‘I helped my daughter and her children find a place of their own’

As a parent, you never stop looking after your children. And Sally Ellison, 69, from Sidcup in Southeast London, knows this only too well. For as she discovered, life doesn’t always go according to plan.

‘My daughter has been going through a difficult time recently, and was struggling to find a place of her own,’ she says. Sally wanted to help her daughter, Jenny, and her three grandchildren, to give them some independence. That’s when she started to think about equity release.

Sally spent six months reading up on her options before considering equity release. ‘I spent a long time researching the idea before I made the decision to book an appointment.

‘I had looked into other companies; however, with Key I felt the adviser was upfront. She was honest and I felt that she looked after my needs.’

Sally enjoys an active lifestyle, and doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon. Having had a rewarding career in social work, working as a probation officer and a social worker, she then made the decision to change direction to become a personal trainer and nutritionist.

Sally was unsure about releasing equity from her home because of her age. ‘But after talking to Key, I felt the whole package was the best one for me in every way,’ she says. ‘And the whole process was a lot easier than I’d expected it to be.’

When the money arrived in Sally’s account, the first thing she did was help her daughter find a home, paying the first 12 months’ rent upfront. It’s a huge relief to Sally to know that Jenny and the children are now happy and safe.

Sally has also been able to make improvements to her own home. ‘I’ve decorated the house, had a new kitchen and bathroom fitted and, rather than do it myself, I paid for someone else to do it.’

Over the summer, Sally used some of the cash she released to take one of her grandchildren to Tenerife to visit Sally’s sister, who lives there.

‘I’ve already recommended equity release to some of my friends – in my view, you should enjoy the money while you’re still alive,’ she says.

‘I definitely made the right decision and the whole process was spot on.’