Kent first time buyer follows in brother’s footsteps and chooses shared ownership at Hyde New Homes

A Kent homebuyer is “keeping it in the family” by following in her brother’s footsteps and embarking on her homeownership journey at Spring Acres, a Hyde New Homes development.

This is the first-ever home Lisa La-Haye has purchased. Lisa shares the four-bedroom Foxglove design with her husband Ben and their three children aged four, nine, and fifteen.

Spring Acres in Sittingborne, offers a community feel in a countryside setting, perfect for Lisa’s family. With a choice of good schools within walking distance as well as excellent transport links, making it a fantastic place for families and professionals.

However, it wasn’t just chance that led Lisa, who works in education, to the attractive development. A few years prior, her brother, Stephan, bought a shared ownership home at the neighbouring Hyde New Homes development Heron Fields. Thanks to his hugely positive experience Lisa was inspired to visit herself.

Fate seemed to be at play when Hyde New Homes introduced Spring Acres, an award-winning nature-inspired development boasting an array of two, three, and four-bedroom homes.

Lisa and Ben took a tour of the development and as if by chance, the perfect home had just become available. This not only enabled them to secure a 25% share of the property against a deposit of £12,000, but also made it possible for them to comfortably afford a home that would provide ample space for their growing family.

Lisa said: “We needed a four-bedroom home, especially as our children have larger age gaps so needed their own rooms. But with the price of housing the way it is, it felt an unachievable dream.

“After seeing how happy my brother was in his own home, we decided to put our name down at Spring Acres. It was the best decision we ever made, and now we have plenty of space including a fantastic kitchen diner which is perfect for entertaining. There’s also one family bathroom, two ensuites and a downstairs bathroom too- so there’s no arguing in the mornings. There’s also the gorgeous country park being developed on-site, which we can’t wait to explore once it is finished.”

Hyde New Homes’ Primrose design is a stylish family home, ready to move into. The Primrose home benefits from open plan living, a spacious kitchen/dining room that has French doors leading out to the garden, perfect for entertaining.

Prices for the four-bedroom Primrose start at £425,000, for the full market value. A 25% share of this equates to £106,250 and would require a minimum 10% deposit. This means that buyers can get on the property ladder for a deposit of 10,625. Additionally, all buyers who opt for the shared ownership scheme are entitled to increase the equity share in their home by buying additional shares until the home is purchased outright (100%). This process is called staircasing.

Spring Acres has been built to Hyde’s usual high standard, with excellent quality and sustainability in mind. Hyde has implemented new building techniques and materials adopting a “fabric first” approach, which provides excellent roof and floor insulation. The windows are double-glazed, and there are solar panels, estimated at 767kWh, as well as electric vehicle charging points in selected homes. In addition the stunning finish inside the homes see quality flooring with chrome door ironmongery and outside, turfed gardens at no extra cost.

Minnie Dando, Head of Marketing and Communications for Hyde New Homes, said: “Lisa and Ben’s journey shows our commitment to providing flexible home buying solutions, and we are thrilled that we have fulfilled homeownership dreams for two members of the same family. Shared ownership represents a more accessible alternative to home ownership than traditional home ownership. The smaller deposit, which is just based on the percentage equity being purchased and the lower income requirements for a mortgage make the scheme an attractive route for many families and also provides for a home which the buyers can personalise. In this case, it was the perfect solution for Lisa and Ben, enabling them to buy a spacious home, perfect for their growing family’s needs.

Each home has been built to a high specification as standard, with contemporary kitchens and integrated appliances, turfed gardens, and quality flooring included at no additional cost, and an experienced sales team on hand through the entire buying journey.