Is £35K rubbish for London?

[ButYouGottaHaveASkillJeff]

Salary that is, council job. If you're a nearly 40 year old single person with minimal savings?

I'm on that salary in South Wales and struggle on that. My housing cost with CTax is 50% of my wages

Depends on lots of factors
Outgoings
Cost of travel for work

For some people that would be a lot and others not a lot

Depends on the qualifications and experience required. If it's a professional role that would pay double that in the private sector, it is indeed rubbish.

If it's emptying the bins, basic admin, cleaning or care work, it's a lot more than you'll get elsewhere in the country, but it's probably what they need to pay to cover high housing costs.

Plus if it's the council you should have access to secure working conditions, pension, flexi time etc which you might not get in the private sector, so it's the whole package and alternatives available you have to consider.

Whats your rent? Childcare costs? Travel costs? Monthly food shop, etc, etc, etc? Work out all those things and you'll be able to decide if its rubbish or not.

Salary depends on the actual job, not your age or circumstances.

You'd going to struggle, tbh. Once you factor in rent and travel costs (the cheaper one is, the higher the other will be), you won't have much disposable income left.

Would you consider a shared house or do you want to live alone?

@Northernsoullover

I'm on that salary in South Wales and struggle on that. My housing cost with CTax is 50% of my wages

Presumably in south wales, you could move somewhere a lot cheaper but still in commuting distance of your current job if you really needed to.

On £35k in south wales, you'll be on very much above average wages, so unless you have DC to support, it sounds like it's a budgeting issue.

It depends a lot what your housing costs would be - if you are prepared just to rent a room it should be fine and be able to save a bit. If you want your own place and its a cheap part of London and you can live close its doable but you probably won't be saving. If its an expensive part of London it may be very difficult. You need to look up housing / travel / bills costs and see if you can make it work.

@Letsallscreamatthesistene

Whats your rent? Childcare costs? Travel costs? Monthly food shop, etc, etc, etc? Work out all those things and you'll be able to decide if its rubbish or not.

I haven't any of those things yet (and no children). I am looking to relocate and have been applying for jobs and this is the first interview I've got. It's an EA/admin type role. My background is admin.

I understand there will be a housing sacrifice i.e I'd have it go into a house-share of some description and like a PP said one will cause the other to be more expensive (travel/housing) but I don't want to move just for the sake of moving to London. I want a decent quality of life and a chance to progress up a ladder.

I would check the costs of room rents/ bills where you want to be, and add in travel costs then see what you will have left.

It’s £2300 a month after tax, and you’ll be paying about £1500 a month in rent, council tax and utilities, if you live on your own somewhere inexpensive.

So absolutely doable, but not as much spending power as you might imagine, and you’ll have to choose your accommodation sensibly.

So probably rent will be your biggest outgoing then, if you're planning to live in London/near your work. Where is the job in London exactly? Some places are more expensive than others. I lived in Fulham for 4 years and rent was expensive.

That’s enough to move out of parents home if you are early 20s and rent a room in a shared house with a roof terrace with friends near the tube in Stockwell (£800 per month).

Borderline for me. I live in a 2 bed flat in zone 3 but I have a family. With some economies on luxuries I could cope.

When I last looked at rentals in my areas they were £1500+ pcm for a 1 bed flat.

The job is near Fulham 😂 I wouldn't mind being a bit further out as long as it's on a near tube line. Whilst I don't mind sharing, at 39 I think I'm a bit too old for a 4/5 bedshare.

Can you get the same sort of job in a cheaper city if you're not already in London and not particularly set on moving there?

If you could get £30k in Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle etc, you could probably rent a 1 bed flat in walking distance from work and have a good life and on that salary.

@ButYouGottaHaveASkillJeff

The job is near Fulham 😂 I wouldn't mind being a bit further out as long as it's on a near tube line. Whilst I don't mind sharing, at 39 I think I'm a bit too old for a 4/5 bedshare.

I would say its doable if you looked at housing in Hammersmith or Ealing, or maybe Kingston?

Agree with PP though - does it have to be London?

Yes. I already live in a big city with a decent salary/decent living but I've pondered giving London a bash for a while now as I feel stagnant where I am, and I have family and a couple of connections in London. I amn't getting any younger 😩. I understand living is different from visiting but I do love London.

Thats fair OP. Thats exactly what I did!

And I don't have anything to tie me down (partner/kids) and can't see that changing being where I am anytime soon, though I'm 99% sure I don't want kids! As much as I live in a city it can feel like a village at times as I grew up here. I want to meet new people.

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110040545#/

This place looks lovely for £1300pm.

I'd absolutely do it in your circumstances then. I loved my London life.

@PutYourBackIntoit

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/110040545#/

This place looks lovely for £1300pm.

Yes it does, thanks!