What I Rent: I pay £1,000 per month to live in a Clapham shared flat with my landlord

Welcome back to What I Rent – Metro’s tenant diary series exploring what renting is like in the UK and further afield.

When 28-year-old Jamie Hamilton’s friend told him he was interested in buying a flat, his ears immediately pricked up.

He was living in a miserable houseshare plagued with fighting flatmates, so he was spending almost every evening out of the house to escape.

His friend wasn’t looking at living alone, either: he ended up buying a three-bedroom flat minutes from Clapham Common, and he was looking for flatmates to keep him company (and, crucially, pay the mortgage).

Since he’s moved in, Jamie has had his office commute shortened considerably, and he’s discovering everything that Clapham has to offer, from sprawling green space and Surrey accents to the snaking queues outside Infernos.

Here’s what Jamie had to say about his renting journey…

Tell us about yourself!

My name is Jamie, and I’m a Customer Success Manager. I’m recently 28 and living with friends in Clapham, trying to experience as much of London as possible before I get too sick of queuing for everything to then pay way too much for way too little.

What kind of property do you rent, and how long have you been there?  

I rent the middle-sized room in a three-room, two-storey flat, near Clapham Common. It’s within a converted council building split into apartments, and is not the prettiest place on the outside (it’s been compared to a prison by friends).

Inside, it’s great though, and it’s got incredibly solid bones; I’ve been here for around three months now, and I’m loving it.

How much do you pay to live here?

I pay £1,000 for rent and about an extra £110 for bills, and we all pay a little extra for a cleaner every couple of weeks. The largest room is where the live-in-landlord (my friend) lives, and the smallest room pays £850 in rent. 

And what do you get for what you pay?

I get a medium-sized room which is just enough space for my bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers and a pretty big desk for my computer, and luckily I’ve got a built-in wardrobe as well. There’s a living room with a small enclosed balcony, a nice-sized separate kitchen, and we’re in a lovely, quiet residential area, a five-minute walk from the common. 

Do you feel like you have a good deal?

I would say so! I would absolutely love to pay less each month, but to be honest, after living in London for five-ish years, I’ve got used to it. If you want to live in even a remotely nice area, I just don’t see it as avoidable, especially not in Clapham.

What do you think of the area? 

It’s not the best for shopping, but close to everywhere you want to go, and for food and nightlife it’s incredible. I also personally think Clapham Common is one of the best parks in London for walking, picnics, biking, a date or anything else. 

Clapham is unreal for coffee shops, restaurants, and pubs. I love The Windmill, especially because it’s such a nice warm vibe in there and perfect for a quick pint after a walk.

My least favourite thing is either the number of Surrey accents I hear everywhere I go, or the number of joggers at any time of day in any weather under any circumstance. They don’t get in the way or anything, but there’s something about the relentless stream of them that annoys me.

What do you love to do in your flat?

I’m incredibly lucky to be living with a long-time friend, and a random girl we found on Facebook who has gelled incredibly well.

We spend a lot of time together in the evening chatting and not doing much, and I think that’s one of the finer things to do in life. Whenever we have an event like a birthday or holiday, we’ll always have a house party as it’s a great place for it. Just being able to call on your friends if you want a chat, and always knowing they’re there, is something I’m so lucky to have. 

How have you made this place feel like home?

As soon as I’d finally unpacked and put everything where I wanted it in my room, I already felt at home. I couldn’t believe how well all of my things fit, and it felt like it must have been fate. I’ve decorated the walls, put a number of personal touches up like my IRFU flag, Shrek decorative pillow, and plants, and I couldn’t be happier with my room.

Have you found it difficult to decorate when renting? Is your landlord happy with you doing bits?

I’ve never found it particularly hard. The Command Strips have been my saviour for years; they’ve never left any damage for me, and I’ve literally had things hanging on them for two or three years at a time, never had anything fall off the walls in that time either.

Do you feel like you have enough space? 

I’d say so, I’m only ever in my room to sleep, really. I like to keep active, and I’m out most nights. In that regard, I like that my room is quite small, so there’s less to maintain, and it makes it feel much cosier. 

Are there any problems with the home you have to deal with? 

Not me, thankfully. I know there’s a bit of a wet patch beginning to grow in my flatmate’s wall, though, and if that becomes worse, I’ve heard horror stories about how bad the council can be at coming to sort that out, as they still own the building we live in.

What’s your favourite piece of furniture in the house?

It’s got to be my bed – incredibly boring, but I don’t really own much other furniture in this house, and that’s my favourite spot for reading, watching films, and I just love sleeping.

Was there a specific inspiration for your decor?

There’s no rhyme or reason to the decor – it’s the white and black IKEA special.

The only personality is the ridiculous decorations – the Banksy panda print, rugby flag, stolen beer mats, a pillow with my old flatmates’ faces on it, a collection of sunglasses, and my aforementioned Shrek pillow, for example.

What are your biggest property non-negotiables when looking?

Wherever I rent needs to have a Tube station nearby, which gets increasingly difficult as you move to South London. The only other really big thing I look for is that it needs to have a bit of green space within five minutes or so.

London can be a bit much sometimes, so it’s honestly transformational to have a nice place to go and sit or walk, especially in summer. For the house itself, I’ve got a pretty low bar. I’ve lived in mouse-infested, dirty, old, damp, pretty questionable places in my time, and as long as I keep my room clean and tidy, I really don’t care that much.

How do you find living with other people, and would you say that your home is suited to it?

I like living with other people because I’m quite a sociable person, but I do value my alone time a lot as well. This flat is great for it because it’s got a separate kitchen and lounge, which means you’re not always all on top of each other, and the bedrooms/bathroom are the only things upstairs, so it’s much quieter upstairs if you want some space.

Having more room may seem better, but if you’re living with people, you’re always going to end up sitting in the same places anyway, so I think massive places are overrated and come with a much higher cost of time to clean and maintain.

Do you have plans to move again anytime soon? What about buying a place?

No plans to move any time soon, but I would like to buy my own place (if possible) within the next three to five years. 

Shall we take a look around?

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

Comments


Add as preferred source