Lockdown Savings Help Young Buckinghamshire Couple

Life in lockdown proved the spur for a young Buckinghamshire couple to take their first steps onto the property ladder.

Buying a house wasn’t even on the radar for Dan Banks and Freya Docksey when coronavirus restrictions were first imposed in March last year. But the experience of being confined to their rented two-bedroom flat in Newport Pagnell for 23 hours a day – along with the extra money they were saving up from staying in – prompted them to start looking for a place of their own.

After boosting their savings to £30,000 over the past year-and-a-half, 24-year-old HR manager Dan and 21-year-old community nurse Freya purchased a three-bedroom townhouse at Davidsons Homes’ The Wheatfields development in Hanslope.

Dan said: “Staying inside our flat more over lockdown made us realise we wanted more space, particularly given how cramped it was. And the fact we were able to save more money than usual as we weren’t going out much really spurred us on.”

The couple were also able to get a bigger house than they would have otherwise been able to afford thanks to the government’s Help to Buy scheme. Dan and Freya decided to put down a deposit of £19,000 and received an equity loan of £71,999 towards the £359,995 property. The couple, therefore, needed a mortgage of £268,996 – with monthly repayments of around £1,000.

Dan said: “We would have struggled to secure a home of this size and quality without the Help to Buy scheme, so it was really worth using – and the fact the process was so easy made it even better.

“Putting down a smaller deposit of £19,000 was great as it meant we still had £11,000 left over to buy furniture and really make the house our own. Although our mortgage repayments are pretty much the same as our rent was, we much prefer paying off our own mortgage and investing in something that belongs to us.”

The pair looked at some other housing developments around Milton Keynes but were won over by The Wheatfields as soon as they stepped through the door of their future home - a three-bedroom ‘Chisley’ house type.

Dan said: “After finding the development and house type online back in January, we booked an appointment the next day to view it. As soon as we walked in, we knew it was the home for us and ended up reserving it that same day. The ‘Chisley’ won us over as it was larger than other homes on the market of the same price and also came with a sizeable garden.

“We like that it is a fairly small development and close to the centre of Hanslope. It’s also a ten-minute drive from Milton Keynes which is ideal.”

Dan and Freya have been enjoying settling into their new home since they moved in at the end of May. Dan said: “The flat we were in before felt like temporary living, but this house properly feels like our own and we feel settled already. Having enough space for our families to visit us comfortably is also great; we can’t wait to have them over more. We’ve been enjoying putting our own mark on the place too; our plot came with a garden home office which we’ve made into our own mini bar.”

Freya commented: “My favourite part of the house has to be my dressing table – there wasn’t enough room for one in our flat so I’m loving being able to use it now.”

The development’s location and village setting are also perfectly suited to the couple’s lifestyle. Dan’s commute to work at logistics firm DX just outside Northampton has been shortened from 40 to 25 minutes, while Freya is just a 10-minute drive from the practice in Newport Pagnell where she will be starting her new job soon.

Dan said: “We are looking forward to seeing more of the village and visiting the pubs in particular! All of the neighbours have been really friendly so far and there is already a nice community feel at the development.”

Dan also praised the customer service he and Freya had received from the sales manager, Alan, adding: “Alan was a great help and enthusiastic every step of the way.”

Davidsons Homes is currently building a selection of three-, four- and five-bedroom homes at The Wheatfields, off Long Street Road. Find out more at davidsonshomes.co.uk.

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