Horizon Case Studies
Since we began the Horizon incentive scheme for Intermediate rent in 2019, we have assisted 12 households with their journey into homeownership.
So far we have contributed £54,000 and this total keeps increasing.
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See how we have helped our past tenant's below:
Ian Legg
Ian rented one of our Victoria Wharf flats and during the two years he was with us he managed to accrue £4000 towards his shared ownership property.
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Ian very proudly showed us his purple hallway in the flat he was able to decorate thanks to being able to purchase a share of the leasehold. He shares his thoughts below:
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I knew to do a shared ownership thing (that I thought would be the long term plan for purchases in London) I'd need to register with a council to continue with the process. So as my work is in Camden and Westminster, I registered on both their websites for council housing.
And within 6 month I was contacted by Westminster community homes with the offer of a viewing of the newly built Victoria Wharf. I had to decline as was on holiday. However a month later I was invited again... So I went to see it, passed the criteria (minimum £40k max £70k work in the borough etc) and then lived there 2 years.
So the intermediate rent and step into ownership was all explained at the viewing.
I moved to Beames road in Harlesden NW10 (15 minutes bus ride away from VW [Victoria Wharf])
It's a shared ownership getting in with £8k that I'd managed to save while living at VW with the reduced rent
I'd recommend it. As the reduced rent led to me building up a deposit.
It was a lovely brand new build. It was a lovely location on the canal. Nothing to complain about. And the £4k I got back was incredibly handy when setting up a new 2 bed flat. Needing beds, curtains, etc...
I'd tried moving to Milton Keynes previously to save, which didn't really work. To save I would either have to lower my standards a lot and go for just a shared room in a house/flat. One with no lounge. To make living cheaper or move further away. Neither of which were happening. I was age 39 and had no deposit when I moved into VW. So without the reduced rent I probably wouldn't have a deposit until inheritance comes through.
Only note would be
Use the opportunity with the reduced rent
Don't waste the saving and time to get moving forward
It's fab owning even a portion
Can decorate how you like
I'm rather fond of my statement purple hall with all the art
The multi coloured splashback is also a favourite, and as it's my
place worth spending the money to fit it and protect the walls
The bedroom funky wall, I think it's fun with the colours and shapes.
And as I own... I can have pets without landlord issues
There's Basil and Lucifer
A tenant purchased one of our Shared Ownership properties.
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Their response to our feedback questionnaire is as follows:
How you came by the Horizon scheme?
I was fortunate enough to come across this scheme through an old neighbour of mine who had been on the same scheme with WCH.
Would you recommend the scheme?
I would certainly recommend the scheme. This scheme is very helpful and allowing first time buyers to not only get access to affordable rental prosperities but to get on the property ladder.
Were the policies put in place with the scheme easy to adhere to?
Yes! I feel the policy was straightforward and very easy to follow.
How long would it have taken you to afford your own place without the scheme?
It would have taken me a little longer or I would have had to rely on family contribution. The scheme is very helpful and comes in handy with all the other expenses that come along when buying a property. Every little help!
Have you any comments that we can share with others?
I have had a lovely experience with WCH. Everyone has been professional, helpful and willing to help and support. I encourage everyone who may be eligible to this scheme to register with WCH. After all, buying a property in London as a first-time buyer is near impossible let alone in London. I am very grateful to everyone. I am very happy in my new home.
Diah Lestya
Diah was a tenant with us in Bramwell House, Churchill Gardens Estate, Pimlico. During her two year tenancy Diah was able to save as well as benefit from the £4000 incentive funds for the Horizon scheme. We got in touch with her recently to see how she was getting on:
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How are you since we last spoke?
"I'm fine and settled in my new home"
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"I have attached a picture of my current flat. I managed
to secure a quite spacious 3br flat with a balcony, and
proud to say that this space is actually mine. Strangely
after moving into this flat I’ve gone a bit mad with plants!"
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​How you came by the Horizon scheme?
"I was looking for affordable home to rent on sharetobuy.com"​
Shared ownership or bought outright?
"Shared ownership."
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Would you recommend the scheme?
"Yes."
Were the policies put in place with the scheme easy to adhere to?
"Yes they were, and support I got from the people was amazing
from start to the end. They were approachable, informative and
very prompt."
How long would it have taken you to afford your own place without the scheme?
"4 years. It cut the time to 50%. I still can’t afford to buy a place outright but its still something that I own and I have more space to live with my daughter.​"
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Diah added:
"The home I lived in the Horizon scheme was finished to a high standard. I would really recommend this scheme if you are saving towards buying a property. It helped a lot, I was saving to be able to afford a decent place so that my daughter can to move in back with me after getting a divorce. I initially targeted to save for 4 years, but with this scheme I can afford to buy a shared ownership flat in just 2 years."
Andrea and Martina
This couple went on to buy a property outright thanks to assistance from the Horizon scheme which helped them to save during the tenancy and provided them with £4000 cash towards their deposit.
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How you came by the Horizon scheme?
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I came about the Horizon Scheme via a friend who recently had joined the Westminster Homeownership community via the Intermediate Rent scheme. My partner and I decided to register also and explored the available scheme. We instantly liked the Horizon Scheme because we always wanted to buy our own place, and we knew that this scheme could have helped us a little bit.
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Shared ownership or bought outright?
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We bought outright
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Would you recommend the scheme?
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I would definitely recommend the scheme to anyone who is seeking to purchase their own place. Horizon Scheme, in fact, not only allows to access affordable renting which ultimately helps saving up money month after month, but it grants an accumulated fund which can be used to cover legal fees during the purchase process.
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How long would it have taken you to afford your own place without the scheme?
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We would have probably needed few more years for sure. Luckily, we were able to purchase our own place before interest rate spikes of the last year.
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Have you any comments that we can share with others?
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The scheme is very easy to access to, so do not feel discouraged if your application for a home is not successful. Westminster is building a lot of new builds and there will be a lot of opportunities coming.
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What do you love about your new home?
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I love the fact that we have are homeowners, we do not have to depend anymore into rentals' contract which will expire. We are now in a place we happily call home, where we are free to make the changes we wish to do, and in which we are building a family.
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How long did it take to save?
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It took us several years to save up enough money to cover the deposit needed. However, being in a scheme such as the Horizon one, it allowed use to speed up the process and to afford the exact place we were looking for.
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Attached are three photo's that the couple sent for us to add to their case study. "One from the day when we took the keys, one showing the change in the flooring (changes you can perform if you are homeowner) and the third one which shows our balcony (we are particularly proud and happy to have such a nice balcony. "