DH and I are desperate to move for a number of reasons, but mostly because we hate our flat and we hate our neighbours even more. DH is also desperate to move out of London.
We can’t take my income into account for a mortgage as I’m currently on a short-term contract with no guarantee of a permanent role, which has obviously had an impact on our budget. Our current flat is shared ownership, which I’m happy to do again as we’ll only be in the next place for a few years, until I have a steady salary and we can go somewhere better. However DH is refusing to consider it unless we can get a 75% share which isn’t going to happen.
Otherwise the criteria is this:
- Budget: £240k outright or £300k Help to Buy (in which case it has to be a new build)
- Ideally a house, or a flat with outside space/a balcony
- Minimum 2 bedrooms as we hope to start ttc reasonably soon
- Within 1.5 miles of train station; I can’t drive and DH doesn’t have a car so needs to be walking distance
- Max 1hr train journey to London; we both work in the City
- Max £3.5k annual season ticket; we currently pay £1960 in Zone 4
- Ideally not a crappy area, but obviously anyone would say that!
DH is turning down virtually everywhere I suggest as the commute is too expensive/we can’t walk to the station/it’s a rough or rundown area. There just doesn’t seem to be anywhere that fits the bill, at least I haven’t found anywhere after many evenings searching!
It doesn’t exist, right?