We moved into dream home less than 90 days after seeing it...here's our five top tips on how you can do the same

The cost of living crisis has made home ownership a hurdle which, for many people, is simply too high to jump over. And for those aged 40 and under, the challenge is particularly stark. According to one recent survey, more than four in ten (42%) British adults in that bracket now regard themselves as ‘Guppies’ - meaning they have Given Up On Property.

Yet, despite the challenges, home ownership is still possible.

Here, self-employed hairdresser Olivia Morrissey, from Rixton, near Warrington, Cheshire, reveals how she was able to buck the trend and buy her own property at the age of 23. What’s more, thanks to the help of mortgage experts at UKMC Olivia and her partner, Jake Stamp, were able to secure a mortgage in less than a week. And they had the keys for their dream home within just 90 days of first viewing it.

Here's her story.

“Just a year ago life looked very different. My partner Jake and I were trying to find a way out of living between our parents’ houses. Living between our parents’, felt chaotic. We were desperate for our own space. But it didn’t feel realistic at our age. Everyone said it was too soon. But we both earn commission in our jobs, so we could control how much we saved; and we just worked harder whenever we needed more.”

“I run my own salon, Livslox headquarters, as a self-employed hairdresser, and my partner, Jake, works in recruitment. We saved our house deposit in under a year, and we were going to put down 10%, but after speaking to UKMC, we realised we only needed 5%. They explained how that decision could give us more flexibility without stretching our finances too thin.

“Finding our dream home ended up being so spontaneous. We were just scrolling through houses on a Sunday night after Christmas and saw this one we liked. We booked a viewing the next day, and fell in love with it. We made an offer the next morning, and it got accepted the same afternoon. That night, we messaged Will Fox, who works as a Mortgage and Protection Advisor at UKMC. That’s when everything shifted. UKMC took over and guided us through the process step by step.”

“Up until that night, we hadn’t spoken to a mortgage broker. We didn’t even have a mortgage in principle; we were just winging it and hoping it would work out. I was especially nervous because I’m self-employed, had only been trading for three years, had just opened my own salon, and I also rented another property. I thought all that might be too complicated. But UKMC handled it like total pros.”

“Will from UKMC took control: chasing my accountant, sorting payslips from my partner’s employer and liaising with the estate agent. He even recommended our solicitor, whom I now want to use for life.

“Things moved quickly from there. Within four or five days of applying, we had a mortgage offer from a lender that worked with our situation. And from that point on, everything ran through WhatsApp. That was a game-changer. We both work long hours, so phone calls and emails just weren’t realistic.”

“If we didn’t understand a letter or form, we'd take a photo and ask Will. He would explain what it actually meant. No guessing. No Googling. It made everything feel so much less scary.

“It felt real when, just a few days after our offer, we were already shopping for sofas and mattresses. My mum’s house was full, my grandparents’ house was full, and there was furniture and boxes everywhere. That’s when it hit me, it was all actually happening.

“Then came the big push. Our seller was really keen to complete before the stamp duty change in April. We didn’t think it would happen in time, even the solicitor warned us it probably wouldn’t. It felt like it wasn’t going to happen, then suddenly, it all kicked off.

“Two days before the deadline, we got a call saying: “You’re completing Friday. We were literally still in bed when the solicitor rang to say the keys were ready.

“We got the keys at 9:30 in the morning. No 5pm drama. We moved straight in. We had no bed, no furniture, but we celebrated with a chippy takeaway that night and the biggest buzz ever. That beautiful day has now become a core memory for Jake and me.

“We love our house. The garden is massive and private, which is really rare at our age. We’re near the high street and with loads of green space. We go for runs and can even walk to bars. It’s exactly the kind of lifestyle we wanted. And best of all? We have freedom. We host all the time. We’ve recently had 40 people around for a Mexican night!”

“There’s this idea that you don’t move out till your 30s. But if you want it, and you’re willing to work for it, you can do it younger. My advice? Use people who get it. UKMC made it so simple. Will was our age. He spoke like us. It didn’t feel like some old guy using mortgage words we didn’t understand.

“I’ll use UKMC for life. And honestly, I now recommend them to every single one of my clients; they genuinely care and make it all feel achievable. They just get it done. And the most important thing is that they care.

Olivia’s top five tips for moving:

• Be open-minded about the process, there is so much stigma that it takes everyone months and months and lots of stress, that wasn’t the case for us
• ⁠Use a solicitor who is personally recommended to you by family or friends
• ⁠100% get a mortgage advisor, especially first-time buyers, it saves so much stress
• ⁠Be prepared for your first mortgage payment to be more
• ⁠Remember you're paying the people who are representing you, so be nice to them & they will be nice back