What I Rent: I swapped London for my £1,800 a month Wiltshire three-bed and found inner peace

Welcome back to What I Rent – Metro’s tenant diary series exploring what renting is like in the UK and further afield.

For last week’s sister column, What I Own, we visited Anna and Paul Moynihan’s £590,000 three-bedroom home in Tooting, South London.

Since buying it five years ago, they’ve transformed it into a family space to share with their two young children – and have found a strong local community in the process.

This week, we’re in Wiltshire visiting Camilla Collins, who swapped her life in North London for the peace and quiet of the countryside.

Having found a property that’s the same size as her home in London, she’s now renting that out for double what she pays in Kingsdown.

Here’s what she had to say about her renting journey…

Tell us about yourself!

I’m Camilla, a confidence and lifestyle coach published author and owner of  makeup agencies CJC Hair and Makeup and Glitter & Glo. I’m a born and raised London girl but in 2023 I decided to upsticks with my two cocker spaniels, Arthur and Bibi, in search of more peace, calm, and space in the countryside.  

I put my house in North London up for rent in January and in February (Valentine’s Day) we moved into our new home just 15 minutes from Bath.

I originally bought my London house in September 2019 for £930,000, and the Zoopla estimate now comes in at around £1.13 million.

How much do you pay to live here?

I pay £1,800 in rent (I got it down from £2,000 by offering to pay 12 months upfront). As for bills, my water is currently at £94 per month.

As it’s a listed property with no double glazing it doesn’t keep the heat in – so the gas and electricity bills are £500-£600 a month in the winter and around £150 in the summer.

I’ve had to invest in a powerful heater which I literally sat in front of last winter. This year, I’m going to try and get something to cover the windows to see if I can keep the heat in.

And what do you get for what you pay?

A gorgeous Grade II listed property in Kingsdown with the most stunning views. It’s a quirky characterful property laid out across four levels.

I have three bedrooms, three bathrooms (previously four bedrooms but they changed one bedroom into an additional bathroom) and a beautiful little garden. 

Do you feel like you have a good deal?

I feel it’s an amazing deal! My property is the same size as mine in North London which I rent out for double what I pay here, and I have a much better quality of life.

Where is your home based? What do you think of the area? 

It’s based in Kingsdown and has the most spectacular views. I’m a short walk from a few shops in the village of Box and surrounded by plenty of beautiful walks.

I’m just a 15-minute drive from Bath and have easy access to Wales and the coast for exploring and adventures. I also found a wonderful charity called Jamie’s Farm nearby where I volunteer each week.

How did you find this property?

My criteria was anywhere between London and Bristol as I have a friend in Bath, another in Bristol, and family in the Cotswolds.

My Rightmove property search took me to Oxford, Chippenham and Stroud and I nearly gave up when I couldn’t find anything suitable, but thankfully found this gorgeous property just before I gave up and snapped it up there and then.

How have you made this place feel like home? 

I used a full packing and moving service so I have all my furniture and items from my London property here which made it feel like home.

The property has a lot of character which I love, and there are so many places to explore either on foot from my front door or a traffic-free car ride away from the mountains of Wales or the coast.

I travel a lot for work and I’m back in London at least a couple of times a month. My new home is the perfect little haven and retreat to come back to rest and reset.

I’ve also been making an effort to attend social and networking events and have cultivated a lovely network in Bath and Bristol – I’m even hosting two of my own coaching events here this autumn. The community at Jamie’s Farm is so lovely and they really made me feel so welcome and supported when I first moved here.

Have you found it difficult to decorate when renting? Is your landlord happy with you doing bits? 

I’ve assumed that with a rental property you really just take it as it is. I mainly used the nails that were already on the wall to hang larger artwork and then Command strips for others.

I put in a request to fix a TV to the wall which my landlord approved so long as it was put right when I left, although I didn’t bother in the end and found an alternative.

Do you feel like you have enough space? 

Yes, plenty of space! In fact, too much of it, and I’ll be looking to downsize a little next year.

Are there any problems with the home you have to deal with?

It’s an old property so there have been a few issues with the odd leak and heating, but all have been dealt with by the agents. It’s actually quite nice to be in a rented property and have someone else deal with it!

Do you have plans to move again any time soon? What about buying a place?

Yes, I’ll be looking to downsize next year. I thought about moving further out but I’ve got such great transport links back into London from here that I feel I would make life harder moving further out. I’ve also fallen in love with this area.

Although I was going to continue renting, I’ve also got my eye out for properties to buy. I would never sell my London home as it fetches good rent so this would be an additional property and only if the numbers make sense.

I recently viewed a gorgeous cottage with potential for an Airbnb as well, but it needed quite a lot of work so I’m still looking… we shall see what the new year brings.

Shall we take a look around?

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing [email protected].

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