"We have absolutely fallen in love with Bristol"

As a young couple looking to buy their first property, Luke and Lucy found Shared Ownership to be a great alternative to Bristol’s expensive private rental and open market property prices. As a result, they’re now some of the newest residents of our development in Greenbank, The Chocolate Factory, and are enjoying having their own space for the first time.

“Before we moved into our beautiful apartment at The Chocolate Factory, we were sharing a two-bedroom flat with another couple in Southmead. While we really liked the area we were living in we didn’t have much of our own space and renting privately was becoming very expensive.

“Then we discovered Shared Ownership, a scheme that allowed us to buy part of a property, and pay a reduced rent on the remaining share. Soon after learning about Shared Ownership, we visited the marketing suite at The Chocolate Factory development. We reserved an apartment immediately after.

“The apartment itself is quite literally built in an old chocolate factory. This gives it great character and charm, especially as it maintains some original features, including massive windows which are perfect for our houseplants! Since moving into our home in September, we’ve loved learning more about the history of the building and are really enjoying living somewhere that has such a strong character. We now have plenty of space to call our own, with two bedrooms, a balcony and parking, which is an unusual find in central Bristol."

“The best thing about this property is its location. We’re right in the city centre and just a 15-minute cycle away from where we both work. This commute is made even easier because of how close The Chocolate Factory is to the main cycle path into the heart of Bristol, which is also great for us as we are environmentally conscious. Once in the city centre, we have easy access to everything we might need, from shops at Cabot Circus, to bars, restaurants and cafes along the Harbourside. We also love spending time outside, so the proximity of our new home to green spaces and parks such as St George’s, Eastville and Rose Green has fitted perfectly with our lifestyle.

“Having both moved here from Nottingham, we have absolutely fallen in love with Bristol as a city, and it already feels like home. From the bustle of Church Road to the mix of both independent shops and accessible supermarkets, the city is full of character. This character extends into the city’s culture, with the Harbour Festival, Hot Air Balloon Festival and St Paul’s Carnival all right on our doorstep.

Much like our new home, the city also has an incredible history, from the S.S. Great Britain to Clifton Suspension Bridge there are historical monuments everywhere you look. Proximity to the M32 and M5 also makes it easy for us to go home and visit family, which is really important for both of us."

“Not only are we now a part of Bristol’s extensive creative community but we have also been welcomed into the smaller community at The Chocolate Factory with open arms. Many of our neighbours are taking similar steps to us in their journey onto the property ladder. From taking in parcels to helping each other construct furniture, everyone is always more than happy to help out. We even have our own WhatsApp group for The Chocolate Factory and have just had our first social together.

“As both of us were first time buyers, we weren’t sure how much we would be able to afford in central Bristol. But thanks to Shared Ownership, we were able to purchase 60% of our property with a deposit of £30,000. Having the option to staircase our share further in the future gives us good flexibility and so Shared Ownership was definitely the right choice for us.

“We know we’re incredibly lucky to have been able to buy such a fantastic property at such a young age. After searching for a year, we were thrilled to find out that Abri were accepting offers on a first-come, first-served basis when many other organisations had instead put us on a waiting list. Without Shared Ownership, our budget definitely wouldn’t have stretched to a development as great as The Chocolate Factory. We’re so excited about our future here.”