As a Senior Reporter for one of the UK’s leading national newspapers covering stories across the capital and beyond, David Rivers needed a home well-connected to central London to keep an ear to the ground for the latest scoop.
After 18 months of renting in a shared house in Streatham Hill, David was keen to get on to the property ladder and have a place of his own.
David comments, “Living near central London is essential to my job, so I put up with renting for a long time so that I could get to work fast, and revel in the buzz of London’s news and media scene. Whilst I enjoyed the social element of living in a shared house, eventually I wanted a space to myself. After totting up my savings, I started to look at whether I might be able to get on to the ladder by myself.”
When David came across L&Q’s Weavers Quarter, he was impressed with the affordability of the apartments. Available to purchase through Shared Ownership, David could buy with a lower deposit than on the open-market, and his monthly payments would be manageable.
David adds, “It took me a year of searching before I came across Weavers Quarter, and I immediately knew it was the place for me. The affordability and location were exactly what I needed, and the apartments were much larger and fitted out to a higher specification than other developments I had seen.”
David purchased a 35% share in a one-bedroom apartment on the top floor at Weavers Quarter in central Barking.
David remarks, “On my initial visit to Weavers Quarter in October 2018 there were no one-beds available, but L&Q salesperson Tamika told me there would be another launch in January 2019. When she called in January with more launch information, I ran straight to Weavers Quarter and reserved immediately.”
Four months later David moved into his first-choice apartment, which forms one of the final phases of Shared Ownership homes at Weavers Quarter. A range of two-bedroom Shared Ownership apartments remain available at L&Q’s award-winning development, built in partnership with London Borough of Barking & Dagenham.
David mentions, “I absolutely love my home. I have a fantastic open-plan kitchen and living room which opens directly on to a balcony, plus a large bedroom with fitted wardrobe. There’s also a sleek, stylish bathroom, and plenty of storage space which comes in very handy.”
David continues, “Since buying my first home I’ve managed to cut my commute by 10 minutes, which is practically unheard of. Weavers Quarter is only 10 minutes from Barking station by foot and is serviced by the C2C, District and Hammersmith & City lines, so there are lots of routes into central London.”
It wasn’t just the transport connections in Barking which drew David to the East London borough.
David remarks, “Everything I could need is on the doorstep – there’s supermarkets, clothes shops and banks all on the high street. Match that with the affordability of Barking property and the great transport links, and you have a winning combination for first-time buyers.”
David had all the support he needed from the dedicated sales team at Weavers Quarter, helping to de-mystify the process of buying his first home, and keeping him updated with the sale.
David continues, “Tamika helped immensely throughout my purchase at Weavers Quarter. At our very first meeting she spoke me through the Shared Ownership scheme and helped to find out what I could afford. There were some delays in the move-in date as L&Q wanted to make sure my apartment was perfect before I moved in, but Tamika made sure I was always informed.”
David finishes, “I am so happy to have been able to get on to the property ladder in London, and the opportunity Shared Ownership has given me to purchase somewhere as nice as Weavers Quarter. This is a fantastic first step in my home ownership journey, and I plan to staircase to full ownership as soon as I can.”
Prices start from £89,250 for a 30% share of a two-bedroom apartment (FMV £295,000)
For more information visit: https://www.weaversquarter.co.uk , email weaversquarter@lqgroup.org.uk or alternatively call us at 0333 234 1153 to arrange a viewing between Thursday to Monday 10 AM – 5PM and on Sunday 10 AM – 4PM.