“I’ve been recommending Shared Ownership to all of my friends” – Rhianna’s Shared Ownership Journey with L&Q
Rhianna had been renting in west London for several years – moving around different rental homes in the area. She never thought buying in London would be possible for her, until she heard about Shared Ownership from her colleague.
She explains: “I was renting in Acton for three years – I was actually living with a couple who owned the property, and renting a room from them. At this point, I hadn’t heard anything about Shared Ownership, and I assumed I’d be renting for the foreseeable. London is mega expensive anyway, and I’m single so there’s only one salary – I thought there was no way I’d ever be able to save up for a deposit.”
“A friend at work had just bought a property through Shared Ownership and he was raving about the process. He said it was really easy, had only taken six weeks and he had no concerns at all. I was a bit sceptical, and I asked him what the downsides were, and he said there weren’t any, so I started looking into it.”
Rhianna has recently purchased a 40% share of a one-bedroom Shared Ownership apartment at Kew Bridge Rise, through L&Q. She continues: “I spent a few months looking at different developments, but they were all in locations I knew I didn’t want to live in. I really like west London and there wasn’t a huge amount of choice in this area. One day, I came across L&Q’s Shared Ownership homes at Kew Bridge Rise and it looked amazing. I had my eye on it for a while, but there were minimum income requirements, and I wasn’t quite earning enough yet, so I kept it on my favourites and used the salary requirement as a goal to work towards. As soon as I got my promotion at work, I called L&Q and got going!”
Speaking about purchasing the property, Rhianna explains how smooth she found the process with L&Q. She says: “I was back home up north when I spoke to Nicki in L&Q’s sales team, and I was so keen that I asked for a virtual viewing rather than waiting until I got back to London. She was super accommodating and took me around the show home on a video call, and I loved it. It looked exactly like the pictures online, which isn’t very common!”
“There was an option to put down a £500 reservation fee and with a 14-day refund window if you changed your mind, so I paid the fee. Luckily, I still loved it when I came to view it, so I didn’t need to pull out!”
“It was seamless from there on. I reserved in November and exchanged in February, so a super quick turnaround.”
What really sold Rhianna on the development was the development’s contemporary style and feel. She says: “I really love the interiors at Kew Bridge Rise. I’ve seen a few new build developments and some of them felt quite soulless – bright white kitchens and not much character – but this had something a bit different about it. The kitchen is lovely with dark wood flooring and so many nice little touches. I just love it. It’s built really well; it’s a really good development.”
Speaking about the neighbourhood, Rhianna comments: “I also love the area – we’re right on the cusp of Kew and Chiswick. Kew is gorgeous, and Chiswick has got so many lovely restaurants, pubs and shops. I feel like it has everything; it’s such a leafy side of London, and we’re so close to the river.”
“I work in the city, and the development is also very well connected. I can just jump on the District Line and it’s about an hour door-to-door. Kew Bridge Station is also right next door, where I can get the Overground if I need.”
Looking to the future, Rhianna says: “I definitely will be staying here while I live in London. Who knows what the future holds and if I’ll go back up north at some point, but Kew Bridge Rise suits me perfectly as this stage of my life. It’s ideal for a single young professional.”
“I’ve been recommending Shared Ownership to all of my friends – especially the ones who are currently renting with flatmates and whinging about it!”
To find out more about one- and two-bedroom Shared Ownership apartments available at Kew Bridge Rise, visit: https://lqhomes.com/kewbridgerise/