Rana Dincer Slough (41) and her husband Denis Slough (53) always had the dream of buying their first home in 2019. British citizen Rana moved to the UK from Turkey in 2011 as a language student and was planning on living in London until a friend suggested she try Brighton.
Rana explains, “I fell in love with Brighton as soon as I visited. After living in Turkey I really love living close to the sea and decided to stay and rent a property. In Turkey, we have a strong tradition of owning a home so over the years I saved as much as I could with the view to eventually buying a property.
“I studied to become an accountant and met Denis in 2014 and we got married in 2016. Denis, a nursery practitioner, had been living in rented accommodation in Hove since 2009 and we were both keen to stay in the area so we continued to rent in Hove whilst saving and gave ourselves the goal of buying in 2019.
“I always thought it would be towards the end of the year that we would buy, but when we saw the details of the launch of a new development, Artisan by Southern Home Ownership we decided to look into it further. We didn’t know anything about Shared Ownership as it isn’t something that is available in Turkey and when I explained it to my family, they thought we just bought a room in a house.
“We viewed the development on the launch date in January and really liked what we saw but we weren’t sure if we had enough to afford it. The sales advisor talked us through how Shared Ownership would work and showed us a number of apartments.
“We were both really tired of living in older properties that needed lots of work doing to them so when we walked into the brand new apartments it was amazing, you could feel the quality throughout and it was so light and airy. We liked a one-bedroom apartment which had a kitchen and large open plan living/dining room which is perfect for us as we love cooking together and the balcony with a partial view of the sea just topped it off.”
Rana and Denis have purchased a one-bedroom apartment at Artisan. Rana continues, “The sales advisor was really helpful and recommended solicitors and mortgage advisors who made the whole process really easy for us and we moved into our new home two months later. We are so happy and love living here. We would really recommend Shared Ownership because it is a really easy way of owning your own property.”
Artisan is a contemporary collection of one, two and three-bedroom luxurious apartments by Southern Home Ownership. Situated in the popular Seven Dials district and less than a mile away from the hustle and bustle of Hove, there is a selection of quirky cafés, pubs, restaurants and shops all within easy reach.
Each home has been beautifully crafted, boasting stylish interiors, flexible living areas and a private balcony for unwinding, relaxing and enjoying the scenery. Artisan also benefits from superb transport connections, with both Hove and Brighton railway stations just a short walk away. It is also just a short stroll from the beach.
The homes have been built using sustainable materials, which have been carefully selected because of their low impact on the environment. Inside, there are A-rated appliances in the kitchen, an efficient central heating system, new insulation and low energy lighting throughout, which all help to reduce household bills as well as your carbon footprint.
The development itself has been built to be environmentally friendly, with good recycling facilities on-site as well as water meters, to prevent wastage. Local wildlife and greenery have been considered throughout the construction of Artisan and there are a number of trees and hedges scattered throughout the site, which add to the pretty surroundings and provides habitats for local species.
Nestled on a hilltop, north-west of the city centre, Seven Dials is a vibrant district in Brighton and Hove which owes its name to the seven roads that radiate out from the Seven Dials Roundabout. Each road leads out to a number of popular areas and attractions including the city centre, the seafront and the natural beauty spot Devil’s Dyke – so you’ll be well placed to explore the area.
Seven Dials bursting with character and is home to a variety of stylish wine bars, deli’s, restaurants, cafés and shops, as well as picturesque open green spaces. There’s a constant creative buzz in the air – from the small shops selling local, handcrafted goods to the Seven Dials Artist’s Group and their unique displays, it’s an inspiring place to live.