Jodi was so fed up with renting that she was prepared to travel an hour to work and to see friends if it meant she could own her own home. She wanted a place she didn’t have to share with anyone, a place she couldn’t be kicked out of and a home she could decorate as she wished.

At the age of 38, all she wanted was stability.

The full-time receptionist thought her home ownership dream was a mere daydream, and she had come to terms with only ever being able to afford to rent in Queens Park. She relished living in the City of Canning suburb as it was close to her work and her friends - so much so she decided she’d rather rent in an area she loved, than buy somewhere she didn’t.

“I thought, I’m not even going to look this way – the prices are too high, I’m by myself on a below average wage and I didn’t want to move away from this area,” she said.

But one Friday afternoon in October last year everything changed. Having received a Department of Communities e-newsletter, featuring homes for sale under the Opening Doors shared home ownership initiative, Jodi realised she might be able to afford her dream home.

Instead of going retail shopping the next day with her mum, she went shopping for her new home.

“It was literally bang, bang, bang, and within a month, I was like ‘oh my God, I’ve just bought a place’,” Jodi said.

With the State Government contributing 15 per cent towards the mortage for her two-bedroom one-bathroom home, she is only paying $17 more than what she was in rent.

Excited about her new purchase, Jodi said she had become a home-body, enjoying spending time getting comfy in her new abode and furnishing it to her liking.

Jodi wants others longing for stability to experience the happiness that comes with being a homeowner. 

“If you’re thinking of buying, especially if you’re on your own, look into it - it’s so worth it,” she said.