According to Aster Group, 64% of people surveyed agreed that more affordable housing is needed across the UK – with 69% of key workers agreeing that more Shared Ownership homes should be built . Helping to meet this demand is David Wilson Homes, who has recently released its latest phase of Shared Ownership homes at its Maidstone development The Poppies in partnership with Home Reach.
With a 60/40 split of private and affordable homes planned at the development, the release of these Shared Ownership homes marks the latest milestone at The Poppies. A total of 66 homes will be available, offering a mixture of two, three and four-bedroom houses from £190,000 for a 50% share, with apartments coming in 2026.
Home Reach provides an alternative low-cost route to homeownership, helping to tackle increasing loan to value mortgage requirements and stricter lending criteria. Using the scheme, buyers can purchase a share of their new home, starting from 50%, paying a mortgage on the part they own and a reduced monthly rent on the remainder. Deposits can be as low as five per cent of the share that they are buying, and there is the opportunity to purchase more shares over time through a process known as staircasing and eventually own 100% of the home.
The properties will be available to those who meet the Shared Ownership eligibility criteria. Top priority will be given to households with a local connection to Larkfield ward or Aylesford South and Ditton ward in line with the definition of local connection in the Council’s Affordable Home Ownership Discount Sale Policy.
Secondary priority will then be given to households with a local connection to the rest of the Borough of Tonbridge and Malling. Households will also be awarded priority under any relevant government policy or guidance and capital funding criteria in place at the time of sale.
Natalie Perry, Sales and Marketing Director for David Wilson Kent, comments: “We’ve seen an exceptional response for previous Shared Ownership homes at The Poppies, cementing the fact that the demand is certainly there for more affordable routes to owning a home. With stagnant wages and stubborn mortgage rates, people in the South East are often hit hardest with ways to access the property ladder. Home Reach is a strong solution for a range of buyers at various stages in their property journey whether it be traditional first-time buyers or even downsizers. Our partnership with Home Reach has already seen success at other developments in Kent, and we’re pleased to offer even more potential buyers the opportunity to unlock access to homeownership.”
Melissa Toomey, Director of Sales at Heylo, comments; “We are delighted to continue our strong partnership, working closely with David Wilson Kent at this exceptional development to bring even more Shared Ownership homes to The Poppies. The previous phase sold out quickly, with fantastic feedback on the quality of homes and customer service delivered by the David Wilson Kent sales team. We have no doubt we will see the same success with the latest release of Shared Ownership homes.”
