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Date published: 12 April 2021

Following the outbreak of the pandemic, Kieran and Abbie Shields-Merry moved into their new home in August 2020. With people all across the country spending more time at home, having your own space  never felt more important. This, along with the couple’s desire to get their foot onto the property ladder is what attracted the pair to explore Shared Ownership options.

Before moving into their two-bedroom, semi-detached house the couple lived with Abbie’s parents. It allowed them to save for their wedding, and one year on from getting married, they secured the deposit they needed to buy their first home.

Before considering Shared Ownership, Kieran and Abbie had discussed saving for a mortgage through the Help to Buy scheme, but they quickly realised saving would take longer.

After talking it through with their close friends, they agreed that Shared Ownership would be the best option for them, as it would allow them to save a deposit much quicker and they wouldn’t need to compromise on the type of house they wanted.

“We thought the process for buying a home through Shared Ownership would be extremely complicated,” said Abbie.

“However, we couldn’t have been more wrong, and it was down to one of our friends buying a Shared Ownership property, with Stonewater. They explained how easy it was and it really sold it to us. We also spoke to the team at Stonewater, who were incredibly helpful throughout the whole process.”

The location needed to be right for the couple, so Kieran, who works for the Civil Service, has an easy commute.  They also needed the home to be a good size with plenty of space, as they tend to work from home several days a week. 

“Market Harborough is such a beautiful area and when we saw this new development, which is just a ten-minute drive from the main train station, we knew it was the perfect home for us,” continued Abbie.

“When the pandemic hit, we panicked - honestly thought we were never going to be able to move in. I’m so glad we didn’t give up hope.”

The experience has made both Abbie and Kieran appreciate the opportunity given to them through the Shared Ownership scheme.  

Kieran especially remembers the sense of relief he felt the day they were able to collect their keys. 

“Knowing we were moving into our own home, especially with the lockdown restrictions, allowed me to feel relaxed. 

“We’ve been really fortunate with our living situation, and while we did a lot of research on Shared Ownership, having someone we know go through the experience was invaluable.”

"I’d encourage anyone in the position to buy a home through Shared Ownership to seize the opportunity - for us, it’s allowed us to call ourselves homeowners sooner than planned. We couldn’t be happier with our first home. Thanks to its affordability, we have the option to either save and purchase more shares or save for a bigger deposit for our next home.”