It’s the weekend – so naturally, it’s time to chat all things property. While our weekly property series What I Rent / What I Own is taking a short break this week, we thought we’d take the opportunity to look back at a few of our favourites over the years. From houseboats to teeny tiny apartments, we’ve certainly covered extensive ground when it comes to nosying around various rented and mortgaged properties.
So, without further ado, here’s a round-up of (just a few) stand-out columns from the What I Rent/What I Own Hall of Fame. What I Rent: Alaina, $650 a month for an 80 sq ft studio apartment in Manhattan, New York In October 2022, we went across the pond to the US – midtown in New York City, to be specific. Here, Alaina , who works at a fashion agency, rents a studio apartment that has just 80 sq ft of space.
BILLS: Compare & Save Energy Quickly compare your energy and save an average of £216 Broadband Compare broadband, phone & TV packages ISA Visit AJ Bell Youinvest to find out more about their low-cost ISA Mobile Compare mobile contract and SIM only deals Car Insurance Get a quote today and see how much you could save with Confused.com She moved to the city in 2021 for work, having previously lived in Los Angeles and hailing from St Louis, Missouri. ‘I actually found this apartment on Street Easy, which is a shock for most because it’s one of the more expensive apartment apps,’ she said at the time.
‘I wanted to give it a try to have more freedom to travel and explore New York City as a young 20-something year old.’ What I Rent: Tide, £750 a month for a one-bedroom flat in Leith, Scotland In August 2022, we featured Tide at her £750 one-bedroom flat up in Leith in Edinburgh, Scotland. She’d moved to the city six months prior on a whim, and hoped that her colourful interior design choices came together as ‘cute and eclectic.
’ We certainly thought – and still think! – so anyway. ‘My landlord is super accommodating and supportive of me making this place a home – so no problems there,’ Tide said of her experience. ‘I’ve asked if I can drill holes to put decor up and he’s all for it.
.. as long as it’s done respectfully, of course.
’ Before she moved, she’d been paying £1,000 per month for a studio flat in London, and so was relishing the newfound space. ‘Coming from London where I paid bank for a compact studio, I feel almost overwhelmed (in a good way) with having more than one room,’ she noted. ‘I have to remind myself that I don’t have to be cooped up in my bedroom and that I actually have a whole other room I can live in.
Crazy, huh?’ What I Own: We bought a houseboat for £125,000 and joined a mooring community in Bermondsey It wasn’t too long ago, but our visit to Rachael and Euan’s houseboat in London back in April was joyous. They originally bought it for £125,000, and when we visited them, they were stationed in Bermondsey, South London , on a mooring that houses 40 other boats. ‘It felt like home pretty much straight away; we haven’t had to do much to it beyond painting the walls and building my studio,’ Rachael noted.
‘Having a space to sit outside and grow plants in the summer is also what feels like home to me. ‘I couldn’t imagine not living on the water, and we are very happy with the barge, so I can see us staying for the long term.’ What I Own: ‘We live on a £5million Cheshire farm and didn’t need a deposit’ Then, in November 2023, we met Mike – who had overseen the builds of four sustainable , carbon-neutral residential homes in Cheshire, which he found listed for sale in Horse and Hound magazine.
More Trending The ‘eyesore’ named the most popular London borough for first-time buyers What I Rent: I swapped London for my £1,800 a month Wiltshire home and found inner peace This London borough is the best in the capital for first-time buyers These are the property red flags that put Brits off buying a home Mike was living on-site in one of these properties – which are designed to be as energy-efficient as possible – after securing a £1.45m development finance loan in 2020 and completing the build, and he sold the other three for £1.5m each.
He said: ‘As we developed the property, no deposit was required. We paid for the development of the house using the profits from building and selling other projects that we have built. Together – the mortgage lender – provided £1.
45m worth of development finance, which we put towards the development of the site. ‘We set out to build something “exclusive by design, inclusive by nature” as we like to say. We want people to understand that building sustainably doesn’t mean you have to give up on luxury.
‘We are both inspired by nature and so the house was designed to fit in with the natural world. The whole place feels like home.’ Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.
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