Owning a home is our number one priority. Having a family and getting married are on hold until we can own.
We can afford the monthly payments. It’s the deposit that stops us.
Toby, 27, a Claims Handler for a motor insurance company, explains, “I live with my grandparents in Northamptonshire, and Abi lives with her parents not too far away.
It’s not where we thought we’d be, but it’s the only way we can save for a deposit to own a home.
Before I moved back, I rented on my own for a few years. I loved the independence, but I couldn’t save a penny. Once rent, bills, and everyday costs went out, there just wasn’t much left to build a deposit.
Abi’s journey has been different, but the challenge is the same. She stayed living at home because she had debt to clear first. Her monthly repayments were basically what she would have been putting into savings.
That’s why we believe #RentSaveOwn with Own Homes feels like something that would work for us. It would give us the freedom to have our own place in a timeframe we can understand.
Abi, 26, an NHS Pharmacy Technician, explains, “There are seven of us living at my parents. It’s a very busy household. So many people coming and going, and I just don’t get the freedom I would like.
Home to Toby and me means safety and stability. It’s a place you can shut the door on the outside world. A place where you can be yourself. A place that makes you happy and where you can build a life and make it your own.
Owning a home isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s our number one priority. It determines the timeline of everything we do, including having a family and getting married, which are on hold until we own our home.
It’s hard to plan anything properly when your home can change overnight. A landlord can sell the property or decide they want it back. And even when you do rent, it’s not building anything for your future.
For us, a house is a secure investment. The money you pay every month is going towards a long-term goal. You can upsize, or you can use that money for retirement. We feel like we’re gaining something by having a mortgage. A home that you can leave to others or use to help you in the future.
I’ve only been able to start saving in the last few months, and that’s after a lot of hard work getting my finances back on track. By the time I retire, I want to own my home.
We know what we want for our first home. Nothing massive, a two-bedroom place with enough space to work from home sometimes, a bit of room for my books, a place for Toby’s ‘man cave’, for entertaining our friends (which is difficult when you live at home), and a garden for Willow, our labrador. A driveway would be a bonus.
We don’t want to be super rural, but we don’t want to be right in the middle of everything either. Somewhere together in the Midlands, closer to work, that feels calm but still close to shops and transport.”
Toby added, “I have been saving for two years. And when you’re trying to save a traditional deposit on top of regular life costs, it can feel like you’re constantly sacrificing without seeing the finish line.
House prices where we are aren’t cheap. We’re both in commuter areas. Two-bedroom homes start around £250,000, and prices can jump quickly. If we were renting locally, we’d probably be paying around £1,200 a month, which makes saving harder.
The cost of living has gone up. We each have a car to run. Bills don’t stop. We’re both trying our best. We’re only able to save because our families are helping us keep costs down.”
Abi added, “The idea of paying rent that’s similar to a mortgage payment and having a chunk of that rent saved securely every month feels more realistic than trying to rent and save on top.
It also removes the temptation to dip into savings when life throws something expensive at you. If it’s locked away and you can’t touch it, and it keeps you on track.
We’ve looked at options like shared ownership, but it feels like you only own a part of a home without a clear path to ever owning the whole thing.
Saving means giving up stuff, and when you can’t see your saving progress or the end goal, it can be demotivating.
With #RentSaveOwn you live and breathe the motivation because you live in the house and can see every day what you’re saving for. It’s real, and that’s motivating.
Living in the home while you save for it feels so powerful. #RentSaveOwn feels simpler, more realistic, and achievable: you know what you’re working towards and what the outcome is. It makes homeownership feel real. Not distant. Not imaginary. Something you’re building on every day.
Buying a home is such a huge milestone, and it’s a big source of stress. You’re going through stuff you’ve never done before.
Nobody teaches you about homebuying – stamp duty, mortgages, solicitors fees, surveys costs, furnishings – or what we call the ‘hidden costs’. And unless you’ve got someone who’s been through it recently, it’s easy to feel like you’re in the dark.
There are dodgy companies out there who are just out to scam people, which is why support matters. So, for me, it’s important to know that you can turn to somebody and say, “I don’t understand this part of the process. Can you help me?”. Knowing that you’re supported and that your money is safe and secure is really reassuring.
We can’t wait to own our place. To live together. Have our own space. And be able to set the timeline for those other things we have put on hold.”
If we could give one piece of advice to anyone saving for a deposit, it’s this: Keep the picture in your head. It’s easier to stick to saving when you can see exactly what you’re working towards.
