I was homeless when I got my ‘dirty’ council flat – now I’ve saved £25k in one year, I’ll finally buy my own home
SAVVY saver Abby Dunsmure, 26, went from being homeless, to moving into a dingy council flat, having £25k of savings in the bank to put towards buying a house.
It took Abby and her husband Stuart, 25, six years to save up enough to transform their council flat into a beautiful haven but now they’re tightening their belts further so they can afford a place of their own.
Abby regularly updates her 12k Instagram followers on their money saving journey as they plan to buy a house outright in 30 months.
Recently the pair hit £25k savings, after just a year of lifestyle changes and they were delighted with the progress.
Abby said: “So so proud of us!! We’ve come along way in just 13 months! But I’m so proud of how far we’ve come & everything we’ve achieved!
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“So excited for the journey ahead! I honestly can’t believe we’ve managed to do it!”
Before implementing the new savings strategy, which involves “no spend” months and taking a lot of extra overtime at work, the pair were relying solely on Stuart’s salary.
When they first moved into their flat they had no furniture, other than a bed, and could not even afford a fridge without taking out a payday loan.
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With both of them now work full time, care worker Abby says they both pay rent and she is proud of the home they improved with their savings.
Abby is clear that people living in council houses are not bad people, just going through tough times.
She said: “Me and my husband both work full time now, it’s just we were in an unfortunate situation at the start.
“It angers me when people judge council houses. I’ve had a few comments because of where my flat is – it’s in the worst area in Helensburgh.”
When it comes to buying a new home, Abby explained they would prefer to buy outright in case they are made redundant from work again.
She said: “Me and my husband aren’t wanting to get a mortgage – we want to cash buy a house which is why it’s taking so long.
“We’re looking to buy an ex-council property. Council properties are much better standard than new builds. You get much bigger gardens.”
In other home transformations, a couple discover a secret room hidden behind a wall in their house and transform it for just £45.
Plus Mrs Hinch completely transforms a £4 Ikea stool and table into a stunning display in minutes.
And woman transforms her boring beige home into a colourful paradise thanks to £20 paint and charity shop bargains.