I rented for two years on the Isle of Dogs, close to where I work in finance in east London. I am in my mid-thirties but I wasn’t really thinking about buying a flat at the time. My landlord needed her house back so I had no choice but to leave (says Angela Mak).
Renting is very expensive at the moment and you can be moving again in a year or two. But for ten years I had been keeping a record of my expenses and arranging monthly payments into a savings account and I found that I had saved enough for a deposit.
It was important, though, for me to find a property that had enough space not just for me but also for my parents, Simon and Florence, too.
They were still living in Hong Kong. My parents are not young any more. I was worried about what would happen to them and I wanted to be able to take care of them, which is easier when they are under the same roof.
In the past I used to say I’d go to university, then move out and have my own life. But your parents get older much more quickly than you think. Suddenly you start to realise they’re not as energetic as you thought they were. They were in another country so far away, and I found that I just wanted to spend more time with them. I’m really grateful they agreed to relocate and live with me in London.
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I didn’t know whether they would say yes when I asked them. The public transportation in Hong Kong is even more convenient than it is in London, and they don’t speak perfect English, but they agreed.
My dad has a knee problem, so a house would have been a problem because of the stairs. My parents are not very interested in gardening either, so we thought a flat would be easier to maintain.
I never thought of Woolwich, in southeast London, but the estate agent suggested it. I had never been to the area, but I went for a viewing at Dock28, a Fairview development that was 80 per cent finished. That gave us some confidence because if it’s only 20 per cent completed then you never really know what it will end up looking like.
My friends said that ten years ago this was quite a rough area, but there are a lot of developments, especially since the Elizabeth Line started running. It’s now lively and full of energy and unexpectedly good.
I bought a two-bedroom, two-bathroom flat with nice, high ceilings for £423,000 and we moved in in November 2023. I am responsible for paying the bills, but my parents have their pension for daily activities, and they like to go to the supermarket so they will often pay for groceries.
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I work in a busy office where I have to travel in four days a week and work from home one day. When I finish working in the office I’m really tired, but I go home and there’s a hot meal ready on the table. I used to be tempted by all these restaurants and takeaways on my way home, but not anymore. My mum is a really good cook. No matter how old you are and how much practice you have, your mum will always be a better cook than you. It’s less expensive and healthier too. I feel so grateful for that every day.
• My elderly parents moved into our garden
We watch TV and eat dinner together almost every night. My friends rarely come over, but when they do my mum is a good talker. I’d advise anyone looking to move in with family members to ensure that everyone has adequate private space for that all-important alone time. My parents sometimes like to have a coffee together on their balcony.
Woolwich is really suitable for a small family like ours. It takes me about 45 minutes to get to work and I now save a lot of time because my parents are there when I get home. I used to have to spend a lot of my spare time travelling to see them.
Most of the time I’m at work during the day while my parents are really enjoying going to all the museums. They catch the Tube and go to Tottenham Court Road and do some shopping. They’re very happy. At the weekend we can take the bus to Greenwich, which is a really nice area to spend a leisurely day with lots of activities. If I discover a new place that’s good, I used to send them a picture, but now I can take them there and show it to them.
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They help out a lot with the housework and cleaning. I feel like I get a lot of mental support from them too. My friends and colleagues will have to handle a lot of that themselves, so it’s a really good feeling to know that they are there at home waiting for me. I feel very fortunate to live with my parents.
