‘I didn’t think a way to rent a new-build house existed’: Dad finds the perfect, pet-friendly, family home with no deposit

Having spent the last few years renting an old cottage out in the countryside, Jonathan O’Neill, 49, head of CAFM at Skanska UK, was determined to find a home nearer to his children as they grew up. Frustrated with the challenges of the traditional rental market, especially when it came to finding a place that would welcome both kids and pets, Jonathan had been searching for the right fit. Little did he know, while picking up his children, he had been driving past the very development where his dream home was being built. A modern, pet-friendly home designed for families, it offered a no-deposit rental option which halved his energy bills.

Jonathan chose a four-bedroom, three-bathroom home at Buckler’s Park in Crowthorne, for £2,350 a month, through professional rental provider Leaf Living. His new home is only 4.5 miles from Bracknell where his children stay with their mum during the weekdays.

Jonathan took advantage of the no-deposit option offered through Leaf Living’s partnership with flatfair, which replaces the traditional security deposit with a one-time fee equivalent to one week’s rent. Jonathan adds: “Moving is already a stressful experience, piling on top of that the need to find a huge chunk of money to cover a deposit, whilst your old deposit is still tied up until after you move out, it is a huge burden. Being able to pursue a no deposit option completely calmed my nerves and put me in a much better place to think about the move.”

“When I originally spotted Buckler’s Park, I really loved it, but I didn’t think there was any way I could afford to live in the new development. I’m not in a position to buy and I didn’t think a way to rent a new-build house existed. It was only when doing more searching on Rightmove that I discovered Leaf Living and the homes they had available to rent in the neighbourhood.”

“When I decided to move, I knew I wanted a more modern home. Although living in an old cottage in the country was beautiful, it was also very impractical and costly. The summer was lovely, but winters would be horrendous and my energy bills soared to over £300 a month. I knew I needed something newer that would be more energy efficient, but I never dreamed I could rent a brand-new home. It has brought down my energy bills by half, so even though rent is higher, more manageable bills has balanced this out for me.”

Jonathan comments: “My biggest challenge was finding a new home that suited my family’s needs whilst navigating the restrictions in the rental market. It felt like I was laughed off the phone when I mentioned I was a parent with pets. When I called Leaf Living, it was a relief to hear that they provided homes for real families; it completely reassured me that I had found my perfect home.”

Nestled in the village of Crowthorne, Berkshire, the homes at Buckler’s Park provide an ideal setting for family life, just a 20-minute walk from the village high street with convenient access to local amenities. The development is surrounded by lush green space, including Buckler’s Forest, just half a mile away, offering plenty of walking and cycling routes. Crowthorne station is only a seven-minute drive from the homes, with a quick 43-minute train journey to London Paddington via Reading.

Jonathan adds: "Living in the countryside was impractical; everything required a drive, even the local pub was a half-hour walk. I wanted a place where my children could get around easily and safely. Buckler’s Park is ideal, it’s well-connected yet calm, with green spaces to explore. It's more accessible than the countryside, so I spend more time in nature now. Being in a village means a bus stop at the end of the road for my kids and a train station so I can get to London for work."

Leaf Living’s homes are built to impressive specifications. All kitchens include a range of integrated appliances, and houses boast modern family bathrooms and ground floor WCs. Every house has a private garden with a lawn and patio. All residents will receive Sky Superfast broadband and will have access to a range of smart devices, including video doorbells and chime for enhanced security, Hive Thermostats and Yale Keyless smart locks. All these devices can be conveniently managed and monitored through a user-friendly mobile interface. “The home itself is great; it has the perfect amount of room inside and in the garden for me and the kids to all enjoy. I also work from home most days so broadband being included was a huge plus, there was no faffing about when I moved in and it’s another element I just don’t have to worry about.”

“Renting through a professional company has been a completely different experience; from the moment I called the team has been incredibly supportive. Sally, our Lettings Consultant, was fantastic at reassuring me that the home would be a great fit for my family. Since moving in, the Property Manager, Alex, has been incredibly responsive and quick to address any questions I’ve had.”

The post A new-build with no deposit appeared first on Leaf Stories.

Having moved out at 18 in search of independence, 27-year-old Jessica, a store manager at a pet care retailer, embodies a growing demographic of people choosing to rent rather than buy. In today’s housing market, the prospect of buying a home is out of reach for many, often requiring significant sacrifices like living with family and giving up the sense of having a space that’s truly your own. Like many renters, Jessica faced challenges in securing a pet-friendly property for her two dogs, Loki and Mac, while ensuring security and stability—a place that suited her lifestyle that she could truly call home for the long term.

Over the years, Jessica had experienced various rental situations, most recently sharing a three-bedroom apartment in Worthing with her partner, her brother, her brother's daughter, and Jessica’s dogs. While browsing Rightmove during a holiday, Jessica came across Fontwell Meadows, a build-to-rent development by Leaf Living near Arundel in West Sussex. A modern, two-bedroom house with a garden, that welcomed pets, immediately stood out against the properties on offer from traditional landlords; Jessica called and reserved her new home before even seeing it in person.

She and her partner secured their two-bedroom home for £1,425 per month, signing an initial 12-month contract. After a year of living there, Jessica extended the contract for another year, taking advantage of Leaf Living’s flexible and long-term tenancy options.

“For me, trying to buy is too difficult and would mean sacrificing a lot of my independence. I moved out at 18, and now at 27, it suits me to continue renting but I want to live in a house that feels like a home, not a stop gap. Where I was living before moving here, it was definitely a squeeze. I wanted more space to build my life with my partner and provide room for my dogs and the future.”

Jessica recalls the first time they visited their new home: “I was so happy; it had everything we were looking for. The whole moving process was super easy because we didn’t need to deal with a separate estate agent. Everything was handled directly through Leaf Living. They even let me come beforehand to measure for furniture, so we felt really prepared.”

Leaf Living, a professionally managed rental homes provider, offers spacious modern homes with long-term rental options in thriving communities across the country. Jessica was particularly drawn to Leaf Living because they welcome pets.

“As a pet owner, it can be very hard to find a high-quality rental home with modern amenities that also allows animals. Options don’t come up very often! My dogs are a huge part of my life—they come with me everywhere. So, it was important to me that my new home not only allowed pets, but also felt designed to accommodate them. The private garden is a bonus that Loki and Mac love. Opening the door to the garden for the first time was such a great feeling—they instantly fell in love with it.”

Jessica has especially appreciated the security the garden provides, particularly since Loki was diagnosed with glaucoma and struggles with his vision. "Having a safe outdoor space where he can enjoy the sunshine is invaluable."

Leaf Living’s homes are thoughtfully located across the UK, prioritizing green spaces with good transport links, along with convenient access to nearby towns and villages. All homes are built to an impressive specification. They benefit from spacious living areas, allocated parking and an EPC rating of B or above which keeps household bills low. All residents, across their developments, receive Sky broadband and have access to a range of intelligent devices, including video doorbells and chime for enhanced security, Hive Thermostats and Yale Keyless smart locks.

Jessica says: “What really sold us was the lifestyle that came with it. The area is beautiful, with plenty of green space—perfect for dog walks! There’s something different about renting a house like this compared to anything I’ve rented before. I have more space, I’ve turned the second bedroom into a guest room, and I’ve been able to host family barbecues. I even hosted Christmas here, something I would never have dreamed of before moving into this home. It feels completely like my place, and I love it. I’ve added my own personal touches, like pictures on the wall, and I’m even picking out paint colours. Honestly, I can’t see myself leaving for a very long time.”

The post Jessica finds the perfect pet-friendly pad appeared first on Leaf Stories.

Bronwynn and Seb Wisdom, aged 35 and 36, relocated to the UK from South Africa and had considered a range of options to find the right home for themselves and their two cats. They knew they wanted to put down roots, but buying a property immediately wasn’t their priority and they were concerned by the restrictions and rules of renting with a traditional buy-to-let landlord. When they came across their home in Fontwell, near historic Arundel in West Sussex, they realised they could tick each and every box with professional rental homes provider Leaf Living.

The couple reserved a newly-built four-bedroom, three-bathroom family house at Leaf Living’s Fontwell Meadows development in November 2023, for a monthly payment of £1,700 and an initial deposit of £1,900, and were impressed by the value for money they were getting.

Seb says: “We weren’t looking for a small starter apartment, we needed the space that reflects where we are in our lives. We both really felt as soon as we saw the house that it was a place we could truly make our home. I initially looked into buying and even priced up a mortgage, and I worked out that we’d end up paying £700 more on monthly mortgage payments for a property of the same size. From a financial perspective for us at the moment, renting made far more sense.”

Leaf Living’s homes are built to an impressive specification. They benefit from spacious living areas, allocated parking and an EPC rating of B or above which keeps household bills low. Whilst the couple choose to put down a deposit residents can also choose Leaf Living’s no deposit option* available through their partnership with flatfair, that replaces traditional security deposits with a one-time fee equal to one week’s rent. All residents, across their developments, also benefit from Sky broadband and have access to a range of intelligent devices, including video doorbells and chime for enhanced security, Hive thermostats and keyless smart locks.

Bronwynn continues: “The house came with new white goods in the kitchen, which saved a considerable expense on upfront purchases and other added extras include fibre internet in our monthly rent.”

The couple also had to consider their cats, and were delighted to find Fontwell Meadows is a pet-friendly rental community. Bronwynn comments: “We probably enquired about 40 or 50 places, most wouldn’t allow pets or even consider it and any that did often charged more for smaller spaces because we had animals. With Leaf Living, we got a bigger place that allows our cats, and it’s been perfect. The private garden has been another highlight offering a safe outdoor space for our cats, they both love exploring.”

Fontwell Meadows, like all Leaf Living communities, comprises family homes in a suburban location with convenient access to green space, schools, transport links and local amenities. Seb, an applications engineer, has a ten-minute drive to work while Bronwynn, a social media executive, takes good advantage of excellent public transport; her bus journey is a short five minutes. Bronwynn comments: “It was a move closer to Seb’s workplace, and for me, the connections, it opened so many more opportunities when job searching, as I could commute to a lot of different places if I needed to. I ended up with a role based in Tangmere, so it is only a five-minute bus ride, an easy daily routine.”

Seb and Bronwynn found renting with a professional company like Leaf Living to be refreshingly easy. Seb remembers: “When I originally came to view a different house at Fontwell Meadows, it wasn’t quite the layout we wanted. Then our home became available, and the lettings team was super helpful in making sure we got the type of property that we wanted. When I couldn’t attend a viewing, they even filmed a walkthrough for us so Bronwynn, who was still in South Africa, could see it too.”

Bronwynn adds: “With Leaf Living, the process was so smooth. The paperwork was straightforward, and we didn’t have to wait weeks to get things agreed upon. Also if anything does happen, they’re super responsive and quick to sort things out. We don’t feel anxious about raising concerns because we know the team is there to help.”

Leaf Living also offers flexible tenancies to its residents, an important benefit which encourages people to stay for the long term if they want to do so. Bronwynn and Seb said: “We feel like we’re in a place now that really feels like home, we know we are going to be here for a long time. We originally signed a tenancy for one year, but we have already extended that.”

Leaf Living provides professionally managed rental homes all over the UK with more new communities launching soon in new locations. Find your next dream home: www.leafliving.com/findyourhome.

The post Bronwynn and Seb rent a home, not just a house appeared first on Leaf Stories.