I think I was about 24ish, ex husband three years older, we were lucky he was working for a big American bank, advantageous 3% mortgage rate for staff, I can't remember what interest rate everyone else was on but it was a lot more than that in the late '70s. It was lovely to go from a rented, not ideal flat, to a modern house, we were ecstatic to have our first washing machine installed. it was my pride and joy, so much so, I actually wanted it in the kitchen so I could look at the washing going round and round when it was on, bliss after weekly trips to the launderette and a certain amount of hand washing. It was actually in a small utility room which I didn't see the point of then, but do now!. The 40 something couple who sold us the house were rather sniffy about "youngsters" like us buying straight into a 3 bedroomed house, rather than a starter flat and in a roundabout way they told us so! like it was any of their business