'We went on TV to help us buy a house – here's what we learned'

The couple meets property guru Tayo Oguntonade, who – along with a friendly expert at Skipton Building Society – helps them figure out what kind of property they can afford and how to buy it.

'We went into the process without knowing much. We hadn't had any conversations with mortgage lenders yet and weren't sure of our budget,” says Bec.

'What I mainly struggled with was the jargon. I had done some research here and there, but I felt like there was a lot of complicated language in there that I didn't understand.”

They earn a good income as content creators and have some savings, but struggle to put money aside and prefer to spend cash on meals in London, as well as other expenses.

Sam says Bec likes to spend money while he is 'more of a saver', adding: 'I once got annoyed with her because she booked a luxury meal without telling me.'

After assessing the couple's savings and how much they could borrow for a mortgage, Tayo started looking for a home that met the couple's needs: a two-bedroom house in the nearby artsy seaside town of Folkestone.

While most people only take a few minutes to view a home before deciding whether to buy it, Sam and Bec spent 24 hours living there to find out what it was really like to live in a place of your own to live.

'I felt very excited; it was exactly what we wanted in a house,” says Bec.

“There was a second bedroom where we could set up our green screen and lighting for filming, and a dining room where we could film our gameplay content.”

To realize their ambition, Tayo booked Bec and Sam an appointment with mortgage expert Umera Patel from Skipton Building Society, who talked them through the options.

Although they went in with little idea of ​​where to start, the chat left them feeling more confident about their next steps.

“We feel empowered to view homes within our budget with the confidence that we can make an offer and be accepted,” says Bec.

'We scoured property websites and even contacted a number of estate agents to arrange our first viewings.

'We now know that we have many options for the future and are very confident that our own home is well within our reach.'

When asked about the most important thing she learned from her conversations with Tayo and Umera, Bec mentions the importance of keeping an eye on their budgets.

“I've learned to pay attention to our spending so that when a mortgage lender wants to see our bank statements, our spending doesn't look so extravagant,” she says.

'I would urge first-time buyers to start saving and, if possible, put £4,000 a year into a Lifetime ISA to make the most of the 25% government bonus available – as long as they don't planning to buy something within 12 years. months. Otherwise, the government will have to pay recording costs.”

It looks like the meeting with Skipton Building Society has paid off!