Harrison and Kim’s homeownership story
After almost seven years together, Harrison, 26, and Kim, 27, decided it was time to stop renting and buy their own home, so they bought a gorgeous 3 bedroom Tyrone at one of our stunning, popular Chesterfield developments.
Harrison and Kim felt that all of their money was being wasted renting, and they wanted to upgrade their living situation to give their three year old daughter a better quality of life. The pair were renting a 4 bedroom ex council house for £615 per month, which coupled with expensive bills, meant that their disposable income was drained month on month.
Since moving into their Tyrone, they have loved every minute of homeownership, are enjoying entertaining in their open-plan space, and love having a home office for Harrison to work from, plus their mortgage is now only £430 per month, saving them £185!
We spoke to Kim to hear more about experience of buying their first home.
When did you reserve your home? February 2021
When did you move in? July 2021
Which house type did you buy? 3 bedroom semi-detached Tyrone
Is this your first home? Yes, we are both first-time buyers! We previously rented a 4 bedroom property in Chesterfield before deciding to buy. We'd had enough of wasting money and we fell in love with the idea of owning a home where our daughter can enjoy life; it's an investment, and we knew the Tyrone was right for us.
Our rent was expensive, and our home just wasn’t suited to our needs, living in a rented house as young family isn’t sustainable as you can’t make the tweaks that you can in your own home, and it’s costly. We met seven years ago when we were at university, and Harrison works for a law firm and I’m a teacher. Since the pandemic, Harrison regularly works from home, and as we had no office space it was becoming inconvenient.
Why did you choose to buy a new build home? We simply love the idea of a blank canvas; the idea of being able to choose the interior style in each room really excited us. We wanted to customise our space and put our own stamp on it, so buying new made perfect sense. We also felt strongly about having a well-built, energy efficient home. We found that buying new was the best way to guarantee we have these two qualities.
Why did you choose a Gleeson home? My friend had recently moved into a Gleeson home on another development and she couldn’t recommend Gleeson enough! However one of the reasons behind our decision is that our Gleeson development is close to transportation links such as the motorway, which is something we preferred when looking for our new home. We wanted to be close to family and friends, so our development was the perfect place for us.
We were also completely won over by the price! When we visited the Sales Centre and our Sales Executive talked us through what we could get for our money we were delighted. Other new homes in the area were much more expensive, and you don’t get a spacious garden or driveway like you do with Gleeson. Once we’d had a consultation with Meridian Mortgages and found out that our mortgage would only be £430 per month we knew that we’d hit the jackpot.
How was the process of buying your new home? The whole process was great. Our Sales Executive was so helpful; no question was too silly and he made sure to update us regularly on the progress of our home. Meridian Mortgages helped us with our mortgage and were very efficient and knowledgeable about our development which helped. With both Gleeson and Meridian being used to dealing with first-time buyers, it made such a big difference. Gleeson made our journey easy allowing us to get settled quickly into our new home.
Describe your interior style, and what do you love most about your home? We enjoy adding a little colour to each of our rooms to give them a unique feel. To enhance the light airiness of our home, our living room is decorated in a grey and mustard colour scheme with pale walls. Our kitchen-diner is decorated with neutrals and black to complement our wooden counter tops. I love our L-shaped breakfast bar, it gives us the perfect kitchen layout which is ideal for family time and entertaining. We’ve got plenty of space for cooking and baking! We’ve also have room for our large dining table which is great for when we have guests over.
I love our outdoor space too, we’re so grateful to have a driveway, it helps us know our car is safe and secure, and it’s convenient too. But last but not least, we adore our garden because it’s allowed us to have somewhere for our daughter to play.
Are you enjoying life on your development? We are very pleased with our development and the community we’re a part of. We get along so well with our neighbours, who are fantastic! The location is so peaceful so we don't have to worry about being disturbed at night or woken up. Local shops are close by, which is convenient if we need something quickly. Parks that are nearby are also great for picnics and walking. We absolutely adore our new house and feel very at home, I'm so excited to watch as our house evolves and flourishes together with our family!
Do you have any tips for anyone looking to move into a Gleeson home? I would suggest thoroughly researching the different house styles as they all have their own unique qualities and features. Select a design that is right for your family and think about potential changes or future family growth. Ask whatever you want to know and understand! No question is a silly one, every step of the way Gleeson will have the solutions and be able to support you.
How has life changed for you since moving into your Gleeson home? All we ever wanted is a safe and beautiful home for our daughter, which we now have. She can play outside in our large, secure garden and we have the pleasure of watching her grow in a beautiful happy home! By switching from renting to buying, we have more money each month to spend on family holidays and outings and having a blank canvas, truly allows us to decorate our interior to our own taste.
Fancy sharing your Gleeson home buying story with us? Just email [email protected] and you could feature on our blog or drop us a direct message on Instagram!
Inspired by Harrison and Kim’s 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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