Christie and Dom share a one bedroom flat in Lewisham. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Fancy having a look inside a bunch of people’s homes?

Us too. We’re a nosy bunch.

But there’s a reason we’re taking you inside people’s rented houses in London, beyond wanting to see people’s cupboard organisation.

The current renting situation is a nightmare. It’s tricky to know what’s a reasonable amount to pay each month, the majority of viewings you go on are dismal rooms with shoddy showers, and it’s hard to get a proper sense of what other people are getting for what they pay.


So for What I Rent, we’re showing you around a different person’s rented property each week, to gradually bring us closer to a clearer picture of renting.



This week we’re talking to Christie and Dom, who live in Lewisham.

The couple pays £1,100 each month. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

First off: How much are you paying and what are you getting in return?

We pay £1,100 between us and the flat came fully furnished – apart from the matching red kitchen stuff – we have my lovely nan to thank for those!

When we were looking for places to move in we set our upper limit to £1,200 so when we found this for cheaper we were super happy.

Dom used to live in a rank flatshare in Vauxhall where you came out of the shower feeling dirtier than when you went in, and he used to pay £600 for the room only. So moving here actually meant him saving money on his rent.

Our place is one bedroom, one bathroom, and a big living/dining/kitchen area. We also have a little room for the washing machine and storage too.

There’s a bedroom, a bathroom, and a living room and kitchen area. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

One of the only things we decided on when we were looking to move out was that we want one bedroom and definitely wouldn’t go for a studio.

The thought of eating, sleeping, chilling, and doing whatever else in the same room makes me feel weird.

And what about bills?

I feel like we’ve never fully sat down and worked it out. I’d say probably around £100 a month?

Luckily our flat is really warm so we rarely have to put the heating on.

Whereabouts is the flat?

Our flat is in Lewisham, down the insanely busy high street. Luckily our window looks out the back so it’s relatively quiet.

It’s really handy being on the high street though because we’ve got loads of hangover-friendly food options in walking distance as well as the shopping centre and the station just a five minute walk away.

Plus we live on top of a gym which I’ve just managed to rope Dom into joining under the guise of ‘when are we ever going to live on top of a 24-hour gym again?’

It’s a really great location all round to be honest.

The flat’s in Lewisham, which is pretty well connected. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

When we tell people we live in Lewisham everyone thinks it’s really far out but it’s actually in Zone 2.

It takes 10 minutes to get to London Bridge by train and 20 minutes to Cannon Street, which was one of the first things we made sure of before we viewed the flat. Plus DLR links to Canary Wharf, Bank and Stratford.



How did you find your flat?

We found it on RightMove. We dedicated one Sunday afternoon at my parents to just hunting for potential flats with the view of arranging viewings for the following week. We viewed this one on the Tuesday and it was held off the market for us that evening.

It was the first one we viewed but we knew we really liked it. We also knew that it was cheap for what it was and that there had been viewings before us too, so over a romantic dinner in what would be our new local spoons we decided to go for it.

How long have you been there?

We’ve lived here for just under a year, but have agreed that we’re going to sign the contract for another year.

We have no real reason to move out. It’s a great location, it’s modern with huge windows, has great transport links.

Plus we’d miss Tony the concierge if we left, he’s so friendly and always brings our parcels up to our front door for us.

Christie admits the room could be a touch bigger, though. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

So you’re happy where you are, right?

We’re really happy here – as I said before we have no real reason to move out.

The building itself is a converted department store so has a lot of history and character behind it, despite the inside of the flat looking like every other modern flat in London.

A lot of people think Lewisham is a dive or a bit rough but I loved it as soon as we moved here.


Lewisham itself is going under huge regeneration with new restaurants and bars popping up. Despite the regeneration there’s still a hugely multicultural feel – especially down Lewisham high street where there’s still the old school market.

I reckon you can buy literally anything there – and it brings such a busy atmosphere especially on Saturday mornings.

Plus there’s the Street Feast Model Market just at the other end of the high street which has some amazing food vendors and music.

There are some really cool pubs too like the Fox and Firkin and Ladywell Tavern which both have really cool beer gardens and are both within walking distance.

Plus if ever you get bored or want to explore somewhere near there’s New Cross, Deptford, Blackheath, Greenwich, and Peckham just down the road which are full of cool pubs, bars, and restaurants. Not to mention the amazing green spaces of Blackheath and Greenwich just 10 minutes from the hustle and bustle of Lewisham high street. It really is the best of both worlds.

But having a bathtub is a nice bonus – plus a 24-hour gym in the building. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Do you feel like you have enough space?

While the flat is small I think it’s definitely enough space for us.

In terms of storage space it’s a little tight but I think that’s just because we have a lot of stuff.

We’ve had to resort to slinging things on top of the wardrobe or down the side of the drawers in the bedroom. You don’t even want to look under the bed… there are boxes and suitcases of shoes and clothes under there too.


You two are a couple, so you don’t have to put up with any housemate awkwardness. Was moving in together a big decision?

We met at uni and so spent a lot of time together there. After uni we were both in London although I was living at my parents (Uxbridge, Zone 6) and working near Heathrow airport so we only saw each other at weekends.

My job was only maternity cover though and I wanted to be working in London so we kind of both agreed that when I got a new job we would look for somewhere to live.

It was never really up for discussion we both just kind of knew it was the next step in our relationship.

We’d already been together almost three years by the time we moved in so wasn’t particularly a risky move.

And as a couple, they don’t have to worry about any housemate weirdness. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

This all sounds dreamy. Is there anything not so great about where you’re living?

I wouldn’t say major issues but there’s some building work going on at the moment as they’re adding two extra floors to the building. So recently we’ve been greeted with loud drilling some mornings.

Apart from that we’ve never had any issues with the flat itself, our landlord, or our agent which I feel is a rarity when you rent in London.

The bedroom is verging on a little too small for us, and has a weird internal window that makes the room too dingy when you want it to be light and too light when you want it to be dark.

We can’t really complain though as, most importantly, the bed is amazingly comfy and the positives of the flat overall far outweigh the negatives.

Have you considered buying a place?

We’ve definitely spoke about it but I think more in the sense of a distant possibility rather than something that’s going to happen soon. With such huge deposits required and such a high cost of living in London it’s just not achievable for us to start saving for a house deposit at the moment.

We’re both still relatively young (23 and 24) so we’re happy renting for now.

Plus, I think there’s definitely less importance around being a homeowner these days, especially in London.

When we do eventually buy a house I think it would definitely be outside of London. Not only for the price but I’m really missing having a garden to sunbathe in!

Now, let’s have a proper look around Christie and Dom’s flat…

A *very* organised kitchen. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

The matching teapot and toaster are courtesy of Christie’s nan. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Most of the furniture came with the flat, though. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

The bathroom’s much nicer than the average renter’s. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

And we do love the sofa. (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

Homey, right? (Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Alexander Crawley/Metro.co.uk)

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