Amber’s homeownership story

When did you reserve your home? December 2021.

When did you move in? April 2022.

Which house type did you buy? 2 bedroom semi-detached Kerry.

Is this your first home? Yes, and I love it! Prior to buying I rented a one bedroom flat nearwork with an ex-partner. It was £550 per calendar month which was really expensive for a small flat with no outdoor space. After the relationship came to an end, I knew I wanted to buy, as it was my biggest goal before I turned 30, and I managed to do it aged 29. I’m so proud of being able to buy on my own as a solo-buyer and would encourage any other single buyers in the same position to go for it! As soon as I found my stunning Gleeson home, I eagerly waited for it to be released, and was so happy to secure a spacious home with a great-sized garden, driveway and garage for my first ever home.

Why did you choose to buy with Gleeson? I wanted to buy a Gleeson home because I had heard so many good things about them! My brother had bought a Gleeson Cork three years ago  at one of the Doncaster developments, and I watched him go through the process, and was jealous! It was great to hear  how he picked his plot and options, and saw it being built, so when I’d heard his story, I knew I wanted to follow suit and buy new with Gleeson. Plus, Gleeson is  really suited to first-time buyers, and has lots of great buying schemes, which I was able to take advantage of. My Sales Executive was so helpful right from the start, and made me feel completely at ease despite it being my first time buying.

As soon as I visited the Sales Centre I knew it was meant to be, the range of options available wowed me. I was spoilt for choice with the kitchen possibilities and also blown away by the affordability of a Gleeson home. In my rented flat I was paying £550 per month in rent, and in my beautiful Kerry which is twice the size and has a garden I’m only paying £379.76 per month for my mortgage. Plus, in my new home my energy bills are really affordable, I was worried about prices after the things you see online, but my home is so well insulated because it’s new. Having all new, clean appliances is great too after being in a rented property.

Why did you choose to buy new? I picked a new home as I wanted everything fresh and new. I didn’t want to be renovating my first home as I wanted to enjoy it and not get stressed if things didn’t go to plan. I wanted the excitement of choosing things and meeting other first-time buyers along the way.

Why did you choose the Kerry house style? I bought a Gleeson Kerry house style home as I visited a Gleeson site a few years ago and viewed a Kerry show home and absolutely loved it! I fell in love with the whole open plan stairs going into the living room straight away, also the Harry Potter-style under the stairs cupboard is perfect for storage. 

How was the process of buying your new home? The process wasn’t as stressful as I thought it was going to be, buying a home was much more straightforward than I’d built up in my head!

I had everything set out in a folder with what I needed to do, what to send off and what to fill out, I was super organised! I also made a checklist ticking off each task once I had completed it. My Sales Executive was so helpful and so were Meridian Mortgages, Gleeson’s recommended mortgage advisors. They are used to dealing with Gleeson customers and their developments so knew the answers to every question I could possibly think of!

What do you love most about your home? I love my kitchen the most, without a doubt! I love the gloss doors, and how light they are. I love that I could upgrade my kitchen and mix and match. I love the white walls, as it makes my house look so clean and fresh, it’s great having a blank canvas to personalise. I’ve gone for a neutral look with a hint of colour in every room, but my spare room is currently my wardrobe, I haven’t decided on what I actually want to do with that room yet. As they say, Rome wasn’t built in a day!

I love the outside of my home too, and I particularly am over the moon that I’ve got a garage, it helps with storage and my car having its own drive. My house looks lovely with the planters outside and freshly striped grass. I have my very own personal gardener, my Dad who looks after it for me!

How has life changed since moving into your home? Going from renting to living in my own home is absolutely amazing, I love the new sense of freedom and the fact that I’m able  to decorate and personalise my home, have so much more space, and I’m saving money too! If you’re renting, don’t think that you’re stuck in that situation, I’m living proof that a mortgage can be cheaper than rent, and many other Gleeson customers who were previously renting are in the same boat as me. It’s great having the extra cash to spend on decorating my home and going out and enjoying life.

I’m really enjoying the community feel of my development too, we even have our own Facebook group and I’ve made good friendships with some of my neighbours. I first met my next door but one on Instagram, she found me and then we met and had our photo taken together on a site visit. My neighbour who’s house is joined on to mine is an old friend who I went to school with, it’s lovely to have such good people around me.

I’d recommend homeownership to anyone, if you think you can’t get onto the property ladder, think again, because Gleeson will help you all the way.

Fancy sharing your Gleeson home buying story with us? Just email [email protected] and you could feature on our blog. Inspired by Amber’s homeownership story? We have over 80 developments located across the North and the Midlands and with prices starting from £102,995, what are you waiting for?!

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Give Amber a follow on Instagram @memykerryandI.