Splitting time between North Lambeth and Maida Vale can hardly be classed as a long-distance relationship. But, as a thirty-something couple wanting to live together, finding themselves suddenly priced out of doing so when interest rates spiked last year was still a blow for Kristiane Clear and her partner of four years, Michelle Rowihab.
"We are extremely excited to be able to live together fulltime," says Rowihab. "We can't wait to build a home together." But Clear, 37, a marketing consultant working with Apple, and Rowihab, 38, an architect and founder of a trauma coaching business, found that after Kwasi Kwarteng's mini-budget in October 2022, the mortgage chaos that ensued put their dream of sharing a home on hold, especially since they both work for themselves.
Last year we would have had to significantly lower our budget and compromise on the size of the property
"Getting a mortgage last year would have been too much for us with the interest rates, especially as we're both self-employed. We thought long and hard about it and it didn't make financial sense for us, so we decided to take our time," says Clear.
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