Ian and Sophie’s story
New parents quit renting to buy an energy efficient new build
Ian and Sophie knew they wanted to stop renting and own their own home and when baby Clara came along it spurred them on to make their move. Using savings from their Help to Buy ISA, they were able to secure a 3-bedroom Wain Homes house.
The couple, who both work in insurance, already had a Help to Buy ISA and saved hard for a deposit for their first house. “It is much cheaper to pay a mortgage than to pay rent – you just have to get over the hurdle of a deposit,” Ian explained. “Having a baby was the extra incentive to get a place of our own!”
Sophie comes from the Gloucestershire area and the couple looked at several new build developments before seeing our Fallow Fields development, north of the city of Gloucester.
Ian said: “We visited the development and as soon as we saw the show home we knew we wanted to buy a home here. The finishes and design were all so much better than we had seen from other developers.”
A peaceful family home
The couple opted for a Trevithick house type which offers open plan kitchen/dining with a separate living room and guest toilet on the ground floor. Upstairs there are three bedrooms including a master suite with shower room.
Ian said: “An ensuite was definitely on our wish list! The master suite is lovely and the other two bedrooms are a good size. The layout of the house works really for us and we have the added bonus of a garage which is great.”
The couple, and daughter Clara, now two, moved in in July and have enjoyed getting to know their neighbours over the summer and enjoying the surrounding area.
Ian said: “We used to rent a property about 15 minutes away but we have noticed how quiet and peaceful it is here in comparison, yet still convenient for everywhere.”
Reducing energy costs
The couple’s previous home was a 1980’s built property and with the first months of winter hitting hard they have noticed how warm their new Wain home is.
“The insulation seems exceptional and the whole house is really snug,” Ian explained. “The site and sales teams have been great and in fact the service from the whole Wain Homes company has been really impressive.
“Our mortgage offer was due to run out just as rates were going up in summer and we were down to the last 24 hours to get the deal over the line or our mortgage would have gone up £200 a month. But it all came together in time and we are just so happy to have got our first home together as a family. We absolutely love it.”
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