Research has shown that the average age of first-time buyers in the UK is 34 years old.[1] At just 27 years old, Ryan Coughlan defied the statistics and purchased an impressive three-bedroom detached home at Stonebond’s Woodside Place in Langdon Hills. After seven years of determinedly saving, Ryan was able to purchase his first home without using any of the usual financial schemes popular with first-time buyers. As well as economic determination, Ryan was also set on buying a home which met a list of factors that were important to him and his lifestyle such as having room for an office, a spare room for friends and family, a detached property and a home with sufficient sustainable features.
Ryan, an area sales manager at Close Brothers, previously lived with his Dad and brother in Hutton, Essex, and owning a property had been a dream of his since leaving school. Ryan comments: “I had always imagined myself as a young property owner and I knew that to do this I would need to save a lot of money. I went straight into work after school and through on-the-job training, bonuses and promotions, I moved up the career ladder and was able to put aside about 20% of my salary every month”.
For Ryan, living at home helped him escape renting and save rather than spend. He also began a DJ career in his spare time which involves commuting to London for gigs. His music served as another form of income but also meant purchasing a detached property near to London was essential as to not interrupt neighbours and to easily attend gigs.
After the lengthy process of saving for his home, Ryan enjoys that with his new build as compared to a second-hand property, he has just one monthly payment, no maintenance or improvement costs and improved energy bills. On the benefits of living in a more sustainable home, Ryan comments: “With the energy crisis being such a hot topic right now, I was particularly conscious of choosing a home which would benefit my energy finances but also help the wider climate crisis. I really like how my new home has been built to minimise heat loss as it makes it warm and comfortable and means I turn my heating on less, helped further with the thermostatically controlled radiators. With these sustainable additions, my energy bills are not only lower than my previous home in Hutton but also lower than I had anticipated”.
After a long time of saving and researching, Ryan began his search for a property which would meet all of his needs. Ryan comments: “I decided that for my requirements, a new-build would be ideal and moving further afield from Hutton would allow me to get more for my money. I discovered Woodside Place which ticked and exceeded all of my boxes; a detached three-bedroom home in a wonderful location with excellent links to London and with sustainable additions. It was almost as though it was built for me!”.
Ryan bought his home off-plan and was pleasantly surprised with the impressive size of the living areas and the way the home fit so perfectly into his lifestyle. Ryan comments: “The home was more spacious than I had expected which was great! I particularly love my stylish breakfast bar and use it every day for eating and socialising with friends. I converted one of the spare rooms into a study for when I work at home so I can completely separate my working life and home life. So far I have used the other spare room for friends who have visited but perhaps in the future I could rent the room out to help me financially.”
Ryan enjoys both the immediate areas surrounding the development but also the brilliant links to places further afield. He likes going on walks and runs around Langdon Hills Country Park which is located directly opposite the development. Ryan explains: “It is the perfect place to clear my head after a long day of work and to keep fit. I love how my home is set back from the main town as it gives it a countryside feel despite being on the edge of the centre. I recently joined the gym which is round the corner and all the other commodities I need such as supermarkets and restaurants are nearby.”
On his experience purchasing his first home, Ryan comments: “As a first-time buyer and knowing the levels of dedication required to purchase a home, I was delighted that the Stonebond sales team were understanding, patient and experts in their field. The customer care team were exceptional and efficient with any snagging issues and have continued to support me even after completion”.
