Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Other subjects
Original poster

Can we move to London.

137 replies

TwinSetAndPearls · 23/07/2005 23:23

I hate were we are living now with a passion, I am so miserable that it is starting to affect my relationship with dp.

WE live in Lancashire and have been looking at Yorkshire, but I just can't find anywhere that I like and the reason is that I want to go back to London. I have finally ground dp down and he is willing to look at London - but now is the hard bit - finance!

I don't see how we can do it, our present house is worth about £145,000, our mortgage is about £100,000. Our household income is about £40-45K.

I have enquired about shared ownership and key worker schemes as I am teacher so should be eligble but of course I couldn't get a teaching job in London without somewhere to live, and I am not eligible for any of the schemes without a job.

Am I going to be stuck living in a place I hate forever ?

Is there a way out? Is there a way for us to buy in London?

OP posts:
Caligula · 24/07/2005 16:07

What about Kent? I live in Medway, which is horrible, BUT - stay with me on this - it is 3/4 hour from London on the A2, an hour from the beach, an hour's commute to London on the train, and does have a castle and cathedral (she says, clutching at straws). And it is CHEAP. Well, compared to London anyway. And soon, there will be a high speed link into St.Pancras (or somewhere - I'm a bit vague, haven't followed it). Plus, the primary schools are good, the secondary schools are good if your child passes the 11+ (God knows what happens if they don't - I'm not thinking about it for 5 years) and according to my policewoman friend, the crime rates are very low compared to anywhere she has worked in London. Can I interest you in that?

hunkermunker · 24/07/2005 16:07

What size house are you looking at, TSAP?

You could look out west of London - where does DH have to commute to? Can he drive in?

Original poster
TwinSetAndPearls · 24/07/2005 16:10

Will look into it Caligula, I am staring to feel like the little princess from the "I want ... series" stamping my feet and sulking because I can't have what I want.

I know I am behaving like a spoilt madam as we have a lovely house here that dp has worked so hard for in a nice area and dd could go to a lovely school - but I am so unhappy. It is just a horrible way to live feeling trapped living somewhere you hate.

OP posts:
leonardodavinci · 24/07/2005 16:10

London are you sure you want to live there? Nothing against anyone who lives there already, but I think that there are many lovely towns throughout UK that are just as enterprising and promise you a far better quality of life. Do you not fancy seeing the sunrise, hearing tractors, blackbirds and being able to go the fete each year? Sorry am not against London but having lived in a rural location with dh having a good job for many years I can't see why you want to live there unless you really do love big cities in which case why not try Cambridge/ Milton Keynes/ Northampton. not quite as busy but prospects there are too. What I am trying to say is living in semirural locations is equally fun and the quality of life is so much less stressful. You get quiet in the evenings and it can be just perfect in someways.

Original poster
TwinSetAndPearls · 24/07/2005 16:12

Dp drives so he could commute in, ideally I want a house a similar size to what we have now, but accept that it may have to be a terraced rather than a semi and maybe not on such a nice road.

At present we have a separate living room and dining room, a sort of galley kitchen. Two double bedrooms and a small single.

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 24/07/2005 16:13

Are you prepared to do work on a house or do you want one you can move right into?

leonardodavinci · 24/07/2005 16:14

would you consider Cambridge or similar cities, is it Cities you want, would you consider semi-rural ever?

Original poster
TwinSetAndPearls · 24/07/2005 16:15

Leonardodivinci I do want to live in a city, I like the idea of rolling fields and a nice sunset but I know it isn't meant for me on a full time basis. Last year we were looking at moving to Wales for our rural idyll as we are both countryside people, we go walking with the dog every weekend up in the lakes or similar. But I just know I couldn't do it full time. I have also tried other cities, lived in Leeds for a year and spent most of that time pining for London.

OP posts:
Original poster
TwinSetAndPearls · 24/07/2005 16:15

we are prepared to do work.

OP posts:
hunkermunker · 24/07/2005 16:16

I would look at renting in London for six months (being very careful not to touch the money from the sale of your house!) and then you'll be able to search out different areas. Prices are pretty static in London atm.

hunkermunker · 24/07/2005 16:17

There are places near me that you could get for £200,000, but they'd need a lot of work. Try looking on www.gibbsgillespie.co.uk

Original poster
TwinSetAndPearls · 24/07/2005 16:17

I actually think I would be better at totally rural than semi rural! I am an all or nothing sort of girl. God my dp must really love me to put up with this!

OP posts:
blossom2 · 24/07/2005 16:17

i do love living in London. it think its the sense of 'there is always something to do', even if we never do them but we could if we wanted to!!!!

i'm really looking forward to going home ...

Caligula · 24/07/2005 16:23

Wish I could afford to go home

But I found I could never afford to anything there when I was there, due to the mortgage needing to be paid!

leonardodavinci · 24/07/2005 16:25

"I actually think I would be better at totally rural than semi rural", so why are you thinking London here??

noddyholder · 24/07/2005 16:29

south east london is on the up There are some lovely houses real bargains What do you need in terms of space?BTW I went to college in that area for a while and never noticed it was rough several friends rented flats in Abbey wood Plumstead etc and it was v nice

Original poster
TwinSetAndPearls · 24/07/2005 16:30

Because to be honest I wouldn't want either rural or semi rural. But if I was forced I think I would choose rural as it would make dp happy, making a decision that would at least make one of us happy rather than a compromise with which we are both a bit half hearted would seem a better decision. Also I would see it as a life challenge and get on with it. And as I said I am an all or nothing person.

OP posts:
lewislewis · 24/07/2005 16:30

I would be careful about moving to suburbia, it might depress you.

Original poster
TwinSetAndPearls · 24/07/2005 16:33

We could afford abbey wood a friend suggested that to us already. Where we live currently is a nice area but in a dreadful town, are we better doing that or living in a roughish area in somewhere I actually like. But if it means putting dd into an awful school I am not quite that selfish and stubborn.

OP posts:
Original poster
TwinSetAndPearls · 24/07/2005 16:34

WE are in suburbia now and I am depressed maybe some suburbias are better than others though!

OP posts:
noddyholder · 24/07/2005 16:35

what about somewhere like brighton?It has a certain city buzz not quite London but we came here as is cheaper and the schools are good and all our friends from London come down all the time and love it.Also easy to get to London for weekends etc

Original poster
TwinSetAndPearls · 24/07/2005 16:36

I like south London, it was my stomping ground apart from a couple of years in Ealing. I was spoilt though and lived in a luxury riverside apartment - those days have gone though!

But I have lived in "rougher areas" and was also quite happy as I was still getting my city fix. But obviously when you have kids you have to change your priorities.

OP posts:
Original poster
TwinSetAndPearls · 24/07/2005 16:38

I love Brighton actually, have always said that it is somewhere I would love to live but had assumed it was also out of our budget. Dp would also love it as he likes the sense of space living on the coast. the one thing I know we would miss if we moved from here is the beach as are on it all the time.

OP posts:
Original poster
TwinSetAndPearls · 24/07/2005 16:40

this looks almost exactly the same as the house we live in now.

OP posts:
lewislewis · 24/07/2005 16:54

it looks lovely, almost tempted by the brighton idea, we are now looking at buying in lewisham, but not sure about schools. That is the main problem with London, the school lottery.