As is the case with Sydney and Melbourne down here, young people are paying through the teeth for a half-satisfactory rental property in London. The market is unforgiving, but that doesn’t mean a few savvy artists are finding a way to make it work.
A segment from the recent documentary Alternative Living London shows musician They Call Me Max (Max Anstruther) in his Elephant Castle residency, the place he has lived for 18 months.
Think London is too expensive? If you don’t mind a spot of cold or the occasional flaking wallpaper, there’s still some hope for you.
Companies across the pond have been taking up guardianship on abandoned buildings, then licensing the properties for renters. What this creates is large, affordable living spaces, albeit ones that are a little run down (which never stopped any of us, did it?).
The extra room and envious price tags have drawn in artists particularly, given music gear and art supplies aren’t just cripplingly expensive, they take up a ton of room.
Check out the clip below.
If something similar is happening in Sydney, can someone drop me a line?
The musician in the clip, They Call Me Max, recently released the boon of occupying this space; a debut single titled Come. Listen in below, and jump into a full interview with Max here.
