When we bought my London flat, my Mother and I had been comfortably settled in our family home for 30 years, and weren’t expecting to move anytime soon. As I had already been in the UK for 4 years (and would spend a total of 11 years there), it seemed sensible to buy a small shoebox unit in London, as London rents were (and still are rather astronomical) we felt that we could save quite a bit doing so. Moreover, London prices had been rising crazily before we bought, so we were optimistic that we could make some money in the process. Here is what we bought:

• 1 bedroom flat in a new-build development
• Built by a reputable developer listed on the London Stock Exchange
• Billed as a quality development that would offer a resident a good standard of living
• In Zone 1/Central London, an area that is very much in demand with overseas investors

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