Esther Shaw, Author At HomeOwners Alliance

Esther Shaw

Money & Property Journalist

Esther is an award-winning personal finance journalist. Previously Money Editor of the Sunday Express, Deputy Editor Sunday Times, she's written for the money pages of most of the main media outlets, including The Telegraph, The Times & The Sun. She wants to make money easier to understand and - like us - believes that knowledge is power when it comes to getting a grip on your finances.

Could buying one postcode over save you thousands on your new home?

Location may be the buzzword when it comes to house-hunting, yet looking just one postcode over could cut the cost of your purchase by up to 47%. This is according to new research from Lloyds which shows that going just a short distance beyond the most sought-after areas can reveal far more affordable options for […]

‘I wanted to downsize – but the bungalow shortage left me with nowhere to go’

Peter Potter had lived for decades in his three-bedroom family home in Woodford, east London, complete with a swimming pool in the south-facing garden. But at the age of 78, after health issues left him in a wheelchair, he made the difficult decision to move from the home where he raised his children. Keen to find […]

Buying a property you are currently renting

As a tenant, you may be interested in buying a property you are currently renting. This can certainly be simpler than buying on the open market – but is only possible if your landlord is willing to part with the property. Here we take a look at how to persuade your landlord to sell, how […]

Homeowner Loans explained

Homeowner loans – also known as secured loans or second-charge mortgages – allow you to borrow money using your house as security. They’re common for people who want to borrow more without remortgaging or extending their mortgage. Here we look at how homeowner loans work, how much you can borrow, the pros and cons, how […]

Guarantor mortgages explained

What are guarantor mortgages? When you take out a guarantor mortgage, someone – typically a parent – takes on some of the risk of the mortgage by acting as a guarantor. This usually involves them offering their savings or their home as security against the loan and committing to making the mortgage payments if the […]

Rent to Buy scheme: How does it work?

What is Rent to Buy? Rent to Buy is a government scheme designed to ease the transition from renting to buying a home by providing subsidised rent. You may also hear it referred to as Rent to Save, Rent to Own or Intermediate Rent. With Rent to Buy in England and Northern Ireland, you rent […]