‘I'm a West End choreographer with an unpredictable income – can I afford a buy-to-let?'
Self-employed choreographer Christopher Tendai, 31, was renting an apartment in West Finchley, North London, when he decided it was time to think about buying his first home.
It was November 2020 and he was working as a performer in a pantomime at the National Theatre when the UK went into its second lockdown.
Mr Tendai says: 'My first step was to spend a few months sorting out my credit score and making sure it was up to standard.'
He had £30,000 saved for his deposit, but being self-employed during the pandemic with uncertain income Mr Tendai struggled to get a mortgage in principle (an initial agreement of what a lender can offer you).
'I was teaching online and running workshops, but lenders wanted a yearly plan of your income and mine fluctuated with no proper continuous work.'
He was finally able to buy in spring 2021 using a Help to Buy loan and an additional £5,000 from his mum that he has since paid back.
He paid £305,000 for a two-bedroom flat in Ealing at The Quarry development by L&Q, with a 35-year mortgage costing £626 a month.
Since then Mr Tendai has focused on rebuilding his savings and is working seven days a week – including starting and running his own teaching business alongside his theatre roles. His efforts have paid off and he now has £30,000 saved in cash Isas.
He explains: 'My mother taught me the way of savings and when I was back in work I would save as much of my earnings as possible and just be very strict on that so I could recover a little bit more quickly and feel comfortable.'
He currently has a full-time job as the resident choreographer at MJ: The Musical, running in London's West End, with an annual income of £35,000 after tax. Excluding his mortgage, his outgoings are around £600 a month but he worries about the rising cost of living eating into his finances.
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