Make a fresh start with Family Mosaic

Fancy renting a period character apartment in one of London’s coolest enclaves? That’ll set you back around £1,000 per month. Fancy buying one? You can for roughly two-thirds of that, as Neil Mountain found when he discovered Family Mosaic’s Millbrook Road development, a careful refurbishment of terraced houses that forms a collection of three one-bedroom, three two-bedroom and two three-bedroom apartments situated on a quiet residential no-through road.

"I’m still pinching myself," says Neil, 49. "I can’t believe I’m living somewhere with such a real vibe and buzz. I was incredibly lucky to find it."

Neil had lived for the past 24 years in a council flat. Earlier this year he was given four weeks’ notice to leave, so had to find a new home fast. A friend told him about the Millbrook Road development and Family Mosaic’s affordable shared ownership scheme, and Neil’s parents helped him with the deposit.

"My tenancy of the previous flat was somewhat tenuous," he admits; "it’s a huge relief to have the security and peace of mind of my own home at last. I bought 25% of a £190,000 flat – that’s £47,000. I pay rent on the remaining 75%, and a service charge, but even combining my mortgage repayments, the rent and the service charge I’m still spending only £670 per month – a huge saving on rents in this area."

Neil chose the lower ground-floor apartment at Millbrook Road, formerly the development’s show home. It came equipped with integrated oven, hob, extractor fan, fridge/freezer and washer/dryer, fitted carpets in the bedrooms, and a thermostatically controlled shower in the bathroom.

And, most unusually at this price, the flat has its own private garden – "a fantastic size, about 20 metres long!" according to Neil.

Neil, who manages a hairdressing salon in Clapham, moved in to his new home on 4 June, three months after his first viewing. "Family Mosaic were absolutely fantastic," he says.

"I took all their advice, used their people and did as I was told. I’ve heard of other people buying shared ownership and there has sometimes been a problem somewhere along the line. But I had nothing but a positive experience."

With a growing reputation as one of London’s most exciting areas, Brixton has become a magnet for trendy young Londoners, pushing average rental prices to £1,000 a month for a one-bedroom apartment. As well as a vibrant entertainment scene, which includes the famed Brixton Academy, Brixton offers superb tube access to Victoria, Oxford Circus and Kings Cross St Pancras in under 20 minutes.

All the apartments in Millbrook Road have now been sold. To be eligible for the part-rent, part-buy scheme, purchasers needed to be living or working in the London Borough of Lambeth, earning less than £60,000 and buying an apartment as their first and only home. For further information, visit: familymosaicsales.co.uk