Landlady: Personal Financial Crisis

For the past 20 years or so, I’ve counted myself as extremely lucky to have had relative financial stability. I think if I have any talent all, it is the ability to predict what will happen in the future. Especially my future. Not being in possession of a Crystal ball, I very much have to rely on what I glean from conversations with the broad sweep of people I know, who range from multi millionaires, to people who tattoo f##k off on people’s a***s for a living. Somehow, all this information goes into some kind of giant Kenwood Chef in my head and comes out as a prediction of the future property market.

When a minor glitch occurs, I go into money-making overdrive

Over the past couple of years, I’ve scaled down my rental operations somewhat and, although I could make more money than I do, am happy to live on what I earn, which is not as much as some might imagine. I’ve had an empty letting room in my house since April and prefer to forfeit the considerable monthly income in order to avoid dodging yet another lodger in my own home. However, I’ve been in the position of having no money at all and never want to go back there, so when a minor glitch occurs, go into money-making overdrive. We all have the ability to make money, only some people are not – perfectly reasonably, in my opinion – prepared to put up with the discomfort that money making often entails. My advice on the property market (although pertinent to me) is often sought, yet rarely listened to and never acted upon by friends and acquaintances.

I have, fearing a sudden dip in monthly income since my 7 Dials tenant gave notice, rushed headlong into ensuring that the wolf will not be knocking on my door and have signed up for overtime at work, am renovating all my rental flats and now have about a thousand foreign students coming to stay in my house over the summer. Oh God, what have I done?