North Star welcomes residents of Darlington Housing Association - Find out more
We’re celebrating Rural Housing Week at North Star!
The campaign highlights the importance of housing associations for rural communities. It’s essential that those in rural areas can access affordable housing that comes with the support they need.
We wanted to highlight a recent resident success story as part of our Rural Housing Week work.
Dianne Garland is a new North Star resident who has moved into one of our beautiful three-bedroom homes. It’s located in the idyllic rural location at The Limes site in Little Crakehall, Bedale.
Dianne moved into this new property in March 2023. She previously lived in a nearby holiday caravan before moving into a local privately rented one-bedroom cottage. This was far from ideal, as Dianne and her daughter didn’t have enough space or the best living conditions. Her daughter had started a permanent job in the area and Dianne was keen to get onto the property ladder again.
The Rent to Buy scheme allows residents to live in their property on an affordable rent basis for five years, giving them time to save towards a deposit. At the five-year mark, they have the option to buy the property outright or on a shared ownership basis.
Dianne would recommend Rent to Buy to everyone, stating: “It’s so much better than renting, as it feels like a more personal experience and you feel like you’re getting something out of it.”
After privately renting for years, Dianne said: “I’ve never had service like what North Star offers. I think everyone should look into low-cost home ownership schemes such as Rent to Buy and shared ownership to help them get onto the property ladder.”
Dianne added: “The Rent to Buy process was so simple, every staff member I dealt with was lovely and helped me through every stage; they couldn’t have made it any easier. Clare and Lauren were amazing throughout and really helped me settle in. Craig, the site manager for Newett Homes, was also amazing and extremely helpful. As soon as any issues were raised with him, he would have it sorted the same day!”
Now settled into her new home, Dianne could not be happier, commenting: “I love the design of the house, which has been finished to a high standard. I couldn’t have asked for a better property.”
The overall development comprises 18 luxury new-build houses, with two, three or four bedrooms, delivered by Newett Homes. North Star offers two properties on the Rent to Buy scheme and three for affordable rent, and we’ve been hugely impressed with the quality of the design and finish of the properties.
Find out more about our developments, including our Rent to Buy properties
