Joy as Wandsworth Council helps residents to buy homes

“It all felt unreal and too good to be true until I made my application and took the step to secure a brand-new home in a beautiful location." 

Kate Stevens had been a council tenant all her life and was living with her husband and two children in a one-bedroom flat when she first heard about the House Purchase Grant (HPG) through the council’s Brightside magazine. “After realising I was eligible, I made a conscious decision to do what I could to get my family out of social housing and on to the property ladder.” 

The HPG can provide up to £120,000 to council tenants to be used to buy their own home on the open market in Wandsworth or elsewhere, towards a share of a new build shared ownership property, or to make improvements to an existing home. 

Grants are available subject to the size of the home you currently live in and the council has recently increased the maximum level of grant it can provide to tenants living in three and four bedroom properties. 

By doing so, tenants free up a council home for residents on council waiting lists. 

Kate and her family eventually settled in Kent. “Moving into our new home was a very special moment. We have space for a table and chairs so we can eat dinner together and have dinner parties. We have a garden for the kids to play in, and everything has a place so it’s easy to keep clean and tidy.”    

Kate was impressed with how the team handled the process. “They answered all my many questions even before I joined the scheme. They essentially hold your hand through the process and remain calm and collected even if you may not be! It’s a relatively slick process and the level of communication is very high so there are no surprises. They even call you the day of the move to make sure everything is going to plan and wish you luck!”  

Rebecca Akin had been a council tenant from a very young age. She wanted to own her own home but due to rising interest rates and being a mum of two small children she found it was difficult to be able to buy.  

“The housing team reached me and informed me of the HPG scheme which I hadn't heard of before.  

Rebecca now lives in a larger home where her children have their own bedrooms and space to play in the garden. 

“Raising kids, you always want more for them and I felt this is an up-and-coming development which isn't overcrowded and could help kids thrive to be their best.” 

Rebecca described the whole process as “smooth like butter!”. 
 
“I want to say a big thank you to everyone who made this possible for me and my children. You have changed our lives and given us a new platform to flourish and grow. I am in a happy place!”   

Kate would recommend others to do the same thing. “If you have dreamed of owning your own home, I would encourage you to research the HPG or other schemes on offer by the council and just go for it. Take a leap of faith!”    

Unlike Right to Buy, residents purchasing a property through the HPG allows the council to retain its stock and frees up a home for residents currently on council waiting lists.  

Tenants do not need to be a first-time buyer, so long as they do not own another property and have been a council tenant for more than two years.   

Find out more about the House Purchase Grant.