"My Abri home is a dream come true!"

Kirsty was looking to get on the property ladder and buy her own home for the first time. With a long commute each day, she was pleased to learn that there was a Shared Ownership scheme available closer to work. She now owns a two-bedroom semi-detached property at our Woodgate development in the village of Pease Pottage.

After deciding to start her search for a new home, Kirsty knew exactly what she was looking for in her ideal home: “Having a good location and local amenities guided me when purchasing my first home. While I was keen to gain some independence, take that step away from my family home and have a place I could call my own, it was important for me to find a property in the right location.

"Equally important was securing somewhere that offers great outdoor space, while also having good connectivity to allow me to get around easily - especially to work. I have never really been a city person and so it was really important to find a home where I could surround myself with lots of green space, plus a garden for my puppy to run around in."

Now settled in her new home, Kirsty is pleased to be a part of our community at Woodgate: “I now own a two-bedroom semi-detached home that has man-made ponds, walking trails and an eco-friendly community hub all within walking distance. It’s absolutely perfect for what I need. It is just far out enough to have that green fresh air feel and be free of traffic noise, but connected enough to be able to travel into Crawley and Horsham. Both of those towns are within a 15 minute drive from Pease Pottage.

“Pease Pottage is a very tight-knit community that made me feel very welcome from the beginning. We have a Facebook group, which I actually joined before I even moved in! I had the chance to ask about what it was like to live at Pease Pottage and speak to people, which put my mind at ease.

"Fast forward to me moving in, there’s been a Jubilee Party, a Summer Fête and an ice cream event - it’s like we are a little family who always look out for each other."

With Shared Ownership, the homebuying process was smooth and simple: “I hadn’t heard of Shared Ownership before doing some research into it. My partner is a mortgage broker, so he initially advised on what to do with my income and budget. I used this and the outline of the area I wanted to live in as the first way to narrow down my options. I came across Abri’s Woodgate and it felt right straight away and I was so happy when I completed and it was mine.

“I feel so blessed to be living in a beautiful, calm area like this. By using Abri’s Shared Ownership scheme, I have been able to purchase a brand-new home that I can put my personal touch on and decorate the way I wish.

"It was such a relief to know I didn’t have to do any heavy lifting with changing carpets or painting – it made the whole process less stressful and scary."

Thanks to Shared Ownership and the Abri Homes team, Kirsty was able to buy a home within her budget and circumstances: “Based on my current income, the deposit I had managed to save and a portion of money I had kindly been gifted, I was able to buy a 30% share of the property of which I plan to staircase in the future to own a higher percentage of the property.

“The turbulence of the housing market, coupled with the cost of living going up, meant that for me, it seemed like securing my own home was out of the question – especially in an area like Pease Pottage. But, that isn’t the case at all. My Abri home is a dream come true.”