After living with her parents, Jaye decided that it was the right time to buy a two-bedroom property of her own. She was initially attracted to Moat Homes' Russet Grove, Marden, due to the lovely surrounding area and its proximity to a train station with links into London.
Russet Grove is in the heart of the Kent countryside, offering peaceful village living near the bustling towns of Maidstone and Royal Tunbridge Wells. After realising the development ticked all of her boxes, Jaye reserved an apartment off-plan in October 2020. This means she bought it before it was built, which allowed her to secure a highly sought-after home before the properties sold out. She decided to purchase a 30% share of the property, an affordable option for her to begin with.
She said: “As I’d be living by myself, the shared ownership scheme made it possible for me to own something. I really don’t know what other options I’d have had if I hadn’t gone down this route. The fact it’s a lovely new-build property is such a bonus.”
Fortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic didn’t affect Jaye’s purchase much: “Things were a little bit slower and mortgage lenders were more cautious but overall, all went really well. Moat was great – the clear communication and constant contact was really good for my first-time buyer experience.”