Lockdown relocation: like thousands of Londoners I'm house hunting — it's time to find new walls to climb

The race is on to exchange and complete on a home before the stamp duty holiday ends. 
Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures Ltd
Ayesha Hazarika2 December 2020

We’ve all coped with lockdown in different and profound ways. Some of us made banana bread. Some conquered couch to 5k. For me, after 16 very happy years, I realised it was time for new walls to climb.

Like thousands of Londoners I’m house hunting, Rightmove is my new drug of choice and I’m in a support bubble with the capital’s estate agent community. Who knew Stath Lets Flats was so accurate?

As with so many people, working from home has made my entire dwelling space a rather messy office.

I have also had to set up a makeshift studio for recording broadcast interviews with an assortment of ring lights and microphones and even an old duvet which I can hide under to get that studio sound. Or have the occasional nap.

My flat is open-plan so when I broadcast, you can see into the rest of it, which seems pristine on telly but it’s all an illusion — just out of shot, it resembles a jumble sale or the middle aisle of Aldi.

So many random items. I’m sure there’s a canoe next to my foam roller. It’s been doing my head in and as Virginia Woolf said, when it comes to my work, this woman must have a room of her own.

I’m not the only one.

Lockdown relocation is booming in the capital — and UK house prices rose in November at their fastest rate in almost six years.

Estate agents are rushed off their feet and it’s not just people fleeing London.

They tell me the news of a vaccine is making people feel confident of some kind of return to London life but accept this new hybrid working from home is here to stay and want more space.

I’ve been looking far and wide. I’ve always been a proud Camden girl but I’m now seriously considering a radical change of scene.

I’ve even ventured south of the river in my quest for the perfect house — which of course doesn’t exist.

Buying a property is like finding a partner.

At the beginning you have such high standards. But after about 100 disappointing viewings, you’ll pretty much take anything. Which is why I remain unmarried. And let’s not forget the amount of catfishing that occurs.

Those wide lens shots are the property version of a heavy airbrush. Although I did spend a lot of time getting my lovely wee flat ready for market. She was cleaned, scrubbed and gleamed. Even the canoe looked good.

So much so I’ve just accepted an offer. I’ve also seen a couple of places but am torn.

Do I go for the classic, functional but slightly boring option or the tall handsome beast which will end up being an expensive project? I know, I know... Whichever I pick, the race is on to exchange and complete by the end of March when the stamp duty holiday ends.

Honestly, trying to get this deal done makes Brexit look like a walk in the park.

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