A WOMAN has revealed how she has managed to live in London rent-free for over a year.
Hattie, from the UK, took to social media to share her money-saving hack.
It’s considered one of the most expensive cities in the world[/caption]
The British capital city is one of the most expensive in the world, taking fourth place in a study by wealth migration firm Henley & Partners.
The average rent price for a place in London is £2,121 according to Zoopla, but Hattie has managed to avoid the eye-watering cost.
In the clip, she said: “I live in London but I haven’t paid rent in over a year. So you might be thinking, how? How did you get around this?”
Hattie, who is a professional ballet dancer, said she studied in the city for three years before moving to Orlando, Florida.
But she decided to come back last year and knew she had to be in London if she wanted to get hired.
“I was not in a position where I could afford rent. I did start working pretty soon after I got back in June but I was still freaking out. I did not have money for a deposit,” she explained.
Hattie claimed many places were asking for six months up front, something she was not in a position to pay for.
“I was just thinking how can I realistically do this? How can I live in London where all the auditions are, all of the classes are, all of the opportunities are but not pay rent?” she added.
After a quick Google search, she stumbled across a website called Trusted House Sitters.
It essentially pairs users needing somewhere to live with people who need their animals looked after while they are away.
Instead of getting paid, you instead stay in the house without paying rent.
It’s a site Hattie has used for over a year, even though she never planned to do it for this long.
“I booked the first sit, thinking in two months time, when I have enough money, I’m going to start renting somewhere,” she said.
“However, I have done a total of 27 separate cat sits in a year. That means moving every two to three weeks.”
Hattie revealed that she has essentially lived out of a suitcase for the last year, which can be difficult but is a price worth paying for free rent.
While she has been keen to look at flats, hattie says she’s always put off.
“It’s so expensive and you’re not even getting really nice accommodation,” she added. “I think I’m going to be doing this for a while.”
SOCIAL MEDIA REACTS
The clip has since gone viral on her TikTok account @hattieev with over 54k views.
Plenty took to the comments, amazed by Hattie’s home hack.
One person wrote: “I’ve thought about doing this for so long! So nice to hear your experience and SO IMPRESSIVE hahaha.”
Another commented: “Such a good idea, props to you!”
How much can you earn as a house sitter in the UK?
THE amount a house sitter can earn in the UK varies depending on a number of factors.
However, the national average salary for a house sitter in the United Kingdom is £23,952, according to Glass Door.
The rates can depend on factors such as:
- Location
- Length of stay – some long-term assignments of three months or more can charge a lower fee than shorter assignments.
- Pets – if the owner has animals that you need to look after the fee may be higher, particularly for dogs which require more work than cats
- Property size – the bigger the property the more care and upkeep may be required, depending on the terms.
“Wow well done for navigating this!” penned a third.
Meanwhile a fourth said: “My sister has been doing this for a while and it’s incredible!”
Someone else added: “Well done, good idea!”