Welcome back to What I Rent – Metro’s tenant diary series that explores what renting is like in the UK and further afield.
Last week, we explored Angela Spring’s studio apartment in Croydon, South London. Joining a like-minded community of people, her living space comes complete with all the mod-cons, from a communal reading area to a rooftop garden.
This week, we’re in Essex, visiting Nicki Rodriguez – also known as the Essex House Dolly.
After leaving a relationship behind her almost three years ago, she started a new life with her son, downsizing from a three-bedroom to a two-bedroom house.
Though she rents, her landlady has happily accommodated all the changes she’s made to transform this property into the dream house she always wanted.
Here’s what she had to say about her renting situation…
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Tell us about yourself!
I am 47, a mother of two, and the Essex House Dolly! I go into homes and declutter, reorganise, interior, style and maintain properties.
I also help families running their day-to-day lives and those have been in domestic abuse relationships.
How much do you pay to live here?
£1,400 per month.
And what do you get for what you pay?
I rent a detached house. It consists of two bedrooms, bathroom, kitchen, lounge, dining room and utility room with WC. I also have a courtyard-style garden and drive.
Do you feel like you have a good deal?
Yes, massively – especially with how rents have rocketed. The house is also double glazed with great insulation so I do not experience high bills. I also have no grass, so maintenance outside is a minimum – it’s just hedges and my plant pots that I keep on top of.
Where is your home based? What do you think of the area?
I’m in Ongar, in Essex, and absolutely love the area. Low crime rate, my work is based nearby and my son is able to loan a horse at a local riding school.
Ongar is a very pretty town – which consists of a few pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and nail shops! We do have a nearby Tesco and Sainsbury’s though, which is great.
How did you find this property?
I initially found the property on Rightmove but then a friend of mine who owns a letting agent contacted me to say they’d just put a house on the market and knew I was looking. He’d mentioned me to the landlady and it was the house I’d originally seen!
How have you made this place feel like home?
I redecorated the entire house in white (before it was a combination of yellow and cream) and put grey carpets in. I also added curtains to make the rooms cosy and for privacy.
I made over the spiral staircase by painting it and adding new grey carpet steps, vinyl-wrapped some of the kitchen cabinets, put a new flooring in the bathroom of a vinyl sticker, painted all the doors and added new handles, added new light fixtures and repainted the fitted wardrobes plus added new handles.
I then worked my magic in the garden by painting the shed and fences, and spray painting the garden furniture.
Have you found it difficult to decorate when renting? Is your landlord happy with you doing bits?
Not at all, as I’m only adding value to the property. My landlady has been delighted with what I’ve done. The transformation has been amazing and so rewarding – I’ve done it all by myself bar the electrics and carpet fitting.
Do you feel like you have enough space?
As it’s only my son and I now, the house suits us perfectly. I also love that I downsized when I moved here, so my home is clutter free!
I lived in a three-storey, three-bedroom house before so I had to start from scratch moving here as none of my furniture (bar a sofa) fitted.
Here's what Nikki's house looked like before
But I found it a great cleansing exercise as I was starting a fresh new chapter of my life. I made everything new and to my taste.
I’ve always wanted a Barbie pink-style home with lots of bling and now I have just that! My son however wouldn’t let me touch his room so he has a giraffe-themed bedroom.
Are there any problems with the home you have to deal with?
I have a great relationship with my landlady. Any problems I have here I usually deal with myself if I can (I also know the daily rate of tradesmen as I have my own team for my Dollying).
I have so far had to unblock the drains, which took 7 hours, and I roped in my son’s dad for this job! A drain company would have charged at least £500 for this.
When my washing machine died my landlady bought a new one, but on my new lease I’m now responsible for white goods – which is something most landlords are now doing.
Do you have plans to move again any time soon? What about buying a place?
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No – I’m looking to stay here long-term and would love one day to be able to buy this house. My son and I are very settled here. He is autistic and this has been a great place to live where it is quiet.
If this property never comes on the market, I’d buy somewhere else and rent it out so I can continue to stay living here.
Shall we take a look around?
How to get involved in What I Rent or What I Own
What I Rent and What I Own are Metro.co.uk’s weekly series that take you inside the places people are buying renting, to give us all a better sense of what’s normal and how much we should be paying.
If you fancy taking part, please email whatirent@metro.co.uk. You’ll need to take pictures of your kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom, plus a few photos of you in your bedroom or living area.
Make sure you get permission from your housemates! You’ll also need to be okay with sharing how much you’re paying, as that’s pretty important.
We're not just after the prettiest places out there, by the way. We want the reality of renting and homeownership, so if you're currently renting a place you hate or have bought a fixer-upper that isn't quite finished, we'd love to see that too.
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