Starting again was less daunting for Safiah thanks to Shared Ownership with Orbit Homes at Pearson Heights

For Safiah, her two children, and labrador Sandy, Shared Ownership has helped the family secure a fresh start at Pearson Heights in Whitstable.

A move down South was seen as ideal for the family with Safiah’s son studying at the University of Kent, but being in the market for a new home was an entirely new experience for her.

Safiah had been renting for a year and realised that at this stage of life, buying a new home for the family outright could be difficult, so the flexibility of the part-buy and part-rent Shared Ownership scheme was perfect as she explains:

“I needed to find a three-bedroom property that my children could call home, and with Shared Ownership I could purchase as big a share as possible right now and still be able to own more over time. For me, Shared Ownership helped give our family greater security than renting privately, offering a share in our new home and monthly payments that are more affordable for me than a full mortgage.”

With Shared Ownership presenting Safiah with a route to home ownership, the offering from Orbit Homes at Pearson Heights quickly stood out and they picked out a three-bedroom apartment.

“I looked at a few Shared Ownership developments in Canterbury and Whitstable, and to me Orbit Homes set by far the highest standard and I liked what I saw. After my first chat with the sales consultant Lesley, I also just knew that Orbit Homes would take care of me too.”

Having never bought a house herself before, Safiah felt that buying a new-build home was the right move, especially with a specification from Orbit Homes that includes many essential as standard. As Safiah adds: 

“The thought of having to deal with renovation work was too overwhelming and daunting for me, and buying new-build was the best solution for us. Now we’ve got a brand-new home with a full kitchen and appliances to match, and we’ve got the peace of mind that comes with a newly built home. It’s one less thing to deal with when moving.”

Now loving life in their new home, it’s the kitchen that is Safiah’s favourite part. And at Pearson Heights, Orbit Homes’ all-inclusive specification offers a stainless steel oven, integrated fridge freezer, integrated dishwasher and more in the kitchen as standard.

“My children love it here and I especially love the open-plan concept of the apartment. The kitchen is my favourite part of the home, and the furnishings and flooring everywhere are of a very high quality.”

As well as a new home that’s perfect for them at Pearson Heights, Safiah feels that the customer service she’s received from Orbit Homes at every step of the way has made a real difference.

“Our sales consultant Lesley has been there for me from day one. I was very nervous having never bought a home before, but she was so kind and understanding. I felt at ease with Lesley and she held my hand at every step of the way, making the process easy for me.

“After we agreed the purchase, my son fell ill and it means we have to travel to London for treatment. But Lesley and the Orbit Homes team have made sure that every viewing, meeting or exchange date has worked around this. This and the way they updated me throughout and looked out for me was very reassuring in my darkest moment.

“The staff working for Orbit Homes has really stood out to me. From Lesley and the sales team to customer care and the site team, they’re all very caring and are Orbit Homes’ biggest asset. The support I’ve received throughout has helped me during a difficult time and made the task of starting again much less daunting.”

For Safiah, Shared Ownership has paved the way to exactly the kind of new home her family need to start again, and she recommends the scheme with Orbit Homes. “I absolutely recommend Shared Ownership and the buying process was made easy. The advice I’d give is to do your research, speak to staff and ask questions.”

Safiah ‘loves’ seaside town Whitstable and how ‘peaceful’ it is after moving to the area. As well as everyday essentials including a medical centre, supermarket, restaurant and vets being in walking distance less than half a mile away, the town is brimming with boutique shops and places to eat.

A range of two and three-bedroom apartments like Safiah’s are available at Pearson Heights, to find out more about the development and to book yourself a viewing, visit: www.orbithomes.org.uk/pearson-heights

Picture caption: Safiah with her son, and labrador Sandy, at the family’s new home at Pearson Heights, where Shared Ownership with Orbit Homes has helped them make a fresh start.

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