In an inspiring story, four childhood friends received the keys to their dream home after battling London’s competitive housing market. In 2022, Francesca, Graeme, Sonja, and Kieran collaborated to collectively buy a home together. The gang’s all 34 and grew up together in school, college and university. Now, back in London, they are one of two couples sharing a three-bedroom home in north-east London. Together, they put their salaries in together to buy a house worth £650,000. They attribute this accomplishment to their collective work.
The four adults with their combined incomes of over $100,000 a year live comfortably under one roof, sharing groceries, childcare duties, and cooking responsibilities. This setup enables them to divide the costs evenly, making it the most affordable option for all four friends. The way their kids, growing up in this alternative household arrangement, connect with each other as if they were siblings. What they found was that spending maternity leave together strengthened their friendship. This bond proved to be a powerful support during what can be an isolating experience for new parents.
Even prior to making the decision to purchase together, the friends weighed multiple considerations, from legal contracts to credit score requirements. They recognized that it was vital to have unambiguous plans established ahead of time so as not to risk a future contestation. Kieran emphasized the necessity of transparency, stating, “You have to be confident with who you’re living with and be very open with your finances and your family plans – and have a timeline.”
Graeme thanked them for their collective financial choice. Yet, he confessed that without their joint income they would only have been able to afford a much lower value home of £350,000-£400,000. Francesca further emphasized this point, adding that buying a home in London would have been a dream without their collaboration.
Sonja shared her vision for the future, suggesting that such communal living arrangements could be beneficial at various life stages. She remarked on the value of maintaining connections with friends, saying, “I think there’s something sad when your networks narrow. I see huge value for this type of investment in retirement as well.”
In sharing about their living/working situation, Kieran reflected upon how much focus—especially from non-artists—can come in the form of jealousy. “Whoever I tell about it, they always think it’s a great idea and they like it,” he said. He further explained that cohabitation is not a hippie commune. Rather, it’s an example of the type of intentional, communal living that allows them to thrive.
As secure as any other couples, these couples are sure of their love, having been committed to one another for ten years. Kieran explained that they have created a space where members feel safe enough to avoid adversarial or conflict-inducing behaviors. They wanted to convey the depth of their mutual devotion. “We were fairly confident we would not split up and cause havoc,” he said.
Living together does require careful planning and consideration of future possibilities. Kieran stressed the importance of addressing worst case scenarios. These cover several challenges, ranging from mortgage repayments to cases when one partner intends to relocate. Most importantly, he emphasized the need to have everything – and we mean everything – put in writing. Even housing leader Adam French agreed with this point, emphasizing the importance of having such agreements prepared for unexpected situations.
In her lifestage opening remarks about moving from the default coupledom to living in shared households. She explained that it felt like a bigger commitment to move in as two couples than to simply move in with Graeme. “If anything, just moving in the two of us felt like a bigger step,” she said.
As they navigate this unique path together, the four friends maintain an open dialogue about their future. “Who knows what the next stage is for us – whether we’ll continue to live together or separate into different homes – but I’d really like to have some element of communal living in my life,” Sonja stated thoughtfully.