11,850. Additionally, all buyers who opt for the shared ownership scheme are entitled to increase the equity share in their home by buying additional shares until the home is purchased outright (100%). This process is called staircasing.
Minnie Dando, our Head of Marketing and Communications, said:
“Lisa and Ben’s journey shows our commitment to providing flexible home buying solutions, and we are thrilled that we have fulfilled homeownership dreams for two members of the same family. Shared ownership represents a more accessible alternative to home ownership than traditional home ownership. The smaller deposit, which is just based on the percentage equity being purchased and the lower income requirements for a mortgage make the scheme an attractive route for many families and also provides for a home which the buyers can personalise. In this case, it was the perfect solution for Lisa and Ben, enabling them to buy a spacious home, perfect for their growing family’s needs.”
Spring Acres Homes: Unveiling a New Standard in Quality, Sustainability, and Contemporary Living
Spring Acres has been built to our usual high standard, with excellent quality and sustainability in mind. We have implemented new building techniques and materials adopting a “fabric first” approach, which provides excellent roof and floor insulation. The windows are double-glazed, and there are solar panels, estimated at 767kWh, as well as electric vehicle charging points in selected homes. In addition, the stunning finish inside the homes sees quality flooring with chrome door ironmongery and outside, turfed gardens at no extra cost.
Each home has been built to a high specification as standard, with contemporary kitchens and integrated appliances, turfed gardens, and quality flooring included at no additional cost, and an experienced sales team on hand through the entire buying journey.
