Blogger Jade Vanriel on buying her flat at just 23-years-old

You’ve become a successful property Influencer on Instagram and YouTube, can you tell us a bit about your background and how you’ve achieved this?

I originally started out blogging and then moved to YouTube back in 2015. I was vlogging my everyday life. Then when I bought my flat in 2016, that became a major part of my channel. When I started chronicling my decorating and renovations, I quickly realised that my followers wanted to know more about my story and how I got on the property ladder. I began speaking more on how I achieved my goals and creating advice videos. My motivation was to help my followers by offering them practical tips and showing them how they can get on the property ladder, rather than just telling them it’s possible. In my work, I’m able to champion companies that are really helping first time buyers. I’m currently working with big property names such as Share to Buy, the property portal behind the London Home Show – the capital’s largest event for first time buyers. My Move with Jade series is also very popular – I take viewers on show home tours of both luxury and affordable properties which is always a lot of fun. One of my favourite episodes was a show home tour of a Network Homes development in Brixton, where Help to Buy is available.

With so much talk of home ownership being out of reach for young first-time buyers, you’ve bucked the trend by buying your own 2-bedroom flat in Essex at 23 years old. How did you do this?

My dad was always the catalyst for my saving habits – he was the one in my ear, encouraging me to save. I worked throughout college and university saving but didn’t necessarily have a goal I was working towards. It wasn’t until I was finishing up at university in Birmingham that I knew I wanted to buy my own place. I loved my independence and didn’t want to move back in with my parents when I came back to London. That was when I really focused on saving to reach my goal and I moved into my aunt’s home and just paid toward bills to help minimise my expenditure.

Do you still think young people aspire to owning their own home as much as previous generations?

Even though “Generation Rent” comes up time and time again when speaking about the property market – I think that most young people are still quite eager to own a place of their own, even though it’s a more competitive market now than it was for previous generations. It’s tough, but the drive to have your home and not throw your money away to a landlord is still very much there.

Do you think it’s a realistic vision for young people to buy their own homes if they’re keen to do so?

I absolutely do! It’s difficult, but not impossible. We all know that to buy a property, we need to save and be smart with our budgeting. It can feel like a daunting task so it’s incredibly important to have a strategy. Think about what, where, and when you want to buy – once you have your goals, decide how much you are willing to put aside each month and what unnecessary expenses you can cut out.

What practical help is out there for young first-time buyers looking to get their first step on the property ladder?

There is so much information available online! Places like Share to Buy are an excellent place to start your journey if you’re considering Shared Ownership or Help to Buy. Share to Buy offers a number of resources from affordability and mortgage calculators to jargon busting videos, as well as how-to guides for alternative home ownership schemes. Meeting with a financial advisor can also be a helpful first step, so that you can get an idea of where you are and where you need to go.

What’s your best money saving tip?

The best thing to do is make your saving plan to suit you and your lifestyle. Everyone is different so you need to figure out what works best for you – whether that’s setting up a standing order into an ISA or participating in a weekly savings challenge. The important thing is to decide on a routine and stick to it.

You have a large following on your social channels, who is your audience and what are their biggest concerns?

Most of my audience are young people interested in property, interiors, or both. Many are aspiring to own their own properties and their concerns are if they’ll be able to achieve their homeownership goals in this climate. With my channel, I hope to inspire young buyers and assure them that home ownership can be within their reach.

What’s the best piece of advice you could give for somebody young who is considering buying their first property this year?

Be aware of all your options – if buying on the open market doesn’t seem feasible with your wish list and budget, look into Help to Buy and Shared Ownership to help you get on the ladder. I would also recommend having a plan in place before you start. One of the best things I did before starting my search was meet with a mortgage broker and solicitor - because I had everything in place, I was ready to go as soon as I found the perfect home!

What’s the best thing about owning your own home?

It has to be the independence. I love the freedom of being able to come and go as I please. Being able to change things up and decorate to exactly my own tastes also makes it really feel that my home is all mine.

Discover more from Jade Vanriel on Youtube.