A London couple have used the Shared Ownership scheme to buy their first home together in
Waltham Forest, a location they dreamed of living in for almost a decade.
Natalia Spano and Calypso Barnum-Bobb are quickly settling into life at Coronation Square, Taylor
Wimpey’s flagship development in Leyton, having moved into a brand new two-bedroom apartment.
Through Shared Ownership they bought a proportion of their home and are paying rent on the other
part to Sage Homes, England’s largest provider of newly built affordable housing.
Natalia said: “We’d been renting for a really long time and always wanted to own a home in London,
and thankfully when we spotted the Shared Ownership scheme, we knew we’d be able to purchase
our first home in an area we really love.
“We previously lived in Waltham Forest nearly eight years ago and loved our time in the area. When
we saw that homes were available at Coronation Square, we knew we wanted to come back and live
here again.”
When it came to deciding what kind of home they both wanted, Natalia and Calypso always thought
that they would own a period home. But after years of looking they found that a new build was the
better option to allow them to take their first steps onto the property ladder.
Coronation Square, a major joint regeneration project between Taylor Wimpey and Waltham Forest
Council, includes a range of new apartments both through private sale and Shared Ownership. Each
apartment has been designed to make the most of the living space, with many apartments also
offering balconies or terraces.
Natalia said: “After wanting to own our own home for so long, purchasing a new build has been a
brilliant decision. We love our apartment, we feel really at home here. We love that the balcony is
off the living area and we get the sun most of the day too.”
Natalia and Calypso knew they’d be in good company in moving to Coronation Square, with several
of their friends and former flatmates also opting to settle in the Leyton area. And the development
promises to be much more than new homes.
Coronation Square is already home to the newly-opened Score Centre, one of the largest sports halls
in the country, and the Nappy Gang nursery. A range of other facilities are due to be completed in
the coming years, including a vibrant Market Square which promises to be a welcoming open space
for socialising and play, food, drinks and events.
Natalia said: “Coronation Square already feels like a real community for us. We have loved settling
into our home and seeing our friends settle into their homes too.
“When we came to visit Coronation Square, we both really liked the look of the development and
how spacious it feels. We’re also really looking forward to the Market Square facilities opening so we
can get together with our friends and socialise with our neighbours too.”
Their past experience living in Waltham Forest left a strong impression on the couple who were
always keen to come back if they could.
Natalia said: “We knew that Leyton is a fast-growing and vibrant place for creatives, and we both
wanted to be a part of that. We’ve found that Leyton and Waltham Forest have such great potential
as upcoming areas. We feel like this is the perfect place for creatives and professionals moving out of
Hackney.”
A range of one and two-bedroom apartments are currently available for private sale, or through the
Shared Ownership scheme with Sage Homes.