Berrycakeness

For most of my life, I have lived in South West London. SW London Twat has been my bio on most social media sites since I signed up.

It is part of my identity.

Ok, ego.

So when it came to buying my own property, I knew it would be impossible to buy a house with a garden and expansion opportunities in the South West within my solo budget. Sure, I could have borrowed more money, but I am a careful spender.

Unless I’m buying video games or Lego.

I wanted to have affordable mortgage payments, and I am happy to have a large-scale project to dip in and out of.

Current house status: Garden tidying, saving for a new bathroom.

Long-term vision: Knock down the garage and conservatory, expand into that space to build a larger living area & kitchen, and more space upstairs in Project:

“Are your stairs built to reg”.

No, no they are not. One day, they will be.

I was hunting for houses using online tools and their lovely saved searches, expecting to have at least 5 emails a week in my inbox. No. I would get 1 a month if lucky, sometimes a small flurry at the beginning of a quarter, but it was slim pickings. So I kept expanding the search radius and researching the areas that I was including. I knew I needed an area that didn’t have the best reputation but had a lot of positives, and Croydon started to feel more real.

Queue 2 years later (a lot has happened in 2 years, believe me), and I receive an email with my property in it.

Run down, damp, but has tons of potential – it’s like looking into a mirror.

Ever since I moved in, I still consider myself a SW London Twat, but I’m so proud to live in an area of Croydon with such community spirit and friendly faces. I’ve never lived in a space where I’ve easily made new friends, and I’ve never been happier.

And it’s still London, despite what you might tell yourself.

Peace out xoxo