Purchasing your first home marks not only an exciting milestone, but also a significant achievement in your life. Having your own space to tailor to your unique taste is particularly important to first-time buyers, as well as the prospect of building equity in the long-term.
Despite the positive aspects of buying your first home, this process is often met with stressful pitfalls that can only be made easier with the help of a specialist mortgage adviser.
We recently caught up with first-time buyers, Sophie and Kyle, who got in touch with Gail Reid Mortgage Services for advice last year whilst living at their family homes and searching for a space to call their own.
Facing the tricky task of navigating the housing market as first-time buyers, Kyle delves into how the process looked for him and Sophie, what stood out to them when working with Gail Reid Mortgage Services and the advice he would give to those in search of their first home…
What were your circumstances when you began looking for your first home?
“My partner Sophie and I were both living with our parents and saving for a deposit to buy our first home together. Our dream was to secure a forever home with ample space to accommodate our everyday lives, complete with a garage, garden and plenty of storage. With our ideal home and an estimated budget in mind, we sought guidance from the team at Gail Reid Mortgage Services at the beginning of our buying journey. Feeling overwhelmed by the entire mortgage process, we turned to them for some much-needed advice on navigating the next steps…”
What stage were you at in the process when you decided to get in touch with Gail?
“At the time we contacted Gail, Sophie and I were still in the early stages of exploring our options, but had a clear vision of the size and features we ideally wanted in our dream home. As first-time buyers, we recognised from early on how much we needed expert advice and guidance throughout the mortgage process. That’s when my sister recommended Gail Reid Mortgage Services to us based on her own positive experience when remortgaging, and we decided to reach out to the team. It was from there that we were put in contact with Nicola, who sat down with us and discussed our requirements, helping us to understand what we could afford when purchasing our dream home.”
Can you share a summary of what the process looked like for you?
“Our initial meeting with Nicola was in March 2023, where we outlined our preferences and budget and asked where we stood in terms of affordability. After having a better understanding of the kind of home we could afford, we set our sights on a new build property in our ideal location. When we informed Nicola that we had potentially found our dream home, she was super responsive and efficient in arranging the mortgage in principle. However, after some consideration we eventually decided against purchasing this house due to its location in the development, putting us back to square one.
Luckily, we fell in love with a house in the same development and our housebuilder advised us that it would be available to reserve within 3 days time. With a tight deadline to secure the mortgage for our dream home, Nicola was immediately on the ball and promptly secured our mortgage in principle over the same weekend that we contacted our housebuilder. Nicola was in touch regularly for the next few days to update us with any next steps we had to take in order to secure the house. Before we knew it, Sophie and I were told that our mortgage was approved and we moved into our first home!”
What stood out to you most when working with Gail Reid Mortgage Services?
“What stood out the most to us was the incredibly personal service we received. The team made us feel completely at ease and encouraged us to ask any questions we had, no matter the time of day. Nicola ensured we were well-informed every step of the way and was super responsive through emails and phone calls; working with Gail Reid Mortgage Services totally transformed what could have been a stressful experience into a smooth journey.”
What would be your advice to other people considering reaching out to a mortgage adviser?
“My advice, especially for first-time buyers, is to visit an experienced mortgage adviser like Gail Reid Mortgage Services. When we began our journey, we soon found out how much work is involved when securing a mortgage and we were navigating the process blindly. Gail Reid Mortgage Services, in particular Nicola and Seonaid, ensured our journey was smooth and stress-free and made sure every aspect aligned with our budget, setting us up nicely for a secure future in our new home. Without their help, we would have had no idea where to start.
“Following our positive experience with Nicola and the team, we’ve referred several friends who are now embarking on their own home buying journeys with Gail Reid Mortgage Services. I quite literally can’t recommend them enough!”