House Hunting Advice For Couples From Caitlyn & Tony

This Valentine’s Day, AIB caught up with some local couples to find out more about how they created their homes together. As the New Year is a time when many couples begin this process, we wanted to get their top tips and advice on how they made their dream home a reality.

When it came to finding their dream home, makeup artist and business owner Caitlyn and her husband Tony wanted a modern and stylish new build. With an idea of their perfect pad in mind, they knew that when they found their dream home it would be love at first sight. 

Patience is a virtue

The newlyweds went into their home buying journey with very similar expectations of what they were looking for. They wanted something modern, and a new build seemed like the perfect solution, as their busy careers meant they wouldn’t have time to devote to renovations. “We weren’t scouring the internet looking for houses, we knew we would find one eventually that we liked the look of, and we actually ended up finding our dream home on a developers social media page. We were patient on our search, and I would recommend people look at social media not just estate agents to help broaden out your search,” says Caitlyn.

With a picture of their dream home already in their mind the couple knew that it was important they both attended the viewings, “We’re both very visual people, so we knew when we saw the house together, we could decide if it was right one or not quickly. In the car on the way home from the viewing, that’s when we decided we were definitely going to buy it and I’m so glad we did.”

A non-negotiable for Caitlyn was having a dressing room where she could store her makeup and clothing. “Luckily Tony is very supportive, and he knew that I wanted a room for all my makeup as it is my job at the end of the day, so that was definitely high up our list of things we were looking for.”

A partnership approach

When it came to styling the rooms in their new home Caitlyn very much took the lead with Tony’s background in joinery also coming in handy. “I found pictures online of what I wanted and then Tony recreated it in our home, I think it made it more special that we were both involved in the process too.”

One piece of advice Caitlyn would give to couples looking for their first home is to shop around the market before settling on a home. “Even if it doesn’t end up being the home for you, you might realise you want something that you didn’t think of before. I would also recommend thinking long term when buying your first home, as that’s something we didn’t really do, and it means we will eventually outgrow this house.”

The couple who recently celebrated their wedding, plan to enjoy a meal together this Valentine’s Day, before making the most of their home by watching a movie together.

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