To wonder where are all the poor people in the South East supposed to actually live?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

I rent privately, self contained space but essentially a lodger - ground floor flat. It looks like the family will need their place back sharpish due to illness, so I've started looking at rentals again.

Fed up. I've seen some horrific shitholes of studios and they're still hugely expensive. I'm in London zone 2, and looked at moving further out but it's still expensive. For a studio, Croydon is not significantly cheaper than London. Nor is Brighton, where I have family links to, hence looking there. Brighton is also close enough to be able to come to London for all my hospital stuff, as I'm an outpatient of Guys and Thomas and Moorfields plus have ongoing appointments trying to figure out fibromyalgia and gynae problems.

Weary of house shares now in my thirties and there are aspects of my health that make sharing quite stressful when it's a bunch of strangers. I don't want to share a bathroom and I don't want to share a fridge where I store my extensive medication. I guess maybe an en suite room, if I bought my own fridge for my room would be fine though.

Obviously I could well end up going somewhere like Manchester or Birmingham or Glasgow, or elsewhere, if I get really stuck - but that's just me as an individual, just one person.

There must be thousands and thousands of people in a similar pickle, including families with small kids in school. Leaving London and the south east of the country can't be the solution for everyone too poor to pay the market rent? Not everyone can up and leave?

What will happen regarding the whole unsustainable rental situation?

Landlords are favoured. Immigration high. Reduction in social housing. Creates a perfect storm over the last 20-30 years. Its a mess.

OP, I live in Stevenage. You could very easily rent a nice property in a nice area for your budget. Commuter links are fantastic. 20 mins directly into Kings X. Commuting is expensive though. If you want some further info or a heads up of areas to have a look at, please feel free to PM me. It is cheaper here than Hitchin and Letchworth although they are both only 10 mins away.

Ok I would do your diabetes research and use that to narrow down future potential areas.

I think St Peters hospital near Wokingham a good unit these days but may be aimed at teens - sure it's Stephanie Marks...

It’s not to do with nimbys. There are plenty of houses being built in the south east. Planned on green belt as well . Problem is they are not affordable and social housing is lacking as well . Then transport is expensive as well . But there are billions of pounds available for new roads and hs2 to be built . Something is not right . Now Bristol is a good example thriving , plenty of jobs and affordable housing with all the amenities as well . Very popular with young people .

Nimbys are not the problem. Most people don't mind new properties being built, but they should be allowed to object to 1000 unaffordable single bedroom flats with no parking, extra doctors or school places in an area that needs homes for families.

I'm a nurse, born and raised in the South East. Was still living at home at 30 due to rents for rooms in house shares averaging £700 pcm. And buying? Absolutely out of the question. I ended up moving to the North West, and will actually be in a position to buy a property soon......something that would never have happened had I stayed down South. Yes, I don't get "london weighting" anymore but that extra money makes no difference when rents are so extortionate. When I left my NHS Trust in London, nurses were leaving in droves for the North and Midlands. We're headed for a crisis.

Epsom? Chessington? Safe areas with lots of green space, cheaper rental and regular trains into Central London.
Also Sevenoaks.

I think Bristol has a big housing crisis, SusieOwl. Its commercially thriving but not the housing to match. Its a very divided city. Some of the housing costs are now similar to London.

Sevenoaks is v.expensive. Better looking at Dartford, Chatham, Gravesend.

I'm stuck in a 1.5 bedroom flat. Me and DS. DF can't move in because we can't fit. Adding another adult and the stuff it comes with I haven't the space. The council say that I could fit 5 people in the flat. Can't go on the council list because I'm housed. But my son can barely move in his box room. It's a hell.

Also try Maidenhead, Slough and Reading.

Reading to Paddington is only 25 mins on the train.
Reading to Waterloo is 1 hour (lots of little stops on the way).

But trains expensive Person. You have to factor that in (plus time and hassle - I know I've done it). No previous generation has had to do that sort of travelling to an averagely paid job. I think its all a mugs game myself ...

There isn't much in the way of affordable housing in Bristol in my experience. Students I know have found it hard to find a place and they aren't cheap.

I live in one of the places mentioned in this thread (along the Bedford to Brighton train route). The only reasons it's manageable are:

1. I work full time.
2. I am a single parent to one DC so get housing benefit and child tax credits (no WTC as I earn too much for that).
3. Said DC is autistic so I get DLA for them.
4. My landlord is an average bloke who had a second property, not a professional landlord. He's not raised my rent in over 5 years (and the property has risen in value in that time, but has now begun dropping again).

If any of those things changed I'd have to move back in with my parents (although there's talk of that anyway so I can save to buy).

Incidentally I commute from where I am for eye care at Moorfields too. My Fibromyalgia is unmanaged and I don't have diabetes so can't comment on that. Have you any experience/knowledge of the diabetes care at any of the hospitals in Beds/Herts/Surrey/E.Sussex/W.Sussex?

I feel you OP. I know it's not for everyone, but one of my friends just moved into this scheme as she has health issues and was struggling with maintaining her income: www.shareandcare.co.uk/

YADNBU op. On MN the answer often is "just move away" but London needs normal people with normal jobs to function, otherwise it would just be multi millionaires and council housing and nothing in between (not that they aren't normal people, but ykwim).

It does toomanyweeds, but that's irrelevant to any particular individual's circumstances. If OP, or possibly not her given her occupation, but any other low or moderate earner is going to be objectively better off outside the south east, the fact that London would be fucked if everyone did that shouldn't even figure in the decision making process. OP doesn't owe London her presence!

On a macro level, we obviously need policies to fix the problem, but on a micro level it doesn't matter in the slightest. People tend to provide advice to the individual and on an individual level, move is often the right decision.

Could you look out in the other direction? Perhaps towards West Berkshire? Newbury/Thatcham/Reading? About 45 mins on the train into Paddington.

Ashford? Looks like there is property in your budget and it is close to the M20 and HS1. There are direct trains to Brighton as well so you can see your family. It is not the most exciting town (I'd prefer Canterbury- but more expensive or Folkestone but that is longer commute) but it has most amenities.

Not sure how cheap you want to go but I looked in the medway area which is easy to get to London. Sheerness was particularly cheap. Clacton and Southend are other options, if you are just going to London for hospital appointments. EX Londoners and migrants are messing up many places in the South west and making it too expensive for local people. All my friends have left and I may have to disappear soon. It is still reasonable in some southern sea side towns like Bournemouth, Weston and Torquay.

Beetlejizz I wasn't suggesting that the OP had a moral obligation to stay in London just that the situation as a whole is pretty dismal and if those in charge of housing policy don't sort it out it will be London itself that suffers. The OP should do what's best for her, of course.

Op, I’ve found a few 1 bed flats for around £900 in Bromley/Beckenham/ West Wickham. Not the most exciting places to live but easy fast access to central London ( West Wickham line & grove park go to Waterloo & London Bridge so good for hospitals, Bromley S is 14 mins to Victoria or 40 mins to Kings cross)

Are people not hearing about the cost of train travel and season tickets as a factor? Reading to London about £5K out of your net salary. I do think some people really live in a bubble.

It is shit and i couldnt agree more about nimbyism.
We moved last summer. The house we bought is 15 years old but the adjacent land has been in the town plan for 30 years for development. The council has secured some govt money towards infrastructure so hopefully it will go ahead. It will be 200 homes, 80 of them affordible homes. Our street is 25 percent housing association. Not making myself popular with the neighbours by stating my only protest will be if affodable housing is not included. Everyone is entitled to a decent place to live.

OP I agre and sympathyse.

OP I agree and sympathise. Living in SE must be hell