Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be pissed off about where we live?

277 replies

Beautifulblue · 16/08/2018 22:11

Just a rant because I'm just PO tbh. Me (27), partner (28) & 1 daughter who is 1yo. We live (& were born in Brighton) we've made do up until this point with a 1 bed (cheap at 800pcm) but really need 2 bedrooms now DD is getting older.. problem is, we can't afford it. DP works full time, I work part time. Almost all (half decent & I mean HALF) 2 beds are £1200+ where we live. Even places within 5+ miles are the same price. How is this fair? We're being forced out of the town we were born in because of ridiculous rent prices & low wages! I just don't know what we're going to do. Places around 15-20 miles away you can get a 2 bed house for 900pcm & the wages are the same there. But all our family/friends & jobs are here. To top it off estate agents want fees, guarantors & your first born to even consider renting to you. Sick of greedy landlords & tight employers! AIBU to think you should be able to afford to stay in the town you were born in!?

OP posts:
Original poster
Beautifulblue · 19/08/2018 23:24

That's awesome @OftenHangry thanks so much for that, I will book a slot tomorrow! DD also loves that library so she'll be pleased 😉 thank you so much for all your help & congratulations on passing your access course! Good luck at uni! Hopefully soon I'll be just a year behind you Grin

OP posts:
Mollywobbles82 · 19/08/2018 23:47

Hi op,

Fellow Brighton local here. I share your feelings about everything! I'd lived central hove / seven dials / Brunswick forever and stuck out the first year post dc1 in a tiny one bed. We had a fixed budget when it came time to move and looked at everything within it. Ended up in mile oak which felt like a million miles away when we first came here on a viewing.

Like many have advised we had to weigh up our priorities and after years of neighbour trouble having a whole house with no one upstairs or downstairs won out. The area was supposed to be the compromise but it's turned out to be one of the things I like best. No, it's not like seven dials, but the people are friendly and it's peaceful, you can see the hills and get out to the downs on foot. Portslade is on the up and up (or so I keep hoping)... anyway my point is, be open minded. It was difficult to let go of the idea I had of myself as 'someone who lives in x' but the reality is that you need to be a legitimate millionaire to buy a family house in those parts of Brighton. Widen your net and see what's on offer. You'll find as the years go on that more of your friends will drift from whatever your epicentre in anyway, as they all find themselves facing the exact same dilemma as you. It's probably just come for you a little early...

On the education side, please do visit gb met (former city college) in Pelham street. They can certainly help you understand what your options would be and how you'd potentially finance them. I have studied loads over the years and you would be surprised how many grants and funds (non repayable) as well as the more well known student loans are available. As a general rule, the fewer qualifications you have, the more help is available. If you lack maths & English gcse, GBMC can certainly help with that as part of any program of study. They in fact receive a lot of government funding for every person they put through so it is a big priority for them as a college.

One final wildcard that will doubtless out me to anyone reading - have you thought about tefl teaching? Brighton is full of language schools, two universities. A degree is useful but not essential to teach. I know people who've done so v successfully without one. You need a one month celta or tesol certificate which costs about a grand all in. Maybe not one for while your dc is so young but once she's at nursery it could be a winner for a non career but better paying job where you could make use of your communication skills.

Good luck op. I really hope it works out for you.

Original poster
Beautifulblue · 19/08/2018 23:52

Thanks for your message @molly Smile

One final wildcard that will doubtless out me to anyone reading - have you thought about tefl teaching? Brighton is full of language schools, two universities. A degree is useful but not essential to teach. I know people who've done so v successfully without one. You need a one month celta or tesol certificate which costs about a grand all in. Maybe not one for while your dc is so young but once she's at nursery it could be a winner for a non career but better paying job where you could make use of your communication skills.

Sorry what is this exactly? Learning a second language then teaching English or something? Or am I way off the mark!?

OP posts:
Mollywobbles82 · 19/08/2018 23:53

Teaching English as a second language. No need to learn any other languages first Smile

TheAmazingShrinkingWoman · 20/08/2018 00:10

You're making some amazing plans! I really would recommend looking at what tax credits you are entitled to - I did a very rough calculation based on the info on the thread and it could be over £100 pcm.

Original poster
Beautifulblue · 20/08/2018 00:17

That's interesting, would you be able to give me some more details? Maybe by email? Not sure if j can PM my email address on here?
@Mollywobbles82

@TheAmazingShrinkingWoman thank you! I think so to, not sure if I'm more excited or more nervous Grin thanks so much for doing that... I will talk to someone about it this week!

OP posts:
TheAmazingShrinkingWoman · 20/08/2018 00:32

Do the tax credit calculator (Google it) and put in accurate info. Good luck with everything.

politicalcorrectnessisgreat · 20/08/2018 07:41

This is inspiring me. I was on another thread for mature students asking about how to fund a degree course and now I'm getting some info here! Always thought it was impossible for me as I work part time and have two kids but could at least do access course online. Anyone know if you can wait a few years after doing the access course before starting degree?

OftenHangry · 20/08/2018 09:02

I like how this thread turned out. Grin

Thanks @Beautifulblue

If you are confident in your English (your written English is great!), it's a great way to make extra money. Or even actually use it for a job. But it's not easy. You have to be able to explain things simply yet effectively. Which sounds easy, but it's bit harder irl. It's a uni city as well so there is always plenty of students for the language schools.
You will have to deal with questions like "Why is it 'I look forward meeting you soon' and not 'I am looking forward to meet you soon'?" Grin

Before you invest check out the language schools. If they were hiring often, what would be the wages etc.

Good luck!

OftenHangry · 20/08/2018 09:04

@politicalcorrectnessisgreat I think it's two years. After that unies might not accept it from what I heard.

Mollywobbles82 · 20/08/2018 12:17

@beautifulblue, I will send you a pm later when when i achieve the magic state of both my babies sleeping!

Original poster
Beautifulblue · 20/08/2018 17:56

Good luck Wink

OP posts:
MyNameIsArthur · 20/08/2018 18:14

Move to Chatham in Kent. You could buy a 3 bedroom house for £130k. It's 50 minutes on the train to London if commuting to work is an option for you. Annual season ticket is around £3000. There are links to many other places for work such as Maidstone. The area is a bit deprived though hence the cheap house prices but there are plenty of shops and other things around there

Missingstreetlife · 20/08/2018 18:25

Dorset is not that cheap and the wages are low. Wiltshire and Somerset v rural, so not much work, there's a reason it's cheap.
Google help to buy. It's the deposit that makes buying hard, and remember you have to pay for repairs. Good luck

bpirockin · 21/08/2018 03:10

I come from a small village and the problem is the same there. People daren't move away even in the short term, because the prices have gone so crazy that they wouldn't be able to afford to return. People are adding extensions rather than taking the next step up the property ladder. This in turn means that smaller, more affordable properties are decreasing. I needed to get away for a while for my own well-being following a big life change, nut would dearly love to go back now, and it's looking increasingly less feasible.

House prices are through the roof, and I have so much more where I am, which is actually lovely, but far less convenient in terms of general accessibility to amenities etc. I really need to head back 'home' now as my Mum grows less able and my disability makes distance driving harder and harder. At this rate I'll have to move back in with her!

There are currently four pricey properties that are not selling, so maybe they will come down (I can hope!). Sadly though, as a friend pointed out, it only takes someone coming out of London to buy a house that none of the locals could even consider.

I think it's a widespread problem.

Original poster
Beautifulblue · 21/08/2018 18:05

Just an update - I have a careers advice appointment tomorrow at Jubilee library. I'm going to try & get onto an access course to study midwifery, I've been told I may have to take my maths GCSE along side the course, but we'll see! Also DP has been offered an apprenticeship today, which pays the same as his current job currently but a definite & substantial increase once his qualified & much better prospects. Today is a good day Smile

OP posts:
Excited0803 · 21/08/2018 18:27

This is such a positive thread, thanks for the good news @BeautifulBlue.

UnderMajorDomoMinor · 21/08/2018 19:38

That’s great news.

This also suggests there are loan options and childcare options: www.gbmc.ac.uk/brighton/study-at-the-met/course-fees-and-financial-support/19-course-fees-and-financial-support

RidingMyBike · 21/08/2018 19:46

Excellent news! Good luck @Beautifulblue

Original poster
Beautifulblue · 21/08/2018 20:50

Thanks @UnderMajorDomoMinor will be discussing the advanced learner loan tomorrow!
Thank you! @ridingmybike & @excited!

OP posts:
Missingstreetlife · 21/08/2018 21:00

Later you can look at help to buy, get your education underway first if you can, good luck

ForalltheSaints · 21/08/2018 21:04

Agree about property prices and renting that includes all the extra fees. Not just applicable in Brighton but in many parts of the south east and London especially.

OftenHangry · 22/08/2018 16:53

Great news! Really happy for you.

Don't be afraid of advance learner loan. It will get wiped off when you graduate

Original poster
Beautifulblue · 22/08/2018 20:26

Has anyone had any experience of this place? Career advisor didn't seem to know anything about it & suggest I do an access course through a local college but she isn't sure if they do online & I can't go to college full time working & with a 1yo! www.stonebridge.uk.com/19-plus-courses

OP posts:
OftenHangry · 22/08/2018 21:54

The full time is usually just 3 days, but you could also do part time. You would get more support than online tbh. Plus there is often a free childcare offer from what I understood.