The Dream

I have always wanted a home of my own for as long as I can remember.

As a girl I used to make 'Dens.' With sheets and blankets. Then I would fill them with my toys and my pretty things. They were my homes.

Now I am all grown up with a husband and children in tow, I still long for a home. We had one once.

When we had been married a couple of years my very kind mother offered to lend us the money for a deposit. We bought a beautiful flat. We bought it as a wreck. But we poured love into it and made it beautiful again. We then bought a dog. I was happy. Life was awesome.

Only problem was, the flat only had 1 bedroom. We bought all we could afford at the height of the market. Just before the recession hit.

Bummer.

So once we decided to start trying for children we decided to get a house with a garden. And more bedrooms. Problem is by that point the market had crashed and the £117,000 mortgage we got out for the flat was now only worth £90,000.

Ouch.

Once we had made that £27,000 loss we had lost our deposit and some more.

Its so easy to think 'if only.' In fact I do.


If only I had known a recession was looming (and what it was for that matter.)

If only we had just held tight in our rented flat and saved up ourselves.

If only I had had more patience....

So now you understand why we live with my mum. We still owe her some money, but have paid the majority off. We are now saving ourselves for a deposit. To start all over again.

Often I get down about not having our own place. I feel I have come backwards. But sometimes we just need to count our losses. And learn from our mistakes. And boy, have I learnt.

I hope to think that having to learn the hard way has made us stronger. Plus, you can't get everything you want first time. There are many families out there that are not lucky enough to have rich families to help us get on the first step of the ladder. They have to do it themselves.

When we do get our own place again, we will feel so proud of ourselves. Years of saving our hard-earned cash to achieve our goal. It feels good to work hard for something.

Now, when I look back at photos of our first ever family home, I can picture how our next one will look even better. And will be appreciated even more. Here's to the dream.