A woman has been amazed by the improvement in her quality of life after making the move from London to Manchester. Lecia Jacobs says she is saving more money whilst paying for a two-bedroom apartment, with a jacuzzi, in Manchester than she did while living in a 'mouldy' house share in London.
Lecia, 31, had lived her whole life in Manchester, but after graduating university she got 'itchy feet' and decided to make the move to London. She found herself having to hand over around £1,000-per-month, with bills included, for a 'mouldy' room within a house share.
The situation left her questioning the move and along with boyfriend Dan, also 31, she decided to move back to Manchester. Lecia now says returning to her home town was the 'best' decision she's ever made, with her now finding herself saving more money despite living in a more luxurious property.
A Tale of Two Cities
Lecia said: 'It felt like London had totally defeated us. I don’t think I realised until now how much living somewhere awful can affect you. At first, I felt unsure about moving back to Manchester. I do like an adventure, and because I’m from there, it didn’t feel as exciting to me as somewhere completely new.'
'But we’ve definitely come out better for it. I’m not getting roped into the same rush here. Life moves at a slightly slower pace. It feels easier to breathe and not like I’m constantly chasing the next thing. And, when I was in London, I was saving nothing. Now I’m putting a few hundred pounds away each month; which is a huge shift.'
The London Experience
When Lecia moved to London in 2021 she agreed to live in a four bedroom house share, with rent being split £825 per person. She ended up paying more as she had a bigger room in the house and with this she found herself with £1,500 leftover per month.
Reflecting on her house share, she said: 'It was full of old rotten furniture. There were mice, too. I genuinely can’t believe how much we were paying for it. I started off in the smallest room in the house. It was cramped, mouldy and honestly felt a bit haunted because everything was so old and neglected.'
'I was given this yellow and orange-stained sponge mattress - not foam, actual sponge, like the stuff you’d wash dishes with - but I put my mattress topper on it and tried to ignore the reality of where I was living. Over time, the issues started to wear me down. Nothing was ever fixed and even still, the rent kept going up.'
The Manchester Upgrade
Since moving to Manchester, Lecia and Dan have been paying £925-per-month each, with bills included, for a two-bedroom, two-bathroom 16th floor flat. They also have a balcony, which looks over the city.
The pair also now have access to the apartment's rooftop pool, gym, steam room, sauna and games room for no extra charge. Lecia, who shares her life on Instagram under the handle @leciasfeast, says she still has 'itchy feet' but has decided she will never move back to London.
'I can now afford to go on three holidays a year and still save a little on top,' she said. 'The two don’t compare. In London, I had given up in a lot of ways. I was just existing rather than living. Now, I’m living the high life – for the same price.'
