At home with: Faye Winter

Faye Winter is passionate about property and interiors and was a highly successful estate agent and lettings manager for many years before she became a finalist on ITVs Love Island in 2021. She bought her first home when she was just 18 and is currently looking to buy with her partner, Teddy, next year. She has over 1.2 million social media followers and is an Ambassador for Guide Dogs UK. She talks to Lynda Clark about her life, her first home and gives some useful advice for anyone trying to get on the property ladder

Photos by Gavin Glave

FTB: Tell us about your first step on the property ladder

FW: I was 18 and bought a shared ownership home, which was a great way to get started on my property journey. I staircased to 100% so I owned it outright and it worked really well for me. When I decided to sell I could have converted it back to shared ownership but a lovely lady decided she wanted to buy it outright. I think shared ownership is brilliant and I can’t praise the scheme enough.

FTB: Did you go on to buy another home?

FW: I bought a three bedroom house, which was stunning and everything I ever wanted. After this I decided to return home and live with my parents.

FTB: Where are you living now?

FW: I am looking to buy with my partner, Teddy, who I met on Love Island. He originally comes from High Wycombe and has never bought before so it is quite frustrating because we can’t use any of the FTB schemes. We want to find the right property for us, in the right location that will work for us both, so we are looking around. But, with the change in interest rates and the state of the property market in general, we are watching the situation at the moment but would like to buy next year. We are renting but I am very keen to get back on the property ladder. I also have an idea to buy something in Devon, which is where I am originally from, that I could turn into an Airbnb. I love the countryside and it would be perfect to have a little bolthole. We have recently got a puppy, Bonnie, and I know she would love it down there too.

FTB: Tell us about your career

FW: I finished school when I was 16 and was always interested in sales. I firstly thought about going into car sales but that’s a very male-dominated industry. So, I got an apprenticeship in an estate agency. It was a foot in the door and I learnt everything there was to know. I worked there for five years and then decided to move on to a more corporate agency. I then decided to move to an independent estate agent, East of Exe, and because of all the knowledge I had I was able to sell homes and also do lettings and rentals so I could flip between the two and always hit my targets. I was in great demand and many clients insisted I look after them and I had so many referrals. One of the things I really care about is customer service, especially if you are helping a first time buyer. It is so scary for them and they need lots of help and advice, which I was delighted to do. I also used to give them a hand when it came to the interior of the property they were buying. None of them had much money to kit out their home so I enjoyed giving them hints and tips of how to design it on a budget. I also loved talking to prospective buyers and sellers and visiting properties. I stayed there for three years and it was a wonderful job.

FTB: You were a contestant on Love Island – was that something you had dreamt of doing?

FW: I loved my job and loved my life so I was really 50/50 about it. It was an experience and I met my partner, Teddy, who is the love of my life. I was then on Celebrity MasterChef which was so out of my comfort zone. I’m a pub grub girl from Devon but I made it through to the semifinals, which was quite an achievement. I would now like to get back into property as I am not your typical Love Islander. I have a few plans and ideas, so it’s a question of watch this space!

FTB: Tell us about your work with Guide Dogs UK?

FW: I used to board guide dogs for four and half years before I went on to Love Island and I am now an Ambassador. They do amazing work and I would board dogs in the evenings and weekends. They go to guide dog school during the day, so it worked well when I was working full time and I really loved having them and helping. I am now campaigning to raise funds and I worked on a collaboration with the fashion chain New Look and produced a New Look Edit and donated part of my fee to them.

FTB: What advice do you have for FTBs?

FW: Don’t push yourself too far and if it doesn’t work out something else will always turn up. Get a Mortgage in Principle and don’t stress if it runs out, just make sure you get another one. Buying a home should be your passion project so stick to what you really want. Decide what your priorities are, and if you want a large kitchen/diner as an entertaining space and smaller bedrooms, for example, then hold out for that. Make a list of things that are important to you. It could be location, green space, parking, near to shops or schools – whatever it is, you should decide what works for you. Buying a home for the first time takes you out of your comfort zone as it is the biggest and most costly thing you will ever buy, but try not to put pressure on yourself. Sometimes we can be blinded by something that is cheaper but if it’s not the home of your dreams you are bound to be unhappy, so take it slowly and steadily and you will get there in the end.

Follow Faye on Instagram

@faye__winter

@faye__home