Moving Back To Home City To Escape The Rental Trap

A London-based hairstylist has made the decision to head back to his home town, escaping the rental trap in favour of his dream three-storey home in Birmingham with Barratt Homes.

After leaving Birmingham for Austria in 2014, Nathan Wilkes (35) eventually moved to the capital for his career as a celebrity hairstylist in Kensington. Currently living in a London penthouse, he spends roughly 95% of his salary on rent.

Deciding that enough was enough, Nathan made the decision to go back to basics and reserved his home off-plan at B5 Central. He said: “My rent is expensive, but I didn’t want to spend less on a shared house in London. I prefer quality over quantity, and I’m not a fan of shared bathrooms and kitchens.”

Buying off-plan has a number of advantages, and can help busy professionals by presenting them with a blank canvas for them to put their own stamp on their home. He continued: “The idea of buying off-plan was interesting to me because I was able to design my ideal home with Barratt. I chose a new build home because it’s much cheaper and greener for the environment, and long term I’ll save on my energy bills.”

Location was a large factor in terms of where Nathan hoped to call home, and Birmingham’s vibrancy inspired him to choose a three-storey ‘Kingsville’ style home, with four bedrooms, a double garage, and an extra-large garden.

‘Kingsville’ style home

He said: “I chose the area because of Birmingham’s major reinvestment plan. My home will be a five-minute walk from the HS2 interchange station, and as soon as the project is complete, Birmingham’s central property belt will double in value.”

Having always worked hard to develop his career, Nathan can finally tick off the dream of owning his own home without having to worry about a mortgage. Nathan said: “This is the first property that I’ll own, and I’ve always had the challenge of being careful with money. It did have an effect on my young-adult life, but I’ve worked extremely hard and saved a lot. Now I’m mortgage free, and I never need to worry again.

“My advice for anyone trying to buy a home is save, save, save! It’s incredibly difficult as a millennial, I know this myself, but it’s worth it. Also, take advantage of the incentives provided by the government and homebuilders, as it could be your first step onto the property ladder.”

B5 Central on Sherlock Street easily connects residents to other major cities such as London and Manchester, as well as being in walking distance from Birmingham city centre. Grand Central Station and New Street Station offer commuters a variety of quick trains to many locations across the UK.

Day-to-day living is no problem for residents at the development, with Birmingham city centre’s high street and designer shops, cosy cafés, restaurants and exciting nightlife just a stone’s throw away.

B5 Central currently has a range of one- and two-bedroom homes available with prices starting from £192,000. Find out more from Barratt Homes.

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