Names:
Emma & David
Ages:
40 to 45
Children:
2
Location:
Tyseley, Birmingham
History:
Renting for 7 years
Emma and David have two children, both with additional needs, and were looking for a home that could provide long-term stability and security for their family.
After seven years of renting, they had grown frustrated with moving three times in that period — each move costing them more than £1,000.
HomeNow: We’d love to get to know you a little better. Could you tell us about your family or home situation, and what made you start looking for an alternative to traditional renting or buying?
Emma and David: Both our children have additional needs, which we first discovered after moving into a rental home in Solihull in 2014. The news completely changed our plans and priorities. We focused on giving the children treasured experiences, even funding private diagnoses when NHS support wasn’t available.
Life quickly became about getting through each day, and I often had little time to think about saving or our financial future. When we did seek mortgage advice, we were told to lower our expectations and that no one would lend to us. It felt like another battle, and for a while we lost hope.
Then David came across HomeNow — and that’s what set everything in motion.
Life quickly became about getting through each day, and I often had little time to think about saving or our financial future. When we did seek mortgage advice, we were told to lower our expectations and that no one would lend to us. It felt like another battle, and for a while we lost hope.
Then David came across HomeNow — and that’s what set everything in motion.
HomeNow: Can you tell us a bit about your previous rental homes? Were they in good condition, or did you face challenges with upkeep and repairs? Looking back, would you have preferred the option to buy rather than only rent — and if so, why?
Emma and David: The rental homes we lived in were often substandard, though the lower rent made them affordable. We chose them mainly for the location, so our children could attend good schools, which was vital given their additional needs. Unfortunately, the houses often felt uncared for — one even had faulty central heating, leaving several rooms cold. We would have much preferred the chance to choose from homes that were for sale.
HomeNow: Have you ever felt the properties you rented were your “home”?
Emma and David: Our landlord lived away and mostly left us to ourselves. The downside was that repairs took a long time to get sorted. Still, after moving from a tiny terraced house, our first home in Solihull did feel like a real step forward. The children had friends nearby, the neighbourhood felt welcoming, and for a while we felt settled.
HomeNow: Have you ever been asked to leave a rental home before you were ready, and how did that affect your family’s sense of security and stability?
Emma and David: The house that first felt like home quickly became unsettled when neighbours complained about the children, and I often felt we were treated differently because we rented. When the landlord gave us six months’ notice, we moved within three as the uncertainty caused the family great anxiety — even though we had once felt secure there.
Our next rental was a two-year tenancy with a landlord who planned to return. It never felt like ours. The landlord’s parents would visit without notice, sometimes walking straight in, and we were criticised over things like the garden. The relationship was cold and transactional, and my mental health suffered. We even discovered the property had been listed for sale without our knowledge, with estate agents turning up while the children were at home. It was a constant reminder that we were just tenants, never truly settled.
Our next rental was a two-year tenancy with a landlord who planned to return. It never felt like ours. The landlord’s parents would visit without notice, sometimes walking straight in, and we were criticised over things like the garden. The relationship was cold and transactional, and my mental health suffered. We even discovered the property had been listed for sale without our knowledge, with estate agents turning up while the children were at home. It was a constant reminder that we were just tenants, never truly settled.
HomeNow: What were your own biggest challenges to being able to save enough for a house deposit?
Emma and David: Saving while paying expensive and rising property costs (meaning the required deposit was increasing over time).
HomeNow: What first attracted you to the HomeNow proposition?
Emma and David: In order of importance:
1. The opportunity to own the property you are living in after 5 years
2. Security of a 5-year tenancy
3. Sharing in the house price increase
4. Choosing my own home
5. Financial security of 5-year fixed rent
6. Rent no longer dead money
1. The opportunity to own the property you are living in after 5 years
2. Security of a 5-year tenancy
3. Sharing in the house price increase
4. Choosing my own home
5. Financial security of 5-year fixed rent
6. Rent no longer dead money
HomeNow: Given your experience of HomeNow to date, how can we improve the experience of helping you (or others) to rent then buy your own home?
Emma and David: A breakdown of costs along the way would have been helpful, especially as the process took several months during Covid and it was sometimes hard to remember what had been agreed. That said, the HomeNow team has been fantastic throughout.
We got to know the HomeNow team over the months and they were always caring, considerate and polite — such a contrast to what we’d experienced before. A lovely moment was when they offered to let us choose the carpets, which made the home feel truly ours. HomeNow also gave us tips about moving into a new build, let us keep the welcome box, and even bought us new home gifts.
Being able to choose our own fixtures and furnishings, and knowing no one else had lived here before, felt like such a treat. At first, I almost didn’t feel like we deserved it — but now I know we do. We’ll always be grateful to HomeNow, and we absolutely love our beautiful new home.
We got to know the HomeNow team over the months and they were always caring, considerate and polite — such a contrast to what we’d experienced before. A lovely moment was when they offered to let us choose the carpets, which made the home feel truly ours. HomeNow also gave us tips about moving into a new build, let us keep the welcome box, and even bought us new home gifts.
Being able to choose our own fixtures and furnishings, and knowing no one else had lived here before, felt like such a treat. At first, I almost didn’t feel like we deserved it — but now I know we do. We’ll always be grateful to HomeNow, and we absolutely love our beautiful new home.