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26-year-old Callum recently moved out of his parents’ home and into his own house in Elsenham with his partner, Grace. Thanks to shared ownership, Callum was able to get on the property ladder, gain more independence, and look ahead to the future. He told us what the experience of buying a home through shared ownership was like for him. 

“I’ve lived in Braintree for most of my life and had been living with my parents,” Callum said. “Getting a house of my own the size I wanted wasn’t on the cards, especially in the area I wanted to live. The deposit I’d need just wasn’t possible. Shared ownership was the perfect opportunity to get on the ladder and get a property that my partner and I could stay in for a longer time, have a family in, and still get that financial benefit from owning the house.” 

Callum was delighted with the service he received from CHP throughout the process. “It was amazing if I’m honest. I know buying a house can be very stressful, but we’ve been very lucky; it’s been very quick and stress-free,” he said, praising Karen from the Sales Team in particular. "She replied to all our questions in great time and always explained stuff well. Being first-time buyers, we’ve probably asked questions that are quite easy, but she always went into depth to make sure we understood.” 

Despite the ease of the buying process itself, it wasn’t all plain sailing for Callum. As someone who is hyperallergic to wasp stings, he was understandably very concerned when he noticed a large amount of wasps above the back of the garden shed during one of his visits to view the house. “Obviously I didn’t want to look myself, but I thought there might be a nest in there. Having had severe reactions to wasp stings in the past, it was a concern for me that it was dealt with before we moved in,” Callum explained.  

When he mentioned his concerns to Karen, she quickly responded by organising for pest control to visit and deal with the issue. "When we moved in, the problem was gone, and there wasn’t anything there. It was solved really quickly, so we were very grateful,” Callum said. 

Callum and Grace are now settling in well in their new home in Elsenham, and are particularly enjoying having their own space. “We like the area, we like the town our home is in, it’s perfect for work, and it’s our own space where we can start our own little life,” Callum told us. Delighted with his new home, he said he would recommend the shared ownership process to anyone, especially young people his age, looking to buy their first home. “It’s not as easy as it was, say, 30 years ago. Especially for my generation, shared ownership is a great way to get on the property ladder,” he said. “I would urge people just to look into it. Some people might dismiss shared ownership and say it’s a bad idea, based on what they’ve read online maybe. But I think you just have to look into it and see if it’s right for you,” he advised. 

If you’re interested in shared ownership, get in touch with us by emailing sales@chp.org.uk or calling 0300 555 0500.