Flat Success!

After a week of searching, I am very excited to report that I have secured a new flat!

It's a bit of a unique setup: it's the annex studio to a family home.  It was, originally, the garage, but it was converted into a real space a few years ago.  The family has been using it as an office since they moved into the house a few years ago, but decided recently that they wanted to rent it out.  I don't have photos for you (as it is, currently, still an office) but let me try to draw you a picture:

As you face the house, the entrance to the studio is on the right - it has its own entrance.  You walk into the laundry room, which is connected to the rest of the house and which they will still use, and at the far end is another door, which leads into my room.  The room is a decent size, with another door at the other end which takes you to a modern ensuite bathroom.  They had talked about putting a kitchenette in the room itself, which I was fine with, but they've decided to put the kitchenette in the laundry room which is even better because it means that I won't be cooking in my bedroom.

The property is between Balham and Clapham South - about a 20 minute walk to either station - which is exactly what I was hoping for.  It's definitely at the top of of my budget, but the perks outweigh the sadness of my bank account: all bills are included (utilities, internet, council tax, TV license, etc.) and if anything goes wrong they'll be right there to fix it straight away.  The house itself is absolutely lovely, and the family seems great.  They've got three children under the age of seven, so I suspect some babysitting opportunities might come my way!

I've been perusing the Ikea catalogue - the space isn't furnished though we're discussing who will purchase what - and am getting some cheap inspiration.  Of course, I'm still fantasizing expensively on all of my design websites!  What fun this will be.