Story posted: 09/05/2025
Zanya had been living in a housing association, rented property in Essex for the past twelve years. With a growing family, she increasingly felt the need for more space. Despite several years of bidding for a larger home through the housing register, Social Worker Zanya found herself stuck in a long queue.
“I just wasn’t having any luck moving forward,” she explains, “I realised I needed to explore other options if I wanted to secure a better future for my children. I had previously considered the Right to Acquire scheme, but with only a two-bedroom home and a modest 5% discount on offer, it didn’t feel like a worthwhile investment.”
About three years ago, Zanya began looking into new developments, and though she narrowly missed out on a property at the time, it sparked her determination to find an alternative route onto the property ladder. That’s when she discovered Sempra Homes’ upcoming shared ownership developments.
“I saw that Sempra was building new shared ownership homes locally and decided to keep a close eye on their progress,” Zanya recalls. “Shared ownership seemed like a far more realistic option than continuing to pay rent with nothing to show for it. So, I registered my interest with Sempra Homes.”
Zanya describes how closely she followed the development as it took shape. “It became a bit of an obsession. I knew getting a home through Sempra was the right move for us. I kept in regular contact with the sales team and made sure I was ready when the right opportunity came along.”
“I came back from holiday in October 2024 and saw that one of the Sempra developments was launching for a spring move-in, and I decided to just go for it,” says Zanya. “I was so desperate to get a three-bedroom home for my family that I figured, it's a new build, it's bound to be a good standard and worth taking a chance. I thought, let me just roll the dice and see what happens.”
In fact, Zanya was so confident in her decision that she didn’t even view the property in person before reserving it.
“I’d seen the show home images on the Share to Buy website and knew the show home was slightly larger, but when I watched the virtual tour of the three-bedroom home, I just knew this was the one. I didn’t actually see the home or visit the development in person until a month before I was due to sign everything.”
Zanya and her partner Ryan moved into their new home in March 2025 and have been enjoying making it their own ever since.
“The girls, Kaiya and Maya, are 16 and four, and they absolutely love having their own rooms.” She says. “It's made such a difference to their quality of life. Everything is fresh – new carpets, fresh paint – it just feels like a proper family home.”
Zanya found the shared ownership process smooth and straightforward.
“It allowed me to get on the property ladder with a smaller deposit, which made all the difference. I can still afford to take the kids on holiday each year, but now I’m also investing in our future. And the best part is, I have the option to buy more shares in the home when the time’s right.”
The benefits of her new home are already showing up in her finances too.
“This home is so much better than my previous one. That place was electricity only, and my bills were actually higher than my rent – it just didn’t make sense. Now, with solar panels and a smart meter, I’m seeing energy costs of around £2 a day. It's amazing. The homes are heated through gas, but the solar panels sell energy back to the grid, which gets credited to my account. I’m definitely not going to be paying anywhere near what I was before.”
She also praises the overall quality of the home.
“You can tell it's been built to a really high specification. Even little things like the door handles – you can see the quality. And the garden is just lovely. It's so nice to have our own outdoor space to enjoy in the summer.”
Zanya has been recommending shared ownership to her friends.
“If your financial situation is anything like mine, where a large deposit feels out of reach but you can manage a smaller one, then go for it. I keep telling my friends they’ve got to look into shared ownership. Otherwise, the other option was the private rented sector, paying rent but not buying anything for our future.”
Register your interest for our new homes
Sempra Homes is a quality housebuilder delivering a range of affordable housing options - including homes for affordable rent, shared ownership, and private sale - across the Basildon borough. Established in 2016 as the commercial housing arm of Basildon Borough Council, Sempra is committed to creating vibrant, sustainable communities that meet the needs of local residents and support the borough’s long-term growth. With a strong focus on high-quality design and energy efficiency, Sempra Homes continues to help people like Zanya take their first steps towards home ownership and a better future.
Sempra will soon be launching its latest shared ownership development at Bowers Close, located on London Road in Pitsea, Essex. The scheme includes 23 shared ownership homes, which will be prioritised for veterans, key workers and those living in the borough looking to take their first step onto the property ladder. In addition, there will be 8 homes for affordable rent, all of which will be allocated to Council tenants. The new development is helping to expand access to high-quality, affordable housing for the Basildon community.
