After five years of renting in the capital, accountant Ericson Zafra, 38, started running the numbers required to step onto the property ladder.
“I was living in a house share in Canary Wharf with two other accountants for four years. Although it was fun being in the hustle and bustle of the city for a while, and I enjoyed being so close to the office, I was ready for my own space outside of the city centre.”
Ready for a slower pace of life whilst still staying within London, Ericson began looking at leafier neighbourhoods in the north-west of the capital.
“I began looking at properties in early 2023 but didn’t come across anything I loved, and some places were just unaffordable. I was looking at homes on the open market, but I was hoping for a new build. I am not a DIY person at all, so I wanted a new home with integrated appliances – I didn’t want a project!
“I went along to the London Home Show in the early months of 2023 and found out about Shared Ownership there. I’d heard of the scheme briefly before, but at the Home Show I was able to access a whole bunch of resources and also ask questions there and then to members of the L&Q team, which was helpful”
Armed with plenty of new information and confident it was the scheme for him, Ericson began searching for his dream property through Shared Ownership.
“I was subscribed to L&Q’s marketing emails, which is how I first found out about L&Q at Ridgeway Views. I did some research, watched a YouTube video about the development and decided to register my interest and book a viewing.”
Ericson bought a 25% share of a one-bedroom apartment at L&Q at Ridgeway Views. His home came with allocated parking.
“Buying through Shared Ownership made sense to me. My must-haves included staying in the capital, quick transport links to the city centre, a parking space, and a home with limited, or ideally no renovations needed! I couldn’t have afforded a property which ticked all of these boxes any other way.
“The team who helped me with my purchase were also really supportive from start to finish. I looked at the home and development in September and had moved in by January! It was a speedy process.”
Settling into his new property, Ericson is already beginning to feel at home.
“I love using the new appliances in my home. It’s so nice knowing that I’m the first to use them. The kitchen is probably my favourite room in the apartment. There’s some really clever storage and lots of natural light comes in. I love to cook and plan to host a lot of dinner parties, and I’ve got a private balcony, so I’m looking forward to eating al fresco in the summer months.
Ericson is already beginning to look to the future, and plans on eventually staircasing to own 100% of his home.
“Depending on interest rates, I’d like to staircase and own all of my home in the next five years. I love it here and can see this being my home for a very long time.”
To find out more about Shared Ownership, visit our website here: https://lqhomes.com/shared-ownership/.
