For those who know us, know that it has been one of our dreams to own our own property. It’s not an uncommon dream is it? Quite a number of people want the same thing for all manner of reasons. Financial security. Stability. Building Equity. Security for the family. Ours? To design the space to create we have always dreamed of. Each space being laid out for a specific purpose. Long lounge? Perfect to relax in but also perfect to have a studio, where we paint, create. Conservatory? That’s the photographic studio sorted. Other Bedroom? That is Louise’s space to create, to store her equipment, her materials - any other space she wants, she has got.

It is much more than bricks. Its a dream. And this is our journey.

Let’s kick this off by saying one main point. I honestly thought this was never going to happen. I have been down the darkest path, the lowest of the low. It was nearly all lost. I will say this early and once, if you are struggling, reach out, talk, find an outlet. Get help. Its not embarrassing. It doesn’t mean you are a failure. There are others.

Here goes! Louise and I had been saving for years, I made financial decisions that were, not exactly sensible. The largest financial pit, buying a couple of cars. Those set us back years. I could have and should have spent more sensibly. Add years later that rental prices continued to rise, we had a financial crash, it felt never ending, and although the rent we was paying was far under that of surrounding properties, little by little it began to eat into money set aside for our deposit.

The Journey - Our unlikely path to Ownership

We were probably a little too comfortable, being in the property which we were renting for about seven years. It was comfortable, familiar, we knew our neighbours and it was a lovely space. We wasn’t quite ready for a random call in March!

And that was the beginning. When we received the delightful news that our lovely landlord was getting ready to put the property up for sale. We had two months. That is all the notice legally required to give. Cue panic. What was we going to do? Could we buy the property, could we see if there was a rental price we could agree on. You try and think of every eventuality you can. It turned our world upside down, that feeling of dread is one you will never forget in a hurry.

The thought of being homeless is a great motivator. But rentals were hard to come by, every one we saw was exceeding what we were currently paying. If we were to rent again, lets say goodbye to ever affording to buy our own home. If we are honest, the housing system is broken. We need more social housing for renters that can stay, if they desire, for most of their lives, similar to say, how previous generations lived. Open housing up for people to upsize, downsize, do not allow housing to become too much of an asset. Release equity, move on.

You know, it is pretty amazing how quickly you can go from nothing to “Let’s view every property within a 50-mile radius by the end of the week.” The landlord uninterested at any proposals, set our chaotic journey for us. Full steam ahead. Full stress. Full. Fullness.

The Search - Panic to Plan

After the initial few days of headless chicken action we settled to the task of pulling up our sleeves and diving head first into house hunting. We did have offers of rooms etc, those who offered know who they are, but the cost of moving, storing all of our belongings and moving in with other people, possible apart, was not an option. That would have been all the money gone. Storage, in itself is astronomical.

Screenshot of a spreadsheet that lists houses for viewings — *Yes it's a blur... Both here and in reality*

So, we assessed out finances, created a budget and set out with a figure in mind. More on this. Later.

We viewed around 16 different properties in what felt like a record time, that is after the usual Rightmove, Zoopla, OntheMarket, and my word, every single Estate Agent in existence. Even the single branches of every Estate Agents. We created a spreadsheet with property, price, if negotiable, link to website, Agent and viewing date, then slowly chalked off the ones that we deemed unsuitable. But, my word did we find some questionable places. Quite a few had a random toilet placement in the bedroom, a hidden shower in a bedroom, questionable and memorable. Cigarette goo dripping from the ceiling? Fuse boxes that had not been updated since, possibly, the 60s? More cracks across walls and ceilings than the surface of the moon. A wooden one switch box… One of the best was a sliding door to a wooden framed toilet cubicle so you could wake up and see the beautiful outline of your partner using said toilet - who said romance was dead?

The other, and this is where you need to keep your senses switched on, was a ‘two-bedroom bungalow’ where the second bedroom had a bi-fold door straight onto the garden. Creative? Maybe. It was clearly a one-bed and the owner had tried to repurpose the dining room into a bedroom. There are many, many others, and its quite amazing what people will try and sell.

Through all the questionable layouts, odd additions, DIY nightmares, ever-present damp smells we finally hit what felt like a little pot of gold. It isn’t and wasn’t perfect, it needed work, it needed modernizing (what really is perfect?) but we found it ticked a lot of boxes. We just needed to scrape together enough without having to sell any kidneys.

Decisions - Falling in love with some bricks

A few weeks of non-stop house-hunting and the net began to close. Some quirky. Some bizarre. We stumbled upon a house that, for myself, felt right. It took Louise a couple more visits to get start warming, to understand her partners crazy ‘vision’. Sure, no toilets in the bedroom, but it did manage to have a few features that we could capitalize on!

*Mmmm lounge and conservatory, if you squint...*

A strange memory that we keep bringing up was when we visited a house similar around the corner and the Estate Agent thought if we did not like that one, there was no way we would like the one we actually brought! They was not even going to show us. Goes to show you, just view everything, keep an open mind. Take all chances, all opportunities.

So what exactly made this one, the one in my eyes?

*There is a living room here, plus Louise*

First, the long lounge - a dream for an artist like myself. A couple of rooms that had the wall removed, it opened up the space beautifully, I could have a space set for a studio without having to pack everything away after a session came to an end. There is enough room for both of our creative endeavours. This followed onto a rather large conservatory, a bright, airy space flooded with natural light - the bonus being it had underfloor heating and had the roof insulated. It faced 5 degrees off dead south! Light! All year! Yes. Please. In the rental we had a ‘lean-to’ conservatory that faced north, we wouldn’t ever recommend that. Granted. It will not be everyone’s cup of tea, but all that space facing the right direction… Bliss.

One of the other showstoppers was the garage space. Not just a place to park a car. Nope. But its a workshop space in the making. A space where I could dive into woodworking, carpentry or joinery. Canvas creation! Fabulous frame-making! The thought that more little dreams could come true made me giggle like a child. For anyone who needs space for a hobby, a craft… You’ll get the idea.

And lastly, was a ‘third-bedroom’, calling it a bedroom was a bit of a stretch. The idea of converting this into a dual purpose gaming room/craft room for all Louise’s desires was a strong one. On one side, we have all the PC/gaming/researching/idea generation we could possibly think of and on the other, space, just space. Where we could start to build our own storage and cupboard space to purposefully fit crafting paraphernalia. All of our hobbies setup. How we wanted them. Find that inspiration, love it, use it.

In the end, it wasn’t any one feature that sold us on the place. It was a culmination of spaces that had the potential to fit our creative needs and future plans. It was the quietness, the calm, the serenity. We could already see ourselves turning the house into a true home - the kind of things you see on TV and Social Media all the time. Even if it meant a lot of DIY projects, google searches, Youtube videos, learning, making mistakes, fixing mistakes, we had waited years for the privilege, was it finally going to come true?

Financial Balancing Act - Navigating Funding Challenges

Finding a place, a house, with potential was one thing, figuring out how to fund it all is another. If there is anything that will truly test your love for a property, that is playing the financial fantasy game to make it yours.

We always knew that the cost of buying a home goes far beyond that of whatever the asking price is. You have the bank/building society to satisfy, solicitors, surveyors, structural engineers, searches to conduct - each came with its own hefty price tag. By the time we added it all up, it felt like we were funding a small country more than anything else. It takes time to reach the point where we had enough for a deposit, years, MORE YEARS. Understanding all the legal jargon, spending evenings and mornings googling what conveyancing is and what indemnity insurance were took its toll, it felt like taking some exam over and over again. We did find brilliant resources such as the HomeOwners Alliance that helped take a lot of the sting out of it, putting it all into bite-size points that we could address much easier. Its quite impressive how quickly it can go from “yeah we got this” to “actually, we have a clue”.

One piece of advice I would give is to vet out absolutely every person or company you deal with, even from recommendations - although if its a personal acquaintances, well, you’ll probably know who they are. Solicitors are painfully slow, and will charge for anything and everything. Surveyors are, well, not really needed in my eyes. You’ll see if a wall will come down, a ceiling about to collapse or cracks everywhere that are rather suspicious. They are ‘not allowed’ or ‘won’t’ touch anything to reveal potential issues - that’s on you. Get yourself a builder, a Structural Engineer, ask them questions, opinions. Push them. Not physically.

Also, remember, the price you pay, isn’t really a ‘market figure’, its down to you as a buyer, how much you want the property compared to how much the vendors want to sell. That is it really. If you get into a bidding war good luck, but the opposite applies if you find vendors that need to sell quickly, a divorce, for example. Estate Agents have their own agenda, the larger the sale price, the better their % commission is with the vendors. They make the pounds off the sellers, I can tell you that.

I would say that it was our time, somehow… The stars aligned, it was luck, fate, I do not know. Nothing ever happens at the right time does it? We somehow had just enough in both our ISAs, and just enough in spare savings for all the extra associated costs at the right time. No borrowing or gifts from mummy or daddy. No inheritance. People will make their own opinions. And that makes that struggle even more sweeter.

The Move - Home Sweet Home

Moving day. A day filled with excitement, exhaustion, and the ever, impending doom. It’s one thing to pack a few boxes or bags, but to have seven years worth all ready on one day, while making sure the place is clean, well that is another. Having picked up the keys, its an odd one. You kind of expect some kind of party, a quick 30 second rave with lights and streamers, but its not. You go in, say your name, the solicitors have sorted out all the rest and they just hand you the keys, well done, good deal, congratulations. And off you go.

We began the day as early as possible, a Luton Van parked on the driveway, ready. The first load, one that I was not quite considering, was that of all the garden plants Louise had tended to - true, maybe odd to some, but its one of her passions and hobbies. She made that garden look like an oasis, even if it was rented! Clever enough to know what goes where and even more switched on to know that keeping even the largest plants in pots/buckets/swimming pool sized planters they were ready to go when needed. That was one whole van load. Just plants. We will joke about it for the rest of our lives.

But, guess who forgot the keys on the first trip? Yup, me… No access to the house, to the garden, I had to use the smallest set of step ladders, then get stuck, half way over, little legs dangling, nearly cut myself in half! A thief, I will clearly never be.

It was an odd feeling that day, you never really capture the feeling you’ve been balling up inside. We made trips and trips, back and forth, cleaned, painted, cleaned more, just to make sure we got as much deposit back as possible. It was sweet in the end, knowing we finally could say goodbye to those that owned it, not one more penny would be handed over, and that was the final icing on the cake. Who cares owing a bank, the world is run on credit, debt and the like…

Making a house a home - DIY and Future plans

Well, we was in, move completed, a myriad of boxes and bits everywhere. How do we make this a home? We always knew we were going to be hands-on, we both have parents that are hands on and have tackled some pretty major projects in the past. Give us books, Youtube, Google and an unlimited sense of confidence and off you go.

First. Bedroom. A place to escape to when all the shenanigans of the day, days, weeks, HOURS finally became too much. So we ripped out the old ‘built-in’ wardrobe. Put on freecycle and off we went to the DIY stores. I have never brought so many tools and bits. Sandpaper, colour chips, paints all purchased we turned the white, blank canvas of a room into our little corner of paradise. In comes deep, warm purples, complimenting light, airy, mint greens and some of the most beautiful wallpapers we could find. This one is Louise’s little baby, her oasis. Her vision. And it turned out beautifully!

Next, an office-cum-craft room, converted from the ‘third bedroom/box room’. A glorified cupboard, you know the ones. So, with a sprinkle of imagination (yes a Spongebob reference) and Pinterest we began to see the potential. The plan, stop the squeaky floor. What happened. We changed everything. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g. Armed with tools we had never weaponised before, we set out. Up came the floorboards, of sheet MDF, which previous owners drilled ply on top of. Gone went the skirting boards, coving, and the old. We set out to fit engineered flooring. That was mapped out in software I use for work. We found the squeak. Two nails, in the stud wall, which was squared down through the bottom of the batten to the floor. Over the years the floors drop slightly, and the constant moving creates a slight movement between the hole of the nail and the nail itself. A quick zap with the multi-tool and that was it. Shhh, we mean, the whole of everything squeaked…

Flooring fitted. Artex ceiling next. I have never, ever plastered before. The only plastered I have ever been near has a completely different meaning. Hey, its not smoother than a soft peach, but it still stays up, its painted too! Two layers it took, one hefty one to key to the artex, the next a smoother one. It sets quick, you have to be fast, ish. They tell you this. It’ll ache also. They tell you this also. It looks a complete different room now, its decorated, now we need time to fashion the endless shelves, cabinets, storage solutions and the rest of it. One down.

We have moved bits around in the lounge, we need to live in it for a while. I am beginning to understand how best to set up the space for my work, how the lighting in the space works. How the time of day and the weather creates shadow, darkness or pure radiance. There is still enough room for the TV, surround sound and space for us to both relax with a film or box-set if we want. And that is all I could ask for!

Not forgetting my little baby though. The garage. Gone has the old, rusted, three time painted broken up-and-over door and in goes a flash, new, roller door. Yes. I can now get in and out the space without swearing and breaking everything bone-wise. Its taking shape, most of the shelves, benches and worktops are in place but its become a bit of a dumping ground. It will come together. Woodworking, canvas making, box making area of wonders it will be, that’s after I have figured out how not to turn every piece of timber into firewood. I’ve fitted battens and noggins to the flooring upstairs with great precision, I am proud of that, small wins, humble beginnings.

We have more plans, yes more! More DIY, more customization, and probably more hilarious mistakes along the way (did I tell you I fell through the floor? It looked like the alien ship from Independence Day.) This is the beauty of owning your own home though, the constant strive to better not only yourself but also that in which you live in. A canvas of wild ideas and ambitious plans. And while we might not get it right in the first place (or even the second), we are learning, growing, and having the time of our lives in the process.

Reflecting on the past - The Emotional and Practical lessons

Looking back on all that has been so far, from the panic of becoming homeless, the depression of dreams never coming true to the elation of the whole thing ever happening, its hard to think how this has happened in such a short amount of time. I sometimes visit the old place, to remind myself, to ground myself. If there is anything to learn, its that home ownership is not for the faint hearted, nor is it for everyone. I come from a family who rents, council tenants at that.

One of the biggest lessons… Teamwork. There were and still are moments where we test our sanity, each other’s patience (I think Louise’s record of F-offs is in the late-teens!) and everything in between. Having eachother to lean on (or laugh at) has made all the difference. No matter if its picking colours, wallpapers, picking how best to tackle a job, we are in it together. For us, that is what makes this pile of brick and timber a home.

If you can not laugh or cry. Don’t even bother… That is sound advice…

But probably the most important lesson of it all…. It is what you make of it. And that goes for anything in life. Its not about the perfect Insta photos, its about creating a space that feels like you - a place where you do you. Warts and all. Want a pink ceiling. Yeah, why not. Want exposed brick in the bathroom. Sure. Be you. Let it be an extension of you. Share those bumps along the way. No one is perfect. We are all human, We will come and go like the rest of them. One project at a time…

Conclusion - What is to come?

We have finally, as of this past week, finished unpacking all the boxes. This post has taken that long to write. We can sit back now, take stock of our first major project, find faults in what we have done, how to bend to our wishes. There are still plenty in the works now. More DIY projects. More tweaks. Improvements. Now the garage is up and running, my next job is to learn how to fix the wardrobe I ripped out.

Our journey from renting to owning wasn’t an easy one. But every late-night boxing, every ripped up floorboard, every speck of dust (and there was a tonne!), every hidden nail, was worth it. Because now, this is becoming our space. We are living in our home.

So, if you are a first time buyer, at the end of your tether, being beaten down by every passing comment, news story and scare story, take our advice, keep going, keep saving! Find something to keep you in check, something to take the frustrations out on in the bad times - run, cry, scream, gym, paint, box, cycle, swim, make it positive for you and on the other, find those who are positive and happy for you, with them just being, that’ll keep you flying high.

Welcome to our journey. Lets see where it goes hey?