Alex and Andy share a flat in Hither Green (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Each week we take you inside a rented property in London as part of our series, What I Rent.

It’s not just because we’re nosy.

Finding a place to live in London can be tough – especially when you have no clue what’s normal when it comes to the price, space, and commute you should expect.

Throw in terrible studios with mould in the ceiling and endless unrealistic photos on listings and it’s easy to become so jaded you’ll take a flat an hour and a half away from work for £1,500 a month just so you can stop searching.




What I Rent is about providing some clarity, showing you what real people are getting for what they’re paying so you have a better sense of what’s standard.

This week we’re hanging with Alex, 26, and Andy, 29, a couple sharing a maisonette in Hither Green.

Andy’s the one wearing a deep red top, Alex is the one in blue (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

So, first things first. Money. How much are you two paying?

£1,400 a month.

And bills?

We’re really lucky, the majority of our bills are included in our rent so we only really have to pay for Sky and good old Netflix.

What are you getting for that price?

Four rooms including one bathroom. Our bathtub is a bit different to most and is becoming popular with friends. We can’t tell you how many fully clothed people have climbed in for a photo.

The couple’s friend, Jess, in the bath. It’s short but very deep. Fun. (Picture: Alex Fern)

How did you find the flat?

Rightmove.

You’ve been here for three years – how have you made the place feel like home?

When we first moved in most of the flat had white walls. We added grey walls in the living room and a fireplace to give it a more homely feel. We’ve put pictures up and thrown a few cushions around.

They’ve made the place their own with a load of grey paint (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Do you feel like you have enough space?

The rooms themselves are big enough but storage is key and is something we don’t really have.

A second bedroom also would be ideal. We’ve had to be creative when finding storage solutions and guest beds.

Is there anything you wish you could change about the flat? Any weird mould or difficult doors?

The only real thing we would change is to have a garden for those boozy BBQs and so we can have a dog.

Are you happy with the area? What’s Hither Green like?

We love where we live as it has a great village/family vibe with lots of open space which we like coming back to.

South East London may sometimes be overlooked due to lack of tube stations but the mainline is really close for transport and we can get to central in 20 mins.

We’re also close to places like Blackheath and Greenwich which we love.

All the throw pillows help, too (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

What’s it like living together?

We’ve been together for just over seven years.

We met in Bournemouth at some predrinks while Andy was at uni and went to Ibiza having only been together a month. It was a risk that paid off!



Living together works really well, Andy is really clean and Alex is really tidy so we complement each other pretty well.

If we need space, Alex will just go sit in the bath.

We both like cooking so we take it in turns to cook for each other.

Have you thought about buying a place?

Yes, we definitely have, but being a 20-something in London can be expensive. With paying off debt as well, its not something that is feasible at the moment.

Fair play. Shall we have a look around Alex and Andy’s place?

Alex and Andy have jazzed up the living room with paint and prints (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

There’s definitely an animal theme (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Sticking to tonal greys makes the flat look super sleek (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

But we’ve got to give props for the cleanliness and organisation, too (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Ring the bell: This is the first ‘live, laugh, love’ item we’ve had on What I Rent (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

The kitchen is pretty snazzy (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

It’s the little touches that make the flat feel like home (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Note the glossy storage containers (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

You’ve got to have champagne in the house, just in case (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

The flat is a maisonette, so it has its own entrance and sits on the top floor (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

The bedroom (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

A bear, tucked away but seeing all (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

We do enjoy the slogans on storage in this flat (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

And the whimsical bits and bobs (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

The bathroom, with a very fancy bath (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Yes, that’s the loo, but we’re more impressed by the painted radiator (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk

That’s a posh tap (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

Anyone with a little tray for their toiletries wins interiors points Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

This print sits right above the toilet. It is adorable (Picture: Matthew Chattle/Metro.co.uk)

What I Rent is a weekly series that’s out every Tuesday at 10am. Check back next week to have a nose around another rented property in London.

How to get involved in What I Rent What I Rent is Metro.co.uk's weekly series that takes you inside the places people are renting, to give us all a better sense of what's normal and how much we should be paying. If you fancy taking part, please email whatirent@metro.co.uk. You'll need to have pictures taken of your kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom, plus a few photos of you in your room. Make sure you get permission for your housemates! You'll also need to be okay with sharing how much you're paying for rent, as that's pretty important.

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