Where to live?

bargainbetty

Sevenoaks is really lovely, albeit quite expensive. You could also look at Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells or something a bit closer in from the Southeast, like Beckenham or Greenwich.

I'm more of a southeast than southwest London girl, but your best bet is to look at commuting distances to your career 'location' (I have to be in commuting distance to a certain area of London) and then have a good look at a train map. Pick all the stations you'd be willing to travel from, and start looking at the towns online.

Good luck

Weird_Nev

Off topic, but be aware that (depending on sector obviosuly) many graduate schemes want actual graduates: i.e. they specify that you must have graduated in the last year.

I only know this as i'm in a similar position, and graduate schemes are a no go. They want raw talent to mold into "their kind of employee", not someone with 10 years work experience who may have built their own work practices and be resistant to change. Or something.

missymish

I live in Guildford but was born and bred in London and moved to Guildford in my mid twenties.

Guildford is a lovely place and I would never move back to London but I am in a relationship and have children. If I were single and looking for a bit of a change in life I am not sure if Guildford is the place. There is a lot of nightlife and places to go but more aimed at the students and people under the age of about 25 anyone over that ages seems to be in a relationship and settled down.

Have you thought about looking East of London Beckton, Custom House etc, I will be honest not the most desirable place but you can get good prices and you have the DLR straight into the city and a lot of money is going into the area for regeneration.

lulabelle

thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions and I shall def investigate all

yeah, that worries me slightly re grad schemes but one I've identified specifically takes mature people (never thought I'd call myself that!). Im so so scared of starting again but I'm really beginning to become bored and resentful of where I live and if I don't do something about it soon, before I know it I'll be 40 and it will be that much harder.

chog24

lulabelle wrote: »

Thanks guys. I was wondering whether to live back in London. I have a flat in tooting but I didn't particularly like the area so wasn't keen on living back there

At the minute I'm toying with joining a graduate scheme and if I do, then the likelihood is the only place ill be able to afford to live is back in that flat, and even then that's only if I change my repayments to interest only (which would only do for a couple of years) but if I stay in my current profession I'd be able to live in sevenoaks or similar

It's so hard trying to work out what to do!

If you've a flat in Tooting but don't like the area, you could consider selling that flat and moving East or North East. There's a pretty thriving scene in Walthamstow which is spreading to Leyton and Leytonstone. There's lots of arts stuff happening and lots for families. It's the place where people who can't afford Hackney and Bethnal Green are moving to now.

Depending on the size and condition of your flat in Tooting, if you were to sell it, you might be able to afford a house with a garden in one of those areas. Alternatively, you could keep the Tooting flat (which I assume is an income stream for you) and either rent or buy in the Walthamstow area.

If you do the twitter thing, why not start following #Awesomestow. Even if you don't do twitter, you could just google Awesomestow to start your research. You could even take a trip over here to spend a weekend in Walthamstow and see what you think of the place?

I promise I don't work for some Walthamstow Marketing Board, I just live in the area (in fact I live in Leyton) and enjoy the feel and scene there ;-)

EDIT: by the way, I checked out Tooting Flats on Rightmove.co.uk and know the prices in Walthamstow, hence my suggestion that you might be able to find a house with garden in 'stow. Check out Rightmove yourself to see what you can see.

lulabelle

thanks chog. I'll certainly check that out. I think come what may I'd like to keep that flat purely because I don't have a pension and so that is kind of my retirement pot. At the moment it doesn't make me any money - in fact, I think I probably just about break even if that, but it's going up in value capital wise.

Hence I kind of think it's live there (if I go for a career change as I won't be able to afford to live anywhere else - plus I have a cat so renting an issue) or if I stick with the job I have I can probably afford to buy in a different area but question would be where.

Current thinking is to just head back there for at least a year whilst I find my feet again in London so I can have the cat there and then get through probation/check out areas/build friends (and hopefully find a partner) before then deciding what to do.

My life is riddled with difficult decisions at the moment and whichever way I look at it (change career or stick) I know I'll be worse off financially coming back to London compared with where I am now but then I figure money isn't everything and I'll have to get used to living on a reduced income.

I was in debt until about 5 years ago (and quite seriously at one point) so am keen to avoid that again but I'll have to be strict with myself.

On another note - is anyone a member of "spice"? If so, is it worth it to meet people?

ZoeB80

I'd say if you've not been back to the Tooting flat for a while, definitely visit the area again before making any decisions. Tooting's changed a lot (for the better) in the last year or so and has some amazing new bars & restaurants. There's a lot going on around the area at the mo & I think it could be a really good place to be meeting new people, going out to nice places etc. Plus I think you'll find more 30somethings up for meeting new people around here than around the commuter areas discussed, where (speaking from experience of friends & family) people around our age tend to have settled with spouses & kids already

lulabelle

Thanks Zoe! Is that round the broadway end or tooting bec? I'm more the broadway end but guess its still not far to walk. Am def going to do that. Heard from my old boss today he thinks my old practice area (which I'd go back to if stayed in current profession) is on the way out and so maybe the grad scheme route is the better way to go long term (plus i love the idea of starting again completely from scratch!)

I'm just itching to get back to London now come what may

clouds21

Agree with Zoe, lullabelle.
Find your feet and a job first, easier to do if you have a relatively familiar base. Also, annual season ticket from Sevenoaks is £3112 (NOT incl tube) compared to £1424 Zone 1-3.
London has its own difficulties when it comes to meeting people but still easier to get out there and have fun than sitting in the 'burbs on your own surrounded by families. No offence to families, am in one myself but I vividly remember what it was like on my own and living in London makes socialising after work a lot easier.
Enjoy, you have a good few years ahead of you and we all get to stages where we have to reassess life. Exciting and daunting but worth it!

ZoeB80

Broadway - some really nice new places to go & lots of them are independents & seem to be supporting each other too, which is lovely. It sounds like I'm from the tourism board (I'm not!) but Tooting now is a lot nicer than even a couple of years ago.