How the VRTB scheme helped a long-term Stonewater resident become a homeowner

The government announced in the Autumn 2017 budget plans for a large-scale regional pilot of the VRTB scheme in the Midlands, but the ballot didn’t take place until August 2018.

Helen has lived in Stourbridge all of her life. With her family and work close by, it was always Helen’s goal to buy a house that she could pass down to her children. After learning about the pilot, Helen looked up the scheme’s criteria online and applied for a unique customer reference number.

Having rented her property from Stonewater since 2007, Helen and her three children had made a number of memories in the house that they considered to be their family home. Until the VRTB pilot, Helen never even imagined that she would have the chance to buy this particular house.

“Keeping a roof over your head, while also saving for a deposit is a tough challenge,” answered Helen, when she was asked about the difficulties many people face when trying to get onto the property ladder.

“Buying a house is a big decision and it can seem like a daunting one if you have no knowledge of what exactly you need to do to get started. For the VRTB scheme, the process was easy to follow. I’d heard many of my friends tell me about the various obstacles they had encountered when buying a house and after my application was successful, I was ready to tackle whatever may come my way. However, for me, they never came.

“There was nothing I was unsure about when the purchase was going through. Stonewater made me feel comfortable during the entire process. They kept me up-to-date and provided me with lots of information, making sure I clearly understood what was happening at each step.”

Helen says: “Being able to buy your own home is an achievement and one I’m proud to share. Without the VRTB scheme and Stonewater’s support, I’m not sure it would have ever been possible.”