So we're definitely moving to Shanghai which I'm thrilled about because I'm DONE with this polluted dump of a city. Having spent 4 days house hunting and feeling very depressed about the quality of housing we've come down to this:
I found an absolutely perfect house, good garden, good compound with pool, right next to a large park, right next to a foreign super market and wine shop, well within budget (actually it's less than our budget so we can spend the excess of our housing allowance on utilities or cleaner or whatever), everything is ideal.
But
It's on the far side of fuck. It's about 15 minutes west of Hong Qiao airport so, with good traffic, is 30 - 45 minutes from down town and as traffic downtown is so bad it could well be another 30 minutes to get wherever I want to go.
I'm not sure what is out there in terms of meeting other people. I'm sure there must be stuff as it is where the American and British schools are but I'm not sure. I've felt rather isolated where we are in Beijing as it is always a taxi or car ride to get anywhere. I don't want to do that again.
The problem is it seems to be that if we move into town we either need to go into a poor quality house which costs lots but is not nice inside, go into an apartment (which I don't want to do) or DH asks his boss for more money on the housing allowance which we don't want to do as he's asking for a pay increase next year.
Agh, maybe I just haven't looked enough. Maybe there is something perfect waiting for me...
I can't look again until after Christmas as we're going back to the UK. I'm worried about losing out on this house if we don't go for it though...
Sorry, this is really long but I'm turning myself in side out on this. I want to be happy and in the city but I also want to live somewhere lovely. Also planning to be pg next year so being in the city for going out at night less important to being able to meet other mums. Where do I compromise?
It's just DH, DD (11 m) and I.