What I Own: We're freelancers with four kids, it was tough getting a mortgage for our £410,000 three-bed (original) (raw)
We’re by the sea this week! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Welcome back to What I Own – Metro’s property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder.
Last week, we visited 77-year-old Gill Ross in Bagshot, Surrey. Having sold her home in South London back in 2021, she decided to join a flourishing retirement community – and has since made countless friends.
This week, we’re in West Sussex having a nosy around Natalie Brown and family’s three-bedroom house in Shoreham-by-Sea.
Having previously been cramped into a two-bedroom flat in Hove, East Sussex with their four children, Natalie and her husband Rob decided to upsize – and love their new home so much that they can’t imagine themselves ever living anywhere else.
Here’s what Natalie had to say about their property journey…
Tell us about yourself!
I’m Natalie, and I’m 44 years old. I’m a freelance journalist, author and parenting blogger and I share the ups and downs of life as a mum of four at Confessions of a Crummy Mummy. I live with my husband Rob, 46, and our children Bluebell, 13, Max, nine, Marigold, seven, and Violet, four.
Whereabouts is your property? What do you think of the area?
It’s on the coast road in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, opposite the entrance to Shoreham Harbour. It’s a busy and buzzing area with boats coming in and out, a Grade II listed lighthouse, an RNLI lifeboat station and a sauna in a converted horsebox on the beach in front of our house.
There’s lots of development and regeneration going on locally with former industrial sites being converted into houses and flats, giving the area a really positive and family-friendly vibe.
When did you move in?
July 2024 – right at the start of the school holidays, which in hindsight was a bad idea!
How much does your property cost?
£410,000.
How much was your deposit?
£90,000.
What is the monthly cost of living here now; both mortgage and bills?
£3,000.
How did you save up for your deposit?
Our deposit was made up of equity from our previous property, a flat five minutes up the road in Hove, East Sussex.
What was the process of getting a mortgage like for you? Did you find any parts challenging?
Rob and I are both self-employed freelancers with no fixed payday each month, and having four dependents didn’t help, either.
Natalie and Rob knew they needed more space than their old flat offered (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Getting a mortgage from a high street bank wasn’t an option for us – we had to go to a specialist lender who understood our situation and the vagaries of things like my book royalties.
It was a stressful process but with the help of a brilliant independent financial advisor we got there in the end.
Can you share details on your mortgage (rate/term)?
It’s a 24-year mortgage fixed for five years at 6.3%.
Where did you live before this – were you renting or living with family?
We owned a two-bedroom, fourth-floor flat on the sea front in Hove, East Sussex, which used to be my grandmother’s. We bought it from the family following her death in 2018 and loved the location, but with a growing family of our own and four kids in one bedroom, we’d well and truly outgrown the space.
What made you want to buy rather than rent?
Having worked so hard to get on the property ladder for the first time in 2018 we intend to stay on it – the house is an investment for us and our family’s future.
How did you find this property? What made you choose it?
Property prices in Hove are crazy so we knew we’d have to move a bit further up the coast in order to afford a house with a garden. At the same time, we wanted to keep the kids in the same schools, so our search area was quite specific.
I saw the house on Rightmove in summer 2023 and it caught my eye because of the Victorian architecture, the seafront location and the lovely garden, but it was out of our price range. I kept my eye on it and over the next few months the price was reduced – twice.
Although it was still over our maximum budget, I arranged to go and see it while Rob was working. It was the first house we’d actually booked to view and as soon as I walked up the front path I knew it was ‘The One’ for us.
We arranged a second viewing so Rob could see it and within a week we’d put our flat on the market.
Luckily the house was still available when we had an acceptable offer on our flat three months later, and after a bit of negotiation, our offer of £5,000 under the asking price was accepted.
How have you made the property feel like home? What’s the inspiration for your interior decor style?
The house is a traditional late Victorian terrace in terms of style and layout. Although many original period features remain, such as doors and skirting boards, others have been taken out, such as fireplaces and coving. We plan to put these back with a modern twist and maximise the period charm.
Natalie and Rob are both freelance but managed to secure a mortgage (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
What’s your favourite room and why?
The garden – it’s the most-used room in the house!
We didn’t have any private outside space before so having a garden for the first time for the kids to play in, a patio to sit together and eat meals on, and a washing line to dry the laundry on (because with four kids the washing is never ending!) has been priceless.
We can also see the lighthouse from the back garden which is really special.
Do you feel like you have enough space?
Not yet! Although the house is bigger than our old flat and also has the added extra space of the garden, we are currently using the dining room as a bedroom until we can add extra bedrooms in the loft.
The kitchen is long and thin in typical Victorian style and there isn’t currently enough room to sit down inside and eat as a family of six.
Do you have plans to change the property?
Yes – the whole house needs updating in one way or another. We plan to convert the loft into two bedrooms, create a four-bedroom house, and extend the kitchen into the garden to create an open-plan kitchen/diner.
We also have big plans for the garden, including a home office and shed at the back which Rob is calling the ‘shoffice’ and plans to build himself. There’s also quite a lot of woodchip wallpaper that I’ll enjoy peeling off!
Are there any problems with the property that you have to deal with?
The house is 130 years old so we’re inevitably going to run into issues. Nothing is straight, for example, and for some reason, plug sockets were only installed on one side of the house.
Their house was technically over their budget (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Being on the coast also brings problems in terms of damp, exposure to wind, and salt, which we know from experience wreaks havoc on things like window fittings.
What do you want people to know about buying a home?
If your circumstances aren’t straightforward like us it’s well worth seeking the help of an independent financial advisor who knows the market, can find you the best deal and hold your hand through the mortgage application process.
They can also ensure you’re adequately covered in terms of life insurance when you’ve got your new mortgage too. I’d also recommend putting your current property on the market before finding ‘The One’ you want to move to – we did it the wrong way round which added to the stress because we’d found the house we wanted to buy, but hadn’t sold our flat yet.
What are your plans for the future, in terms of housing? Do you plan to stay here long-term?
Rob has jokingly declared he’s never moving again because the process was such a rollercoaster – mainly due to a difficult chain – and I’m inclined to agree. We don’t plan to move again for a very long time, and when the children have grown up and moved out our little house by the sea will be more than big enough for the two of us.
Shall we take a look around?
The kitchen is a sea of blue and grey (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Fancy a biscuit? (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
A sea of mugs! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
The Victorian home retains a few of its original features (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
The sofa of dreams (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
There’s tonnes of natural light in here too (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Rob currently uses the living room as an office area (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Light my fire (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Tick tock! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
A seamlessly made bed! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
There’s oodles of natural light in here (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
No sleep club! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Love the traditional rocking horse (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
We love the pop of colour in here (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Love (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
This is a sweet touch! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
We’ve got rug envy (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Bluebell has her own desk (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Spot the peach bedding (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Hi there (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Shall we put the radio on? (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Max, Marigold and Violet all share a bedroom (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Cosy! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Previously, all four children were sharing a room in Hove (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Spot the Peppa Pig toy (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Marigold’s kitchen! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Sweet (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
A girl can dream! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
We love the Victorian bannisters! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
A vision of white (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Peep the greenery in the corner (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Get naked (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
More plants! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
We love the bathroom organisation (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
The classic What I Own toothbrush pic (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Spot the passing train! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
The garden is Natalie’s favourite element of the home (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
There’s loads of space out here! (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
The perfect reading nook (Picture: Andrew Hasson)
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
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