'Our hunt went from Notting Hill to Bow'

Clair Rous simply could not afford to live in her first choice location - Notting Hill.

Miss Rous, 24, and her boyfriend Arun Cronin, 26, both lawyers, currently rent a flat in Queensway. They are keen to buy but want to pay less than the higher stamp duty threshold of ?250,000.

Miss Rous said: "In Notting Hill, there was nothing. We then found a tiny flat in Swiss Cottage, just two rooms and quite cramped. We were tempted but it fell through."

Then, after consulting a property guide, she said she decided to look outside the "smarter" postcodes.

"I'd hardly heard of Bethnal Green but the guide recommended it. So we hunted all over the area, which I found would be really convenient as I work in Canary Wharf. We first looked at Bow but the better properties are already too expensive.

"Whitechapel seemed unsafe, as I often work late. When we arrived at Bethnal Green, we found a really nice street, with old early 20th-century mansion blocks."

The couple are now buying a garden flat, for less than ?250,000. It has two double bedrooms, a living room with dining area, patio and communal roof terrace.

"We will have to modernise but it will be worth it," Miss Rous said. "It's twice the size of what we saw for the same price in Swiss Cottage."