Brompton Bicycle Training Co-ordinator Louisa, 37, felt like her life was in limbo after two London landlords in three years sold up and she was once again in a position where she was trying to find somewhere to live.
Having rented in London and abroad for the last 12 years Louisa decided it was time to buy her own property, but, despite keeping a very close eye on savings, she didn’t know what she could actually afford to buy.
“In all honestly, I thought I’d only be able to buy through Shared Ownership and so I looked around a few of those, as well as one place in Islington that must have dated back to the 70s. It was full of damp and looked nothing like the photos”, explains Louisa.
“I didn’t think I had any other choice if I wanted to buy on my own, until two of my friends who had bought flats at Pocket Living developments told me that Pocket offers a 20% discount on their homes, only sells to first time buyers and you own 100% of the property, and so I should take a look at what was currently for sale.”
Pocket Living is an innovative housing developer, which delivers discounted one-bedroom apartments exclusively to first-time buyers living or working in London, with homes currently for sale in Walthamstow, Finchley and East Croydon.
Sold on Pocket’s Forest Road
“I had seen that Pocket had recently launched a new development in Walthamstow, which looked great. I have quite a few friends in the Walthamstow area who have been trying to recruit me for a while so when I saw that they were hosting a viewing day I registered straight away and had a viewing two days later”, says Louisa.
With prices starting from £298,000, Louisa found that the homes fell perfectly within her price range.
“I definitely couldn’t afford anything where I was renting in Hackney and after seeing the Pocket homes I just didn’t think I’d get something of the same quality that would be 100% mine in a better area or price range so I was very much sold straight away.”
Louisa bought a south-west facing one-bedroom apartment with a Juliet balcony at Pocket Living’s Forest Road E17 development in Walthamstow, where half of the 90 energy-efficient homes have already sold.
“I moved into my new flat in July and am really loving it. I have some great natural light and beautiful views, which was a really important factor for me. I love that Forest Road is next to the William Morris gallery and Lloyd Park and I have been enjoying cycling around on my bike exploring new parts of the area”, says Louisa.
Community vibe in Walthamstow
Designed to foster a reassuring sense of community spirit, Forest Road E17 has a host of communal spaces for residents to enjoy including two roof terraces where residents can make use of the shared allotment beds to grow fruit and veg, use the space to exercise, or relax with neighbours in the seating areas with a cup of coffee.
“This was my first time living alone and at first I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to feel but it has actually been really great. It is peaceful in my home but if I want to hang out with people I can just pop out to the terrace and have a chat with my neighbours”, Louisa explains.
“When I moved in there was a QR code in my post box which directed me to the residents’ WhatsApp chat, which was really nice and an easy way to connect with people. My dad had actually gifted me a five litre box of rosé wine as a move in present so I sent a message on the chat saying I’ll be on the terrace later today if you want to join me for a drink. Everyone is really friendly and have been particularly helpful in lending me their tools and DIY advice during the first few weeks of being here.”
As named by The Telegraph’s travel experts as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in Britain, Walthamstow’s mix of independent shops, quirky restaurants, pubs and bakeries, green spaces and quintessential village vibe has seen the area rise up the popularity ranks in recent years for London homeowners.
Louisa agrees: “Walthamstow has a really strong sense of community, it feels very chilled out and a good place to buy your first home. As a place, I think it is only going to get better.”
Walthamstow Central Station is a 12-minute walk from Forest Road E17, where residents can catch the Victoria Line to destinations including King’s Cross, Oxford Street and Victoria, or the Overground, where trains run regularly into Liverpool Street Station. The development is also well served by local bus routes, with three bus stops less than five minutes away.
“There is a bus stop right outside my home, which is great if I am travelling home at night, but the area is also pretty bike friendly so will often cycle part of my way to work”, says Louisa.
Prices for the one-bedroom Pocket apartments at Forest Road E17 start from £298,000.
To be eligible to purchase a Pocket home at Forest Road E17, the prospective buyer can’t already own another property, and must live or work in London. All buyers must earn under the Mayor of London’s income threshold for affordable housing (currently £90,000). When the homes are sold on, new purchasers must meet the original criteria including a household income below the Mayor of London’s affordable housing threshold.
Buyers own 100% of their property, which are sold at a 20% discount to the local market.
For more information or to register interest, prospective buyers can visit www.pocketliving.com or call 020 7291 3683.
