My girlfriend and I had been renting a flat with a couple of mates for some time when the opportunity came up for us to buy our own place.

We found a gorgeous little cottage and my parents had agreed to help us with the finance side, so it seemed there was nothing to stand in our way.

The process itself went pretty smoothly and exchange duly took place. But as we worked towards completion, my mind became preoccupied with something of far greater importance. Rosie and I had been going out together for a number of years and now we were buying a house together. A home – not hers or mine, but ours. It was a life-changing moment and it seemed right and proper to me that we made more of a commitment than simply agreeing to share a deed of a property.

It was at that point that I decided to propose. What’s more, I was going to do it at the point we crossed the threshold into our new home.

So on the day before completion, I took some time out of my working day to visit Boodles in London's West End to choose the ring. Ring bought and safely tucked away in my pocket, I went Rosie’s father’s office in Paddington to ask his permission for her hand. To my dismay, when I got there I discovered he was out at a business lunch and wouldn’t be back for a number of hours. If I was going to go ahead with my plan, I had no choice but to wait.

His blessing finally secured, I spent a sleepless night worrying about the the big day ahead; one which I was about to make even bigger. What if she said no? What if she said yes?

The following afternoon we went to collect the keys to our new home, only to be informed that they weren’t quite ready to be released. As I tried to conceal my mounting panic, we went for a drink to kill time.

Finally, the house was ours and as Rosie put the keys into the lock and opened the door, I dropped down onto one knee. She had opened the door to our new home and a new life – one which we would now be enjoying as man and wife.

Further information

What makes a house a home and why does it matter so much? Our new series, 'Moving Stories', inspired by Savills new advertising campaign, explores the complex relationship between home and home-owner with funny, sad and bittersweet reflections on moving out, moving in and moving on.

We invite you to submit your own Moving Stories and we will donate £50 to Dreams Come True for every one we publish on Savills UK Blog. We'll also make a donation for every story submitted for consideration.