August 17th 2024.
Hello and welcome to Tooting! I'm excited to have you here with us today. This is What I Own, a series by Metro where we sit down with homeowners to discuss their journey to becoming homeowners. Last week, we visited the flat of Sandro Farmhouse, a finalist from the Great British Bake Off, in East London. This week, we're in Tooting, South London, to chat with Anna and Paul Moynihan about their lovely three-bedroom home that they purchased for £590,000 five years ago. Their home has been transformed into a family-friendly space for their two young children, and they've also found a wonderful community in their neighborhood.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Anna about their property journey, and she had some great insights to share. Anna is also the co-founder of TaskHer, an online platform that connects homeowners with tradeswomen. She came up with the idea while organizing renovation work for their home. She noticed that every time she booked a tradesperson, they would automatically speak to her husband Paul, even though she was the one who made the booking. This sparked their realization of the underrepresentation of women in the trades industry, which is currently 96% male in the UK.
Anna and Paul's home is located in Tooting, South West London, and they absolutely love the area. It's diverse, friendly, and has a strong sense of community. They have a great network of friends and also work in a co-working space just ten minutes away from their home. Plus, there's a plethora of amazing food options in Tooting, especially with its strong Sri Lankan and Pakistani population.
They moved into their home in early 2019 and purchased it for £590,000. However, according to Zoopla, it's now worth around £700,000. Their deposit was around £120,000, and their monthly cost of living, including mortgage and bills, comes to about £2,100.
Anna and Paul were able to save up for their deposit by selling their previous properties. Anna owned a flat in Tottenham, North London, which she sold, and Paul had a house in Reading that he owned outright. When it came to getting a mortgage, they used a great mortgage advisor who helped them secure a fantastic deal. Although there were some challenges along the way, the process was overall smooth sailing.
Their current mortgage rate is 1.44% for five years, which they locked in back in 2021. This was a wise decision as they were also starting their business, TaskHer, and wanted to have a good understanding of their spending. As for their previous living situations, Anna owned a flat with her ex-partner in Tottenham, and Paul was living alone in his family home in Reading.
When asked about why they chose to buy instead of rent, Anna shared that they wanted the stability of owning their own home, especially since they were expecting their first child at the time. They were also fortunate enough to have the money for a deposit, so they decided to make a smart investment.
Their home was found on Rightmove, but it was also listed with Purplebricks. They were able to deal directly with the owners, making the purchase process much smoother and easier. They fell in love with the house's charm, period features, and decent-sized garden, and they knew they could make some improvements. The location was also perfect for their work, with easy access to a tube station, overland station, and plenty of restaurants and coffee shops.
To make the property feel more like home, they put in a new kitchen and bathroom, replaced the laminate flooring with carpet upstairs, and painted every room. The result is a modern and cozy home that perfectly reflects their personal style and taste.
Thank you, Anna, for sharing your property journey with us. It's been a pleasure getting to know you and Paul and learning more about your lovely home in Tooting. We wish you all the best with TaskHer and your future endeavors. And to our readers, thank you for joining us on this week's edition of What I Own. Stay tuned for more inspiring homeowner stories to come. See you next time!
Welcome to Tooting! We are thrilled to have you here. This is the perfect place to start your journey into the world of homeownership. We have a great series called What I Own, where we speak to homeowners about their experiences and insights on getting on the property ladder. Last week, we visited Sandro Farmhouse, a finalist on the Great British Bake Off, and took a peek into his flat in Stratford, East London, which has more ovens than bedrooms. This week, we're in Tooting, South London, to explore Anna and Paul Moynihan's beautiful three-bedroom home, which they purchased for £590,000 five years ago. They have since transformed it into a warm and welcoming space for their growing family and have found a wonderful community in the process. Let's hear from Anna about their property journey.
First, let's get to know Anna. She's a co-founder of TaskHer, an online platform that connects homeowners with tradeswomen in just a few clicks. The idea for this amazing platform came to her while renovating their own home. She noticed that even though she was the one who booked the tradespeople, they would automatically speak to her husband, Paul, about the work that needed to be done. This gender bias opened their eyes to the underrepresentation of women in the trades, which are 96% male in the UK.
Their property is located in Tooting, South West London, and they absolutely love the area. It's vibrant, diverse, and full of friendly people. They have a strong network of friends and also work in a co-working space just ten minutes from their house. And let's not forget about the amazing food in Tooting! With a large Sri Lankan and Pakistani population, they are lucky to have some of the best South Asian cuisine in London. They moved into their home in early 2019 and have been enjoying every moment since.
Their property, which they purchased for £590,000, is now estimated to be worth around £700,000 according to Zoopla. They paid a deposit of £120,000, and their monthly living costs, including mortgage and bills, come to approximately £2,100. When it comes to saving for the deposit, Anna had a flat that she sold, while Paul had a house that he also sold. They used a fantastic mortgage advisor who helped them secure a great deal. Although Anna is a bit older than Paul, they were able to find a mortgage that worked for them.
Before moving to Tooting, Anna owned a flat in Tottenham, North London, which she purchased with a deposit given to her by her grandmother's inheritance. Paul, on the other hand, was living alone in his family home in Reading, which he owned outright. They decided to buy instead of rent because they wanted the stability of owning their own home, especially since Anna was pregnant with their first child at the time. They were fortunate enough to have the funds for a deposit and wanted to use it wisely.
Their current property was found on Rightmove and was also advertised with Purplebricks. The owners showed them around, and they were able to deal directly with them throughout the purchase process, making things much easier. They were drawn to the house's character, period features, decent-sized garden, and the potential for improvements. The location was also perfect for them, with easy access to public transportation and plenty of restaurants and coffee shops.
To make their house feel more like a home, they have put in a new kitchen and bathroom, updated the flooring, and painted every room. The kitchen was originally from the 90s and didn't even have a dishwasher, so the upgrades have modernized the space. They also added carpet upstairs to make it feel cozier. When it comes to interior decor, they have taken inspiration from their surroundings and their own personal tastes.
We hope you enjoyed learning about Anna and Paul's journey as homeowners in Tooting. Stay tuned for more inspiring stories in our What I Own series. And don't forget to check out TaskHer for all your tradeswomen needs! Thanks for joining us in Tooting. We hope to see you again soon.
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