home town so expensive

SuzieSue

lovejason37 wrote: »

Thanks, probably a bad idea, in response to the suggestions:

- i'd like town as it's near everything and only mile or so from work
.

But so would everyone else which is why those areas are so expensive. I'd love to be able to walk to work in the centre of town, but it just isn't possible so I have a 1 hour commute each way (if I'm lucky and the trains and tubes are not messsed up).

I think your best bet is to share a 2 bedroomed flat with a stranger if necessary. You might be able to get one with 2 bathrooms which would mean only sharing the kitchen. As you are not in any hurry to move you can take your time looking at sites such as spareroom.com and easyroommates for the right person to share with.

mynameisclare

You should be able to get a studio flat on that budget I'd have thought. My partner lived there for a while paying, I think, about £500-600 for studios, and once a very nice one bed flat (until he got section 21ed). That was a few years ago though so I don't know about current prices.

mynameisclare

2 minute search on Rightmove suggests there is plenty around, including non studio flats if you look in places like Caversham (easy walking distance to city centre) or Lower Earley.

You could even get two bedrooms!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-23359614.html

jc808

lovejason37 wrote: »

Hi,
I am looking for some ideas, basically I had some credit card debts so moved back in the folks house for a year. Now I am debt free and desperate to get my own place again. I really would like my own flat, own kitchen and bathroom. I have lodged/shared before and I just prefer to be by myself.

I have enough saved for a deposit, the problem is the rental prices in my town are so high. I earn £340 a week and here in Reading I would have to spend 2 weeks wages on rent alone to find anything acceptable.

There are plenty of flats around £500-600 but they are all studios and tiny/not in nice streets. The kind of place I'd like is £700-800 a month, for a 1 bedroom flat in a nice block or a nice converted house. Trouble is I could be spending over half my wages on the rent which is just absurd.

I don't know what I can do, any ideas anyone?

Im in the same boat, I was found shortly after birth abandoned in a doorway in Pimlico, now I work minimum wage. Ive looked in Kensington, Pimlico, Brompton etc, cant afford the rent HELP

RunbeforeIcanwalk

Reading is full of cheap properties.. Do you need to be in walking distance of town. Do you drive? Can you not look further out.

I am not far away but only go into Reading if I really have to. I am not a fan at all. the outskirts might be different (as with all towns I expect!)

TBH I just did a quick Rightmove search and it bought up over 200 properties under £600 a month. |thats not even extending the search a little. There has to be something surely!!

lovejason37

Thanks for suggestions, I will have a look at Caversham as it's quite a nice part of town and wasn't included in my RG1 search. I don't currently drive, which is saving me a lot of money, so I'd rather pay a bit more rent than have the cost of driving too.

Runbefore.. I know Reading isn't the greatest town but I still like the idea of being in walking distance, being able to walk to the pubs, go to a gig, go shopping, eating, cinema etc. Also got the college as I was considering re-training at some point and getting a better job. Instead of having to drive in. I just fancy doing this for 6 months - 1 year. If I get fed up of the town I can move back further out after that.

RunbeforeIcanwalk

If you want to be on your own rahter than a share just keep looking. I presume you have tried gumtree etc. It is hard when not driving. You will find something X

Mr_Thrifty

Basically it is a sign of the times.

Market forces are determining that you are not economically productive enough to afford to live in a nice 1 bedroom flat in your home town.

There are many reasons for that, such as the increased burden of taxation you face in order to pay for the excesses of the baby boomers during the 1980's (i.e. funding their gold plated pensions, servicing the national debt, not benefitting from a windfall from selling off the nationalised industries as they did, etc).

So, the question is: what alternative? I would suggest that you either:

a) become more productive (higher earning job)
b) lower your expectations (sharing a flat, living in a bad area, etc)
c) emigrate to a country where the baby boomers have not placed such a high financial burden on your generation (and don't worry about how Doris and Maureen will cope, I'm sure they'll comfortably cruise through life in their near-empty 5 bed houses with 1/2 acre gardens despite constantly whinging about milk going up by 5p a pint and draining the NHS of every resource it has).

It's harsh, but that's the conclusion I eventually reached regarding my own circumstances when I considered the reality of the situation.

andy.m_2

lovejason37 wrote: »

to the pubs, go to a gig, go shopping, eating, cinema etc. .

not when you pay half your wage in rent you dont.
Simply economics 101 I'm afraid, increase money or lower expectations.
oh, and get a tredder.

Lizling

Start cycling or get a scooter or something that'll let you live further out without having the expense of driving?