Habito launches an erotic novel, written by Rocky Flintstone and illustrated by Sebastian Schwamm

Online mortgage company Habito and studio Uncommon have released an erotic novel, featuring a short story by My Dad Wrote a Porno’s Rocky Flintstone and visuals courtesy of illustrator Sebastian Schwamm. Aimed at homebuyers dealing with mortgage stress – and thus a loss of libido – the book arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day this weekend.

After compiling its own research, Habito came to learn that one in 10 couples weren’t intimate throughout the mortgage application process. Additionally, more than half of homeowners felt that their relationship was negatively impacted by the stress of getting a mortgage. Meanwhile, eight per cent admit that they’re too tired to be intimate, due to mortgage-related stress. This has only been heightened by the worries of the pandemic, which all inspired Habito to address the issue at hand.

The short story details a couple’s search for a home they’ve long fantasised about. Titled The Road to Completion, Habito commissioned the well-known writer Rocky Flintstone – an author who rose to fame after writing Belinda Blinked, an international podcast phenomenon that aired on the British podcast My Dad Wrote a Porno. In this new piece of writing, Rocky tells the story of first-time buyers Sylvia and Tom, as they “embark on the grittiest project of their lives,” as Habito puts it in the announcement.

Daniel Hegarty, CEO and founder of Habito, says in a statement: “We know that the process of finding a dream home can cause sleepless nights and increased stress, all of which puts a big strain on relationships. Habito exists to set homebuyers free from the hell of mortgages; we help our customers avoid any potential disappointment around their mortgage application.

“Having satisfied the mortgage-advice needs of over 500,000 people in the UK,” he continues, “we hope The Road to Completion brings some lighthearted reading to any prospective homebuyer’s bookshelf this Valentine’s Day.”

To promote the launch of the book, Uncommon devised a set of advertising assets – brought to life through stickers, GIFs and visuals by the Germany-based illustrator Sebastian, known for his humorous cartoons. “Finding the sweet spot between sex and mortgages allowed us to make something quite unusual with the incredible crew at Habito… an erotic novel about buying a house,” says Nina Beyers, a creative at UnCommon.

Tom Espezel, also a creative at the studio, says: “Yes, mortgages really can be sexy and badass. The collaboration between Rocky’s saucy words and Seb’s beautiful illustrations has given a whole new meaning to ‘property porn’. We’re very excited to see the book on sale.”

The Road to Completion is available for free on Habito’s website, and you can also purchase the novel from the Amazon Kindle store. All proceeds are donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust, in support of its work on HIV and sexual health.