If you’re new here, this is What I Own.
Every week we take you inside a new home and speak to the owner about their experience of getting on the property ladder.
This time around we are in Plymouth, chatting to Laura – who lives in a listed flat located in the historic area of the Barbican.
Laura pays £540 a month for her mortgage and says she saved for her deposit by moving back home for a short time.
This is what she has to say about her buying experience.
Hi, Laura! Tell us about yourself.
I’m a playwright, publicist and Plymouth Laureate of Words. I’m 38 years old and live in Plymouth.
Where is your property?
I live on the Barbican in Plymouth. I love it – it’s beautiful bustling and right on the sea front. It’s hugely historical and you can feel that as you walk around.
When did you move in?
May 2021.
How much does your property cost?
£198,000.
How much was your deposit?
Roughly £30,000.
What is the monthly cost of living here now; both mortgage and bills?
My mortgage is £540 and bills come to about £240 per month.
How did you save up for your deposit?
I work in the arts so it took me a long time, but I just made sure I had a separate account where I would transfer money each month (where I could). I moved back in with my parents in my mid-thirties in order to save the rest.
What was the process of getting a mortgage like for you? Did you find any parts challenging?
It just took a long time (7/8 months), so I was anxious that it might fall through. I wasn’t in a chain but was living at home and keen to give my very patient and kind parents some space.
Where did you live before this – were you renting or living with family?
Living with family having moved back from London.
What made you want to buy rather than renting?
The rental market is extortionate and seems to be rising in places – I really wanted somewhere I could make my own.
How did you find this property? What made you choose it?
It was one of the first properties I saw on a housing site but it was at the higher end of my budget so I didn’t actually take it into consideration for months.
I saw about ten other places and then decided to just go and take a look as it was still on my mind. I fell in love immediately and managed to haggle on the price a little. It was important to me to have some outside space and also a room to work.
How have you made the property feel like home?
I’m getting there but not quite. I can’t afford the dream items yet. I’m saving up for a sofa and a bookcase at the moment. I have lots of ideas, it’s just time and money really.
What’s the inspiration for your interior decor style?
I’m still figuring that out. I love Art Deco and contemporary art, but otherwise I think it’s a bit of a mish mash at the moment.
What’s your favourite room and why?
It changes actually. I do love the bedroom; it’s big and light and has a really interesting corner shelf. I love the feel of all the rooms though.
Do you feel like you have enough space?
Yes, I do. It’s not huge but it suits me perfectly.
Do you have plans to change the property?
No, just to decorate.
Are there any problems with the property that you have to deal with?
It’s an old building so I had a slight roof leak early on, but it’s been pretty good otherwise.
What do you want people to know about buying a home?
There are so many hidden costs, it shocked me how it’s been so monetised. Be prepared for that.
What are your plans for the future, in terms of housing? Do you plan to stay here long term?
In a dream world I’d love to be able to own a little flat in London and live between Plymouth and London. That’s pie in the sky unless I get a rich arts patron or my career skyrockets (you never know).
I love this flat, so the plan is to stay for the foreseeable future. I feel very lucky to have found it, I never thought I’d be able to own.
Shall we take a look around?
Do you want to feature in What I Own?
What I Own is a Metro.co.uk series that takes you inside people’s properties, to take an honest look at what it’s like to buy a home in the UK. If you own your home and would be up for sharing your story, please email [email protected].
You’ll also need to be okay with sharing how much you’ve paid to live there and how you afforded the deposit, as that’s pretty important.
If you’re renting, you can take part too! What I Own runs alongside What I Rent, which is the same series but all about renting. Again, if you’d like to get involved just email [email protected].
MORE : What I Own: Business owner and writer Kaye, who bought a two-bed flat in Brixton
MORE : What I Own: Business owner Rachel, who bought her £1million Crowborough house in lockdown
MORE : What I Own: Murray and Claire, who put down a £52,000 deposit on their London home during the stamp duty holiday
Get all the need-to-know property news, features and advice from Metro every week.
var notifyQ = function () { var i = 0, l = awaitingReady.length; for (i = 0; i < l; i++) { awaitingReady[i](); } }; var ready = function (cb) { if (fbApiInit) { cb(); } else { awaitingReady.push(cb); } }; var checkLoaded = function () { return fbApiInit; }; window.fbAsyncInit = function () { FB.init({ appId: '176908729004638', xfbml: true, version: 'v2.10' }); fbApiInit = true; notifyQ(); }; return { 'ready' : ready, 'loaded' : checkLoaded }; })(); (function () { function injectFBSDK() { if ( window.fbApi && window.fbApi.loaded() ) return; var d = document, s="script", id = 'facebook-jssdk'; var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) { return; } js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.async = true; js.src = "https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); } if ( !document.body.classList.contains('image-share-redesign') && 'object' === typeof metro ) { window.addEventListener('metro:scroll', injectFBSDK, {once: true}); } else { window.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', injectFBSDK, {once: true}); } })();
For all the latest Lifestyle News Click Here
For the latest news and updates, follow us on Google News.
