Talk me into it?

BitterAndTwisted

Flat-sharing in your twenties is no big deal really and it can be a whole lot more fun than living on your own. Cheaper too, so you should be able to save more. I say, try that first before taking on a substantial commitment of £800 a month in rent on your own.

Svenena

If you're looking to buy in the future, you should definitely be looking at one-bed places. Your emergency fund and moving out fund will both grow quicker if you're paying less rent. You could always move again in six months if you found it unbearable, but I'm sure a one-bed place would be better than your parents' anyway.

LeeSouthEast

Not sure I'll ever want to take the plunge and buy, now I'm doing a lot of soul searching.

Svenena

You're only 27, you might change your mind about that in the future, or meet a partner who wants to buy. Who knows what will happen? In the meantime, I think when you're young and without commitments, you should be as money-saving as possible, and build up some savings.

PasturesNew

Smaller/cheaper would be a studio too. Especially in the winter as you're only heating one room, not having to think about heating in a separate bedroom.... living alone you're only ever in one room at a time, so it makes a lot of sense to just have one room.

That way you could probably save another £1000-1500/year more than you could in even a 1-bed flat, with less rent and less council tax and less heating costs.

At 27 you really start to need your own space. Sharing's OK for younger people, who live a fun lifestyle, but you've already done lots of adult things (married, divorced, seeing somebody else now), so need to have the space to organise and run your life the way you want .... and not to share with some annoying party animal, or somebody who has never left home before and thinks the cleaning fairies visit daily and that bills pay themselves.

alona1

I say 'GO FOR IT' just get a 6 month lease - try it and see how you get on in your new life. Six months at the age of 27 isnt long at all!

Svenena

PasturesNew wrote: »

Smaller/cheaper would be a studio too.

I'm 27 and I rent a studio, and it's great. Plenty of space for one person. It costs me £550 a month and it's just outside the city centre, one mile from where I work. 2 bed flats round here actually cost more than what you've quoted in your OP, so I should think you could get a studio for less than what I pay, which would be a substantial saving on your original figures. Plus I only have to pay council tax (band A) and electricity - heating and water are included in the rent as these are covered by the building's service charge (also included in the rent).

Very little cleaning involved too. :j

puddy

oh my god, it must be me and i will sound really moany, but 27 year olds shouldnt be living with their parents (yes i know, theres no such thing as should or shouldnt)

the emphasis on saving up loads of money over developing independence results in people becoming infantalised, which is probably contributing to the OPs reluctance about going out there again to independence.

in addition, yes the amounts quoted for rent are horrendous but as people have pointed out there is another way. flat share, rent a room, rent a bedsit or studio, then you can keep saving a decent amount, have your independence and not worry too much about the lack of an emergency fund. if it was me (and it was me 20 years ago), i would rent a room, flat share etc, spend your time getting the right one, be prepared for compromises etc and then sit pretty while you save up and have fun

Raggs_2

When you just come out of a divorce with 20k debt, living with your parents is a more than acceptable option for anyone.

I know if I broke up with my GF right now I'd be moving in with one of them till I was back on my feet.

puddy

fair enough at the time, but people are suggesting on here that he stay there for another year!! he'll end up like timothy in sorry