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?!

Stockwell is fine, there has been quite a lot of investment in that area recently.

If you will be working long hours in Canary Wharf, Hammersmith Fulham Putney etc will be a horrible long journey.

Living on your own in London is a luxury, and it doesn't sound like you will be earning luxury pay. So you need to compromise.

By their very nature, most studio flats are grim. Much more economical to find a nice 2-bed flat share but you seem adamant you can't possibly do that.

I'm surprised at how surprised you are about the cost of living, didn't you do any research before you accepted the job??

Most areas in London are 'safe' but you need to pick and choose which road, and which block you live in. i.e. you can be in an area traditionally seen as not so safe, but walk down a super busy main road from the tube station to your nice secure block.

Use google maps / city mapper / TFL and work out what tube/DLR stops you can live near to have an OK commute. Then start looking for flats within a

£1,300 a month for a studio is insane. You would be far better off going a bit further out and either looking for a 2 bed share with one other person or else if you must have your own space get a studio for around £700-800 in zone 3/4. This is not an easy city in which to live alone, and you do want some disposable income to have fun with!

have you considered being a lodger?

have you considered being a lodger?

That would be a million times worse for the OP than sharing in an equal 2 person flat share, which they have already said they don't want to do.

my logic went: house shares = young people = parties/mess OP didn't want

lodger = someone older with their own house = lots less parties, people looking after and caring for the house/ less mess = less naging

so a possible compromise

Mate, you're going to be ok, but you're going to need to compromise either on area or on living situation.

Personally I'd look for a share - an awful lot of people are just like you - they don't want to hang out, don't want to party, don't want mess, don't want to share at all but finances mean they must.

But if your heart's set on your own place, look at Woolwich near the station. NOT en route from Woolwich to Plumstead as the crow flies, I've walked that and it wasn't pleasant even in broad daylight.

Look at Canning Town - really safe, just a bit grubby, and even maybe in Shadwell.

Basically look along the DLR - you will find something under 1300. Be wary of the tiny studios as they're often owned by slumlords, and do keep an eye on spare room and gumtree as they're more where you find the privately let studios, which is ideally what you want.

Of course Stockwell isn't as nice as Kensington - that's why one is cheaper than the other.

Most places in London are fine to walk through. I've lived in "rough" areas of London and never had a problem. As long as you're sensible, you'll be fine. There's crime across the capital - you can be mugged as easily on Oxford Street as you can walking home in Stockwell.

I really would avoid Stratford, since Westfield shopping centre rents have gone thru roof and locals call it Beirut - due to number of stabbings. (Also a stabbing a week in Leyton up road - I kid you not, every Friday come rain or shine there is one).

£1,100 a month is going rate for nice 1bed flats in Wanstead, (safe, quiet, leafy, family orientated small town). On the central line. Change at Stratford for the Jubilee Line to the Wharf. 30mins door to door.

Oh cmon Stratford is not sodding Beirut.

Also, maybe not what people want to hear but you're vanishingly unlikely to be stabbed if you're a regular law abiding adult minding your own business. Don't take up harassing gangs or dealing drugs as a hobby and your chances of being stabbed go right down.

Beirut's not even very stabby, unlike Stratford. It's more shooty like Nottingham.

Nice if you are based nearer Crossharbour than the Wharf you would doo well to search the DLR stops heading down to Lewisham. You would have a guaranteed cheap/easy commute, back up bus service if the DLR is down and you will find cheaper options in Deptford/Lewisham/Greenwich than Clapham/West.

Those areas look a bit rough but are not really.

Its ok saying that re Stratford , but thats what locals call it: and if i nip to shop etc gone 7pm I dont want to be mugged/ in middle of something kicking off. (friend's experience living there). Besides that its bit grim/depressing, as is Leyton. But only my opinion. Poplar is nice but expensive and near Wharf. You want to be somewhere that isnt dodgy gone 7pm if you are single women walking to shops or to and from tube station.

Ok, so loads of updates.

I've viewed flats in Stockwell, Gants Hill and New Cross (cheapest ones I could find ranging from £800-£1,100 a month)

I personally felt very uncomfortable in the areas these flats were located in :-(. I'm sure loads of people live there and love it, but I personally felt like I'd constantly worry walking home at night, especially in winters when it gets dark much earlier.

So I started looking more towards west, despite the potential long commute.

I've found two options both in Bayswater that I need opinions on. I've lived in Bayswater before and loved it, so I'm comfortable with the area.

1. This is self contained studio for £1,100 pm (£255 PW) with everything included even Internet, there is a free gym on site too at no additional cost. ( I was going to join a gym anyway, so this will save me some £50-£80 a month) Laundry facilities are shared, but I can live with that. There's also 24/7 Maintenence and concierge.

The deposit is just £400.

The catch? The building is mostly for short stays, so there's no usual tenancy agreement. You pay £300 and then pay monthly and just stay for however long. When you wish to leave you give 1 week notice. While the flexibility is amazing, it makes me uncomfortable to stay somewhere long term without anything in writing like the usual tenancy agreement.

Also if anyone comes over to stay with me, they'll charge £10 a night

I was thinking of staying there short term and continuing my search for something more permanent.

1. The second option is £1,200 with all bills included, but no gym and concierge. Deposit is also £1200. This one has a balcony though! It's less modern but then it has a proper tenancy agreement for 6-12 months and guests stay free.

Thoughts?

Regarding Stratford and Leyton, I personally didn't much care for the areas. If I had to I'd live there and I'm sure it's not terrible, but it definitely isn't my first choice.

Tokyobananas-

Slum lords?!?! Omg, there's so much I don't know They operate here in London as well? Scary.

Ok, you are being a little bit of a princess. You won't share (understandable), you won't commute, and you are refusing to live in the several suggested areas where you can afford to live alone which are close to work.

You have just willingly moved to the most expensive city in the world. You must have known you would have to compromise somewhere?

Ecuse-

I think I've said in several posts I'm actual,y quite willing to commute and look at less central areas.

And no, I haven't willingly moved here, not really. This is just the only option I have for now.

"The catch? The building is mostly for short stays, so there's no usual tenancy agreement. You pay ?300 and then pay monthly and just stay for however long. When you wish to leave you give 1 week notice. While the flexibility is amazing, it makes me uncomfortable to stay somewhere long term without anything in writing like the usual tenancy agreement."

What would their notice-period be if they wanted you out? To be honest, the short-stays part would worry me. Who would these short-stayers be? Holiday-makers? No, they don't generally come here for a month or two and nor do students.

Still, if it gets you out of a temporary hole, then take it while you look for something else more suitable.

As has been said before, people on average salaries do not have the luxury of being able to live in a decent area on their own, close to their work. Workers in their 30s are now compelled to share. You have to accept that you need to compromise on your expectations. Only you can decide what those compromises will be. My niece, a post- grad scientist, lives in a shared luxury flat with two others at Canada Water for ?650 a month including Council Tax. Something like that would free up ?650 a month for savings. You could save and have something approaching a life.

Paying a rent which dies not allow you to set aside any savings is borderline suicidal. What happens when the unexpected turns up? Because the unexpected always does, eventually. Been there, done that.

How long would you be happy staying in option 2?

I like Bayswater. I've lived there and Notting Hill and Lancaster Gate (aeons ago!)

Ok, I think I've said several times that I'm willing to compromise on the commute and area. However, I don't think I'm being a "princess" when I reject areas that have a high crime rate and/or are dodgy. That's just common sense.

Saving £650 a month?!?!?! I don't know how anyone would realistically do that...

I don't mind sharing with people who aren't nousy and messy, but in my previous xperiences with flat sharing, you have no way of knowing this until it's too late.

IF I took something up for say £1100 or so with all bills included, then I'd be able to save £250 a month. Is that bad?

I don't go out drinking/partying or even on annual holidays etc. so I could save the £250 and still spend on food etc comfortably.

But yeah, I woukdnt manage to save £650...

I completely understand why you'd want to live alone.

So are you going for no 2 flat in Bayswater?

Do what you want and don't worry about others' opinions. You are obviously a professional working in canary wharf so have brains!
If on your salary you can afford it + living and understand the sacrifices then go for it. You know if it is long term or not too.

DD just rented a studio as she had an awful experience with a flatmate and found a very good block of flats in an OK area (it was originally key worker housing which might be why it seems a good deal) for 900 pcm. It is a short term situation and, for her, worth it. Others might say she should just find a far cheaper option but she can afford it and is still early twenties so will save once she moves in to share with a friend she has known for years next year.
She put into a calculator her take home salary pcm then subtracted rent, transport, bills incl phone, internet etc and all other regular outgoings and found she has over £400 left for food and going out. She knows what she has each week and is good at sticking to it, even saves occasionally.

DO what is best for you. Don't get tied in for more than 6 months.