Andrew & his fiancée: From saving side-by-side to buying their first home in Darlington
After two and a half years of renting together, Andrew and his fiancée were determined to turn their monthly savings into something more permanent. Working for the same company, in the same role, on the same salary, step by step, they chipped away at their goal of owning a place of their own.
This is their journey from renters to first-time buyers, with a little help from Tembo.
Renting, saving, and figuring it all out
Before finding Tembo, the couple were renting a house together and trying to save whatever they could each month.
“We’d been renting for two and a half years and just putting money aside when we could. Darlington isn’t the priciest area, but even the cheapest houses felt out of reach for a while”
Andrew
First-time buyer
Andrew explains, “We weren’t specifically saving for a house, as we’d just got engaged so were trying to build up funds for the next milestone - whether that was a house or a wedding.”
A few years earlier, Andrew had been made redundant. Even though he moved straight into a new job, the experience had shaken his confidence.
“It made buying a house feel miles off. Life suddenly didn’t look as straightforward as I thought it would. But once we moved in together and had two incomes to save from, it started to feel possible again.”
Saving with Tembo Cash ISA
Andrew and his partner originally saved through Monzo, but a friend told them about Tembo.
“We were debating between saving with a Lifetime ISA and something more flexible. Our house fund was also our emergency fund, and also a wedding fund. So we needed the ability to use it for whatever we wanted. A Cash ISA was perfect”
Andrew
First-time buyer
The Tembo Cash ISA gave them:
- The freedom to save beyond the £4,000 LISA limit
- Easy access to their money, perfect if they needed to dip into them for emergencies.
- A simple place to track interest and keep everything in one place
- Fee-free access to Tembo’s award-winning mortgage advice when the time came
You can save up to £20,000 into one or more ISAs each tax year. Fee-free access to Tembo's mortgage service is subject to T&Cs.
Turning homeownership from a faraway goal to a possibility
“For me, buying a house was always something I hoped would happen,” Andrew says. “But after being made redundant, it felt pretty unrealistic for a bit.”
His fiancée had bought before, so she brought some experience. “She understood affordability and what to expect. I didn’t. I just wanted to talk to a mortgage advisor to see what our options were - though honestly, I wasn’t expecting much.”
Andrew had a little background knowledge thanks to his older brothers, who’d bought homes themselves. But most of it was new.
“That’s why having someone friendly and patient mattered. Everyone at Tembo explained things without jargon. We never once felt pressured or intimidated.”
Andrew
First-time buyer
But once they spoke to Tembo, things moved fast. Their future house was the first one they viewed in person, and although they viewed others afterwards, they kept coming back to that first house.
“We just loved it. It not only felt really good value because of its features, but felt loved and lived in. We could see ourselves being there for the next twenty years!”
“I’m looking for to the security of being in your own place too,” Andrew explains, “not having ot pay someone else's mortgage is the game changer. Now, it’s all within our control, as well as being our responsibility”
The Tembo app: Savings & mortgages in one
“The app was just really intuitive”, Andrew says, “It takes you through the home-buying process step by step: what to expect, what you need to do, what happens next. It made something that’s usually overwhelming feel manageable.”
With their own dedicated broker by their side at each step, Andrew felt confident at every step:
“Fae was brilliant. She baby-stepped us through the whole process. Anytime there was a word or phrase we didn’t understand, she explained it in plain English. It felt like having someone holding your hand the whole way.”
Start your journey to homeownership
Inspired by Andrew's story? Create your free Tembo plan today for a personalised recommendation of all the ways you could boost your buying budget to get on the ladder sooner. You can then book a no-obligation call with one of our award-winning team.
