A young woman who was once mocked by friends for being "stingy" has revealed how she managed to buy her first home at the age of 20 after years of careful saving while earning minimum wage.
Early Start to Saving
Tia Cordery, from Billericay, Essex, began putting money aside when she started an apprenticeship at 16. Determined to get onto the property ladder, she regularly deposited a large portion of her wages into a savings account rather than spending it on nights out and other social activities.
Her commitment paid off earlier this year when she secured a mortgage and purchased a one-bedroom flat worth £180,000.
Tia said: "I would put half my earnings into [the app] Moneybox. I put probably £300 away every month and I had no bills and I wasn't on a lot of money. I was [originally] on minimum wage, about £6 an hour."
Mortgage Options Made It Possible
Although she saved around £12,000 for a deposit, she believes access to specialist mortgage products was key to making home ownership possible.
Tia explained: "I only saved about £12,000 but because of the mortgage options I think it's a lot easier for younger people to get on the property ladder, it's just not spoken about. Because of my earnings I could only use specific lenders. I tested my figures to see if I could buy with Nationwide. As I earned over that [amount] they were able to lend me six times my income."
Social Sacrifices
The now-estate agent said her determination came at a social cost. While friends were regularly going out and spending money, she chose to prioritise saving.
She recalled: "I remember at that time the people that I was hanging around with were calling me stingy, saying that I was tight just because I didn't want to go out constantly spending all my money. I don't speak to them anymore but it was tough. They would be like 'let's go out, let's go and have fun' and I would say 'I don't have a lot of money, I don't want to do that'. I've lost so many friends because of it."
Inspired by Work
Working in the property industry encouraged her to explore whether buying a home was achievable sooner than she had expected.
Tia said: "I [initially] didn't know I could buy, but because I'm in the industry, I asked 'can you run my figures? Can I get a mortgage?' They turned around and said 'yeah you can'. Being surrounded by properties and people moving in, all day every day, it does inspire you."
Rejecting Claims of Family Wealth
After sharing her story on TikTok, she faced suggestions that family wealth had helped fund her purchase, something she rejects.
She said: "I've always been a worker because my family couldn't afford for me to have much stuff so I had to pay for it myself."
Advice for Others
Tia now encourages others to start saving whatever they can.
She said: "Open the account, even if you save £50 a month just put in what you can and it will all add up in the end. I think if you really put your mind to it then you can."
