We’re excited to announce a new way to buy a Citu home – one that recognises the realities of today’s property market and gives buyers the time and confidence they need to make the right decision.

Our rent-to-buy scheme allows prospective homeowners to move into their chosen property immediately, living in it as a rental while working towards ownership. It’s a solution designed for people who know they want to buy, but need time to arrange finances, sell an existing property, or simply want the reassurance of experiencing their new home and neighbourhood before fully committing.

How It Works

The concept is straightforward: you agree a purchase price for the property upfront, fixing it at today’s market value. You then move in and rent the property for 12 months. If at the end of that period you proceed with the purchase, we refund the rent to contribute towards your deposit.

This approach offers several advantages. First, you lock in the price now, protecting yourself against potential market increases over the coming year. Second, you get to truly experience life in your new home and community before making a final commitment. And third, you’re building a substantial deposit contribution while living in the property you intend to buy.

Who Is This For?

We’ve designed this scheme with several situations in mind:

• Buyers in a property chain who’ve found their perfect Citu home but need time for their own sale to complete
• First-time buyers who are close to having their deposit ready but want to secure the property now
• People relocating for work who want to test out a new area before fully committing to a purchase
• Buyers arranging mortgage finance who need a few months to finalise their lending arrangements
• Anyone who values certainty and wants to experience their home fully before making the final commitment

Why We’re Doing This

At Citu, we’ve always believed that buying a home should be about finding the right fit for your life – not just your finances at a single moment in time. We’ve seen too many buyers forced to walk away from properties they love because their timing doesn’t quite align with traditional purchase models.

This scheme reflects our commitment to making sustainable, high-quality homes accessible to more people. We want buyers who are genuinely excited about living in a Citu home to have every opportunity to make that happen, even if the conventional purchase route presents obstacles.

It’s also about confidence. Moving home is stressful enough without wondering whether you’ve made the right choice. By living in the property first, you’ll know for certain whether it’s the right home for you, in the right location, with the right community around you.

The Citu Difference
Of course, when you rent a Citu home – even with the intention to buy – you’re not just getting any property. You’re experiencing life in a zero-carbon home, with exceptional build quality, low running costs, and the benefits of living in a thoughtfully designed community.

That 12-month rental period isn’t just about testing whether you like the layout or the neighbourhood. It’s about experiencing what it’s really like to live in a home that’s designed differently – to see how much less you spend on heating, to feel the quality of the construction, to discover how the community comes together.

We’re confident that once people experience a Citu home, they won’t want to leave. This scheme simply gives them the pathway to stay.

Looking Ahead
The housing market is evolving, and we believe buyers deserve more flexible options that reflect the complexities of modern life. Rent-to-buy won’t be right for everyone, but for those it does suit, it could be the difference between getting their ideal home and having to compromise.

We’re starting with selected properties across our developments, and we’re excited to see how this helps more people find their way into Citu homes. If you’re interested in learning more about rent-to-buy, or want to know if it might work for you, please get in touch with our sales team.

Because at Citu, we’re not just building homes – we’re building communities and pathways to ownership that work for real people’s real lives.