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This week, we’re in Plumstead visiting Hannah and Miles (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Welcome back to What I Own – Metro’s property series where we speak to homeowners about getting on the ladder. When Hannah Tool and Miles French first started looking to move back to London, they knew they wanted to be somewhere familiar. Having previously owned a flat in Deptford, South London, they’d been living abroad for a few years, and were ready to return to the Big Smoke. With a deposit of £300,000, they collected the keys to their two-bedroom home in Canning Town in May – and they’ve since made the place their own with plenty of plants, exposed wood, and trinkets from their travels. Here’s what Hannah had to say about their property journey… Tell us a bit about yourselves! We’re Hannah and Miles, we’re both 34, and we’re back in London after spending several years living in China. I work as an events planner, and Miles is a civil servant. I love swimming, and Miles is an avid climber; and we both share a passion for travel and learning new languages. We’re really excited to be back in London – we missed the theatre, live comedy, and everything the city has to offer. Where is your property located, and how do you find the area? Our property is located at Goodluck Hope, the riverside neighbourhood on Leamouth Peninsula that directly overlooks the water and the O2 Arena. This is an area we already knew well from living in East London previously. We watched these apartments being built, and it’s amazing to now be living in one! The neighbourhood feels really safe and clean, with fantastic amenities. We love being by the river and having access to green spaces, and the transport links are excellent – really convenient for getting around. Some of our favourite local spots include Layers Bakery – it smells incredible, the food is always spot-on, and the team there is super friendly. We also enjoy The Lockdown Room on neighbouring London City Island, perfect for a chilled evening drink. The couple used to live in China, but recently moved back to London (Picture: Belinda Jiao) We also make use of the amenities at the 1595 Club – Goodluck Hope’s suite of resident facilities that includes an indoor pool with views of the O2, a Scandinavian-style steam room and a gym. I swim daily and attend classes a few times a week, while Miles uses the gym regularly. My favourite thing is being by the river and feeling part of nature, while for Miles, it’s the quiet location, the proximity to local walks, and the ability to grab a coffee and cake. The least favourite thing for us both is the closing of businesses in the area. It’s such a shame that the turnover is so high, as there have been some quality places that have closed. When did you move in? How much did the property cost? How much was your deposit? What’s the monthly cost of living here now, both mortgage and bills? Roughly £2,500 per month. How did you save up for the deposit? A mix of work, savings, and proceeds from the sale of our first flat in Deptford, which we sold for £400,000. It took us a good few years to save up for it, and it meant sometimes saying no to other things, but we knew it was for a future cause. Miles has been saving £1,000 a month since his early 20s, while I added to the deposit fund with inheritance from my late grandmother. We also did things like setting up a direct debit into another account on payday, so there wasn’t even a temptation to use that money. Other small things that built up funds were paid surveys. They’re super easy to find online and don’t take long to fill out. You often get rewarded with supermarket or Amazon vouchers, so it helped to keep our grocery costs lower, so we could focus on saving. They previously lived in East London before they moved to China (Picture: Belinda Jiao) What was the mortgage process like for you? Honestly, it was quite a faff – lots of back and forth and an overwhelming amount of paperwork, despite having a solid deposit and stable income. It took a lot of patience. Can you share the mortgage details (rate/term)? It’s a 35-year term, with an interest rate of 4.08%. What made you decide to buy rather than rent? Primarily, the security and freedom that comes with owning – being able to decorate and personalise our space really matters to us. How did you find this property, and why did you choose it? We had a spreadsheet of around 40 properties to view – this was the second one we saw, and we snapped it up straight away. We chose it for the fantastic amenities and the overall lifestyle it supports, there’s fitness facilities, green space, social areas, strong transport links, and even shared workspaces. Being so close to City Airport is also a huge bonus as it’s just a couple of stops away. They sold their previous home in Deptford for £400,000 (Picture: Belinda Jiao) How have you made the space feel like home? Our home is a bit of a mix. We’ve lived in a few places, so there’s a blend of influences. Lots of plants, reclaimed wood, and earthy tones with bright accents. We’ve decorated with a lot of personal artwork, and one of our favourite pieces is a mirror made from an old cable spool! Inspiration-wise, it’s more of a collection of bits and bobs we’ve accumulated over life. A friend described our home as ‘a fancy wicker basket.’ What’s your favourite room and why? The open-plan living and kitchen area. We love the natural light and the view from the balcony. In apartments, it can be tricky to make the classic ‘white box’ feel personal, but we’ve painted and decorated it to really reflect us. Do you feel like you have enough space? Definitely. It’s the biggest home we’ve had in London and more than enough for the two of us. The living space is great for entertaining and comfortably fits friends. Do you have any plans to change the property? Nothing major for now. We’re having an extra shelf fitted in the kitchen and may consider open wooden shelving in the future – though we’ll see, as Miles is a fan of the modern blue kitchen. What’s your favourite piece of furniture in the house? I love the Chinese tea shelf that displays trinkets, and Miles’ is the desk that comes down from the wall, a practical choice! What are your biggest property non-negotiables when looking? Some outside space, whether a garden or balcony. Any issues with the property so far? We’ve none to report. What advice would you give others thinking of buying a home? Be prepared for a bit of stress, even when everything is going smoothly. Patience and organisation are key: keep a record of all communications and be prompt with your solicitor and mortgage broker. It really helps keep things moving. Do you plan to stay here long-term? Yes, we’re very happy here and plan to stay for the next few years at least. We haven’t seen anywhere else that offers the same quality of life within our budget. Shall we take a look around? Now that’s a statement rug (Picture: Belinda Jiao) The open-plan kitchen/living room looks super cosy (Picture: Belinda Jiao) There’s plenty of room in here to host guests (Picture: Belinda Jiao) They love having access to the fitness facilities in their building (Picture: Belinda Jiao) We’re a big fan of the trinkets inside this bookcase (Picture: Belinda Jiao) It’s plants galore in here (Picture: Belinda Jiao) They’re a few stops away from London City airport (Picture: Belinda Jiao) We love this statement blue kitchen (Picture: Belinda Jiao) A kitchen trolley is always a fun concept (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Look at those glass doors (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Hannah and Miles have got their own mini library going on here (Picture: Belinda Jiao) There’s room for a sizeable coffee table, too (Picture: Belinda Jiao) A framed print always completes a room (Picture: Belinda Jiao) This makes the perfect reading corner (Picture: Belinda Jiao) They wanted the ‘security and freedom’ that comes with owning (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Being able to personalise their space is important to them (Picture: Belinda Jiao) What’d you fancy for tea? (Picture: Belinda Jiao) When they were viewing properties, they had a dedicated spreadsheet (Picture: Belinda Jiao) …with around 40 on there (Picture: Belinda Jiao) There’s plenty of natural light in here (Picture: Belinda Jiao) They enjoy ‘lots of plants, reclaimed wood, and earthy tones’ (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Bright accents are also important to them (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Their current home is the biggest they’ve owned in London (Picture: Belinda Jiao) They use the second bedroom as a study (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Since they’ve only recently moved in, they’re not planning any extra renovations (Picture: Belinda Jiao) They say ‘patience and organisation is key’ when buying a home (Picture: Belinda Jiao) They’re planning to stay here for the next few years, at least (Picture: Belinda Jiao) They moved back to London as they missed the culture here (Picture: Belinda Jiao) …as well as the theatre and live comedy on offer (Picture: Belinda Jiao) There’s some gorgeous tiling in here (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Some of their favourite local spots include Layers Bakery (Picture: Belinda Jiao) They also enjoy the Lockdown Room for a chilled evening drink (Picture: Belinda Jiao) There’s also a Scandinavian-style steam room in their building (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Is that a rainfall shower we spy? (Picture: Belinda Jiao) They’ve got extra room for a guest bathroom, too (Picture: Belinda Jiao) We’re enjoying the blue and gold detail in here (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Hannah enjoys a daily swim inside the building (Picture: Belinda Jiao) While Miles uses the gym regularly (Picture: Belinda Jiao) We’re enjoying these extra bathroom trinkets (Picture: Belinda Jiao) They love having access to a balcony, too (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Just look at those riverside views (Picture: Belinda Jiao) Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
