Shared ownership scheme makes homes affordable for more buyers

A new shared ownership scheme has made a range of family-size houses in the Wiltshire village of Alderbury affordable for more buyers.

The four-bedroom houses at Linden Homes’ Pembroke Gardens development near Salisbury are now available with the new Home Stepper scheme.

Linden Homes has joined forces with Sage Homes, which is the largest provider of new-build affordable homes in England, to launch the scheme.

It means buyers who might struggle to purchase a property at full market value can buy a percentage of the house and then pay rent on the rest.

Melanie Richards, sales and marketing director for Linden Homes, said: “The Home Stepper scheme has just changed everything for homebuyers who thought moving into the kind of home they wanted was simply out of the question.

“By allowing buyers to purchase part of the property and pay rent on the rest it allows people to choose the home they want, without compromise.

“It is a real source of pride to launch the Home Stepper scheme with Sage Homes, because it gives us the flexibility to offer shared ownership homes where they were not previously available, and it enables customers to afford a home with the quality and space they need.”

Iain McPherson, chief operating officer at Sage Homes, said: “We’ve been able to deliver almost 12,000 affordable homes in just over five years by working closely with our partners, so I’m delighted to take this further by introducing Home Stepper.

“Our new Home Stepper scheme aims to make the Shared Ownership product available in more locations to more aspiring homeowners looking for attractive and high-quality homes to call their own.”

Linden Homes is part of Vistry Group, which also includes Bovis Homes and Countryside Homes.