New home signals secure future for Cheshire family

June 4, 2026 | Dan Todd

A family from Cheshire have stepped onto the property ladder at Onward Living’s new Signaller’s Croft development near Crewe with the help of Shared Ownership.

After years of insecure renting, Danielle, 35, and Anthony, 34, have finally found the stability they have been searching for through Shared Ownership – and a home that felt right from day one.

The couple – and their three children aged 16, 14 and five – had experienced the instability that so many private renters know too well, after being served with two Section 21 notices (the first stage of eviction from an assured shorthold tenancy) in the space of just two years.

The first came when Danielle was 31 weeks pregnant, forcing the family to divert their savings into rental costs instead of towards a deposit for their future home. The second arrived only 12 months into their next tenancy.

Their most recent rental – a four-bedroom home in Middlewich – was expensive to run and had not been updated in decades, with outdated heating, plumbing and a kitchen that felt far too small for family life.

“It’s impossible to save while you’re renting,” Danielle explains. “We’d always wanted to buy, but with three children and the general cost of living, trying to save a 10% deposit on a four-bedroom house just felt out of reach.”

That changed when Danielle began to look seriously at Shared Ownership around 18 months ago, and the Signaller’s Croft development in Basford on the outskirts of Crewe caught her eye.

Danielle had driven past the development for a couple of years, watching it take shape and hoping for the right opportunity. As soon as homes became available, she was quick to get in touch.

“I think I was one of the first people on the phone to Rebecca, the sales advisor,” Danielle says. “The process was really straightforward and we absolutely flew through it. It all happened so quickly, and Rebecca was amazing.”

Danielle and Anthony put down a deposit of £7,500 and purchased a 25% share of the four-bedroom Sandford home for £102,500.

The family were the very first residents to move in at Signaller’s Croft, and their new three-storey home has delivered everything they were hoping for.

“It’s beautiful,” says Danielle. “It’s felt like home since day one. I love the space and the amount of storage. It’s got a garage and a really good-sized garden. And I love the design of them; they’re just different.”

Just as importantly, their monthly costs are now exactly the same as they were when renting – except this time, they are investing in their own future rather than paying someone else’s mortgage.

The location was also a major draw for Danielle and Anthony. “We really wanted to be close to Sandbach and Haslington,” explains Danielle. “But to try and buy a four-bedroom house there would be impossible. You’re looking at half a million pounds!”

Fortunately, Signaller’s Croft offered the right balance. It was close enough to the places that mattered to them, with easy access to the M6 and the bypass, while still feeling peaceful and well connected.

The flexibility of Shared Ownership has offered the family an affordable way into home ownership, while also giving them confidence that they could put down roots without the fear of being forced to move on again.

“Shared Ownership has given us peace of mind and security, and we know it can’t just be taken away,” says Danielle. “After having two Section 21s within two years, we never felt relaxed. We were scared to make decisions because we were always worried about what would happen if we had to move.”

That sense of security has already started to change the way the family thinks about the future. Danielle and Anthony have long wanted to open their own business, but until now the uncertainty of renting made that feel too risky. Owning a share in their home means they can start to think more confidently about the years ahead.

The family expects to stay for at least 10 to 15 years. Their plan is to gradually increase their share over time, buying an additional 3% or 4% every couple of years before reassessing later down the line.

For now, though, what matters most is the stability they finally feel.

If Danielle and Anthony’s story has inspired you to find out more about Shared Ownership, you can contact the Onward Living sales team on 0300 555 0130 or email sales@onward.co.uk