A home to grow in: Chae's story
Chae wanted to buy and set down roots of her own in the neighbourhood she grew up in. But as many Londoners find, this task is much easier said than done. After renting for a few years, and with her boys needing a space of their own, Chae and her family bought a home using our income and deposit booster features.
What they found was the perfect space for them – in Chae's ideal neighbourhood, near her family, and with a bit of room to grow.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
Hi, I’m Chae. My partner and I and our two children bought a home using Gen H. We both grew up in London and really wanted to stay close to our family and friends. I wanted my kids to go to the same school I went to!
We had support from my family; my mum and step-dad used both the income booster and deposit booster tools to help us buy.
How did you save for your deposit? Did you have to make any sacrifices?
We had been renting the year before buying so a lot of our savings were going toward that. My son used to point out that the “man on the moped” was bringing dinner again, but once we got serious about saving to buy, he stopped coming!
We lived with our families for a long time before which helped us save, and we had my mum's support with the deposit which truly made it possible for us.
What was the hardest part of the homebuying process?
There was a lot to learn along the way. The conveyancing process was confusing and a bit nerve-wracking. There was a lot of back and forth between solicitors around answering “enquiries”. It was really hard to tell what the big issues were versus the standard conveyancing box-ticking. We also felt some pressure from our estate agents to give them updates. It was pretty overwhelming at times and there were lots of things we just had no clue about.
What surprised you the most about buying a home?
We knew it was a huge milestone, but we didn't realise how important it was for us and our family until we got the keys. It was really exciting after we completed it and we looked and thought, “we did that”.
It’s also really special for me to know that my boys have a bedroom they can actually call their own as they grow up and we can paint or make whatever changes we want to our flat to make it right for us.
It’s also really special for me to know that my boys have a bedroom they can actually call their own as they grow up.
What advice or tips do you have for people currently looking to buy?
Preparation is key!
Make time to organise your documents – income, ID and be ready to respond to questions. If you don’t have any of these details to hand, you can delay the whole process, which was a very worrying prospect.
Don't be afraid to ask questions
We had a lot of questions and honestly I felt pretty silly asking some of them – but Gen H were happy to help, and it helped us understand better what was going on. There is a lot to take in, but keeping in the loop just helped put us at ease.
What will you do differently the next time around?
Well we aren’t in a hurry to move any time soon! But, next time we will go into the process knowing more, which is a great place to start – and I definitely won’t hesitate to ask questions next time.
We’re always looking to share the stories of other Gen H customers. Want to share? You can email marketing@generationhome.com to get started.
The views expressed in this post don’t necessarily represent the views of Gen H. This post is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as advice. Chae was asked to give an honest reflection on her experience of buying a home and was not compensated.
