First time buyer saves over £1k with Shared Ownership in Brentford
For many first-time buyers, owning a home can feel like a distant dream, while rising rents continue to eat into monthly budgets. But for civil servant Connor Moody (31) and his scientist girlfriend Lowri Thomas (32), taking the leap onto the property ladder has completely transformed their lives. After swapping renting for Shared Ownership and a one bedroom apartment at Sovereign Network Group’s (SNG’s) Post House development in Brentford, West London, the couple are now saving more than £1,000 every month - money that was previously disappearing into private renting. Now, Connor and Lowri are enjoying their first home and the financial benefits that comes with it.
Welsh-born Connor and Lowri previously rented a one bedroom flat in Wandsworth, South London. After saving into a lifetime ISA both separately and together for a few years, in October 2025 they decided it was time to buy. Speaking on behalf of the couple, Connor comments: “We knew we always wanted to buy a home together, and given how expensive renting is and how severely it drains your income, getting onto the property ladder was an even more important step for us. We needed to stay close to Central London as I work in Westminster, so we began to look into London boroughs that were both affordable and attractive. We agreed on Brentford as it’s very centralised, it’s along the river and the commute time is under an hour.”
After looking at one other development near Kew Bridge, in March 2026 Connor and Lowri chose to buy at Post House, owing to the development’s more exclusive feel. The property they chose was priced at £395,000 (FMV), and they bought a 25% share for £98,750 with a 10% deposit of £9,875.
Connor says: “We loved Post House as we felt there’s a more exclusive community here. Compared to the other development we saw, Post House was more private, with less people living in a block. We prefer a smaller, quieter community compared to a huge tower block with over 1000 residents, so Post House was perfect for us.”
He continues: “Since moving in, our monthly outgoings have more than halved which is absolutely incredible. In our previous rental apartment, we were paying around £2,100 a month for rent, bills and utilities. Here, we’re only paying around £1,100 with all bills included, and we’re in a brand new home close to the city. It’s the equivalent to receiving a £20,000 pay rise – I truly can’t believe it.”
Speaking of Shared Ownership, Connor comments: “The Shared Ownership scheme was really valuable in helping us buy our first home. It made a London property more affordable; most London homes require nearly a £100,000 deposit which just isn’t feasible for anyone. I think in the current climate, it’s the most appropriate and easy way to buy a property in London. Without it, we would have had to continue spending extortionate amounts on renting, and we would never have been able to buy a home.”
Post House is situated on London Road in Brentford, just a five minute walk into the bustling High Street and the River Thames. Connor explains: “Brentford is everything we could want in a location. There are lots of standard everyday amenities including a Tesco Extra a 10 minute walk away, and there’s lots to do at weekends too. We’re opposite Syon Park with its Grade II listed building, lovely greenery and cattle – it doesn’t feel like you’re in London at all, and we regularly go over there for picnics. The commute is brilliant too. Lowri works in Staines and her commute is now only 20 minutes which she finds really helpful. Mine is also very easy, it takes around 50 minutes to get into Westminster via one bus and then the district line, or an hour from Syon Park station to Waterloo on the overground.”
Connor and Lowri love the new amenities that come with a new build home. Connor says: “Our favourite part of our apartment is the balcony. It gives us lots of opportunity to enjoy the fresh air and views across to the Gilette Factory, another very scenic listed building in Brentford. We love the modern finishes too. In our rented flat we had no freezer space and the appliances were all quite dated. Here, we have a brand new fridge/freezer, dishwasher and oven which are all top quality and actually work. It makes such a difference to our quality of life.”
Connor concludes: “At the moment, we’re enjoying making the apartment our own, it’s a nice project we can work together on. In the future, we’d ideally like to staircase to 50% when our fixed rate comes to an end in a couple of years depending on how interest rates are looking at that time. Further into the future we would ideally like to move back to Wales, and the difference in property prices means that now we’re on the property ladder, we could easily buy a three bedroom house in Wales for the same price of this apartment in London. The difference is crazy!”