How I’d buy my first home in London again

A 2-bed flat overlooking Tower Bridge sold for just £360K during the pandemic. I wish I had bought it.

Hey 👋 I’m Tanya Mimi & this is a space for slash careerists & outliers who want to escape the limits of conventional work and build a life that reflects their true selves. Personal stories like this one are a big part of affording a creative life while you’re building your thing— pop your email below to ensure you receive my posts.

Image created by me in DALL·E 3

Everyone’s moving out of London, or at least to the outskirts, beyond zone 5.

Some are fed up with city life, others think they can’t afford London.

I’m here to tell you the latter is not true.

Good deals are all around.

Motivated sellers are looking to sell quickly. They’ll take lower offers.

Emotional sellers care about who buys their home.

My friend’s mom turned down a £60K higher offer from a Dubai businessman and sold to a lovely family instead.

Why?

She liked the family.

She rejected the allure of capitalism, choosing instead to support a local family in their quest for a home.

You’d be surprised how many people in London still resist the pressures of capitalism, refusing to be swayed by monetary gain.

Not everyone is driven by money

To get a good deal, you have to believe it’s possible for you.

If you think London is out of reach, you’ll find endless evidence to support that belief.

But shift your mindset, and you’ll see the possibilities.

I wrote about my first-time buying experience here.

Here's how I would approach buying my first home differently, in hindsight: