What I Own: We delivered Amazon parcels to help buy our £365,000 family home

Welcome back to What I Own – Metro’s property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder.

Monalisa Quaidoo and her husband Justin worked around the clock to save a deposit for their first property, even taking on extra jobs as delivery drivers in their free time to make some extra cash.

It was all worth it when, scrolling online late at night, the parents stumbled across their dream family home.

By 9am, countless people had put in requests to see it, so they snapped up a viewing as quickly as they could. Putting in an offer, they ended up buying their house in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, for £356,000.

But, being a garden city, they stumbled across a few unique quirks as they started to renovate, as the council has very specific requirements for any changes made.

Here’s what Monalisa had to say about their journey…

Tell us about yourself!

I’m from Manchester, and my husband, Justin, is from London. I’m 31, he’s 32, and we have two children. We decided to buy in Hertfordshire, and I work for a pharmaceutical business. He works in the same company as me.

Whereabouts do you live? What do you think about the area?

I live in Welwyn Garden City. Because it’s a Garden City, everything has to have greenery in close proximity, so we absolutely love it.

You can go on walks, go on trails, and it’s very family-friendly. Some of our friends are now moving to the area, too.

It’s close to the capital, and there are really good connections to get me onto the M1 and M6, so I can just head back to Manchester whenever I want to.

Could you tell us about your renovation process?

There are very specific restrictions that come with living in a garden city so the houses look the same and green space is protected. We only realised what it meant for us when we started our renovation.

We weren’t allowed to remove a chimney breast, for example. We also weren’t allowed to extend the amount we wanted to, but in a way, I’m happy about that, because it would’ve been huge for no reason.

There were certain trees we weren’t allowed to take down either.

We did our renovation in two phases. The first one was to create a bathroom upstairs. I have the bladder of a two-year-old, so upstairs was necessary!

For that, we had to get a building control permit, which was thankfully straightforward, then we had to get planning permission and consult architects and engineers.

Next we did a double-story extension to the back, and then a single-story extension to the side. We decided to lose the additional bedroom downstairs, taking it from a four-bedroom house to a three-bedroom.

But we now have a utility room and an additional living room.

In total, the renovation cost us around £120,000.

What made you choose the house?

My husband wanted a new-build initially, and then this came on the market at midnight. By 9am, we were calling, and then a bunch of people had already seen it by the time we got to come.

Although the house was not as big as we had hoped, it was beautiful from the outside and had large grounds perfect for an extension. It was also clear that the area was going to have developments that would hopefully increase the house value.

We put in an offer, and we got it. This place was meant to be, though it’s given us enough grey hairs.

When did you move in?

We moved in July 2019 and then started the works in 2020.

How much did you buy your property for?

£365,000.

How much was your deposit?

£18,500.

What’s the monthly cost of living here now, both mortgage and bills?

The mortgage is around £2,450, and the bills are around £627.

How did you save up for your deposit?

We were renting before this, but we downsized from a two-bedroom flat in Hatfield to a maisonette in Hertford to cut down all of our costs. Our rent and bills were £950, so we saved everything we had. This is the first house we’ve ever owned.

We also took extra work, both doing Amazon deliveries and side hustles. We didn’t travel. Eating out is also my Achilles’ heel, so we didn’t do that either. We were saving for about a year.

Another thing that made a big difference is that we both got promotions.

What was the process of getting a mortgage like for you? Did you find any parts challenging?

We were fortunate, as we looked on YouTube to watch videos about other people’s experiences. It was a lot of paperwork. We were the last batch of 5% mortgages, and then they started pulling products.

That was quite stressful, so we just hoped we would qualify. Had we applied a couple of days later, we might not have been able to do it. We were also able to get stamp duty relief, which was helpful.

What’s your mortgage rate and term?

We’re on 5.4%. We’re going to remortgage in two years.

What have you done to make this place feel like home, beyond the renovation?

It’s just the personal touches. We did everything because we couldn’t afford to get anyone else in to do it. With our bedroom, I want that to be a place we can escape, so it’s not too busy. With the kids’ room, I wanted that to be fun, so I allowed them to be creative with colour.

We landscaped the garden ourselves, and we were literally digging for three weeks. We’ve done everything, including the flooring, mostly to save on costs. We’re both creative though, so it was a nice thing to do.

Do you have a favourite room in the house?

It’s between our main bedroom and the kitchen and living area. From our room, you can see outside, and it’s very green. It’s also really quiet, so you can just get away from the noise. With the living room, we love to have people round and share food, so it’s lovely to have that space.

Do you feel like you have enough space? Would you like more?

I think this is more than enough. We do actually use every room, but some people have garages, and they just pile stuff in and never use it.

Are you looking to make any more changes to the home?

I think the pipeline dream would be to build a garden outbuilding, but a structural one with a toilet. It’s inevitable that our parents will get older, and it would mean they’d be able to live here.

Have you had any issues with the property?

Funnily enough, we have these pigeons that keep trying to live in the bush outside. Every year, it’s the same problem. They come to nest.

We’ve had a few blockages because our neighbours use wipes down the drain. Other than that, nothing.

Are you planning on staying here long-term?

We’re going to be here forever, I think.

Shall we take a look around?

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@metro.co.uk

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