What I Rent: Tim and Mathilde, who pay £2,000 a month for their Leamington Spa one-bed

Welcome back to another instalment of Metro’s tenant diary series, What I Rent.

This week we’re chatting to Tim Johnson and Mathilde Rollin, who share a one-bedroom flat in Royal Leamington Spa with their cat Basil, paying £2,000 each month in rent and bills.

The couple are landlords of a home they own in Versailles, France, as well as tenants here in the UK, having lived in this property for the last three-and-a-half years.

Here’s what they had to say about their renting situation…

Tell us about yourselves.

We’re Tim Johnson, 44, and Mathilde Rollin, 38.

I’m Tim, the director of Cora + Spink, a design company where we focus on enhancing the image of plant based, natural materials in the world of backpacks and accessories. Mathilde is Lead Designer for Tata Motors, looking after the colour, materials and finishes of concept and production cars, including development of the brand’s electric vehicles.

How much do you pay to live here?

Our apartment here in Royal Leamington Spa costs us about £2,000 a month all in, but it varies depending on the time of year and the need for heating, as it’s in a conservation area and we rely on the original single glazing, and it’s quite draughty and cold in winter!

Our rent is £1,350 per month (including fees/service charge). Then our energy bills are around £280, council tax £100, water £50, insurance £20, and internet £25.

And what do you get for what you pay?

It’s a one-bed, duplex apartment of about 100 square metres. We have a beautiful main living room that has managed to retain its features from 1847, which besides my office in the converted basement is where we spend the majority of our time.

We have a courtyard terrace, where I’m trying to grow some vegetables, that gives us plenty of space to eat outside and BBQ when the weather permits! The good sized kitchen, also in the basement, is perfectly fine, although if it was possible we’d love to renovate.

We’re also lucky that there are a couple of bathrooms and an ensuite shower to the master bedroom.

Do you feel like you have a good deal?

Absolutely. Leamington is known for a mobile population and competitive rentals, but even so, good property gets snapped up so quickly, even in today’s climate, good rentals don’t stay on the market for long.

We’re happy with the price we pay, but the bills are very high in the winter due to the place being poorly insulated.

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

Our home is in Leamington Spa is a beautiful area, less than five minutes walk to the centre of town, known for its regency architecture, beautiful parks, and vibrant community. It’s a perfect blend of urban conveniences and natural beauty.

Our focus with finding the perfect house was always to be around people and things to do. Leamington brings us that, from the brilliant variety of independent shops to restaurants and businesses all on our doorstep.

How did you find this property?

It took us nearly a year to find this flat. We were looking in all the usual online places, from Facebook market place to Rightmove – the initial photos of the flat weren’t actually that appealing, they were quite old, and because the flat is quite dark downstairs the photos didn’t do it justice.

However we saw some of the original features straight away, and on our visit knew it was for us immediately.

Did you have to pay a deposit?

Yes, I think it was set at one-and-a-half months’ rent, something like that.

How have you made this place feel like home?

Both of us work in a creative field, and share a passion for collecting furniture and art. So for the three-and-a-half years we’ve been here our collections have really started to put our stamp on the place.

We have kept the place maintained rather than decorating too much, although we did remove the carpets in the living room to restore the original floorboards, and have done some decoration throughout.

Our cat, Basil, certainly adds a lively touch to the place too, with his fur and scratches atoning most surfaces.

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

We always communicate with our landlord before making any significant changes. So far, we’ve been fortunate to have an understanding landlord who appreciates our efforts to maintain and enhance the property.

We have a great relationship with him, and as owners of a property in Versailles, France that we rent out, we understand his position first hand.

Do you feel like you have enough space?

Yes, our home is spacious enough for our needs, and it provides a cosy environment for us and Basil. Sometimes, because we like to collect so much stuff, we feel there’s a little too much space!

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

Like any home there are occasional maintenance needs, but our landlord is really good, sending someone around or helping us fix it ourselves. He actually set this flat up as his own flat – so it doesn’t feel like a typical rental that you get a lot of around the area. We have suffered with a couple of leaks from overflowing baths from the flat upstairs though!

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

We’re always keeping an eye on the property market. While we love our current home, we’re considering the possibility of buying a house, either here in Leamington Spa or in France, where my partner Mathilde is originally from.

There are so many benefits to living in a rented house though, so any move would have to be to something even more exciting and well located.

Shall we take a look around?

Do you have a story to share?

Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.

MORE : What I Own: Dario, who lives in Stratford Upon Avon and pays £1,540 a month for his mortgage

MORE : What I Rent: Jess and Sean, who pay £1,400 per month for their Deptford flat

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