How unreasonable am I being to consider spending this much on rent?

[Nicebucket]

I'll try to keep this brief, even though I'd love to have a moan and a rant.

I've moved back to London recently (job transfer) and I'm hunting for a flat. I've lived in London before for 3 years as a student, so I am familiar with the city.

I'm going mad searching for a flat!!! I'm working in Canary Wharf and anything close to work is hideously expensive.

I would really prefer to live alone if I can (or maybe share with just one other person) but obviously that's very expensive.

I saw a studio flat today that's about 10-15 mins from work, near Crossharbour and its for £1300 a month with all bills included. The additional bills I will have after this are the Oyster card, phone and Internet.

The studio was tiny, but modern and in a really peaceful area.

Am i being crazy to even consider this?!

I could get by if I got this flat, but just barely. I wouldn't be able to save anything and wouldn't have money left over for luxuries.

Is it worth it? My colleagues and friends tease me mercilessly for being too much of a princess to share, but I've had such terrible experiences in the past with flat mates! One of them stole my stuff and disappeared

Also, I'd make a terrible flat mate. (Seriously!) I dislike noise and mess and Since you can't avoid that with flat mates, I'd be an awful nag. I literally hate noise and parties, even on weekends. I'm so dead tired from work, I just want to sleep or have a nice, peaceful day. I love my own space

Is there any hope for me? Is it even possible to live alone in London and still manage to save some mkney?!

How are you judging safety? When I go to London, I find most of the places my friends live feel dodgy, but that's through my eyes, coming from a quiet leafy suburb. I am just not used to the dirt, kebab shops, nasty little news agents and cafs. Are people telling you they are dodgy, are you looking at crime stats or how? Just hope you are not ruling out huge swathes of London without hard facts.

Nice have you explored leaving London? Could you transfer within your company or look for a similar job elsewhere?
Fundamentally you're very unlikely to find a nice flat that is well located, well appointed and in an area you like at a reasonable price without sharing. If you do find it, you will have been super lucky and will spend ages looking at places that don't fit the bill. It's not right, but it is the way it is.

I've PMd you Nice.

I think I will have a wretched life in London unless I earn billions.

It's the devil and the deep sea.

I just searched for studios in stratford on zoopla. God they're grim and not much cheaper. Forget that...

hugs to every poor bastard who has to rent in London these days.

If you're looking into commuting this may be of interest www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/train-season-tickets
Personally I'd opt for Orpington/Bromley/Ashford as they are far cheaper to live with larger flats and the commute time will be very similar. Think it would all even out in the end, but having more space would be better IMO. I found this in Ashford which is only 30min fast track to St Pancras by train www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-51406456.html

?? I only searched Woolwich but there's lots on Rightmove for the £700-£900 mark. 1 beds too, not studios. They can't all be grim, surely?

£750 www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-35944716.html

£825, a few mins from DLR www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-34946994.html

There's a studio flat for £675 INCLUDING BILLS - but there's no internal pictures so I assume there must be something drastic wrong with it.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-54299159.html

Could you take the hit of 1.3 for 6 months? But you might be better if at St. Paul's serviced apartments/ hotel in the area you are looking in- for that length of time, whilst you find your feet and look? Or even a holiday letting place and offer a price for 6 months. It depends on your short and long term plans.

What about house sitting? Call an agency in London and chuck all your stuff In storage/ get rid of it.

Look on Chelsea and Fulham. Lots of studio flats which are vvvv small but very central. You'll have to get rid of stuff but that's the deal. Otherwise move further out and have more commute etc.

Don't panic. Ask at work, call friends, ask HR to send round a note - you might find someone who works and travels needs someone nice. 1300 is a lot , but that depends on your income. And if you have no stress for 6 months, it might be worth it to you.

Transferring out of London after just being given a new job here 2 weeks ago is impossible. I can't do it unfortunately.

Looked at Stratford already, even had some viewings there. Couldn't find anything.

Is Woolwich safe? By safe I mean, can I walk back from the station to my home when it's dark without feeling terrified? My work hours are long, and in winter it gets dark much earlier. So I'd rather not be walking about in dodgy streets and areas.

How's Stockwell? I've found something affordable there, but I wasn't sure about how safe the area would be to walk back home in the dark etc.

Have you a link to the flat?

Joanna Lumley lives in Stockwell. It's good and bad same as everywhere.

agree that some areas look unsafe when unfamiliar, but really aren't bad. And accept that sometimes you will have to get a cab home (late, dark, and pissed) from the station (£10 in a black cab for a 5 min ride)

presumably this is a shoebox or the monthly rent should be weekly

Not available until Oct but good price and looks secure

These should be ok. but I'm not familiar with the roads you would walk through, from clapham north tube , clapham high street train station, Wandsworth train station, or Stockwell tube.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-44630815.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-52740329.html

These you would get off at Oval then walk or get the bus. Busy main road so pretty safe. Above a pub. A quite gentrified pub.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-44630815.html

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-51373333.html

Blackheath Road

I think they've made a mistake with this one, with location and price!

Snap it up.

www.gumtree.com/p/studios-bedsits-rent/stunning-double-studio-hammersmith/1051875649

If you ignore the fact that they seem to be renting out the nursery, having an en suite would be a big bonus if flat sharing

waffly - that is literally a room, though, isn't it? With a shower room somewhere out of shot

It's rubbish, and on gumtree. Quite possibly a con.

The one I saw was on the border of Stockwell and Clapham north. £950 with water, gas and Internet inclusive. They providestorage rooms for each studio as well. Gated building with 24/7 porter and concierge.

10 minute walk along Jeffries road from Stockwell tube station.

Sounds good?

It wasn't as nice as say Kensington, but I did see some families and the walk is mainly along a residential area (although there is a dodgy park on the way)

there are people in London who want to have a flat mate that don't have wild parties every weekend, and also don't like noise and mess!

Is where you work big enough to send round a note saying you're looking for somewhere as a stop gap until Christmas? Must be central etc.

Or looked on the local FB page? Maybe post what you want?

Surrey quays area might be a good idea. Or deptford?

Can you tell us your budget? In your OP you were looking at 1300 at a push but now suggesting spending half that. What is your real bottom line?

As for safety, where do you come from? As a pp said, London can seem dodgier on the surface than it actually is, if you're not used to anything but leafy suburbs and driving everywhere. You may also have been influenced by scaremongering from family members who see it as a Big Bad Gotham City. London genuinely is a fab place to live as long as you have a job, and your earning potential here should be better than elsewhere, so you have made the right decision, honestly.