This is where I’ve been the last few weeks. It is completely annihilating and I’m beginning to count up how many friends I’ve got who have spare rooms.

Here are the three most common real estate agent conversations:

Me: “Hi, I’m calling about the flat at ….”

EA: “I’m sorry, that’s already taken, may I offer you something at £50 above your weekly maximum?”

Me: “Hi, I’m calling about the flat at ….”

EA: “I’m sorry, that’s already taken, what did you say your maximum was again?”

Me: “Hi, I’m calling about the flat at ….”

EA: “You know, September’s a really bad time to be looking for a flat.”

I’m trying to work out the extremely fine balance between wanting something I can bear to live in, and not wanting to be out on the street in three weeks’ time.

Is it so wrong of me to prefer a street like this:

 flat3.jpg

to a building like this:

flat-2.jpg

Eta: I just got a call from an agent and have an appointment at 9am tomorrow. Cross everything for me please!

5 Responses to “Flat Hunting”
  1. Heather says:

    I have everything crossed! It is slightly uncomfortable but hope it does the trick! Good luck tomorrow :-)

  2. Michelle says:

    Living in a high rise isn’t that bad. Does it have a doorman? Then you have someone to take in your packages, a bonus.

  3. Kay Anne says:

    *crosses fingers, toes, eyes, legs, wrists* That’s everything! Here’s to hoping it works out well for you.

  4. Mum says:

    A high rise wouldn’t be so bad - think of the view, and all the exercise you could get running up and down the stairs.

    Just check for marks on the stairs caused by the carrying up of drum-kits.

  5. Fi says:

    I lived in a medium rise in Hoxton (N1, Zone 1) for three years, though like you I am more of a Georgian terrace kind of gal. It was very, very cheap then though. And I’d moved from lovely leafy Ealing (near the Abbey) so you can imagine the shock!

    I was quite upset with it when I first moved in, it looked so grim and ‘inner city’ but then I had to look on the positive, I couldn’t afford anywhere else!. It was relatively safe, I could walk to the City and Barbican in 20 minutes (I could see the top of St Pauls from my living room window!) and to the West End if I was feeling energetic, it was near Islington (at non Islington prices, back then!), and it was an up and coming area - artists, galleries, new businesses were starting to move there.

    Obviously if you’re being offered flats on truly horrible estates then it’s not good, but even high rises can be OK, honest, for a time.

    GOOD LUCK !!!

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