I bought my first house at age 19, after saving £20k without help from my parents

A couple from Derby have shared how they bought their first house, aged just 19, without the “bank of mum and dad.”

Paulina and Stanley Gammon, who are both now 21, saved £20,000 in seven months, which allowed them to put a deposit own on a three-bedroom house.

They decided to save while they were both still living at home with their parents, as they didn’t have many outgoing bills.

via SWNS

The pair paid just £100 and £170 to their respective parents for rent, while cutting down on eating out, going out for drinks and buying clothes to save as much of their salaries as possible.

Paulina, who works as cabin crew, and Stanley, an aircraft engineers, were both earning £1,800 a month from their salaries, and were able to save between £1,000 and £1,500 each a month to put towards their deposit.

In the seven months of saving, the couple saved £20,000 and were able to put an offer on a £169,000 three-bedroom, three-bathroom home.

Paulina and Stanley Gammon, via SWNS

Now mum-of-two, Paulina is urging other young people to save while they are still living at home.

Most Read

Ranked: All 24 Russell Group universities by how terrifying their financial deficits are

The Boys’ Karl Urban likes brutal post dragging season five as viewers say it ‘doesn’t make sense’

Worst Ex Ever: Varya Malina shares shocking update on 90 Day Fiancé partner Geoffrey Paschel

Paulina said: “We only saved for seven months before we were able to put a deposit down. We were both living at home, I was only paying £100 in rent, and Stanley was paying £170, so we were able to put most of what we earned into savings. We decided not to go on nights out, or do any of the usual teen stuff, because you can easily spend £100 or £200 on a night out.”

“We saved £20,000 between us. Buying a house so young felt so surreal. Nobody believed us at the start and assumed out parents must have helped us. Even the estate agents and solicitors were in shock, it is a huge achievement. If you’re still living at home, save as much money as you can, because once you move out, and the older you get, the more bills you have.”

via SWNS

Paulina and Stanley began saving in January 2024, as Paulina’s parents were selling their house and moving back to their home country of Poland.

“We didn’t want to rent, because it costs nearly the same as a mortgage, and we though wed rather pay our own mortgage, than be paying someone else’s off,” she said.

They moved into their home in September 2024, when Paulina was three months pregnant with their first child.

For more of the latest news, guides, gossip and memes, follow The Nottingham Tab on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Featured image via SWNS