A Penzance man has spoken of his joy at securing a shared ownership for his young family.
Paul, 36, is delighted with the location of his home as it is close to schools, shops and facilities where he can go with his two young sons, Rowan and Elliot. Paul’s family are also close by so it's easier for them to visit.
When one of our shared ownership homes was completed in Penzance, it was the ideal opportunity for Paul and his family to realise their dream.
Paul said: “It’s a great opportunity for us and it’s one of those things we were checking daily to see when it was going to be advertised. It’s got a nice garden and a driveway, so I don’t need to worry about parking.
“I think the best part of the property is the space it has given us. It’s a good size home and it is good quality so we can see ourselves living here for years really.”
LiveWest partnered with Vistry Partnership and had support from Homes England and Cornwall Council to complete 396 new homes in Penzance St Clare.
Paul and his family were privately renting in the town but had a burning desire to take their first step on the property ladder.
Their previous two-bedroom home had become too small to meet their needs and they began their search for something bigger.
More space, parking and a garden were the main requirements.
Paul said: “I don’t think enough people understand buying a home through shared ownership. So, I would tell them to go for it especially with how affordable they can be, you only need to find a small deposit in the grand scheme of things. If people knew more about it, they would probably want it.
“I think there are some areas where there is a high housing demand, Penzance has housing but they’re not necessarily suitable for young families, things like parking and a garden are important because you don’t want to be carrying your kids ten minutes back to your house or things like that.
“It’s nice that there are some houses here and that LiveWest has invested in housing in more established areas as sometimes it tends to be out of town developments, but I think that frustrates people who are in town and want to stay there.”
Paul is hopeful to see more developments with affordable homes as he understands the struggles people face to secure a home, especially given the costs of privately renting.
He added: “Not everyone can just go and buy a home outright especially in Penzance as it’s quite a desirable area for some people, obviously not for others.
“But it’s not always that easy to just go and buy a house so it gives people, especially with things like the help to buy schemes, more options. Then maybe other people can’t jump ahead of you in the property market.”