Work/Life is Stylist ’s regular column about the professional routines of successful women. Here, author of Skint Estate: A Memoir Of Poverty, Motherhood And Survival Cash Carraway takes us through. Estate agents - Their shop windows don't want to be cluttered with pictures of wrecks, but that doesn't mean to say that they haven't got some houses in need of rescuing in the back of the filing. Skint Estate is a full-throttle dispatch from the front line of the war against the poor. Morning Star. Cash Carraway's unique voice, filled in equal measure with rage and inspiration, tells a story of hope amongst state violence. Brilliant and compelling. Anna Minton. This is a raw, painful, funny book. Skint Estate is the darkly funny debut memoir from Cash Carraway, a scream against austerity that rises full of rage in a landscape of sink estates, police cells, refuges and peepshows. A voice that must be heard. 'Cash's brutal honesty will leave you wanting to make a change, stand up and be heard. A must-read' VICKY McCLURE 'Extraordinary.

For those of you that haven’t heard of Cash Carraway before, let me introduce you. Cash is an award-winning playwright, author and spoken word artist from Penge, South East London. She’s also speaking out about the realities of living just below the poverty line, social cleansing and the lack of support services available for those who need it the most.

Cash’s biography and debut book, Skint Estate, is not an easy one to digest – but it’s not supposed to be. The author’s note reads: ‘The words written on these pages were not intended to be read in silence. So please say them out loud whenever you can – preferably to someone who doesn’t want to hear them.‘

I hesitated more than once before deciding to write this post (ironically to be be shared on my blog, penned from my Ikea sofa in my cosy – albeit rented – home. I don’t have an Aga or Mark Warner holiday planned though so that’s something at least) as it’s pretty far removed from my usual content.

But Cash’s story is too important and powerful to keep quiet about. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Cash via social media and blogging for a few years. We’ve shared occasional messages and sentiments and I’ve witnessed her being viciously trolled by other full-grown women to the point of being forced to close her accounts; it appears that downright bullying doesn’t stop at the school gates.

Skint Estates

Cash begins her book with a prologue that gives the reader a glimpse into her current life as a working-class woman in modern Britain. She states from the offset that this book is about finding her voice and cutting through the stigma as she shares her personal stories, sordid experiences, candid emotions and most importantly, as an anecdote to the usual right-wing media portrayal of ‘people like her’.

She tells tales of her upbringing, discovering that she was going to be a mother while occupying a shitty train toilet, the horrific reality of domestic abuse, making money as a stripper whilst pregnant, working full-time yet still being forced to rely on handouts from a food bank, rogue landlords, and using social media to start a revolution from a refuge that is, quite literally, falling apart around her, all shared with a sprinkling of dark, sharp humour and defiance.

Cash’s compelling and beautifully written words have followed me around ever since I finished reading this book. For starters, I shall never again listen to Cher’s ‘Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves’ in quite the same light. In my eyes, I don’t see Cash as someone to be pitied or avoided at all costs. I see her as an absolute warrior, a superb role model for her girl and someone to be admired, not shamed and ridiculed.

I read a review of ‘Skint Estate’ where a gentleman states – despite having actually read the book- that Cash’s situation is down to her having the audacity to want to stay in her hometown, where rents are too high for housing benefits to cover, scoffs at the idea of period poverty, accuses Cash of being bitter and angry (no shit Sherlock) and thinks that basically, she needs to take responsibly for her own ‘poor’ life choices. And that, my friends, is a prime example of why we must keep talking.

As much I choose to share my life publicly through this little corner of the internet, there are still so many things that you don’t know, things that I will never share with another living soul. I tend to keep my blog posts nice and fluffy, void of an actual opinion out of fear of causing debate or backlash. Fun fact: I once shared a tweet about the ‘correct’ way to put a bra on and got absolutely ripped apart – about a fucking bra – so can you imagine the outcome if I had the balls to share something real?

You see, I know those smells all too well. I have the same internet search history as Cash and I know how it feels to want the very best for your child while having no home of your own. I have felt that same exhaustion and shame that a lack of support or stability brings. I know what my price is. I have also shared a kitchen, bathroom and living area with other women in the same sorry situation, through no fault of their own.

But we’re certainly not alone. There are too many people living this reality, suffering the consequences of austerity in Britain and being silenced. It’s really important to know that Cash isn’t about the cliche ‘poverty porn’ narrative or seeking empathy from the middle-classes, but speaking up about the skewed system and fighting for those who can’t – and every single one of us needs to listen.

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Skint Estate Goodreads

Skint Estate

Getting started

According to The Empty Homes Agency, there are an estimated 870,000 empty homes in the UK and enough empty commercial property to create 420,000 new homes. First consider these key points before you decide to invest in an empty property:

• Make sure you are allowed to do what you want to the property. It's all very well having imaginative plans to redesign the property into the house of your dreams but if there are legal restrictions, or if it's a listed property, you may not be allowed to.
• Work out a proper budget before you start. Rescuing a house doesn't have to be expensive, but if you run out of money half way through you'll be skint and homeless. Build £200 into your project to spend on a treat for yourself at the end. It'll help keep you focussed on sticking to the budget.
• Build the right team of people to help you. Choose architects, builders and conveyancers who you can work with and will help you, not fleece you.
• Choose the right building materials for the job. There's a range of alternatives for every eventuality. Some choices are good for your pocket, some are good for the environment and some are just less hassle for your builder.
• Don't bank on a grant, but do see what's available. Rescuing an empty property meets the objectives of lots of organisations some of them may be prepared to subsidize your costs.

How to find an empty property

Keep your eyes peeled. About one in 20 homes in the country is empty. Once you start looking, you'll see them everywhere. Try the following options to get your search off the ground.

• Local council - Your local council will probably have a list of all the empty properties in their area. Some councils will be happy to let you see the information, but beware that others may not be so open. If they won't disclose the information you could make a written request - you've got a legal right to request it.
• Estate agents - Their shop windows don't want to be cluttered with pictures of wrecks, but that doesn't mean to say that they haven't got some houses in need of rescuing in the back of the filing cabinet. So, make sure you ask to see what's available.
• Online auctions - Auction catalogues are a good place to find empty properties that are for sale. On the web look out for specialist websites that specialise in empty properties.
• Land for sale - More often than not building land for sale has already got a house on it that the seller is inviting you to buy to demolish. Often the house is beyond saving but sometimes it's salvageable.

Finding out who owns the property

Once you've found an empty property, how do you know who owns it? It may be as simple as asking the people who live near by. If you explain to them why you want to know, they will probably be happy to tell you.

Many properties are registered at the Land Registry. For a small fee you can look at the register and see who the owner is. The HM Land Registry website for England and Wales is: www.landregisteronline.gov.uk, the Registers of Scotland Executive Agency is: www.ros.gov.uk and the Land Registry of Northern Ireland is: www.lrni.gov.uk.

Most local authorities have a register of empty properties and know who the owner is. Local authorities have different policies on disclosing this information. If your local authority won't tell you, you could put the request in writing citing the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

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