London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

‘I spent four years couch-surfing and house-sitting to save for a flat’

‘I spent four years couch-surfing and house-sitting to save for a flat’

Four frugal years of house-sitting and sofa-surfing enabled this savvy dancer to save up for her first flat
At just over 400 sq ft, Emma Farnell-Watson’s first home is far from large. But after four years spent couch-surfing, house-sitting and lodging just being able to unpack her possessions feels like the height of luxury.

Keen to buy a place of her own, but without the bank of mum and dad or a hefty salary to fall back on, Emma, a ballet and contemporary dancer, decided her best option was to cut her living costs down to the bone.

She sacrificed stability for affordability, and by the start of this year had saved an impressive £50,000, which was enough to get her on to the property ladder at the age of 26.

“It was amazing being able to be nomadic for so long because it meant I saved a lot of money — but I was living out of a suitcase a lot of the time, with most of my clothes stored at my parents’ house,” said Emma. “I didn’t feel like I had a home.”

The longest Emma lived anywhere during her years on the move was a flat in London Bridge. It belonged to a friend who let her rent the spare room for about a year.

But in the year before the pandemic Emma was on the move constantly and had half a dozen different addresses.

Emma first moved to London in 2013 to study at the London Contemporary Dance School.

She graduated in 2016 and began to build her career, but quickly became disenchanted with the joys of the London rental market.

“Through my work as a dancer I have built a strong community of creative friends and contacts and moved from place to place — house-sitting while people were away on projects or renting lovely rooms at mates’ rates,” said Emma. “There was a significant amount of sofa-surfing involved as well.

“I think lots of people who work in creative industries consider home-owning in London as out of reach, but it is possible if you’re savvy about it.”

Emma moved into her one-bedroom flat in Barking in May. “It feels amazing,” she said.

Despite her years of saving, Emma’s budget was modest by London standards, so she opted for a £200,000 micro-flat by Pocket Living, a developer that specialises in building compact but budget-friendly apartments.

Emma is freelance, which means that she doesn’t have a set annual salary. But on a good year she earns about £45,000 and this allowed her to borrow £150,000 to pay for her flat. She also benefited from the stamp duty holiday.

“My flat is south-facing, which was really important to me, and I want to keep it fairly uncluttered, but it certainly doesn’t feel small to me,” she said.

“Having a terrace really makes a difference, and I am just really grateful to have my own kitchen.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×