Securing the keys to a home is more than just hitting a milestone – it’s a profound, often life-changing moment. Getting on the property ladder can take years of planning and saving, followed by a careful search to find the home that’s right for you and canny navigation of the buying process. It’s a big step – getting your foot on that almighty first rung – one that can be immensely rewarding.
We spoke to first-time buyers to discover how homeownership has reshaped their perspectives. From having a place you’re in control of, to discovering your inner interior designer, these new homeowners reveal the lessons and insights gained along their property path. They also cover the deep sense of accomplishment that comes with having a place to call your own for the very first time.
‘I saw this house and knew it was the one’
Emma Croman, 45, lives in Matlock, Derbyshire, with her labrador, Monty
As a solo buyer, Emma Croman suspected that getting a mortgage might be a challenge. But with her heart set on a former council property that had the potential to be transformed into her ideal home, she was determined to achieve her ambition.
“I’d been advised in my 20s that buying on my own would be tricky, so I carried on renting in Brighton,” says Croman, a freelance photographer. “Then when I hit my 40s I spoke to another mortgage adviser, who painted a much more positive picture.
“I wanted to live closer to where my mum lives in Derbyshire, and when I went on a road trip around the Peak District, I saw how beautiful it was there. I kept an eye on the market using Rightmove alerts and decided to view some houses just as a starting point – but then I saw this house, and knew it was the one.
“I wanted a kitchen diner big enough to have people around for dinner parties, plus a private garden for Monty, and it had everything I was looking for.”
After putting in an offer of £160,000, Croman faced the nerve-racking process of applying for a mortgage. “I had a couple of rejections, which was scary,” she says. “Looking back, I should have got a mortgage in principle first, so there was less of a question mark over my budget.”
A mortgage in principle is the first step in getting a mortgage, but is one that is sometimes overlooked before starting a property search. Don’t – this piece of paperwork is crucial in giving you an idea of how much you could feasibly borrow. You can even get a mortgage in principle alongside your property search on Rightmove, which can be completed in as little as 20 minutes.
Having leapt that initial mortgage hurdle and secured her new home, Croman moved from Brighton to Derbyshire in August 2023, and began tackling the renovations to turn her house into a home with gusto.
A self-taught DIY enthusiast, she threw herself into a remodelling project, documenting her renovation journey on her “conscious-living” blog.
“I’ve taken down a stud wall downstairs to make it into an open-plan space, and it’s now full of light,” says Croman. “I’ve also created spaces for journaling and yoga – two things I’m passionate about. It took a while to get here, but owning my home has vastly improved the quality of my life.”
‘We have a place to call our own’
Tom Lee, 25, and Chloe Morris, 22, have been a couple for four years. They live together in Hereford, Herefordshire
Thanks to savvy saving and the support of their parents, Tom Lee and Chloe Morris have managed to sidestep Gen Z’s traditional struggles to get a foot on the housing ladder and buy their first home close to family and friends.
“We were in the fortunate position that we both landed good jobs at a fairly young age, and could both live with our parents before we bought our place,” says Lee, a technical analyst in IT. “I was living with my parents in Hereford, while Chloe was staying with hers in Wales, and while we’d both been saving into lifetime Isas, without additional support from our families it would have taken us years more to save the money we needed for a deposit. We were lucky to have that parental support.”
With both of them working largely from home, they were looking for a place that had plenty of space to live and work in. After scouring Rightmove for homes that matched their criteria, they viewed just two properties that they’d found through the app, before offering £298,000 on a modern three-bedroom house located a 10-minute drive from Lee’s parents.
“The house was built in 2019, so thankfully it didn’t need anything major but we did remove the hard flooring in all the bedrooms and replace them with carpet,” says Lee. “We also repainted the entire house before moving in, as well as smaller projects like putting up blinds and changing to a smart thermostat for heating. We managed to do a lot of it ourselves, because my dad and grandad taught me DIY skills that I’ve since put to good use.”
Since moving, their perspective on finances has shifted, but it’s all been worthwhile. “When the money coming in is for bills and the mortgage, it makes you think a lot more seriously about budgeting,” says Morris. “We don’t regret it at all, though – finally, we have a place to call our own.”
‘I feel at peace’
Tessy Mbofung, 47, lives in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, with her partner Thomas, 53, and her children Donella, 15, and Dylan, seven
After 18 years spent renting a variety of properties in Northampton, Tessy Mbofung set her heart on one thing: buying her own home and providing her two children, Donella and Dylan, with a permanent home.
“Renting was sometimes tough, so buying my first home meant everything to me,” says Mbofung, an HR business partner and equality, diversity and inclusion lead at the Open University. “Before applying for my mortgage in principle, I spent two years making sure my credit rating was sound so I’d be in a good position to put an offer on a house. It meant I had to cut down on some things and get my priorities straight.”
Mbofung worked hard to save for a deposit, finally pulling together the money she needed thanks to strict budgeting, careful saving and support from her older sister, Vera.
“When I got my mortgage in principle, I was so excited,” says Mbofung. “I decided to look for a place in Stoke-on-Trent, where I could afford the four-bedroom house we wanted. We would spend the day on the road, viewing properties and eating lunch in the car, just so we could find the right place for us.”
After attending more than 60 viewings, Mbofung finally found her dream home on Rightmove – a large house in a quiet cul-de-sac – and put an offer in. To her delight, she was successful, and received the keys to her longed-for first home in October 2023.
“It was an old house, and I knew it would take some doing up, but I could see it had a lot of potential,” says Mbofung. “It has a big garden, a spare room, and an American-style kitchen diner, so it ticked all the boxes.
“The day we moved in, I was so excited, and my daughter and I both cried with happiness. Since then, we’ve made it a proper home – the children are settled and I feel at peace. It really means the world to me.”
‘I’ve wanted my own home since I was 20’
Kelly O’Donoghue, 30, and partner Chris De’ath, 37, have been a couple for two years. They live in Colchester, Essex
From an early age, Kelly O’Donoghue was taught by her mum and grandparents to save – so for almost a decade, she diligently put away half her wages with an eye on buying her first home.
“There were times when I missed out on things my friends got to do, like going travelling,” says O’Donoghue, an administrator. “But my goal was always to own my own home so I had something to pass on to my children.”
After her long-term friendship with salesman Chris De’ath developed into a romance, the pair quickly realised they were on the same page when it came to their future plans.
“We both knew we wanted to settle down and have a family,” says De’ath. “We were engaged within a year, and are getting married next September, so buying a house together made sense.”
In March 2023, the couple got a mortgage in principle to confirm their budget. “We were quite surprised by what we could afford” – and began their search for a three-bedroom house, big enough for a future family.
Eventually, in a moment of serendipity, they drove through an estate they’d had their eye on, spotted a house with a “For Sale” sign, and knocked on the door.
“It was a Sunday morning, and the owner was in her pyjamas,” says O’Donoghue. “But she got changed and showed us around. The house was only six years old and already decorated to our taste, so we decided to put in an offer of £340,000.”
With the process of applying for a mortgage eased by their mortgage in principle, the pair stepped over the threshold of their first home together in May this year.
“It’s in a quiet area, which is nice, but there’s a lot going on nearby,” says De’ath. “It’s close to town, the shops, the beach and the airport, and just two minutes from Kelly’s mum.”
“I’ve wanted my own home since I was 20, and I’ve accomplished what I set out to do,” O’Donoghue adds. “It’s given me a real sense of achievement.”
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Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on a mortgage secured against it. The information and opinions provided in this article are not intended to be financial advice and should not be relied upon when making financial decisions. Please seek advice from a regulated mortgage adviser.
Rightmove Group Limited (RMG), Firm Reference No. 491645, is an Appointed Representative of Rightmove Financial Services Limited (RMFS), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, Firm Reference No. 805415. This can be checked on the FCA register at www.fca.org.uk/register