I got held back at school and became the naughty kid – now I own home at 21

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A young woman who bought her first home at 21 revealed she struggled being the "naughty kid" at school.

Laura Abraham was held back a year before realising that studying hard at school could help her earn money in the future.

But this didn't happen until a "turbulent" period after her dad's death when she was 10 which impacted her education.

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Although she felt "embarrassed" to be held back a year, Laura did go from being the "naughty kid" to the "teachers' pet".

She said: "I wanted to be able to control my environment."

It resulted in her leaving school with As and A*s before accepting a job after college fixing computers for the NHS.

Instead of paying £9,000 for university, she used that money to pay for a deposit on her house.

By the age of 21, after working at a bank, Laura had saved enough money to buy her first home which she now lets out to renters.

Her first purchase, a two-bed end-terrace with a garden in Cardiff's Pentwyn suburb, was the moment she realised that dream.

Now at 27, she lives in Barry Island with her partner.

She added: "My only life goal was to own my own slice of the world.

"No matter what age you are growing up is scary.

"One minute you're having fun in school, the next you're expected to understand everything from tax and mortgages."

Her income from her first home allowed Laura to leave her job to pursue her business, The Grown-Up School.

It teaches people how to look after their money, career, wellbeing, relationships, home and more.

The business offers 100 "grown-up lessons" online and is a free online educational resource.

Laura also developed a side hustle where she coaches individuals and helps them rebuild their CVs.

She concluded: "The environment you’re brought up in has a huge impact too.

"You're not taught [life skills] at school and the onus is on parents. It creates a generational cycle of life skills poverty."

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