Henry

Henry, a 34-year-old Civil Servant, purchased a one-bedroom home at Fairview New Homes’ One Goodmayes development in East London after finding out through saving app, Moneybox, that he was eligible to apply for a mortgage: “I saved up for eight years in my Lifetime ISA, saving £333 per month without compromise. In July 2025 I switched my Lifetime ISA from a previous provider to Moneybox, and it informed me that I had more savings than the average person and that I should try and get a mortgage in principle. I applied and successfully secured one with Santander, and the rest of my buying journey happened within a month!”

“I was living with housemates, renting privately in Croydon for £710 per month when I started looking to purchase my home. After living with housemates for 15 years, I was really keen to have my own space.”

Armed with a mortgage in principle, Henry began looking at homes within his budget, settling for One Goodmayes after just two weeks of searching: “I had looked at around four properties when I found One Goodmayes on the second week of my search and I just fell in love with it and what Fairview was offering. I looked at a one-bedroom, furnished apartment on the 7th July and put in an offer on the 9th. My completion date was then really quick, just over a month, meaning I’d moved in by 26th August. The whole process was seamless.”

Henry purchased a fully furnished one-bedroom apartment at One Goodmayes with a private balcony for £290,000: “I liked how affordable the apartment was while still being modern and spacious. The apartment was already dressed, and I loved the stylish furniture – fortunately I was able to purchase the flat fully furnished, saving around £4,000 on furniture which was hugely helpful given I was moving from a shared apartment.”

“I’ve since managed to make it my own, with a larger TV, plenty of houseplants and even a recliner massage chair with matching footstall! I’ve loved having my own space and not having to worry about other people making a mess as well as decorating it with things I enjoy.”

New to Goodmayes, Henry enjoys the accessibility and convenience of the area, “I am completely new to the area, having never lived North of the Thames! I’ve loved getting to know Goodmayes, it’s really well connected in terms of transport links, very clean and the people are really friendly. It feels like a safe neighbourhood, and everyone has been very welcoming - I have an Aldi just next door…so all the essentials are covered!”

“I can also get to work in just 45-minutes door-to-door. I do shift work, so one of the biggest draws for me was the close proximity to the Elizabeth Line, which I can reach in just 7-minutes from my new home, even late at night. I am really enjoying decorating my new place and getting to know the area.”

Henry sees One Goodmayes as his long-term home, “I see this home as an investment, so I plan on staying here for at least 10 years. After that, I will probably buy another new build from Fairview New Homes!”

If Henry had one tip for those considering buying their first home it would be, “Just go for it, don’t be afraid. You’ve got this!”