As a first-time buyer with no renovation experience, Ed Colston, 32, could have been forgiven for choosing a shiny new-build flat that he could move straight into. However, Colston knew it was in his best interests to play the long game. After moving to London after graduating, he flat-hopped his way around the city for the best part of a decade while saving for a place of his own.
“I wanted somewhere in a less busy part of London, with outdoor space that I could put my stamp on,” says Colston. He settled on Brockley, a relatively quiet, leafy suburb in south-east London, but which “has enough going on”.
