How a mum of three stepped onto the property ladder thanks to Shared Ownership

Jennifer was left fearing the worst following a sudden break-up.

Forced to sell her family home and now a single mother of three, the 34-year-old wondered how she would move forward with her daughters.

Wanting to return home to the North West, buying a new property initially appeared out of the question because of high interest rates and the cost of living crisis. She thought her only options would be renting or buying a house that she would have to spend a fortune on to modernise and make it more comfortable.

It was only after doing some online research that Jennifer discovered there was another option. Jennifer stumbled across a Shared Ownership property at a Plumlife development.

Shared Ownership wasn’t something she’d ever considered, or had even heard of. But it turned out to be exactly what her and her girls needed.

Shared Ownership allowed Jennifer to secure a 25% share in her three-bedroom home just outside Lancaster city centre. Not only is she spending less each month compared to privately renting, but her family have a stable environment to call home.

“It’s a great house and we have lovely neighbours,” says Jennifer. “The girls have new bedrooms, which is great as they can have their own space. The youngest share the biggest bedroom and they love it.

“The kitchen has fantastic integrated appliances and it’s well insulated, which helps with bills, so it’s everything I wanted.

“And the location is perfect. I can drop the girls off at school and get to work easily. It’s somewhere we can put roots down and I hope to staircase the amount I own to make it ours in the future.”

“I dread to think what situation we would have been in had we not found Mabel Gardens” adds Jennifer. "The fact we have been able to take