What I Own: I sleuthed on Rightmove to get a £36,000 discount on my Bristol home

Welcome back to What I Own – Metro’s property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder.

When Orima Kamalu, 36, and her husband first moved into their Bristol three-bed, they started on a high.

The pair managed to secure their property for £629,000 – which was £36,000 less than the asking price.

How did they do it? Simply by doing some detective work on Rightmove, and taking the risk.

Now, they’ve just marked one year in their new home, which creative Orima has certainly put a colourful stamp on.

Here’s what Orima had to say about her property journey…

Tell us about yourself!

I’m a consultant psychiatrist in the NHS, and my hobbies include DIY, arts and crafts, and watching far too much TV.

My husband and I were studying, working and renting in London until 2019, when we moved back to Bristol, my hometown, to be closer to my mum.

We have a three-year-old son and a seven-year-old cocker spaniel.

Whereabouts is your property? What do you think of the area?

Our property is in Westbury-On-Trym, just north of Bristol. It’s known for being quite a traditional ‘village’ and less trendy than other parts of the city, but we love it.

My favourite thing is how close we are to so many beautiful outdoor spaces, such as Blaise Estate, Baddocks Woods and The Downs. I’m also obsessed with FED, a delightful local café which recently opened a new branch.

That said, the local high street has clearly suffered in recent years, with lots of long-standing independent stores closing. We hope that our community will continue to support the retailers we love.

When did you move in?

June 2024.

How much does your property cost?

Our property was listed for £665,000 and we purchased it for £629,000.

How much was your deposit?

Around £127,000.

What is the monthly cost of living here now, both mortgage and bills?

Our mortgage is £2,400 per month. Our bills come to approximately £1,200, including gas, electricity, water, broadband, and council tax.

How did you save up for your deposit?

This is our second home, so we used the net proceeds from the sale of our first home as a deposit for this property. We bought our first property in 2021 for £395,000 with a 10% deposit, which came from savings gradually built over several years. We sold it for £463,000.

Being NHS workers during COVID, we were lucky that we were still employed during this time, so we could continue saving. We also benefited from the stamp duty hiatus.

How long did it take you to save up for your deposit?

We were probably saving for our initial deposit since we both left university, but in earnest for about two years since moving to Bristol in 2019.

What was the process of getting a mortgage like for you? Did you find any parts challenging?

The most complex part of securing a mortgage for uswas figuring out how to ‘port’ our existing mortgage debt from the first property to the second.

A ported mortgage is what happens when you buy a new home and you want to take your existing mortgage rate with you.

It’s usually used when you have a deal that you want to keep, and while you’ll still need to apply for a new mortgage, your current rate will still apply if you’re successful in ‘porting’ it.

If you want to borrow more than the value of your previous home, you can apply for additional borrowing. This will mean you’ll end up with two elements to your mortgage, one part being the ported rate and the second being to cover the extra borrowing (usually on a different rate).

Again, our broker oversaw the whole process with ease and clarity, so we were very fortunate that this went smoothly.

Can you share details on your mortgage (rate/term)?

We have a two-part mortgage with HSBC.

Part 1: (ported mortgage) 3.29% fixed until 2027, 30-year term.

Part 2: (new/additional mortgage) 4.38% fixed until 2029, 30-year term.

How did you find this property? What made you choose it?

We crunched some numbers with our mortgage advisor to determine what we could actually afford, and this kicked off our house search.

I saw this property come on the market in September 2023 and immediately fell in love with it, even though it was quite out of our budget. I loved the location, the size and the potential to be refurbished without much need for anything structural. 

I did a bit of research on the property itself and found the buying history on Rightmove, which showed what the current owners had bought it for, versus the price it was actually listed for at the time.

They offered below asking, so we took a chance and did the same. It was actually the same amount below asking that the current owners had bought for, which I think was part of the reason they didn’t dismiss it. We were also the only potential buyers, which helped. We were so lucky it was accepted.

What’s the inspiration for your interior decor style?

Before we moved in, I had used a home visualiser app, which virtually redecorates the entire house, so I had a clear vision of how I wanted it to look in time. 

I get a lot of inspiration from Instagram home accounts. I’m drawn to homes which combine traditional features (like panelling and coving) with bold but earthy colours, prints and statement pieces like funky lighting. Sort of like a ‘muted maximalism’.

What’s your favourite room and why?

My favourite room is probably the kitchen, as even though I detest cooking, it’s the transformation I’m most proud of. The kitchen was very different before, with white gloss units, turquoise walls, and a black floor and counter.

It took quite a bit of figuring out and learning new skills but now I love the Victorian dresser and the drinks cabinet we sourced from Facebook marketplace, and I’m proud of our DIY tiling.

What are your biggest property non-negotiables when looking?

We were keen to ensure that anywhere we bought had a reasonably-sized garden (a must with a dog), off-street parking and a downstairs toilet.

In future, I’ll be adding the following to the list: utility room and a garage (we lost one in the move, and it’s such a wrench storage-wise).

Do you feel like you have enough space?

Yes and no. We do have more than enough space however, we’ve just started making enquiries about expanding the property with a small extension at the back, which we would use as an office and gym space. It would free up an extra bedroom in case we have a second child. 

Do you have plans to change the property?

The DIY renovations are endless and constantly ongoing. We had solar panels installed recently, which has been a really great addition in terms of bills and sustainability in general.

We will likely do some landscaping of the front of the property and the rear garden to make them more enjoyable outdoor spaces.

Are there any problems with the property that you have to deal with?

Fortunately (touch wood) nothing major so far. The odd thing is plumbing and heating, but we’ve been lucky not to need any big issues addressed.

What do you want people to know about buying a home?

We count ourselves as extremely privileged to have been able to take this step, and I think fellow homeowners would do well to remember that. 

It’s also been a big exercise in patience, as for a quite straightforward purchases, it took a surprisingly long time to get to completion.

What are your plans for the future, in terms of housing? Do you plan to stay here long-term?

We think we’ll probably stay here for at least 10 years or so, as the location suits our little family very well.

In the longer term, I think our desire for more space and privacy may take us further out of Bristol, but we shall see.

Shall we take a look around?

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

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