Frustrated - can't find anywhere to buy. Other areas?

abankerbutnotafatcat

If you're not busy on Saturday, why not visit that open house just to see it and the area? Can't hurt.

Re the job security, a lot of ppl in that situation now sadly but if you have a spare room in an area with good transport links you can always get a lodger.

tom9980

search on home.co.uk they search most of the portals and i find plenty of places up for sale that i dont on just rightmove.

hazyjo

abankerbutnotafatcat wrote: »

If you're not busy on Saturday, why not visit that open house just to see it and the area? Can't hurt.

Re the job security, a lot of ppl in that situation now sadly but if you have a spare room in an area with good transport links you can always get a lodger.

Am really not sure about cutting myself off from everyone... but thanks for suggesting it. Am going to see a house I'd written off before in Highams Park in the road which my old one adjoined. Had ruled it out cos of parking issues - but this has off street parking to the side, plus a garage (very rare). It's also got a downstairs bathroom which initially put me off, but there's an en-suite to the main bedroom which I think resolves that problem. Anyone who stays over will just have to go downstairs! I'm liking the look of it lots and hoping to view on Sat. Much cheaper than some I was looking at - there's a large estate behind it which might be putting others off. Might have to be my compromise. The way the job situation is (told yesterday one out of five of us will get the chop if nobody takes voluntary redundancy - but someone's come forward for it today), I think it'll be better to take a smaller mortgage anyway. Who knows, it might well be my forever house, even though I'm seeing it as a bit of a stepping stone - things have a funny way of working out!

tom9980 wrote: »

search on home.co.uk they search most of the portals and i find plenty of places up for sale that i dont on just rightmove.

Excellent - will check it out, thanks!

Jx

Hillbilly1

Good Luck on Saturday.

We had similar 4-5 years ago.Sold for good price, but nothing on market. We also had a defined area (think those sad peple on location with 10 roads they'll live on!).

Our compromise after 2 years of looking was to buy a smaller place. We'll be mortgage free in 13 years and have a deposit for a holiday home!

I agree that the right thing will happen at the right time.... and sometimes RM can be a curse!

hazyjo

It's weird as it's put other ideas in my head which weren't there before.

I could actually come out with around £160k - and it's crossed my mind that I could buy somewhere outright and maybe work locally or part-time if I move further out. Essex coast, maybe.

Or take out a smaller mortgage and buy for £200k-odd, but work part-time. Not sure that would/could work, as I'd have to find the job first, then buy.

Am never going to be in this position again (til I retire!) where I'm selling a house with nowhere to buy and therefore without a mortgage.

Don't know if I feel ready to give up London though! I see most of my friends here, and like being in the City and doing the sort of work I do. Not sure I'm a 'local' sort of gal.

Decisions, decisions...

Heads may be in the block again in the next year or so - so might be a decision I put off for a while. Should be given enough to pay enough off the mortgage to maybe offer part-time as an option and stay put (if I get a lower mortgage, which I'm currently thinking about). They'd probably accept that as an option at work.

Jx

hazyjo

Hillbilly1 wrote: »

Good Luck on Saturday.

We had similar 4-5 years ago.Sold for good price, but nothing on market. We also had a defined area (think those sad peple on location with 10 roads they'll live on!).

Our compromise after 2 years of looking was to buy a smaller place. We'll be mortgage free in 13 years and have a deposit for a holiday home!

I agree that the right thing will happen at the right time.... and sometimes RM can be a curse!

I think location will be my compromise - not one I wanted to make, but I was happy living there, except for the parking (and the house I'm viewing has a garage and OSP). Slightly concerned about the estate behind - did used to hear sirens heading down there quite often!

Sounds like you made the right decision! I'm not ruling out smaller, but they tend to be not much less than the larger ones where I'm looking!

Jx

Hillbilly1

I forgot to put that in the 2 years of lookng we tried other areas further out. Winchmore Hill, Brookmans Park etc. It means that even although its pricey where we are we are totally comfortable with what we spent and what we have.

We have alwsy been location focussed - but you know the compromises you will make!

We feel better in cheaper with more in the bank to overpay the mortgage and cushion against any job issues! It does feel nice in thsi climate.

hazyjo

Thanks, Hillbilly. These are issues which I've never had to think about before. Jobs are being cut - not cos of money (they're bloody raking it in), but because we just don't have the work to do! I think (through the grapevine), more heads will roll in the next year or two.

Will have a good think about downsizing already. Won't consider flats though, and the price of a 2 bed compared to a 3 bed (I'm only affording a 2 or 3 bed as it is) isn't going to be that great in most areas.

Jx

lb364

It's always worth checking the room sizes of two bed houses as I've noticed some are so big they would comfortably make two bedrooms.

Also, why don't you look at Chingford Mount area? I know it has a bad reputation but it's not all bad, is a lot cheaper and you can cut through to Highams Park station or get a bus to the central quite easily

hazyjo

lb364 wrote: »

It's always worth checking the room sizes of two bed houses as I've noticed some are so big they would comfortably make two bedrooms.

Also, why don't you look at Chingford Mount area? I know it has a bad reputation but it's not all bad, is a lot cheaper and you can cut through to Highams Park station or get a bus to the central quite easily

Ta for reply. My last house in HP was a 2 bed (2 doubles) and I would settle for that size again. I sold at £228,500, and the house next door to that is currently up for £290k! It's crazy. It was up for around £310k and went under offer - I wonder if they pulled out when they found out what I paid! (Mine was a 2 bed with large upstairs bathroom, theirs is a 3 bed, downstairs bathroom - the prices generally seem to even out in those cases.)

The 3 bed nearby I've seen is up for £290k, but I expect they'll take an offer.

Just not convinced about the Mount - some big houses, and could get a lot for my money - but it just doesn't do it for me, sorry! Nelson Road houses come up fairly often at good prices and you can cut into Selwyn Avenue, then easily into HP, but I'm just a bit iffy about it...

Jx