comments A mother-of-two revealed how she paid off her first mortgage by the age of 31 and bought her second home in cash - even though her parents 'literally had nothing'. Sophie Borek, 36, from Bolton, started out as a cleaner at just 16, and ended up in high-paying roles at huge companies like Tesla. And while she now enjoys her financial success, the recruitment consultant and Pilates business owner is still stringent with cash and doesn't splash out on fancy cars or holidays. At just 21, she was able to buy a £80,000 two-bedroom cottage with a 10 per cent deposit in 2011; £5,000 of which she had saved by herself, along with a £3,000 gift from her parents. She came from a working-class background but began to create a saving pot as a teenager, after getting a job at a hotel. As well as cleaning up after guests, she trained as a solicitor at University of Central Lancashire in the evenings. This meant she could work full time - and pick up extra shifts on the weekend at the hotel. She was able to make 'at least' 10 per cent overpayments monthly on her mortgage after moving to Australia in 2013, on a £100,000 per year commission-based recruitment role - while also renting out her cottage for £450 per month. Sophie Borek, 36, from Bolton, started out as a cleaner at just 16, and ended up in high-paying roles at huge companies like Tesla Sophie became a permanent resident Down Under, before making the move to Amsterdam in 2018 to work as a recruiter for Tesla. She cashed in her €50,000 shares for £70,000 when she left. 'When I joined the share price was still really low and during the time I worked there the share price exploded,' she explained. 'I do think there was an element of luck to it but obviously I was renting out my property in the UK for quite some time and always receiving income from it. 'I consulted a financial advisor and basically was asking him how to make the most of the savings I had. 'I didn't want to be super risky with how I invested but I also didn't want it to be sat in the bank. Once back in Britain, Sophie sold her first cottage home for £155,000 in 2020 and purchased a three-bed semi-detached family home for £240,000 - this time in cash Now despite earning a £50,000 base salary and owning two homes - she insists she is still 'stringent' with her cash Through all her financial savvy, Sophie was able to pay off her 25-year mortgage in 10 years before she sold her cottage for £155,000 - a £70,000 profit - enabling her to buy her second property in the UK for £240,000 in cash with the profits and her savings. Pictured, her current home She felt 'really proud' of herself, explaining that 'as a young woman people assume you are not going to be able to be at the financial point of owning a house without a mortgage' 'He helped me out and showed me how to invest and put it in mixed shares where they distribute it across the top 100 companies.' In the meantime, she had also managed to also purchase a one-bedroom flat in Amsterdam for €350,000; using money from her earnings and savings. After having her first child, she returned to the UK in 2021. Once back in Britain, Sophie sold her first cottage home for £155,000 in 2020 and purchase a three-bed semi-detached family home for £240,000 - this time in cash. She also purchased a buy-to-let property for £130,000 in 2023 which she owned for 18 months before selling it as a break even in 2024. She said: 'I honestly just think a lot of people don't set themselves up with the information they need to be able to make good investments. 'They kind of just have money sat in their savings account rather than actually getting themselves up to speed and properly investing their money or speaking to financial advisors.' Now despite earning a £50,000 base salary and owning two homes - she insists she is still 'stringent' with her cash. 'The house I started with wasn't the house I wanted but it was something to get me on the ladder and get me on track,' Sophie said. 'I was taking on extra jobs and saving.' She continued: 'Even with university and stuff like that I didn't have the standard university experience. 'I decided to work full-time and go to university at night because I didn't want student debt over my shoulders. 'I do think you have to be making sacrifices to get where you want to go.' She felt 'really proud' of herself, explaining that 'as a young woman people assume you are not going to be able to be at the financial point of owning a house without a mortgage'. 'The plan is to just keep going up really,' Sophie added. 'One thing I've learned as well is you need to be quite stringent with how you spend your cash.' Even though she's done well, she 'doesn't drive around in a fancy car and doesn't go on a load of holidays'. 'I can't ever see myself just sitting back,' she said. 'But what I definitely want to do is be my own boss and not be working for someone else my entire life.'