London is a joke (moan)

Cornucopia

japmis wrote: »

I think they are alpacas!

In my defence, those were the most dramatic llamas... sorry alpacas, I could find.

lisyloo

Hmmm let me see 5 minutes walk from BR station circa £115K for a 2 bedroom terrace with a 100 foot garden trains go to Victoria, Waterloo, London Bridge, Cannon St , Kings X St Pancras so pretty much all sides of the centre.

I am pretty suprised at this (unless of course it's a town/area where most of us really wouldn't want to live).
Usually houses close to stations are expensive.
Would love to see an example.

Cornucopia

I found this (but it's the only one, and it's £30k over, although seems to be 3-beds).

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-51729143.html?premiumA=true

One in Gillingham, too.

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-50872892.html

Also 11 flats.

Chatham and Gillingham town centres are both quite run down, although there are loads of Victorian Terraced houses and conversion flats. The areas are okay-ish. Maidstone and Sittingbourne are nicer, but more expensive and with poorer transport. Ashford is okay, but the high-speed line season tickets are expensive.

Strood is possibly the best compromise:



http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-48052489.html

Or Gravesend as someone has already suggested.

thegrind

The only thing that will bring house prices down in London is the plague, stop wasting your time dreaming you'll ever be able to afford a place there.

benjus

AdrianC wrote: »

So add that £400/mo to what you can afford in mortgage repayments - because you can bet the lenders would take it into account for affordability.

Except that the £400 is just money down the drain, it's not making any capital repayments towards something you own.

AdrianC wrote: »

I don't quite follow that logic. Whether you come from inside or outside town, you're still getting off the train at the same station for the walk the last leg to work. The trip from (say) King's Cross or Paddington or London Bridge to wherever the office is is the same whether you've got off a train at that terminus or shut your front door right next to the station.

If you live on the tube network you're essentially already on the last leg. Even if you don't, the suburban train network normally gives you plenty of choice as to where you join the tube, DLR or whatever for the last leg. Whereas trains coming from further afield often just go straight to the terminus.

AdrianC wrote: »

And you've clearly never tried to get from some of the GodAndTFLForesaken corners of even relatively inner London suburbia to the centre...

Actually I live in such a corner in Zone 5 and commute to Canary Wharf every day. But even in that corner I can choose between 4 major terminus stations in central London (5 with a quick change of trains) or smaller stations that connect with the tube/DLR. I can also nip over to a different line if there's a problem with my normal line, or even get a bus to connect with the DLR.

Jhoney_2

anotheruser wrote: »

My predictions for the future:

As more and more pressure comes to move services out of London, in the end, London prices will crash.

It may be the capital, but it'll just price all but those who live in Dubai out.

It's a shame really. If I were in Government, I'd say unless you have a British passport (or your company was "British"), you can't own any land/building in the UK.

All the redundant workers, British ex-pats/ overseas homeowners in Spain and France etc will be keen to thank you for that great idea:eek:.

Jhoney_2

thegrind wrote: »

The only thing that will bring house prices down in London is the plague, stop wasting your time dreaming you'll ever be able to afford a place there.

I tend to agree. If anything the prices are rippling outwards so the same lament may soon apply to the areas that are currently within reach.

uk_american

Not sure where in Essex you're from, but 170-180 for a 2 bed is even starting to get questionable out here in Chelmsford, Essex.

The market here has become too hot, too many people priced out of London but who buy here and commute in, 35 min to Liverpool Street.

180 will still get you a nice 2 bed flat though within a 1 mile walk to the station, mainly newer builds under 10 years old.

170 will get you a 2 bed maisonette under 3 miles from the station

160 will get you a 2 bed flat built built in the early 1990's within a 1 mile walk to the station. When these are posted they're gone within 24 hours though.

When they post at 150 they're sold sight unseen or in a less nice area or over 3 miles from the station. The rental market for these makes them sell quickly however.

New build 2 bed flats(!) are currently being listed at 299. :eek:

In speaking to others who work in (perhaps) similarly paid positions, they're telling me that they're considering further out, for example Colchester.

Not sure what to tell you but it's not only London.

On the other side of the coin, being young and single you do have more freedom. For example, I was once on a delayed flight chatting with a guy from Australia who worked in healthcare...in Dubai. He was on his 30 day holiday around the States (!). Granted, far away from friends and family, but the wages, working environment and tax situation was far superior than what he would have achieved in Australia. His plan was to save up for 5 years and then buy at home.

If your priority is home ownership, maybe time to consider such creative options.

Running_Horse

If thinking of Medway I would only want to be in Rochester, or Rainham at a push.

benjus

duchy wrote: »

Hmmm let me see 5 minutes walk from BR station circa £115K for a 2 bedroom terrace with a 100 foot garden trains go to Victoria, Waterloo, London Bridge, Cannon St , Kings X St Pancras so pretty much all sides of the centre. Monthly rail season ticket £372 4 week season ticket commuter coach service to central London as well as Docklands £280 .

Train is approx 40 mins
Area Medway

I was born in central London -my parents lived in Kensington and Holland Park before I was born - and then moved out first to SW London and then to Surrey to obtain the nice area/space they wanted with affordability. The OP is still at the "party" stage and living in inner London is great for that - but once space and a home rather than a base is needed that's the time to move out. OK he's a bit of a drama lama over the fact he has chosen a career that won't allow him to afford what he wants in London but in time the portability of that kind of career will benefit him.

Fair enough - I was responding to a suggestion of places like Northampton. The further out you get the more you pay for your season ticket and the fewer options you get as to where you end up in London.