₦airaland Forum

Meogom:
Finally got the keys on Friday as planned after all the Barclays drama. This forum has been a huge source of inspiration and a great bank of information. Reading about people's mortgage journey and learning from them, people sharing insights, all the banter and vibes ati be be lo. Thanks so much to this great house.
Now phase 2 begins, putting the house in order, all my DIY skills will severely put to test, we go dey do am small small.
And @Lexusgs430, no pressure

Congratulations..... DIY saving money since 100BC.


Next thing is to continue to invest in your ISA accounts and invest in the US stocks....

ehizario2012:
Good morning friends. I contacted L&C but they said they can't deal until I'm 2 years in the country (few months left) whereas I have a neighbor who got his mortgage before 2 years in the country. However he used a paid broker. Is L&C saying this because they are free? Any alternative please? Thanks.

I used Amity Law.... very efficient and they accepted me when l was less than 2 years . Google them and give them a call....

AdeAde1805:
Keys Collected!
I’ve been a quiet follower of this thread for a while now, and the amount of support and information I’ve gained from this community has been incredible. I want to sincerely thank everyone who has shared their knowledge and offered guidance along the way.

I’m excited to share that our first home-buying journey has officially come to an end—exactly 2 years and 7 months after arriving in the UK. We picked up the keys on the 28th March 2025!
It’s a 3-bedroom semi-detached home with 3 toilets, built in 2019. I knew it was the one the moment I saw it, after what felt like endless viewings.
• Offer Accepted: October 2024
• Mortgage Approved: December 2024 (thanks to Skipton, approved in just 2 days)
• Completion Date: 28th March 2025

Special thanks to Lexusgs430 for his endless patience and invaluable advice—he never got tired of answering all my questions!

Congratulations 🎉 more celebrations

Goodenoch:
Has saved or will save you £91,000 over the lifetime of the mortgage assuming you continue to overpay by that sum throughout the term?

Two very different things.

will save oo

£250 monthly overpayment will save me £91,000 in interest in 25 years when fully paid off...


What will your overpayment save you in interest?

sholadele4:
I have been a silent follower of this thread. The level of help I have gotten from the information shared here is huge. I want to say a big thank you to all the people who have been giving valuable insights and supports on here.

Finally, our first home buying journey has successfully ended after exactly 2 years and 10 months of arriving in the UK. We got our key yesterday.

Congratulations 🎉.... More celebrations

Viruses:
You maxed out £20k, nice.

What's the difference between having the 20k in your bank account and putting it in ISA (besides investing it in shares)?

I don't know as l don't keep funds in bank...rather invest it in the equity markets...

New financial year begins today....

Have you maxed out your LISA for the 2025/2026 financial year?

I maxed out today.... entering USA stock market this week.....buy 1 and pick 5 free....

Tier4Dependant:
Quick ones guys. Asides from the house deposit fee, can the Lisa funds also be used to pay for the extra costs associated with buying a house?

For example solicitor fee, broker/mortgage fee, stamp duty etc.

Or is it advisable to open a separate savings account towards these extra costs.

Thanks

I will open a separate bank account for the other fees

Lexusgs430:
Exactly.... Tracking BOE rates, bumper2bumper....... 😁😂

But It seems the tracker is higher than the actual BoE base rate from most lenders, so it's not really a tracker....as the lender trackers may be 1 -1.5% higher than the actual BoE base rate. I do hope l am correct

ToyosiR:
My house-buying journey has finally come to a successful end! 🎉

It all started last year with countless viewings—honestly, it felt like a nightmare at times. At one point, I even reached out to @Lexusgs430, who gave me some great advice on what to look out for during viewings. I eventually found a house I liked and was set to complete in August.

But as we got closer to completion, the far-right protests made me take a step back and really consider the area. I realized it was predominantly white, and I just didn’t feel comfortable. After already securing a mortgage with a 5% deposit, I made the tough decision to pull out. The seller wasn’t happy and even called me "wicked," but I stood my ground. My peace of mind mattered more.

I’m just 2 years and a few months in the UK, with my family still back home. Now, I’m hoping to start planning on bringing my kids here. Being a single buyer, this journey hasn’t been easy at all, but I was determined to put down a 10% deposit instead.

By the end of August, I started house hunting again. I found this property, and it checked all my boxes. By September, I was ready to move forward and asked my mortgage advisor to apply. Skipton declined me for no clear reason, but thankfully, Barclays approved me.

The process wasn’t smooth—it was a chain sale, and along the way, I even used part of my savings to support my brother when he arrived in September/October. But I managed to negotiate with the seller for some furniture—three beds, a fridge/freezer, a washing machine, and more—which made things a bit easier.

And now, as of Saturday, I have the keys in my hands! 🏡✨

Rent money 💰 is dead money 💰. This journey wasn’t easy, but Alhamdulillah, what once felt impossible became a reality.

May Almighty God make it easy and possible for everyone aspiring for the same. 🙏

Congratulations 🎉....more celebrations

diggz:
Hey…I hope you’re doing great! If you don’t mind me asking, what US shares are you currently buying? Are you going for short-term gains or holding them long-term? Thanks!

VISA
Microsoft
Google
AMAT
TOAST
CNQ
ABR
Vanguard S&P 500

Many others.....



I am a very long-term capital market investor

Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 Everyone....

Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 Everyone....

Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 Everyone....

Merry Christmas 🎄🎁 Everyone....

Kunleop:
Alhamdulilah

Keys in our hands.

I'm here to show my appreciation to everyone that I have been contributed positively to this group.

Special appreciation to @lexusgs430 and @madam Ticha, your valuable support and advice really go a long way in purchasing our first home. Thank you so much your time despite calling and emailing at odd hours, you still find time to respond.

I'm happy to inform everyone that we got our keys to our first home yesterday and we happy to start our beautiful journey in this beautiful 3bedroom semi-detached new build property.

All the developer had their own incentive and try to push for more incentive if you are looking to buy a new build. Our property came with 5% deposit contribution, 50% flooring packages upgraded garden and integrated dishwasher, I did not go for upgraded kitchen.

Mr @lexusgs430 really helped me to push for more when my lender undervalued the property with £10k however we negotiated the price and the property was reduced by 5k abs was given full integrated kitchen.

My journey to purchase a house started in March despite that I'm not up to 2years in the country, I have been able to gained more knowledge in house buying, thanks to this group for dropping valuable informations.

This year make it 2years we came in to this country and Alhamdulilah we able to purchase our first home where we are hoping and believes our little ones are going to creates everlasting memories.

May almighty God make it easy and possible for everyone.

Rent money 💰 is a dead 💰

That is out Motto.

Congratulations 🎉🎉..

I like to hear this always...

Many more home owners in 2025.....Amen.

Enjoy your new home 🏠....

PrettyPacy:
Short post alert…
Good evening everyone, I have come to give God the glory and appreciate everyone here who encourages and give free and detailed information about mortgage, thank you. I got the house keys today and the feeling can not be described… thank you everyone, thank you.

Congratulations....great achievement.

More celebrations to your new HOME....

Omotaday:
Could someone please recommend a good/reliable financial estalishmnent/bank for Junior Cash ISA and Junior Stock and Share ISA?

Thank you.




CC: ukay2 jedisco

I do not do any Junior cash ISA.....you can check Moneybox as it is very flexible

Viruses:
Instead of charging those with plenty money, they are charging those with small money...what kind of wahala is that

Motivation to move up the ladder....

darknessbegone:
Can anyone recommend a similar platform to Vanguard? They want to start charging customers £4.00 per month if they have below £32,000.00 in their account (Stocks and Shares ISA, General Account or Personal Pension (SIPP)).

I think it is still a good deal......try and build your portfolio above the £32k mark to continue to enjoy the low charges.

I use Freetrade, T212 and Moneybox.....

MARKET ALERT...

GOOGLE share crosses $190 from km $86


COSTCO crosses km $1,000 from km $500


TIME in the market is always better than TIMING the market

After buying your house, the next good thing to do is to invest in the USA market....thank me later

MARKET ALERT...

GOOGLE share crosses $190 from km $86


COSTCO crosses km $1,000 from km $500


TIME in the market is always better than TIMING the market

After buying your house, the next good thing to do is to invest in the USA market....thank me later

jedisco:
Reasonably so but saving in stocks can be quite risky for those looking to use their Lisa to purchase a home in the near future as it can go both ways and that uncertainty can be difficult to manage. If for retirement, then stocks should well outperform cash.

It is mainly for those that have purchased their houses and are still using the LISA accounts for contributions....

I have moved my funds Moneybox CASH LISA to Stocks and Shares LISA....funds invested in S&P 500.... difference in returns is very clear.

Do so if you can....

babajeje123:
Yippee...it's testimony time and a very long one it is.
The whole journey started in August and we had December as our move-in date. Our searches led us to Persimmon, paid reservation fee however we had no peace of mind. One, how they would be able to finish the plot in a space of few months, two the reviews we read about Persimmon were not encouraging and the fact that we would stick to their Internet provider discouraged us from proceeding with them. So we requested for what we paid as reservation fee.

Then, we moved to Keepmoat. A very decent property with a lot of freebies for shikini money. Integrated fridge & freezer, washing machine, dishwasher, flooring with carpet in all rooms, turf in the garden, and a wardrobe in the master bedroom. All for 167k pere with 5% deposit. We reserved that day! But the property is in a different location from where we are. We didn't even care, so happy submitting all docs till the result of the local searches came out. The area is prone to flooding. Wetin be this? We sha consulted, talked to people and the advised we should go ahead as the area has never experienced flooding in the last 50 years. But my mind no touch ground at though we kept moving by faith. Went to do door knocking one day and the guy I spoke to talked well of the area. No serious snagging issues since he moved in, quick response time for little issues that came up, he sha spoke well but mind refused to touch ground. Then one day, I felt like checking what the council tax in that area is for same property. £174! I've found a good reason to cancel. Currently paying £110, paying £174 means we will be doing 010 daily. Brain-washed madam and we cancelled though we lost so money. We continued to search and we found Gentoo. They didn't think all our boxes but ticked the important ones. We can sleep well without praying that it should not rain and council tax will make us do 101 at least . We knew we won't cancel cos we found peace throughout the whole process.

Contract exchanged yesterday, completion was today, going for keys tomorrow. Let somebody shout hallelujah

Congratulations 🎉🎉...more celebrations

PrettyPacy:
The estate agent mentioned the seller need the money to make payment towards the property they are going for and the property was built in 2020. Have already paid for L2 survey but with this issue with completion have ask that to wait.
Thanks for your input

Most of the times, the estate agent is after their returns... Pockets...

080bjaked:
Have you considered using the same solicitor as the seller? If the offering, service and price are good, maybe you can concider that.

There may be biases using same sellers solicitor in my thoughts.

lightnlife:
We recently viewed a few new builds and we're happy with one; 3-bed mid-terrace for 380K.

Developer has offered a 5% contribution to our 5% deposit. Initial conversation with the referred Mortgage Advisor shows we can get a mortgage for 4.5%.

However, the developer has told us they won't include flooring. We've asked multiple times but they've been insistent on not adding it. They even told us they can't give more than 5% incentive across board as per the lender Ts & Cs. I'm not really sure that's correct. Please share your thoughts on this.

Based on our calculation, it'll cost about 10k to do up the flooring via the builder. Of cos, we're now exploring getting quotes from independent contractors. What are the pros and cons of not doing the flooring with the builder?

We're keen on jumping on the property ladder and affordability won't be an issue in terms of monthly payment but our major concern now is raising extra money for things like flooring and some additional costs. Are there viable loan facilities for such with little or no interest?

Really interested in getting a house before end of March 2025 to escape the stamp duty increase and build equity.

Please share any other advice for first time buyers with little or no extra funds after paying the deposit 😕

I will not go for the deal.

This is why l went for a 5 year old built property as everything has been settled by previous first buyer already. I don't have time for unnecessary stress.

All the best.

PrettyPacy:
Good evening everyone, I need some advise, my mortgage has been approved and the estate agent is insisting completion date should not be later than the 20/12 but my solicitor is saying they require 8-10weeks for conveyance and paper work and the completion date is not feasible what do I do ? I’m confused . Have contacted 2more solicitors and they confirm same.

Follow your solicitor advice... No mind the estate agent. The estate agent will calm down when the searches commence. All the best.

Cyberknight:
Cakeism US style.
Lower corporate taxes and it certainly doesn't "trickle down" in higher pay - companies simply book higher profits.

Good for NYSE capital market investors

PrettyPacy:
Good morning everyone just a little rant or missed feeling and I need some counselling from elders here, is this feeling normal? I’m not so excited about the purchase of the property. The house is a 5year old building with 3 spacious bedrooms 2bathrooms and a WC downstairs . Medium size kitchen and a long sitting room, a large garden and a garage. The deposit is not an issue at all but I’m not excited is this normal ?
Rant ends

Why not excited again? Any issues on the survey or neighborhood?

Enjoy your the house....