Simon Jones, 86, bought a bungalow in Flintshire, Wales, for £147,000 (Picture: SWNS)
A pensioner who wanted his own home to ‘spend his last days in’ has become the UK’s oldest first-time buyer.
Simon Jones is in party mode after collecting the keys to his £147,000 bungalow in Flintshire, north Wales.
He said: ‘I’m so excited to finally have a place of my own, I want to spend the remaining years I have in my own home.
‘It’s been a long time coming but it’s certainly worth the wait.’
The 86-year-old spent his whole life on his family farm before recently moving to Marleyfield House care home in Buckley.
His niece Lynne Palin said: ‘At Marleyfield, Simon was known as being a real character and a bit of a lady’s man – so no doubt he’ll be missed there.
‘The home’s cat, Mikey, even slept on his bed every night.
‘But Simon’s always maintained that he wants to spend the last years of his life in his own place, and he’s absolutely delighted to have the keys to his new bungalow.’
His new bungalow has been fitted with solar panels and Lynne has teased him about how he ‘thought that meant he would get free electricity’.
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Many homeowners around the country are dealing with surging mortgage repayments.
The Bank of England (BoE) increased interest rates by 0.75% to 3% at the beginning of this month to fight inflation – the biggest jump since 1989.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has blamed former PM Liz Truss and her disastrous economic policies for the crisis.
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There are 1.6 million households with an average £146,000 mortgage, who now face a £73 per month rise in repayments on tracker deals and £46 on variables.
The two million on fixed rates will pay £3,000 a year more after deals expire.
BoE governor Andrew Bailey said the base rate should peak at 4.5% in 2023 – lower than the 6% feared amid the widespread panic following September’s disastrous mini-Budget.
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Simon Jones wants to ‘spend his last days’ in his own home.
