Lincolnshire first-time buyers provide Insta-inspiration

A first-time buyer in Bardney has amassed 11,000 Instagram followers by posting details of her homebuying journey online.

Georgina Gardner, 30, bought a new home with her partner Matthew Gaunt, 36, at Chestnut Homes’ Manor Farm development in the village after renting for 12 years. The couple, who have an 8-year-old daughter Penny and a cocker spaniel called Ruby, moved into their new four-bedroom detached home in May last year.

Georgina shares her home journey on her Instagram page, @life.at.park.house, where she posts pictures inside her house along with tips on where she finds her furniture. The family are nearly approaching the one-year mark of living in their new home.

Georgina said: “Moving in day was magic. Matt and I were like giddy school children and all of us shed a tear. We managed to save £38,000 over three years while renting and every penny was worth it for that moment. “We’ve invested a lot of money into the home and really made it our own. We’ve bought shutters and handmade curtains for the windows built a patio area in the garden and treated ourselves to a hot tub.“The living room is my favourite part of the house because I picked the design and furniture – it’s exactly how I wanted it. I love how the bay window and French doors let natural light flood in throughout the day. It’s the perfect place to relax after a stressful day at work.”

Georgina, a secondary school teacher, and Matt, an agricultural technician, had spent 12 years renting various properties around Lincolnshire up until last May. The pair started out in a one-bedroom flat, before moving to a terraced house where they had Penny, and then spent six years living in a three-bedroom detached home.

Georgina said: “Matt and I always wanted to own a property, so we found the whole buying process really exciting. Growing up as teenagers, neither of our parents owned the houses we lived in, so we feel really proud to now live in our own beautiful home that Penny can grow up in.”

The couple used the Help to Buy scheme to secure their detached four-bedroom home – a Park House design, priced at £369,950.

Georgina said: “The Help to Buy process was really smooth and quick. It only took about two weeks for everything to go through. It was so worth it because it meant we were able to put down an £18,000 deposit and had £20,000 leftover to buy brand new furniture.”

The Help to Buy scheme changes in March 2021, with a new regional cap on the price of eligible homes – £261,900 in Lincolnshire – introduced. The new version allows first-time buyers to purchase a new-build home with a five per cent deposit and a 75 per cent mortgage – it is also no longer available to existing homeowners.  The remaining 20 per cent is provided in the form of an equity loan from the Government, which is interest-free for the first five years of homeownership.

Georgina and Matt ended up looking at around six different Lincolnshire developments whilst they were on the hunt for their dream home.

Georgina said: “Matt sent me a link to this house whilst he was browsing Zoopla last February and I loved the look of it. We went to view it that Saturday and the next day we had put down our reservation. I knew straight away that I wanted it to be ours; I couldn’t stop smiling, it just felt like home when we were walking around it. “I love the layout and soft grey colour scheme of Chestnut’s properties. This house type ticked all our boxes, from the kitchen at the back of the house with double doors entering into it, to the lovely bay windows and oak doors throughout. “Penny loves her playroom and bedroom. In our last home, her playroom was in the conservatory which wasn’t ideal during the cold winters and hot summers – it’s much more usable now.”

Manor Farm, located off St Lawrence Drive, enjoys a semi-rural village location in Bardney that is around 11 miles from both Lincolnshire and Horncastle.

Georgina commented: “Matt and I both grew up and met each other in Potterhanworth, the next village along, so it’s lovely to be close by – especially as both our parents still live there. Penny’s also started at the village school and is really enjoying it. She’s in a small class where the teachers go above and beyond, it’s great. “Our last home was on a busy main road just as you enter the centre of Lincoln, so it’s nice living in a quieter village. Our house is also at the edge of the development next to a public footpath, with lovely views of the surrounding fields. “We’re an active family and have enjoyed going on 10-mile bike rides to Jubilee Park in Woodhall Spa, as well as taking regular dog walks to Bardney Lock. We’re only a five-minute walk from the village which is handy for visiting the local shops, pub and cafe.”

The family are also enjoying the community spirit at Manor Farm.

Georgina said: “There’s a nice community feel and all our neighbours are lovely. We have a dog walker who lives a few doors down, which means Ruby gets a lunchtime walk whilst we are at work. “I would definitely recommend buying with Chestnut Homes. The visitors we’ve had round – as limited as they’ve been – have all said how envious they are of our beautiful house.”