A young mum finally raised enough money to buy her first home – after selling ALL her possessions including furniture, jewellery, electrical goods and SHOES.
Software engineer Fran Bunce, 28, was desperate to get on the property ladder but was unable to scrape together a deposit.
So she came up with a drastic solution – selling everything she owned to raise the extra money she needed.
The mum-of-one began selling off her possessions – including a motorbike, sofa, bed, mirrors, fridge-freezer, light fittings, dining room table, cushions and dishwasher.
She even parted with her clothes, jewellery and vast collection of shoes – while her nine-year-old daughter Summer, nine, sold her toys and games.
Fran used websites Gumtree and eBay, newspaper classified ads and car boot sales to flog all her worldly goods.
She finally managed to raise the £5,000 she needed and was able to put down put a deposit on her own home.
Fran, of Bath, Somerset, said she was delighted to buy the house – but is now living in an “empty shell” after selling everything.
She said: “It came to that time when I needed to buy my own house, I’ve always wanted to own a home, I want to provide a bit of stability.
“But I realised I couldn’t really afford it unless I sold my own stuff for a deposit. I’m one of those people that once I set my mind to it I will do whatever it takes to get there.
“If I have to sacrifice those things then I will. I sold everything I owned, from my motorbike, sofa, clothes and shoes. I even sold creams and oils I haven’t used.
“I have sold whatever there is you can sell, you wouldn’t believe it. I had friends messaging me asking if I was selling my whole life.
“I’m over the moon to have finally done it, but I’ve been left in a bit of an empty shell now. I’ve got a mattress on the floor and my daughter’s got her bed and that’s about it.”
Fran decided to sell her possessions in January this year after she worked out she could halve her monthly outgoings if she bought a house.
She pays £900-a-month in rent, with bills on top, and calculated that mortgage payments would be much less.
The enterprising mum used free internet sites such as Facebook and Gumtree, as well as car boot sales, to advertise her stuff.
She sold many of her items to complete strangers and managed to negotiate prices with fellow tenants for white goods like her fridge-freezer and dishwasher.
Fran also parted with many of her prized possessions, including precious jewellery and ornaments, and sold most of her vast collection of shoes.
She sold each of her 30 pairs for £10, and raised £300 towards her total.
Fran, a software engineer, even retrained as a beautician so she could work evenings and weekends.
She said: “The way I see it is I pay £900 a month on rent with bills on top and if I move into a house my mortgage would be half of that.
“At the moment things are really tight because we are paying and saving, when we move into our new house we will have so much more money.
“I can start enjoying days out and holidays and stuff. I can start enjoying life with my daughter again. She has sacrificed so much.
“I sold my clothes, stuff I don’t wear anymore. For years I haven’t changed size so I sold what I didn’t wear. I got quite a lot for them and I’m still selling some.
“Same with my shoes. I was just hoarding stuff I didn’t really need.
“The only downside is that I didn’t get half as much as what they were worth but you just want to make sure you can get what you can.”
Fran recently queued up with her mum for 20 hours at Silcox Son and Wicks, in Bath, during a recent sale, to buy some new furniture.
She managed to buy a bed, worth £750, for just £200, and a sofa, worth £1,000, for a mere £500.
Fran added: “I have managed to still save money, I sold my sofa for £700 and bought another one for £500, I’ve got £200 in my pocket still.
“I have sold everything, but I’ve worked it all out, I know what will fit where and what I needed to get rid of.”
Fran hopes to be living in the new home within a month.
