How Shared Ownership can help Londoners escape high rents

If you’re looking to get on the housing ladder then a range of new Shared Ownership properties (some in Zone 1) appeal this autumn

Fears of a rise in stamp duty for first time buyers were allayed yesterday when Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the rise would only affect second home buyers. The news means landlords may struggle to continue to invest in further property, with the increased taxation likely to force rents up higher.

It may be the news that inspires you to look at ways of getting on the ladder for the first time. We’ve found a couple of new properties at approachable price points via Shared Ownership, and within easy reach of the capital if now feels like the right time for you to consider a purchase.

Horlicks Quarter, Slough

The Australian version of The Office has just landed (to terrible reviews, but nevermind) so we thought it might be time to celebrate where the show started, in the London commuter town of Slough. Made a laughing stock in the comedy series that made Ricky Gervais famous, the town is actually well located for people working in the city who want some peace and quiet away from the chaos.

One broadsheet paper recently named the Berkshire town as the ‘best commuter town in the UK,’ thanks to its high quality schools, good train networks into the capital and high employment figures. Sovereign Network Group has released 25 properties as a part of the Horlicks Quarter development that are available via the Shared Ownership scheme. Set within landscaped parks, they overlook plenty of greenery as well as the original Horlicks factory building where the hot chocolate drink was once made.

A ten minute walk from Slough town centre and train station, the properties are available with one and two bedrooms, and arrive with contemporary fixtures and fittings prioritising plenty of natural light.

Shared Ownership in central London: Lumiere Edition at New Mansion Square Battersea

Shared Ownership absolutely does not mean having to leave London. Properties available at the Lumiere Edition in Battersea can help new owners get on the ladder in the centre of town. Prices begin at £140,000 for a 25% share of a one bedroom apartment with a full market value of £560,000. Every home has a balcony, and Peabody describe the properties as “spectacular, light-filled, dual-aspect one-bedroom Shared Ownership homes with contemporary designs.”

Renderings show spacious apartments decorated in warm, natural colour tones with plenty of socialising space. Within a few minutes’ walk of Battersea Park and the new Battersea Power Station shopping and leisure complex, the apartments will also be a stone’s throw from the River Thames.

Access to a communal residents’ lounge is included with every purchase and a bookable film screening room is also on site. Here is an unusual opportunity to buy centrally even with a more challenging budget. Properties at Horlicks Quarter are available from £96,250 based on buying a 25 per cent share.

Find out about Shared Ownership on the official government website. For more information go to sovereignliving.org.uk/developments/sovereign- at-the-horlicks-quarter/2-bed-apartment-type-05-slough or call 0300 330 0718. For information on Limiere Edition visit Peabodynewhomes.co.uk or call 0203 930 9845.

Read more: ‘I bought in London using shared ownership – and cut my commute’