Welcome back to What I Own – Metro’s property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder.
When drag artist Nick Collier, who performs as Ella Vaday, first moved to London, aged just 16, he was paying just £266 per month in rent. Living in Dalston, long before it was trendy, he’d moved into a friend’s room on a whim.
Over the years, he saw East London change beyond recognition, and after scrimped and savingfor a deposit, with his partner, Marco, the pair were able to buy their own four walls in 2018.
Making a living in musical theatre, Nick started dabbling in the world of drag five years ago. Just one year later, he made it through to the final of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
Nick even paid tribute to Dagenham in the process, creating a passionate look showcasing the local women who protested for equal pay at a Ford motor company factory in the 1960s, a story which was documented in the 2010 film Made In Dagenham.
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Winning four maxi challenges, Ella Vaday wasn’t in the bottom once, and so never had to lip sync for her life. And, of course, Nick’s made space for his very own drag wardrobe at home. Where else would the wigs be kept?
Here’s what Nick had to say about his property journey…
Tell us about yourself!
Where to begin! I left home in Norwich as a teen to go to drama school and somehow, 20 years later, I’m still in London doing what I love.
I spent years working in musical theatre, doing shows like Wicked and The Book of Mormon in the West End. I was actually in rehearsals for Hairspray when the world shut down in 2020.
Around that time, I’d started dabbling in drag. It was just a creative outlet at first, something to keep the spark going. Well, that little hobby grew legs, and a year later, I was in the final of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. That escalated, didn’t it!? Life took a turn, in the best possible way.
How much does your property cost?
We paid £263,500 for our home in April 2018.
How much was your deposit?
We had a 10% deposit of £26,350. It was made up of money we’d each saved individually in Help To Buy ISAs, meaning the government topped up our savings by 25%. Sadly though, the government no longer offers this type of savings account.
Alternatives to Help To Buy ISAs
The government ended new applications to the Help To Buy ISA scheme in October 2022, and all first-time buyer house-buying applications were finalised by May 2023.
The policy was originally introduced in 2013 to help buyers get on the ladder with new-build properties, and until 2021, when the scheme was revised to include first-time buyers only, it offered a loan of up to 20% of the property’s value (the maximum value being £600,000). The purchase price was also capped differently depending on the region.
While some say the policy was crucial in helping first-time buyers onto the ladder, it was relatively controversial, considering that research concluded that it both increased house prices and encouraged first-time buyers to take out debt specifically on new-build homes.
It might no longer exist, but there are a few other schemes in place to help first-time buyers.
First Homes scheme
The First Homes scheme allows first-time buyers to snap up a home for between 30% and 50% below its market value. It’s not limited to new-build homes, as it can either be a new property built by a developer or previously owned by someone else.
You’ll also need to earn below £80,000 per year before tax, rising to £90,000 in London, and you’ll need to qualify for a mortgage for at least half the price of the home’s market value.
Lifetime ISA
There’s also the Lifetime ISA, which allows first-time buyers to purchase a property valued at £450,000 or less.
The maximum amount you can deposit each year is £4,000, and the government will add a 25% yearly bonus to your savings (amounting to £1,000 if you max it out).
What is the monthly cost of living here now, both mortgage and bills?
Our mortgage is £1,037, we then pay around £325 for utilities, bringing the monthly outgoings on our home to £1,362.
Where is your property and what do you think of the area?
We’re in Dagenham East, East London. We chose it mainly for affordability, but also because there’s loads of investment happening in the area. Eastbrook Studios, the biggest film studio in London, is now just down the road.
What I love most is how much green space we’re surrounded by. You can walk for hours through quiet nature reserves, past ponds and open land. It’s something you don’t get living centrally, and it gives a real sense of calm.
How did you save up for your deposit?
With a lot of hustle and sacrifice. Marco and I don’t come from money, so we saved every penny ourselves. I was working full-time in the West End, and running a dog walking business during the day.
I cycled everywhere to save on travel. We lived in a small basement flat in Angel for three years and said no to a lot of extras. It was all about the bigger picture.
What was the process of getting a mortgage like for you? Did you find any parts challenging?
We had a brilliant mortgage adviser, Jack Childs from L&C. I’d worked with his dad in Wicked, so he completely understood how theatre income works. That made a massive difference, and the process went a lot more smoothly than I expected.
Can you share details on your mortgage (rate/term)?
We were on a three-year fixed rate at 0.97%, which felt like winning the lottery at the time. Once that ended, interest rates shot up. We’re now on a 4.29% rate, which added a couple of hundred pounds a month to our mortgage.
It’s manageable, but you definitely feel the difference. It’s still much cheaper than renting would be, and I always remember that at least we’re paying off our own debt.
Where did you live before this – were you renting or living with family?
I’ve rented ever since I moved to London, when I first moved to Dalston, Dalston Junction station didn’t exist at the time.
A friend and I said yes to a flat through someone’s dad and just went with it. We had no idea where we were going, but we were there for seven years and saw the area change so much. My rent was £266 a month back then, which sounds ridiculous now.
Later on, Marco and I moved into a basement flat in Angel with our dog Wally and stayed there for three years while saving to buy.
What made you want to buy rather than rent?
I’d had enough of paying someone else’s mortgage. I always said I wanted to own a place by the time I turned 30, and we just about made that happen.
How did you find this property? What made you choose it?
We went to see it after seeing another nearby property; they were about to do an open house viewing the next day, and we managed to see it before and get an offer in before anyone else. It was the space more than anything.
The house is on a quiet street and had been lived in by the same man since he was a child. He was in his 90s when he sold it and wanted it to go to someone who would really live in it and make it a home. That felt important to us.
LGBTQ+ statistics on housing
It’s London Pride weekend, and while that’s certainly a cause for celebration, LGBTQ+ still face many issues, including accessing housing.
Research from Stonewall shows that almost one in five LGBTQ+ people have experienced homelessness; these statistics increase to 25% of all trans people.
The majority of these cases are caused by direct rejection from families over their LGBTQ+ identity, too, as 77% of people surveyed by akt said that ‘family rejection, abuse or being asked to leave home’ was the cause of their homelessness.
Shortly before becoming homeless, more than 50% had their family members force them to stop expressing their LGBTQ+ identity, figures which rise to 64% for trans people and 55% for disabled people.
The University of Stirling also finds that LGBTQ+ people have poorer housing outcomes than their straight and cis counterparts, too.
Gay, lesbian and bisexual people specifically are less likely to own their own homes, while throughout the 1980s and 1990s, there were instances of gay and bisexual men having their mortgage applications refused because of the stigma tied to the HIV/AIDS crisis.
How have you made the property feel like home? What’s the inspiration for your interior style?
The house needed a lot of work. We’ve renovated the whole thing ourselves over time. Luckily, we had a bit of savings left, so we tackled the kitchen first. That was always going to be the biggest job.
Our style is colourful and personal. I don’t like interiors that feel beige or grey just for the sake of being safe. I wanted it to feel full of character.
Most of the artwork has a story behind it, whether it’s something we picked up on a trip or something that used to hang in my nan’s house. That’s what makes it feel like home. I don’t know anyone else with a dotty hallway like ours!
What’s your favourite room and why?
The living room. It gets amazing light, so we went bold with the colour. It’s filled with pieces we’ve collected over the years, and it’s the room that really most like us. Cosy, a bit chaotic, lived-in and warm.
Do you feel like you have enough space?
For now, yes. Though I dream of having a dedicated drag room or wardrobe. Wigs take up more space than you’d think.
Do you have plans to change the property?
The garden is the final big job. We’ve already added fencing for privacy, which made a big difference. Now we’re working out how to use the space. With a small garden, you’ve got to be clever. We want something that feels like an extra room, not just a patch of grass.
Are there any problems with the property that you’ve had to deal with?
None so far. We’ve been lucky.
What do you want people to know about buying a home?
Try not to fall in love with the first thing you see. We nearly bought a house that was basically falling down because we got obsessed with how we could change it. Looking back, it would have been a terrible decision.
And if you’re buying a doer-upper like we did, be honest about how much of the work you’ll actually do yourself. Labour isn’t cheap and time disappears fast once you’ve moved in.
What are your plans for the future in terms of housing? Do you plan to stay long-term?
We’ll probably stay here for a couple more years. That’ll make it ten in total. After that, I’ve no idea. We might move closer in or go further out. It’ll depend on what life looks like then.
What I do know is that we’ve learned so much from this house. We’ve made mistakes, we’ve figured things out, and we’ve created a home that feels completely ours. Whatever comes next, we’ll go into it with a lot more confidence. And hopefully less wallpaper stripping.
Shall we take a look around?
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
