What I Own: Chanel, who put down a 10% deposit on her property near Peterborough

Welcome back to What I Own, our weekly series that explores getting on the property ladder.

We’re chatting to Chanel this week, who bought her home two years ago.

She put down a 10% deposit on her five-bed property and found the mortgage process slightly tricker, as she’s self-employed.

This is what she had to say about her buying journey…

Tell us about yourself.

I’m 34 years old and a content creator from Peterborough.

Where is your property? What do you think of the area?  

Near Peterborough. A beautiful English country landscape – we love the country and the farming community within the local area.

When did you move in? 

October 2020.

How much does your property cost? 

£634,000 from a recent valuation.

How much was your deposit? 

It was a 10% deposit.

What is the monthly cost of living here now; both mortgage and bills?

Monthly is about £2,000pm.

How did you save up for your deposit? 

I worked and put aside money.

What was the process of getting a mortgage like for you? Did you find any parts challenging? 

The challenging part is being self-employed and having to show accounts to meet the house price, which we got in the end.

Where did you live before this – were you renting or living with family? 

Renting in London.

What made you want to buy rather than renting?

 I wanted to own a home to raise my children in.

How did you find this property? What made you choose it? 

I love the style of the property as well as the space and amount of rooms you get for your money.

How have you made the property feel like home?

I have put in a lot of my personality and style in terms of decoration, design and specific decor items. 

What’s the inspiration for your interior decor style? 

I like to have a mix of my favourite styles – such as farmhouse and modern glam – and I have been slowly adding bits of colour into the guest room area.

What’s your favourite room and why?

 The living room. I love our statement TV/fireplace unit which is bespoke and has so much character.

Do you feel like you have enough space? 

We do have enough space, however we have an opportunity to build an extension as we have a large garden and even a loft conversion.

Do you have plans to change the property?

I would like to build a downstairs guest room by adding in a small shower area and then an extension.

Are there any problems with the property that you have to deal with? 

There are no problems currently as it is a new build.

What do you want people to know about buying a home? 

I think it’s important to stick to a budget you can afford – so you use your money to purchase exactly what you want to make a house feel like a home.

What are your plans for the future, in terms of housing? Do you plan to stay here long term? 

I have actually dreamt of doing a self-build as there are specific unique looks that I would love to add to a home. 

Do you want to feature in What I Own?

What I Own is a Metro.co.uk series that takes you inside people’s properties, to take an honest look at what it’s like to buy a home in the UK. If you own your home and would be up for sharing your story, please email [email protected]. 

You’ll also need to be okay with sharing how much you’ve paid to live there and how you afforded the deposit, as that’s pretty important. 

If you’re renting, you can take part too! What I Own runs alongside What I Rent, which is the same series but all about renting. Again, if you’d like to get involved just email [email protected].

Shall we take a look around?

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

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