The beginnings of the flat hunt

[caddyman]

The Tube was hot and sweaty this morning; a typical start to the working day, then. Despite being out of the office for two working days, I shall be sneaking off early as the landlord’s management agent is coming around at about 6.15 this evening to take photos of the soon-to-be-decommissioned Athenaeum Club as the landlord wants to re-let it.

Best of luck, mate; all those repairs you never did for us will put all newcomers off, I strongly suspect.

There is a flat available across the High Road that they will be showing us straight afterwards. We will take a look, but it is bigger than we were after, with 3 bedrooms, a little more expensive than we were hoping for and probably on the market 3 or 4 weeks earlier than we would like, so I doubt that it will be of any use to us, sadly. Still, we will take a look just to get an idea of what the money buys these days. I suspect that we will have to start moving a little more sharpish now, if we are to find a flat by the end of June, so weekends will probably become a little moiré fraught as time ticks away. I really hate moving, but I am hopeful that wherever we end up will be in a better state of repair than the old Athenaeum.

I just wish we could afford to buy something, but finances are tight , local house prices too high (despite the much touted property price falls which do not seem to have much impact upon London) and the mortgage market is just a (bad) joke as the banking world reels from the US sub-prime fiasco.

Bloody international economics. Bloody economics generally, actually.

Comments

[pauln.livejournal.com]

Nice house about to be on the market. Commutable distance for London...

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

Where's that, then?

[pauln.livejournal.com]

Bedford. About 45 minutes into St Pancras on Midland, an hour on Thameslink. The house is 10 minutes walk from the station.

[bibliogirl.livejournal.com]

Bit of a nightmare for Furtle, I'd think (doesn't she still work south of the river?)

[pauln.livejournal.com]

Thameslink does go on through to Blackfriars, London Bridge and points southerly (so long as you don't get the one that stops at Moorgate).

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

Yes bloody sub-prime idiots, they are the reason we aren't selling right now.

I can recommend Stevenage, it has a *brilliant* link to London, Stevenage to Kings Cross in half an hour if you get the express which makes it quicker than going on the Tube from yours I suspect. It's also a good place to live if you don't drive as everywhere is walkable/cyclable without having to cross roads thanks to the path network.

[irdm.livejournal.com]

If you're going that far out, I'd have to suggest Hitchin as, well it's the oasis of Niceness between Stevenage and Luton. Hitchin to KX 33 mins.
May not be cheap - I couldn't afford to buy around here now!

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

May not be cheap - I couldn't afford to buy around here now!

...and therein lies the rub. Can't afford to buy because house prices are too high, plus there are no longer any affordable mortgages available. The cost of rent and travel would be crippling on our combined income.

[caddyman.livejournal.com]

In an ideal world it might be do-able, but I refer you to my comment to DM below.

I earn a reasonable salary - it could be higher, but it is a reasonable amount, but I'd be better off on the dole as far as getting affordable housing is concerned. At least I could get on to a council and/or housing association list.

[mr-h-r-hughes.livejournal.com]

Maybe. Hitchin is much pricier than Stevenage, I reckon a flat in Stevenage would be doable for you two