What I Rent is a weekly series that goes inside people’s rented properties, looking at what they get for what they pay.
We want to take a nosy look at the reality of renting in the UK and beyond, from the grotty student houseshares to the fancy studio apartments with balconies and rooftop bars.
This week we’re in Wembley Park with Deepika, 28, who works in social media.
Deepika previously lived in East Finchley before moving into a two-bedroom flat in Tipi Wembley Park, which she shares with a flatmate.
Hey, Deepika! How much do you pay to live here?
I share my flat, so I pay £1,262 including bills and wifi, and my flatmate pays the same.
It’s so handy at Tipi because all the utility bills are included in the rent so I don’t have to worry about any additional costs or going over in our bills.
And what do you get for what you pay?
It’s a two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat, plus a balcony with beautiful views.
What made you choose this flat?
What sold it for me was the whole package. I mean, £1,200 isn’t cheap by any means but it’s all the added extras that make it worth it.
There’s a really cool gym in the building including free classes three times a week, tons of Tipi social events from Saturday morning yoga, pub quiz nights and supper clubs, which is all free too. It’s been a great way to meet new people and get to know my neighbours.
They have loads of perks too – especially ticket giveaways to the stadium and arena all the time.
So the amount that I would have spent on gym classes, evenings out and tickets to football or concerts adds up into what I pay for rent.
I chose this flat because it reminds me of New York. I used to live there and this loft style/exposed piping really reminds me of the apartment styles there which I adore, but it’s not really popular in London. Once I saw this style in the brochures, I knew it was the one I was going for.
I work for a developer and one of their offices is in Wembley Park, so I got to know the area really well. And now I get an easy commute to work, save myself £250 a month in commuting costs and head home on my lunch break to watch a sneaky episode of Friends too
What do you like about the area?
I was apprehensive at first because Wembley Park looks a million miles away on the tube map but actually it’s only 20 minutes to Oxford Circus, which is so handy.
I think most Londoners work out their distance to Central London and try to stay within the 20 to 30 minutes bracket so you still can nip in and out. My building is actually next to Wembley Stadium Station which is one stop, nine minutes into Marylebone – you honestly can’t beat it. And then I just walk most places from there.
Wembley Park is definitely a hidden gem, it has pretty much everything you need in a walkable distance from the necessities – Pret, Costa, Tesco Express – and lots of luxuries, including the London Designer Outlet, cinema and loads of restaurants including Boxpark Wembley and Bread Ahead doughnuts.
My favourite spot is Wembley Park Market. My family own their own businesses so I’m big into supporting independents, recycling and waste reduce so the fact that I can get a refill on spices, oils and coffee is a big thing. You would expect stores like in in Notting Hill but I’m pretty lucky it’s on my doorstep.
Do you feel like you have enough space?
I mean, you can never have enough storage – right?
My previous apartment had loft storage, which was amazing and ideal for my millions of suitcases. I’m a bit of a hoarder, and I was worried that wherever I was going to move to next wasn’t going to be big enough.
I’m pretty lucky to say that for London, I have two built-in wardrobes and two storage closets that my roommate and I share, which is pretty sweet.
You can rent out storage pods too which might be an option soon – there’s no such thing as too many shoes.
Are there any problems with the flat you have to put up with?
To be honest, no. It’s a brand new building and I was expecting there to be some issues but there hasn’t been.
If I had to choose one thing, I would probably say the ventilation in the bathroom could be better. I love long showers and the water pressure is amazing but I find it takes a bit longer for the steam to clear. Very minor and liveable!
How have you made the flat feel like home?
The apartment was actually fully furnished, even down to the cushions and the Andy Warhol picture. I was so impressed!
The sofa not only looks cool but is super comfy that you can sink into, the complete opposite of my cardboard Ikea-dentist waiting room sofa from my previous flat.
There was even a cute welcome bag that had necessities like a bottle of fizzy, loo roll and tea/coffee. It was super cute.
I became a bit obsessed with the Picasso exhibition when it came to the Tate a few years ago and bought a few prints, which I love. I have about four more but haven’t had the time to hang them up yet.
Mood lighting is a big thing for me too so I have lamps everywhere.
Urban jungles are such a thing now but I have the skill to kill the most robust plants so I’ve moved onto to fake plants. Fake it till you make it.
These soft furnishings have definitely helped to make the place my own.
Do you have plans to move again?
Not for a while yet – my main goal is to save, save, save so the next place I move out to will be my own.
I know wherever I can afford probably won’t be as nice as this place – it’s going to be hard to give up.
I’ve been looking into buying a place and hope to get somewhere in the next year or two depending on the market.
Buying in London is probably the most stressful and expensive thing you will go through so I need it to be just right.
True that. Let’s take a look around.
What I Rent is a weekly series that’s out every Tuesday at 10am.
Check back next week to have another nose around a rented property.
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 from 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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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/24/rent-deepika-wembley-park-12445075/?ITO=squid
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