Trivial things you don't understand/mildly annoy you

[sonicyouth]

Trying to find a flat in London and going around and around and around and around in circles.

[Nemo]

Trying to find a flat in London and going around and around and around and around in circles.

Yeah house hunting in London is a total fucker. When I lived there we ended up putting a deposit down at the end of a viewing because everything just went in a heartbeat.

[Panda Paws]

Our fucking landlord putting the rent up 20%. 20-fucking-percent! Love where we live, really really don't want to move but won't be held to ransom.

Edit: I posted this without checking the last couple of posts - ties in seemlessly. London housing is a fucking nightmare, but it's also a belting place to live. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[sonicyouth]

Where did/do you both live? I'm looking as far west as Acton, as north as Hampstead and Islington-ish, as far south as Putney and ignoring anything east. There's decent places about, it's just that by the time I call to arrange a viewing they're gone or they're just currently out of our budget. I presume you both house/flat shared?

[Nemo]

I lived in Denmark Hill, Camberwell so sarf London, and was flat sharing.

Viewings are an absolute bastard and I'm still 100% convinced that a lot of the places on these sites don't exist as you ring up and they immediately say it's gone without checking and try to get you to look at something twice the price and twice as shit.

In the end, I found a private rent on Gumtree which was an absolute godsend, but otherwise your best option is to just pick an estate agent and tell them your budget, and get them to contact you when there are places to view- if you find something online, it's probably already gone.

[sonicyouth]

I've not had that experience yet, been dealing with Foxtons who seem quite good. I suppose I've gone about it a little bit backwards as I don't actually have a full deposit at present...

[Bob's Orange]

There is one for sale in our block of flats in Battersea.

Think its up for 650k if you are interested?

[4D]

I've never quite understood the appeal of living in London. Rammed, expensive. Don't get me wrong it's a great place, wouldn't live there. If I worked there, I'd save some dosh and commute from a surrounding town.

[JayBox325]

[Reg Smeeton]

I've never quite understood the appeal of living in London. Rammed, expensive. Don't get me wrong it's a great place, wouldn't live there. If I worked there, I'd save some dosh and commute from a surrounding town.

I lived there for 4 years in the mid 70's....nothing has changed, back then accommodation and house prices were expensive, it was rammed, traffic hopeless etc. but there was plenty to do, especially music wise and the catching bands like Stranglers, Clash, Pistols on the way up at smallish gigs.  Also catching reggae acts in places like Hoxton and Stoke Newington was an eye opener...also used to go and watch Spurs in the early Hoddle era.

Now I don't even much like to visit....

[Nemo]

I've never quite understood the appeal of living in London. Rammed, expensive. Don't get me wrong it's a great place, wouldn't live there. If I worked there, I'd save some dosh and commute from a surrounding town.

Except that all the commuter routes exemplify the criteria "rammed" and "expensive" to an even greater extent than housing in London.

[4D]

Medway?

[sonicyouth]

There is one for sale in our block of flats in Battersea.

Think its up for 650k if you are interested?

I might have to pass on that but thanks Bob!

I've never quite understood the appeal of living in London. Rammed, expensive. Don't get me wrong it's a great place, wouldn't live there. If I worked there, I'd save some dosh and commute from a surrounding town.

I don't mind how busy London is, appreciate that when it comes to commuting on a daily basis I might soon get sick of it but I want to give it a go. My wife's been commuting in and out of London for two months now and the cost is extortionate for a season ticket. Initially at least, I'd rather spend more on rent to live more centrally than live further out and commute in on a daily basis.

And everything seems cheap after living in Norway.

[Jamiesfuturewife]

A duck appeared in my garden a few weeks ago when the culvert at the bottom of my garden flooded thinking how cute it was I fed them a little. I even went to countrywide to buy some special duck food (which incidentally they hate, they much prefer bread and peas!)

Word is obviously getting round duckland as I now have 5 ducks camped out on my patio pecking the back door for bread every two hours!!

[herthab]

A duck appeared in my garden a few weeks ago when the culvert at the bottom of my garden flooded thinking how cute it was I fed them a little. I even went to countrywide to buy some special duck food (which incidentally they hate, they much prefer bread and peas!)

Word is obviously getting round duckland as I now have 5 ducks camped out on my patio pecking the back door for bread every two hours!!

You can do a lot with duck.

Duck in orange sauce is very nice, as is crispy shredded duck with pancakes and ho sin sauce....