UNABLE to buy a house in Malvern outright, mother-of-two Elizabeth Hawkett used Elgar's Homebuy scheme to part-buy a property.

Mrs Hawkett paid 75 per cent of her house cost, while Elgar Housing Association provided a loan for the rest. She and daughters Emily, aged four, and Abigail, 11 months, were able to move in on October 27 last year and have not looked back.

She said: "When I started looking in the summer, it was obvious prices of properties had dramatically increased.

"I could have bought a property for up to £130,000, but it was clear what I could have got for that and it wasn't really what I was looking for.

"I had money of my own and didn't need a council house, but I needed a bit of help and this was ideal. The children love it and it's in a nice location. It was a godsend."