Welcome back to What I Own: Metro.co.uk’s weekly property series.
We are in Croydon this week talking to Nicholas, who moved earlier this year after rental In the south London.
He pays £2,100 a month for the mortgage and bills.
This is what Nicholas had to say about climbing the property ladder…
Tell us about you.
I am 29 years old and work as a digital product manager for a bank in central London.
Where is your property? What do you think of the area?
I live in Croydon and love the transport links as I can take direct trains to Brighton, Kent, Gatwick airport etc. It’s quicker for me to get to Paris than to Edinburgh. Croydon has good restaurants and pubs, so there’s that too.
When did you move?
I moved in July of this year.
How much does your property cost?
£500,000.
How much was your deposit?
Around £125,000.
What is the monthly cost of living here now; both the mortgage and the bills?
About £2,100 a month.
How did you save for your deposit?
It was a combination of factors: living virtually rent-free with the family, limiting expenses to the essentials, and receiving a small deposit from the family.
I know that this is not a luxury for everyone, so I am very lucky.
How was the process of obtaining a mortgage for you? Did you find some challenging parts?
I had a mortgage advisor who was brilliant at every step of the process so very skillful and stress free.
Where did you live before this? Did she rent or did she live with her family?
I rented in Balham, South West London, for a year with my girlfriend as proof of our compatibility as a couple. She passed with flying colors.
What made you want to buy instead of rent?
I come from one of those families that viewed rent payments as a sin because it meant you weren’t buying a bit of land/property with each payment, like you do with a mortgage.
How did you find this property? What made you choose it?
I found the property online and loved the floor layout, especially the kitchen/dining area. We were originally outbid for the property and before the property was offered to us again after the buyers had to back out.
We also had the terrible experience of the owner of a different property passing away within 48 hours of accepting our offer.
How have you made the property feel like home?
The property didn’t need a lot of work, but we arrived without furniture, so it was all about filling the house with things we love, like pretty paintings or a dining table.
What is the inspiration for your interior decoration style?
Fortunately, I was able to agree on most things with my girlfriend. We both like simple color schemes and to feel spacious, so we didn’t want the house to look or feel busy if that makes sense.
What is your favorite room and why?
My favorite room is the master bedroom. It is the room that we have paid the most attention to as it did not have the built-in wardrobes before, so it really feels like our room and there are still changes to be made in other rooms. We need to save a little more money before we can do more things.
Do you feel you have enough space?
I feel like we have enough space at the moment, although I wouldn’t mind a bigger garden. Once the kids start to come into the equation, it may suddenly not feel very spacious.
Do you have plans to change ownership?
There are no drastic changes, but we are still short on furniture and household items for many rooms in the house, so it is a work in progress.
Is there a problem with the property that you have to deal with?
We didn’t have any major issues except checking and upgrading our electrical system as it had been over a decade since it was last serviced.
What do you want people to know about buying a home?
Don’t despair if you don’t get the house on your first offer. The right house is waiting for you – none of the houses we previously bid on were as good as the one we have now, so it all worked out in the end.
What are your plans for the future, in terms of housing? Do you plan to stay here long term?
We have a long term fixed rate mortgage so we will be here for at least 5 years. Beyond that, who knows what will happen.
Do you want to appear on What I Own?
What I Own is a Metro.co.uk series that takes you inside people’s properties, to give an honest look at what it’s like to buy a home in the UK. If you are a homeowner and would like to share your story, please email [email protected].
You’ll also need to agree to share how much you paid to live there and how you paid the deposit, as that’s pretty important.
If you are renting, you can participate too! What I Own runs alongside What I Rent, which is the same series but all about rent. Again, if you want to participate, please send an email [email protected].
Shall we take a look?
Have a story to share?
Get in touch by email [email protected].
PLUS : What I own: Business owner David owns his home and four investment properties.
PLUS : What I have: Chanel, who put a 10% deposit on her property near Peterborough
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