“I’d thought for years: 'I’d love to have a home like this', and now I do”

Renting in Chesterton, Cambridge, Corrina felt motivated by the birth of her son to step onto the property ladder.

“Renting always feels temporary,” Corrina explains, “I wanted my own place for ages and ages, somewhere that truly felt like mine. Having Noah, my son, really cemented this for me. I just wanted a place we’d feel secure in.”

“Honestly, I wasn’t properly looking for a home at all because I assumed I just couldn’t afford it, and I was on the fence about going for a viewing, but then Phoebe [an L&Q Sales Team member] showed me around L&Q at Marleigh,” says Corrina.

L&Q at Marleigh is a charming new neighbourhood conveniently situated just three miles from Cambridge city centre, surrounded by green spaces and benefiting from an array of onsite amenities.

“As soon as I walked into the show home at L&Q at Marleigh I thought, ‘wow, this is actually perfect’. There was a boy’s bedroom, decorated so beautifully, and I could just see Noah in there.”

“I was also really swayed by the fact it was a new build. That was important to me, because I didn’t want any hassle – I just wanted to move in, especially with a newborn. I have enough on my plate, I didn’t want to add home renovation into the mix,” she laughs.

Corrina put down a reservation fee a home at L&Q at Marleigh on the day of her first viewing.

“I’m a single mum, and I really through there’d be no way I’d be able to afford my own home, as I didn’t have loads in savings. That’s where Shared Ownership came in. I wouldn’t have been able to step onto the property ladder any other way,” she explains.

Using her savings, Corrina put down a deposit for a 25% share of her new home. When asked about her buying process, Corrina recalls: “There was some faff getting a mortgage, because I’m self-employed, but once I found a viable lender, everything else went pretty smoothly. Phoebe in particular was amazing. I had lots of questions as a first-time buyer, and she was super reassuring, always on the end of the phone.”

Now settling into life at L&Q at Marleigh, Corrina reflects on the draws of the development: “You’ve kind of got everything you need here, really, whether you have kids or you don’t. There’s an Italian deli onsite that’s brilliant – they know us by name now, which is so nice. I go there for a coffee pretty much every day!”

“Noah goes to the nursery here, which is so convenient. It’s literally around the corner. There’s a Co-op and plenty of green space close by. We go on lovely little walks in a wooded area near us. R3FORM Pilates studio is less than a 5-minute walk from me, and I’ve actually taught a workshop there. It’s a real bonus having this here.”

“Overall, there’s a sense of community here. Everyone will say hello to you, and you feel like you’re in a safe place. I think that’s important for me being a new mum – I want to feel safe. It’s very easy to live here.”

Feeling like she’s found a sense of stability, Corrina is already considering staircasing to 100% ownership of her new home. “I see myself staying here for a good while. There are plenty of well-rated schools around, which is perfect for Noah, and we’re in easy reach of the city centre. I’m in Cambridge, without the major hustle and bustle.”

“I’d thought for years: 'I’d love to have a home like this', and now friends are coming to me and saying the same thing.”