Maddy and Louise's homeownership story
Louise and Maddy’s homeownership dreams came true when they discovered Gleeson. After renting a pokey one bedroom flat throughout lockdown, the couple were yearning for more space and a garden to enjoy. After trialling viewing other housebuilders developments, the couple came back to Gleeson every time due to the affordable, quality homes and the great customer service they received when they called in to view show homes. Now owning a 2 bedroom semi-detached Cork, Louise and Maddy are now saving over £250 per month on their rent and bills due to their mortgage being so much more affordable and their bills being lower than their smaller flat. What a winner!
We caught up with Louise and Maddy to find out more about their homeownership journey and what they love about their development.
The interview:
When did you reserve your home? September 2020.
When did you move in? March 2021.
Which home type did you buy? Cork, 2 bedroom semi-detached home
Is this your first home?
Yes, it’s our first owned home. Before purchasing our beautiful 2 bedroom semi-detached Cork we were renting a one bedroom flat, with no parking, no garden, a tiny kitchen and just a sofa bed for guests, which wasn’t ideal! We were never able to have friends or family round, which was a big issue because Louise’s family live three hours away.
We were more than ready to buy a home, especially after lockdown, being trapped in a one bedroom flat was no good for both of our health’s. We were ready for the next step and preparing ourselves for the future, we wanted somewhere to build a family.
We initially went to look at a Gleeson development in Sheffield, before we discovered our development, which is in Rotherham. We liked the layout of the 3 bedroom semi-detached Tyrone, but spotted our Cork, which is an end plot, so has a huge garden, and a driveway which can fit three cars on it! Our development is just a 25 minute drive from both of our workplaces and is close to loads of great amenities including a big shopping centre, it’s perfect.
Why a Gleeson home?
The price of our Cork was amazing, for only £105,995 we could own a stunning 2 bedroom home which had so much outdoor space. As soon as we arrived at the Gleeson developments we visited we felt welcomed. We had considered other housebuilders and viewed properties very similar in size to the Cork, but they were over £100,000 more, so Gleeson really was a no brainer.
We only needed a £5,000 deposit to buy, as we used the Help to Buy: Equity Loan, which was so helpful. We didn’t think £5,000 would be enough to get us onto the property ladder, but we did save like mad during the first lockdown. It actually worked out cheaper for us to buy with Gleeson than continue renting too. We were paying £500 per month in rent for our one bedroom flat, yet the mortgage for our Cork is only £310. All in all we are saving a wedge of money, our gas and electricity is £80 cheaper per month now in our home, our rented flat was in an old building and wasn’t very energy efficient.
Another big benefit of buying with Gleeson was the range of options on offer, allowing us to personalise our home. We chose a premium navy kitchen from the Heritage range, spotlights in the bathroom, an upgraded shower, outside tap, towel rail, outside power and boiler housing, and we were able to make use of Gleeson’s Key Worker Priority scheme to buy them, getting £1,000 towards the extras we chose as Louise works for a national essential retailer.
What do you love about your home?
We can’t believe we finally own a home, it’s a proud feeling. We love how we can now decorate however we like, in our flat we weren’t allowed to paint the walls, but now we’ve gone crazy with colour and have added half height paint walls.
We love our kitchen and are spending so much more time cooking from scratch, we also had no space for a dishwasher in our flat, so it’s been amazing now having one, and we have plenty of cupboard space.
It’s a great having so much more breathing space, Louise’s family can come to stay and we get to see our nephew, who’s three much more. Maddy regularly has family over to sit in the garden around the firepit, and we enjoyed plenty of BBQ’s over the summer. Having a garden means we can also dry our washing outside, we don’t have to have airers all over the house! We also love how the Cork has two good sized bedrooms both that can fit double beds in easily. But best of all, to top it all off, we feel financially secure and aren’t paying off someone else’s mortgage.
How was the process of buying your home?
Buying our home was a really great experience, it wasn’t overwhelming or intimidating at all like we expected it to be. We didn’t feel embarrassed to ask any questions, our Sales Executive made us feel so comfortable. The process was very positive and the support from Gleeson’s recommended mortgage advisors Meridian Mortgages was great.
We were so excited throughout the build process, so we made our Instagram @queerhome.no1 to see how other people were styling their Cork. We really enjoy seeing how other people have put their spin on their décor and outdoor space, we soon had lots of interior inspiration ideas ready for when we moved in. Searching #gleesoncork really helped us visualise how we would use our space and we’d refer to it before décor shopping trips.
Do you have any tips for future Gleeson homeowners?
Along with checking out how other people have styled their homes on Instagram, we highly recommend talking to people who have been through the process. Many of those with Gleeson Instagram accounts are more than happy to answer any questions you have, including the Gleeson brand ambassadors.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask your Sales Executive questions. They are used to first time buyers so have so much knowledge to share with you about the process.
How has life changed for you since moving into your Gleeson home?
We are so much happier now we own our own home! Our mental health has improved as we have so much more space to enjoy and a garden to utilise. We have more money than before due to our outgoings being lower, so we have more disposable income! We feel like our car is safer due to being able to park on our drive rather than the road, and we can bring shopping bags in much easier.
Our relationship has improved due to us not being on top of each other all the time, and we each have our own office space which has been great for working from home. In our flat when we were on work calls during Covid we felt like we were talking over each other.
We have really nice neighbours too, everyone says hello and takes in parcels if you need them to and the development has a great community vibe. We feel really settled here.
After reserving our home, Louise proposed under the stars in the Peak District, so we’re now busy planning our wedding, which is now happening much sooner due to us having more spare money to put towards it. Having extra money has helped us plan our dream wedding as well as own our dream home! Life couldn’t be better.
Fancy sharing your Gleeson home buying story with us? Just email [email protected] and you could feature on our blog. Inspired by Maddy and Louise’s story? We have over 80 developments to choose from, so why not find your Gleeson home today, with prices from £102,995 and homes located across the North and the Midlands, what are you waiting for?
