Rachell and Ryan have lived in Milton Keynes their whole lives. Having spent eight and a half years living with Ryan’s parents, they moved out to rent a three-bedroom home in the area 10 months ago.
The couple decided it was time to start looking for their own home, and having done some research on new homes for sale near them, discovered they couldn’t find a house they liked as much as their rental home. Discussing the compromises that might be necessary to find a home that they could afford, Rachell and Ryan accepted that they’d most likely have to downgrade on quality to stay in the location they wanted.
“When we initially started looking at new build homes, we realised that the majority had a pretty low level of specification - offering smaller gardens and less appliances than our old rental home - and some housing associations even told us that our expectations of a shared ownership home were unrealistic. It was a shock to hear this, and my partner and I discussed how far we’d be willing to compromise in order to purchase a home we could afford.”
However, after receiving an email about the launch of the show homes at Saxon Reach from L&Q Rachell and Ryan booked a viewing on a whim, keeping their expectations low. Rachell says: “As soon as we entered the show home, we instantly fell in love with it. The spacious entrance, high ceilings and soft carpets caught our attention straight away. Then we entered the kitchen and saw the fully integrated appliances - we decided that the house ticked every box on our list. The rooms were actually all bigger than those in our home at the time, as was the garden which was a real shock! After accepting that we would probably have to compromise, it was such a pleasant surprise to find a home that required no compromising at all – in fact it had more than we hoped for.”
Rachel and Ryan have now purchased a 45% share of a three-bedroom townhouse through L&Q’s Shared Ownership scheme at Saxon Reach, Milton Keynes.
“We were told that there was one three-bedroom house remaining, and so we immediately reserved our home – we didn’t want to risk anyone else taking our dream house! After we had reserved, the whole process was extremely smooth, even during the Covid-19 pandemic. We reserved in February, and were given a move in date for 22nd June, which wasn’t delayed at all. We actually received an email a week after lockdown saying that our house had been completed, and that it was ready for us to move in.”
Now that the couple have settled into their new home, Rachell describes her favourite things about Saxon Reach, and their house:
“In terms of location, we couldn’t be better situated. We’re conveniently located a short drive from our families, and Ryan can walk to work from the new house. Having lived in Milton Keynes all our lives, we are delighted to have found somewhere so perfect in just the right location.
“Actually moving into the house was a whole other experience. Having seen the fully furnished show home, it was surreal to move into a completely empty house and see how spacious every room is. I love so many things about our home, but one of my favourite features has to be the waterfall shower in the en-suite. That, and the integrated appliances – it looks really stylish to have everything concealed behind matching kitchen cabinetry. We have also never had a dishwasher before, so we were delighted to find out that this was included in the spec!”
Looking ahead, Rachell and Ryan know they’ll be staying at Saxon Reach for a long time: “We are definitely planning on staircasing. Ideally we’d like to own 100% of our house. I really can’t see myself wanting to live anywhere else – we truly have found our forever home.
“Lots of people have asked us why we wanted a house with the potential to have four bedrooms when it’s just the two of us, but it’s so lovely for us to know that our home now can be our home for many years to come, and it will be the perfect place for us to raise our children in the future.
Commenting on buying their house with L&Q, Rachell says:
“Moving definitely isn’t something I’d think about for a long time, but if we were to ever move, I would very highly consider somewhere that L&Q have built. The high specification of the homes is something that I never thought we would find, and their communication throughout the whole process has been second to none.”
More at lqgroup.org.uk.
