A family affair for a first-time buyer with Shared Ownership
17 October 2024
Young married couple Chloe and Louis Rice, aged 25 and 27, recently purchased their first home using Shared Ownership at Places for People’s Laconia Place development in Milton Keynes. With the pair about to welcome their first child, it was imperative they purchased a family home for their future. Furthermore, Chloe’s brother bought a property in the same development just down the road. They are now enjoying being close to one another in this family-friendly neighbourhood.
Read on to discover how Shared Ownership allowed Chloe and Rice to buy a beautiful and ideally-located new home that they were free to make their own.
In this section:
• Why Chloe and Louis warmed to the idea of buying a new build
• A smooth purchasing process with Shared Ownership
• The chance to belong to a vibrant Community
• A helping hand at every stage of the buying journey
• Living the new home dream
Why Chloe and Louis warmed to the idea of buying a new build
Both originally hailing from Milton Keynes, Chloe and Louis previously rented a two-bedroom house in the area and did not want to travel far from their family, friends and jobs, so decided to stay local when they began their search. When they found a larger two-bedroom home in Laconia Place, with a garden for their cat to explore, they noted that this new home matched all their required criteria.
Chloe explained: “Originally, Louis and I were not that interested in buying a new-build property, as the ones we had viewed within our budget had been too small, and we couldn’t see how we could grow our family there. However, with Laconia Place, the plans for the property demonstrated the complete opposite; the rooms were lovely and spacious, along with a large driveway, plenty of storage and a lovely garden. It had everything we were looking for.
“It was a bonus we could personalise the kitchen, bathroom and flooring. It already felt like home before we received the keys!”
“It was also a bonus that we could personalise our house before we moved in, by personally choosing the kitchen, bathroom and flooring. It already felt like our home before we had even received the keys! After renting an older property for such a long time, it was so special to have something that we could make our own and that felt completely fresh and made for us.”
A smooth purchasing process with Shared Ownership
All homes at Laconia Place are available to buy using Shared Ownership, and Chloe and Louis used this to take their first step on the ladder, purchasing a 40% share of their new home.
Chloe said: “Buying our home with the Shared Ownership scheme was so straightforward and there were no extra complications to the buying process at all. Using Shared Ownership allowed us to have everything we wanted for our first home, without having to compromise on any aspects, like the property size or location.”
The chance to belong to a vibrant Community
Laconia Place is a beautiful collection of one and two-bedroom apartments and two and three-bedroom houses. The development comprises thoughtfully-designed and generously-sized properties, all with flexible living spaces and high-specification kitchens and bathrooms with an exquisite finish. It offers modern living in a vibrant Community, close to excellent amenities.
Situated within walking distance of Lautier Park, Brooklands Meadow Park and Carmania Circus, the development is the perfect place to enjoy time with family, friends and loved ones. Families will also be pleased to know that there is a choice of schools nearby rated as ‘Outstanding’ and ‘Good’ by Ofsted, including Brooklands Farm Primary and Broughton Manor Preparatory School. Additionally, the development benefits from excellent transport links, as it sits only fifty miles outside central London.
Chloe comments: “Family was our first focus when we were looking to purchase our first home, and Laconia Place ticks all the boxes. Even though we live in a lively Community, our home isn’t overlooked, and it feels very private and safe. It’s fantastic that my brother and sister-in-law have also moved in just down the road. The development is a great place for us all to come together.”
A helping hand at every stage of the buying journey
Chloe and Louis were a bit nervous about buying their very first home, but they needn’t have worried. They felt that the purchase process with Places for People went so smoothly, and they were more than happy with the support they received throughout from the team. Chloe said: “Places for People has been so attentive and helpful. They recommended mortgage brokers and solicitors which was excellent for us as first-time buyers and explained everything we needed to know about the Shared Ownership process too, including how we could staircase and purchase a larger share in the future if we wanted.
“It was fantastic to receive so many updates throughout the build from Donna in the sales team. She took the time to show us photos every two weeks of the progress of our first home, which was so exciting.”
Living the new home dream
Chloe and Louis have already been living in their new home since February and have already had their family over for game nights. They are now looking to start decorating the nursery and planting vegetable patches in the garden. Chloe concludes: “I can’t wait for our future together in our new home, for growing our family further and enjoying the peace, privacy and convenience of Laconia Place.”
We’re always thrilled to support Customers to turn their home buying dreams into reality. If you’re ready to make the move into a brand-new home of your own, read more about Shared Ownership and explore our new homes and developments.