There are not many times in life that you would prioritise a stranger over family and friends, but we believe buying a home may be the perfect example of when a stranger may be the better option.
This may seem like an odd concept, but as the question above asks- are you already part of the stranger culture? You may not think so, but if you have ever used Deliveroo, Ola, Airbnb or Tinder- you already have relationships with strangers.
Strangers bring the opportunity to expect positive experiences with defined outcomes. For example, if you ask a family member to drive you to an appointment- you probably have to travel when it’s convenient for them, on the route they know, and they may or may not be able to take you home. If you use an Uber, you can define your start and finish time, the route you take and price you are willing to pay.
We believe the same can apply for housing.
If you buy with a partner or friend you may well feel you need to compromise on where you buy, what property you purchase and how much you spend. You may also feel uncomfortable in asking them to complete legal forms or contracts to protect your asset. When it comes to love we often believe the positive will win out, and behave as if this will always be the case.
By buying with a stranger you will feel more confident in what you ask for, what the terms of the purchase may be and what works best for you. You can also ask the difficult questions- like asking to see a police check, or verify income details.
Mortgage Mates believes co-ownership is the answer to our current housing crisis, and that co-ownership with a stranger is a positive home ownership choice. Some of the reasons for home ownership with a co-owner are set out below.
Mortgage Mates has been created to make the journey of stranger to ‘mate’ a simple one. By setting up a profile on the website, you can choose the housing choices best suited to your needs, including location, deposit and housing amount. Using a unique algorithm we match you to other users who have similar housing preferences to you.
Mortgage Mates also provides useful information to guide you in your next steps of the housing journey. We have information on third parties including mortgages, co-ownership agreements and properties. We believe users should regain control of the housing process despite buying in an innovative way.
Mortgage Mates hopes that by enabling strangers to buy a home together, we are increasing housing affordability and social connectedness for our users. Strangers offer us a unique opportunity which may be better than buying with friends.