I LIVE LIKE THIS… Stories from a property guardian

Susan Jacobs, 41, lives in a roomy flat in Bow, east London, as a property guardian. She pays a lower-than-market rent and there are many positives but, she says, if you want to give it a try, you must do your research

Our flat is light and spacious, we have good neighbours and I can see the Arcelor-Mittal Orbit in the Olympic Park. My partner Scott and I have been property guardians for 18 months. We pay £800 a month, with all bills, except council tax, included. The places we could have rented instead for that price were flats with just enough room for a fold-down bed.

We’d set out to find somewhere affordable in London – not easy! We’re both artists from Australia and we’d been told by some creative friends about property guardians, who pay cheaper rent while occupying empty buildings. There are a few companies out there – some stories good, some terrible – so we had a careful look at what was on offer first.

We chose to use the firm Dot Dot Dot, which had a flat in Bow. As a social enterprise, part of the arrangement is that you volunteer for 16 hours a month. It was in former sheltered housing, with guardians in 24 one-bed flats. It seemed great – we could keep costs down while the voluntary work would be a good way to meet people and get to know the community.

When we moved in, there were drawings on the walls and the floor was stained. It was run down but we were happy to make it feel like home. As artists, we’re used to making things look good for galleries and exhibitions, so it wasn’t daunting. We put vinyl flooring in the kitchen and bathroom, removed old wallpaper and painted the flat. Dot Dot Dot was really helpful and told us about Freecycle, local secondhand furniture shops and a company that sold remainders of paint pots.

My initial concern was: is it safe? Generally, it has been. There have been a few times when odd people were milling around downstairs but, in terms of the flat, I feel secure. We know the other guardians and there’s a good community. The youngest is in her 20s, but most of us are in our late 30s and 40s. We have dinners together and have a Facebook group so if anyone needs help, someone will usually come up with a solution.

I started by volunteering at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. I went twice a week for about four hours. It was calming to spend time in nature and I met people from completely different walks of life. I also did gallery-sitting and helped set up exhibitions, which was a great way to meet other artists.

Being a guardian is temporary, with 28 days’ notice to leave. We have been lucky to be here for quite a while, but there are plans to start building in the grounds around the flat, so it may only be a few months before we have to move out. It’s a bit nerve-wracking but hopefully something will turn up – Dot Dot Dot is trying to help us but there are no guarantees.

My advice: check out the company and its reputation. Visit the property in daylight and at night, get to know the area, the security and the state of the place. It takes research but trusting your instincts is important too. For us, it needs to be somewhere we can feel comfortable, relax and be with people we like. It’s been great for us – we’ve made friends and it feels like home.

Go to dotdotdotproperty.com. There are other schemes in the UK, with properties generally available for people without children or pets.