Sophie rents a one-bedroom flat alone in Sheffield (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

What’s it like to rent your own place?

For most Londoners, this is a distant dream – unless you earn enough to spend £1,200 a month on rent and don’t mind having a tiny kitchen.

But outside the city, it’s perfectly affordable to live alone.

In Leeds, PR specialist Laura pays £595 for a two-bedroom flat all to herself, while in Nottingham a lovely one-bedroom flat costs £550 a month between two.


In this week’s edition of What I Rent, our weekly series in which we take an honest look at the world of renting, we’re in Sheffield with 24-year-old Sophie, who lives alone.

She pays £525 a month plus bills (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

Hey, Sophie! How much do you pay to live here?



I pay £525 a month for rent, which for the area I’m in and the fact I get a parking place, is pretty good.

I have to pay £41 for gas and electric, my water bill is split through the building I’m in so that’s about £40 every 3 months, and then I pay about £24 for Internet.

My council tax is quite high, but I’m going to be applying for a single person’s discount.

What do you get for what you pay?

It’s a one- bedroom flat which has an en-suite as the bathroom. It’s a really small flat, but it’s only me so I really don’t mind.

I have a decent sized lounge, and my kitchen is great.

How did you end up living here?

I’ve actually only been living here for about two weeks, but it already feels like home.

I had been previously living with my best friend, however we decided we wanted to have at least a year of living on our own while in our twenties.

I’m a huge believer in being able to be independent, which before this, I wasn’t very good at.

I’m so glad I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone.

I found the flat on RightMove, I had been looking for months and viewed about 20 properties.

Sophie only moved in two weeks ago, but the flat already feels like home (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

Do you like the area?

It’s in a really beautiful leafy area.

I really wanted to live somewhere that was quiet as before this I lived in Kelham Island which was amazing, but very loud. I always had FOMO on a Friday and Saturday night if I wasn’t going out because you could always hear everyone out in Kelham island.

Now I honestly love getting back and sitting in my lounge not hearing anyone out on a mad night out. Also, there are some seriously cute coffee shops nearby, which is great, and I’m close to some other bars and pubs.

I’m so happy with where I live. It feels so safe, and the neighbourhood is so lovely.

I love the fact I can hear birds in the morning, rather than cars. I like that I’m in walking distance of some great roads such as Ecclesall Road and Abbeydale Road. I really feel like I have the best of both worlds.



Do you feel like you have enough space?

I do, however I wish I had some storage space such as a cupboard to store a vacuum and other things in.

I have a great big wardrobe though, and I’m planning on getting a desk and a dressing table which will create more storage.

Cute plants (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

What’s it like living alone?

It’s actually really nice!

Don’t get me wrong, when I first moved in I was like ‘oh my god, I’m all alone’.

It’s hard to adjust to the peace and quiet when you have lived with other people, but you quickly adjust to being on your own. Also, my boyfriend comes round a couple of times a week which is really lovely, and I see my friends in the week, so I never feel lonely.

I’ve got to admit, one of the best things about living on your own is being able to do the mad (naked) dash when you’ve forgotten something in another room before jumping in the shower. There’s no worrying you’re going to be caught.

Are there any issues with the flat you have to put up with?

The only issue I have is that my shower drain can sometimes smell a bit, but honestly it hardly happens so I can’t even count it as a major issue.

Do you have plans to move again?

I think after living here for a year I would maybe look again. Ideally in the future I would live with my boyfriend, but I’m a great believer in letting everything happen at its own pace.


Have you considered buying a place?

I would love to buy my own place, I just don’t have the funds to do so at the moment. Also, I like the fact that with renting I have a lot of freedom and don’t feel tied down!

Good point. Shall we have a look around?

The living room (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

Sophie decided to live alone to have some independence (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

Nice view, right? (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

The kitchen (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

Sophie loves how quiet the area is (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

A well-stocked booze cupboard (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

We like the sunny yellow in the bedroom (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

How do you organise your jewellery? (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

The flat isn’t massive, but it’s perfect for Sophie (Picture: Paul David Drabble/Metro.co.uk)

And finally, the bathroom (Picture: Paul David Drabble)

Oh hey, toothbrushes (Picture: Paul David Drabble/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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