Laura & Sam

Dock28 residents - 2 years on

02 JULY 2026

“We’ve saved £10,000 in rent thanks to Save to Buy”

Fairview New Homes’ Save to Buy scheme fast-tracked Laura and Sam to homeownership by almost two years

Nearly two years after becoming the first in London to benefit from Fairview's innovative Save To Buy scheme, first-time buyers Laura (31) and Sam (30) say the financial security and stability of homeownership has transformed their lives.

The couple purchased their two-bedroom apartment at Fairview's Dock28 development in Woolwich for £400,000, moving in with just a 1% initial deposit of £4,000. The couple saved the remainder of their 5% deposit over six months via fixed monthly payments, while living in their new home. 

Now settled into homeownership, they say the scheme not only helped them save almost £10,000, but accelerated their first leg on the property ladder by around two years.

Laura, a Senior Brand & Digital Manager, said: "Buying our first home was a huge sense of relief. Getting onto the property ladder is such a major milestone, especially in London, and Save To Buy allowed us to achieve that much sooner than we ever expected."

Before discovering the scheme, the couple had expected to spend another two-to-three years saving for a traditional deposit while renting in East Croydon.

"Our original plan was to save between £20,000 and £30,000 over a number of years," Laura explained. "Like so many renters, a huge proportion of our income was disappearing on rent every month, making it incredibly difficult to build our savings. We were constantly having to make sacrifices just to put money aside."

Instead, Save To Buy enabled the pair to move into their new home with just a 1% deposit before saving the remainder while living there.

"We effectively lived rent-free for six months while our monthly payments went directly towards our deposit instead. In total we saved nearly £10,000, which made an enormous difference and meant we could complete much sooner. It's a no-brainer in my opinion."

Now homeowners, Laura and Sam say the biggest difference has been the financial certainty that comes with owning their own property.

Sam, a Paramedic, said: "We've gone from worrying about rising rents and whether we'd eventually have to move, to having a fixed mortgage payment every month. That stability gives you so much peace of mind."

With continued pressure on household budgets and rental prices remaining high across London, Laura says homeownership has significantly eased their financial worries.

"When you're renting it often feels like your money is just disappearing every month. You're paying someone else's mortgage rather than investing in your own future,” Sam explained.

"Now we know exactly what we're paying each month, we don't have to worry about rent increases or whether a landlord might ask us to leave. That security has taken away a huge amount of financial pressure."

Their monthly mortgage payments are now just under £1,900 on a five-year fixed-rate mortgage, slightly less than the £2,000 they had previously been paying in rent.

"We're paying slightly less than we were renting, but now every payment is going towards a home that belongs to us. We also make occasional overpayments whenever we can, which helps reduce the overall term of the mortgage."

Sam admits they would probably have become homeowners eventually, but only after years of continuing to save.

"I was working a lot of overtime to build our deposit, and I would have carried on doing that if I had to. We would have got there eventually but Save To Buy allowed us to get there years sooner and start building equity much earlier."

Since moving into Fairview’s Dock28, the couple have enjoyed transforming the apartment into their own home.

Sam said: "We've added additional storage in the kitchen, added new furniture and really made it feel like our own. One of the reasons we chose a new build was because everything was ready from day one. We haven't had to spend money fixing plumbing, replacing kitchens or carrying out expensive renovations. Everything has been high quality, so we've simply been able to enjoy living here."

They also say the energy-efficient home has helped keep household bills manageable despite continued increases in energy prices.

"Our electricity bills have gone up slightly over the last couple of years, like they have for everyone, but they're still very manageable thanks to the efficiency of the building," Sam continued.

Looking ahead, Laura and Sam expect to remain at Dock28 for at least another five years before considering upsizing, viewing the apartment as the first step on their property journey.

Reflecting on the scheme, Laura says she would recommend Save To Buy to anyone struggling to bridge the gap between renting and buying.

"It almost sounds too good to be true, but it genuinely helped us achieve something we thought was years away. Instead of paying rent with nothing to show for it, we were saving towards our own home while already living there.

"If we hadn't discovered Save To Buy, we'd probably still be saving today."

Save to Buy is currently available at all three of Fairview’s London developments. To find out more and how to apply, visit our Save to Buy page.