“A home perfectly located for countryside living”

Shared ownership is an affordable way to buy a home of your own. NCHA's customers have written about their experiences in a series of case studies, to explain what shared ownership has done for them.

Yasmin and Joe got on the property ladder thanks to the Help to Buy ISA and shared ownership.

They moved into their first home together in December 2022. Their new three-bedroom semi-detached house is located in Heage, on the edge of the Peak District National Park in Derbyshire. It's perfect for their outdoor lifestyle, with the peaceful countryside location that they were looking for, and it's close to family living in nearby Belper and Chellaston.

They have certainly been busy in the last few months, making the "blank canvas" their home by adding their personal touch. They’ve added accent walls, carpets and flooring and they’re now working on the garden by adding borders and patios ready for warmer weather. The garden looks over open countryside so they are making the most of the outdoor space, and looking forward to socialising with family and friends.

“We had been living with our parents so were able to save a healthy deposit. We even managed to secure a five year fixed mortgage rate of 2.16%. After those five years we will consider staircasing and purchasing more shares.

“We were not aware of the shared ownership scheme when we started looking for homes back in 2019. But when we came across this development we could actually afford more than we thought and can definitely see ourselves living here long-term. The house is really spacious for a new build, we are really delighted.

“The house is energy efficient and it feels warm and cosy. We are really pleased with how it has performed over the winter.

“Having a landlord such as NCHA has been straightforward. They have been on the end of the phone when we need them. We have set up a direct debit for the rent so it comes out of our account monthly, just like the mortgage.

“Shared ownership has been perfect for our circumstances and has given us a nicer home than we thought we could afford. We would recommend the scheme to others.”