If I lived in the top half of England, chances are I'd have found somewhere by now.
Up there, there's more room. So houses are more reasonably priced.
A quarter of a million quid gets you a house that, well, looks like it's worth a quarter of a million quid.
With a garden. And a private parking space. And an upstairs bathroom.
The bottom half of the country is overcrowded. Houses are over-priced.
A quarter of a million doesn't get you much.
Now, I've never done anything by halves, but right now I'm wishing I had half a million to spend.
Maybe then I could get a half decent home in the bottom half of the country.
Sunday 28 February 2010
Friday 26 February 2010
Sick Of Buildings Syndrome
I think this has set in.
Getting jaded of clicking on little pictures of houses or flats that are overpriced, or under offer.
Have had my fill of viewing ok houses in poor locations. And poor houses in ok locations.
Haven't added anything new to my Saved Properties all week.
A 3-bed house with garden, allocated parking in a nice area is what the doctor ordered.
All the above for under £180,000 is what I'd like to order.
Getting jaded of clicking on little pictures of houses or flats that are overpriced, or under offer.
Have had my fill of viewing ok houses in poor locations. And poor houses in ok locations.
Haven't added anything new to my Saved Properties all week.
A 3-bed house with garden, allocated parking in a nice area is what the doctor ordered.
All the above for under £180,000 is what I'd like to order.
Wednesday 24 February 2010
Money Money Money
A lot of my time is currently being spent on money.
Thinking about it. Saving it. Thinking some more. Saving a bit less.
Have I got enough for my deposit? For stamp duty? For solicitors' fees?
Will I have any left when I move in? In case the roof falls in or the boiler blows up.
Shall I do another line on the lottery this week? You know, just in case.
Must be funny in a rich man's world. Sadly, it's not a bundle of laughs in mine at the moment.
Thinking about it. Saving it. Thinking some more. Saving a bit less.
Have I got enough for my deposit? For stamp duty? For solicitors' fees?
Will I have any left when I move in? In case the roof falls in or the boiler blows up.
Shall I do another line on the lottery this week? You know, just in case.
Must be funny in a rich man's world. Sadly, it's not a bundle of laughs in mine at the moment.
Tuesday 23 February 2010
Hunting
With a fair while to go before I need to move, I wouldn't say my quest for a house is a full-on 'hunt' at the moment.
More a ramble in the woods, peeking through the branches at what's on the horizon. Dipping my walking-booted and sensible-socked toes into little puddles of rain water along the way.
Up ahead, I sense there's a dense forest with thorny branches and a fair few wolves waiting to jump out on me.
But for now. I'm happy meandering through the undergrowth.
I don't know where this analogy is going, so I'll stop it here.
More a ramble in the woods, peeking through the branches at what's on the horizon. Dipping my walking-booted and sensible-socked toes into little puddles of rain water along the way.
Up ahead, I sense there's a dense forest with thorny branches and a fair few wolves waiting to jump out on me.
But for now. I'm happy meandering through the undergrowth.
I don't know where this analogy is going, so I'll stop it here.
Monday 22 February 2010
Estate Agents
Well, it's about time they got a mention.
So far, I've been unable to tarnish any of them with the same brush, as so often happens to these easy targets of ridicule.
One turned up with the wrong keys. Another turned up with the right keys but the wrong technique and couldn't get into the house for ten minutes. Yet another didn't turn up until after the vendor had shown me round.
One was like wallpaper as I looked around the house. Another like a yapping mutt, snapping at my heels.
So far I must conclude that not all estate agents are the same. Now there's a turn up for someone's books.
So far, I've been unable to tarnish any of them with the same brush, as so often happens to these easy targets of ridicule.
One turned up with the wrong keys. Another turned up with the right keys but the wrong technique and couldn't get into the house for ten minutes. Yet another didn't turn up until after the vendor had shown me round.
One was like wallpaper as I looked around the house. Another like a yapping mutt, snapping at my heels.
So far I must conclude that not all estate agents are the same. Now there's a turn up for someone's books.
Floorplans
Have seen a fair few floorplans recently.
Or should that be flawplans?
Because some of them have had mistakes. Like rooms with no doors. Houses with no gardens. Kitchens with bathrooms attached to them (pet hate).
Other plans are too small to see when you double click on the website. And some are so big you fear the diagram may be actual size.
But one caught my eye recently. A 2-bed terrace house had a floorplan with one of the five tiny rooms labelled 'Drawing Room'. A drawing room? In a house that small?
The cheek of it nearly floored me.
Or should that be flawplans?
Because some of them have had mistakes. Like rooms with no doors. Houses with no gardens. Kitchens with bathrooms attached to them (pet hate).
Other plans are too small to see when you double click on the website. And some are so big you fear the diagram may be actual size.
But one caught my eye recently. A 2-bed terrace house had a floorplan with one of the five tiny rooms labelled 'Drawing Room'. A drawing room? In a house that small?
The cheek of it nearly floored me.
Sunday 21 February 2010
Smells
All homes smell of something.
I viewed a house yesterday that smelled of damp. The agent had a document at the ready that said something about it not being damp but condensation. But my nasal hairs disagreed, and not wanting to appear condescending, I left the property.
Earlier, I'd viewed a home that smelled of cake. This vendor had clearly done their homework. And the icing on the cake smell was it was a pretty decent-sized house.
Not too sure about the location location location though. Or the price.
That stank.
I viewed a house yesterday that smelled of damp. The agent had a document at the ready that said something about it not being damp but condensation. But my nasal hairs disagreed, and not wanting to appear condescending, I left the property.
Earlier, I'd viewed a home that smelled of cake. This vendor had clearly done their homework. And the icing on the cake smell was it was a pretty decent-sized house.
Not too sure about the location location location though. Or the price.
That stank.
Saturday 20 February 2010
Asking Prices
Ha ha ha.
Some of them are laughable.
Especially as now you can check Zoopla and see what was paid for what and when.
Saw an OK flat today.
But the asking price is 50, yes, 50 grand higher than the price a similar house in the same road sold for just before Christmas.
Ho ho ho.
Some of them are laughable.
Especially as now you can check Zoopla and see what was paid for what and when.
Saw an OK flat today.
But the asking price is 50, yes, 50 grand higher than the price a similar house in the same road sold for just before Christmas.
Ho ho ho.
Stamp Duty
Grrrrrrrrr
One of the main reasons I'm nearly forty and haven't bought a house before.
[Swear words]
One of the main reasons I'm nearly forty and haven't bought a house before.
[Swear words]
Friday 19 February 2010
Web Search
It's not about the pictures of the property that are there. It's the ones that aren't.
No exterior shot? Mmm. Must be above a McDonalds. Or look like the Psycho house.
No floorplan? Mmm. To get to the kitchen you have to go through a bedroom and bathroom.
'Awaiting Image'? The place is condemned.
No exterior shot? Mmm. Must be above a McDonalds. Or look like the Psycho house.
No floorplan? Mmm. To get to the kitchen you have to go through a bedroom and bathroom.
'Awaiting Image'? The place is condemned.
Thursday 18 February 2010
Lotto
The lottery has taken on greater significance recently, now that I know I need to get together a deposit.
I'm not after a big win, you understand. But if only...three... four... five of my numbers came up (and the bonus ball) I might be able to widen my house search.
Three of my numbers came up last night.
My house search remains depressingly narrow.
I'm not after a big win, you understand. But if only...three... four... five of my numbers came up (and the bonus ball) I might be able to widen my house search.
Three of my numbers came up last night.
My house search remains depressingly narrow.
Flats v Houses
I haven't heard rain dropping like pills on the roof since I left home some 15 years ago.
It's been flats for me ever since. Never higher than the second floor either.
It's not that I fear a staircase, shudder at an upstairs floorboard creaking or dread a leaking roof. It's just that I haven't seen a house I like that I can afford.
Viewed a flat tonight that I like. Can't afford it.
It's been flats for me ever since. Never higher than the second floor either.
It's not that I fear a staircase, shudder at an upstairs floorboard creaking or dread a leaking roof. It's just that I haven't seen a house I like that I can afford.
Viewed a flat tonight that I like. Can't afford it.
Wednesday 17 February 2010
Viewings
I can't do any after work viewings until next week, I told him. Definitely not. Too busy.
I have my first viewing after work. Tomorrow.
They can be persuasive these Estate Agents.
I have my first viewing after work. Tomorrow.
They can be persuasive these Estate Agents.
Mortgage Advice
Went to my bank today. To see how much I could (beg) borrow. Not much doing if you've only got a 10% deposit they said. A bit more doing if you can get 15% they said.
Yeah, but how much are you gonna lend me?
Couldn't see what sort of numbers were being tapped into the computer, but the number that came out the other end was 20,000 higher than I was expecting. Not sure if that's good or bad news.
Yeah, but how much are you gonna lend me?
Couldn't see what sort of numbers were being tapped into the computer, but the number that came out the other end was 20,000 higher than I was expecting. Not sure if that's good or bad news.
Tuesday 16 February 2010
The Downstairs Bathroom
A lot of the 'houses' in my price range boast the downstairs bathroom. At the back. Next to the kitchen.
What's that all about?
I have been known to generate a noise and odour or two in a bathroom. Not sure how well that will go down when the girlfriend is adding the finishing touches to a duck al orange or whatever it is.
What's that all about?
I have been known to generate a noise and odour or two in a bathroom. Not sure how well that will go down when the girlfriend is adding the finishing touches to a duck al orange or whatever it is.
Renting
Renters have their dissenters. Some say rental is mental (not sure you can say that anymore). But renting won't put a big dent in your wallet. Boiler not boiling? Phone the landlord. Lights not lighting? Phone the landlord. Dishwasher not dishwashing? Phone the... what's not to like?
Mortgage Calculators
How big a mortgage can I afford?
The sixty four thousand dollar question.
If only it was.
Sadly, in south London, where I'm looking to move, it's more like a two hundred thousand quid question. I've been putting that rotund number into several of these online mortgage calculators and have yet to like any of the answers.
The sixty four thousand dollar question.
If only it was.
Sadly, in south London, where I'm looking to move, it's more like a two hundred thousand quid question. I've been putting that rotund number into several of these online mortgage calculators and have yet to like any of the answers.
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