Shared Ownership Success Stories: Aimee and Justin

Poplar HARCA Case Study: Young couple buy Shared Ownership home in East London

Aimee, a Higher Level Teaching Assistant (HLTA) in a primary school, and Justin, a Photographic Retoucher, moved into their first home a week before the COVID-19 lockdown – along with their beloved French Bulldog, Bailey. Whilst paying very expensive rent for a one bedroom flat in the Docklands, they decided it was time to invest their money and start their journey onto the property ladder. Through researching Shared Ownership, they concluded that this was the best option for them and are now enjoying life at Poplar HARCA’s Emerald Gardens development in East London.

Why did you choose to buy a Shared Ownership property?

We learnt about Shared Ownership via Share to Buy and through asking questions to the Poplar HARCA team. We believe that this was the best way to get ourselves on the property ladder in London. We have been renting in London for three years now and we felt like we wanted to invest in something instead of paying a landlord 100% of the rent (expensive rent!).

What impact has having your new home had on your day to day life?

Before moving in to our new home, we lived further away from the centre of London. It is great being in a new, beautiful home that is closer to the centre of London, which has great transport links, restaurants, shops etc. We are also enjoying being in a ground floor flat with a patio – it feels less like a flat! Our Frenchie loves it too.

What do you think about the local area?

We love the area – being within walking distance to Canary Wharf and Greenwich is great! The estate is really coming together and you can really see that there has been a lot of thought put in to it.

Have you got to know any of your neighbours?

We have met a few of our neighbours, and they are lovely! We did however, move in to our home the weekend before the COVID-19 lockdown so we do not have many neighbours yet! I believe we were the second family to move in.

Have you got any tips for someone who is considering buying a Shared Ownership property?

Be patient… All of the paperwork and hard work will be worth it in the end! Don’t be afraid to ask questions. We have a small dog and found that many homes would not accept pets. We had to ask this question a lot to ensure that we found the right home for us. And don’t fall in love with the first property you see, keep your options open!

Please tell us about your experience of buying your home through Poplar HARCA.

The ladies from the Poplar HARCA sales team have been AMAZING. The process got quite stressful at times (understandably) and they couldn’t have put us at more ease. Ashton and Helen showed us a few homes in the area, and again, they couldn’t have been more helpful. Now that we are moved in, the team have still been there to support us if we have needed them.

*Show home image from Emerald Gardens. 

Share to Buy is a one stop shop for first time buyers looking to get a foot on the property ladder. Start planning your future today and check out our available properties, or visit our helpful FAQs and guides to find out more about Shared Ownership. You can also hear from more buyers via our Shared Ownership Success Stories and Help to Buy Success Stories!