I’ve been saving my deposit for a home for nine years.
I’m single and want a place I can call my own. A place that will give me long-term security and the confidence that I don’t have to move again.
I’m 37 years old, and I want that financial security. When my best friend and I were both in our mid-30s, we decided to rent a place so we could have our own space and our independence.
We found a ‘small but perfectly formed’ two-bedroomed terrace we could afford to rent in a small town. It was close to the shops and nightlife, and it was so easy to travel to work.
I was a hairdresser at the time, so I worked long hours and always enjoyed spending time with friends. Any overtime I got at work was paid straight into my savings because I was so determined to own.
Renting made it so much harder for me to save. Mainly because when you’re renting, you’re spending most of what you earn on rent and bills.
My best friend and I lived the dream for a few years, until our landlord decided to sell. I considered buying the house so I could stay living there, but I didn’t have enough of a deposit to get the mortgage I needed.
It was also about this time that I unexpectedly lost my job. The company I worked for closed overnight. I left on Tuesday evening and returned to find the doors closed on Wednesday. I had worked for them for several years, and they had gone bankrupt, leaving me unemployed without notice or an income.
Although I had been training to become a counsellor, I wasn’t ready to be one full-time. So, I had a big choice to make. Go self-employed as a hairdresser, which would mean having to provide so many years of financial books to show I could afford a mortgage, or change my career and go back home to mum.
I decided it was time to return to my mum’s. There, I could change my career and save my deposit to own sooner.
It has been ok living with mum. We get along great, and I pay her minimal rent, which helps me save more. I live in the home where I grew up. It’s in a rural location, and as lovely and quiet as it is, I do have to drive everywhere. And, let’s face it, having had that taste of freedom, I want to have my own place more than ever.
I have an end goal in sight: finding the right place and being able to afford it on my own. I’ve looked at the housing options available to help me buy, such as shared ownership. Most of them are complex or are simply not right for me.
RentSaveOwn with Own Homes would be massively helpful. I could already be on the property ladder and probably wouldn’t have waited so long to save my deposit. I’ve been saving for nine years, and I could have been a homeowner four years ago.
I know I’ll be paying rent equivalent to a mortgage, but because my savings come out of my rent, I’ll have the freedom to live independently and save without thinking about it.
Home to me is about family, warmth, security and safety. Mum has always rented and never had that security. My goal is to own a home with a driveway, an outdoor space, and at least two bedrooms.
It would be my place and give me the freedom to do my own thing, such as not putting my shoes away or washing up a cup, simply because I don’t want to!
If I could give one piece of advice to others, it would be to do your research. No one tells you ‘anything’ about the buying process. So, get some good advice and know who to speak to.
