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[Kevin Wood]

Found there is not much in it, Brackley now 160k gets you 2bed house, maybe 3bed semi at a push.

But that would cost you at least 250k-300k inside the M25. :-/

What I meant to say is that you can probably find Brackley 'ish prices much closer to where you work, thus cheaper housing and cheaper commute.

Kevin

[tunnie]

Found there is not much in it, Brackley now 160k gets you 2bed house, maybe 3bed semi at a push.

But that would cost you at least 250k-300k inside the M25. :-/

What I meant to say is that you can probably find Brackley 'ish prices much closer to where you work, thus cheaper housing and cheaper commute.

Kevin

Sorry yes see what you mean, looking outside M25, need to go a good 20/30 miles from it before prices are reasonable. Which brings back commuting again. Luton is cheap, but crap side of M25 plus M1.

London life appeals too, father tunnie started off in a flat, so did my uncle, then moved onto a house. Fully agree that a flat in Wimbledon does not offer value for money, or space, but its whats there which pushes price up. Fact in 20 mins i am in central London.

As i work 3 days on 3 off, i miss out on a lot of social stuff that goes on, because i am not on shift, if it costs me nothing to pop into work for beers on a day i am not working is a real plus. Another example was last week, drinks on one of the fixed boats along river, loads of my old work mates going, i was not on shift. Would have cost me £15 in gas + tube + 3 hours just to pop down..... different story if i could cycle in for free

Went to see a mate few weeks ago, no drinking session or anything just chats and such, finished at 10:30, headed home, did not get back till 1 AM 

[Kevin Wood]

Fair enough. Sounds like you have some compelling reasons for being in the "smoke". Just wanted to point out the other options.

Not really a city person myself, and I think my liver would have failed if I'd ever tried it, with the temptation for a "swift one" on the way home, with no driving to do.

Kevin

[Martin_1962]

in brum ground rent is peanuts £5 quarter. the thing to watch for is the general maintenance charges as there are high/low rates/ good companies and spenders

£5 

Tis £100 a month on average in London! 

My first bedsit was not much more!

[TheBoy]

still not keen on lodger, whole point of getting my own place its my own space.

We found that, generally, we saw very little of the lodgers... Tended to stay in their space most of the time

But I must admit that having lodgers takes some getting used to... You can't just walk around in the buff when other people are living with you

I do like the idea of a house, but adding up figures, just does not work. My fuel bill alone each month (even on lpg) is £300, which is only going to go up. Add in at least £200 for running costs, tyres/tax/mot/service items/unknowns i am left with cost of £500 just to get to work 

Being closer in a flat for say first 5 years, is less risky, £0 commuting costs, mean if rates go up, i can still get to work to earn the money to pay it. If i can't get to work, then i am a tad stuffed!

Not sure your costings are accurate - thats an awful lot of money for running a car .  Also, it wouldn't all be a saving, as you would still need to tax/insure (at London rates!!)/MOT/service the car.

I think you need to consider your costings much better, rather than massage them into what you want to see


If you *MUST* live in London, then simply make that the primary criteria, rather than trying to convince yourself it will be cheaper. It won't be.

£200k for a 1 bed leasehold flat in the Smoke or £160k for a 3 bed semi, maybe with a garage, out in the middle of nowhere - though probably not much in it for commute times....

[redelitev6]

Been busy viewing flats in London today, saw 6 in total. Took shine to one in Wimbledon! Only short walk from Putney.

Only issue with flats is they are leasehold rather than freehold, obviously freehold is better. But practically all flats are leasehold  :-/

One i saw had 100 years on its lease, don't plan on living there for ever, plan would be to move after 5/10 years.

Anyone bought leasehold? I know need to avoid ones sub 70/60 years as they can be difficult to get a mortgage

Don't forget to add in maintenance charges for the up keep of the exterior,we had a woman in Newcastle who bought a flat in a multi block and ended paying thousands of pounds for her share of the scaffolding when it came time to refurb the exterior ,some hidden charges can be VERY expensive!

[tunnie]

still not keen on lodger, whole point of getting my own place its my own space.

We found that, generally, we saw very little of the lodgers... Tended to stay in their space most of the time

But I must admit that having lodgers takes some getting used to... You can't just walk around in the buff when other people are living with you

I do like the idea of a house, but adding up figures, just does not work. My fuel bill alone each month (even on lpg) is £300, which is only going to go up. Add in at least £200 for running costs, tyres/tax/mot/service items/unknowns i am left with cost of £500 just to get to work 

Being closer in a flat for say first 5 years, is less risky, £0 commuting costs, mean if rates go up, i can still get to work to earn the money to pay it. If i can't get to work, then i am a tad stuffed!

Not sure your costings are accurate - thats an awful lot of money for running a car .  Also, it wouldn't all be a saving, as you would still need to tax/insure (at London rates!!)/MOT/service the car.

I think you need to consider your costings much better, rather than massage them into what you want to see


If you *MUST* live in London, then simply make that the primary criteria, rather than trying to convince yourself it will be cheaper. It won't be.

£200k for a 1 bed leasehold flat in the Smoke or £160k for a 3 bed semi, maybe with a garage, out in the middle of nowhere - though probably not much in it for commute times....

Understood 

Just been through my old invoices for the car, think its a fair price. With current LPG prices (if Asda HW stops selling it, costs could rise lot) it cost me £15 per shift in Gas. I am shifted to work roughly 15 days a month, so thats £225 alone. Looking £15 in oil, £25 in tyres, (assuming 40k per set), thats even before its taxed & MOT'd

I also cannot rely on OOF, the 2.2 has 2 years left in it max, the HG will go at some point. So there will be a large cost of new transport year or two down the line. (i'd say 3k for something semi-decent thats going to be reliable and last)

I don't want to be out in the middle of no ware, not yet, maybe in 5-10 years time, but now is time to be in the smoke and increase my social life a bit 

[TheBoy]

still not keen on lodger, whole point of getting my own place its my own space.

We found that, generally, we saw very little of the lodgers... Tended to stay in their space most of the time

But I must admit that having lodgers takes some getting used to... You can't just walk around in the buff when other people are living with you

I do like the idea of a house, but adding up figures, just does not work. My fuel bill alone each month (even on lpg) is £300, which is only going to go up. Add in at least £200 for running costs, tyres/tax/mot/service items/unknowns i am left with cost of £500 just to get to work 

Being closer in a flat for say first 5 years, is less risky, £0 commuting costs, mean if rates go up, i can still get to work to earn the money to pay it. If i can't get to work, then i am a tad stuffed!

Not sure your costings are accurate - thats an awful lot of money for running a car .  Also, it wouldn't all be a saving, as you would still need to tax/insure (at London rates!!)/MOT/service the car.

I think you need to consider your costings much better, rather than massage them into what you want to see


If you *MUST* live in London, then simply make that the primary criteria, rather than trying to convince yourself it will be cheaper. It won't be.

£200k for a 1 bed leasehold flat in the Smoke or £160k for a 3 bed semi, maybe with a garage, out in the middle of nowhere - though probably not much in it for commute times....

Understood 

Just been through my old invoices for the car, think its a fair price. With current LPG prices (if Asda HW stops selling it, costs could rise lot) it cost me £15 per shift in Gas. I am shifted to work roughly 15 days a month, so thats £225 alone. Looking £15 in oil, £25 in tyres, (assuming 40k per set), thats even before its taxed & MOT'd

I also cannot rely on OOF, the 2.2 has 2 years left in it max, the HG will go at some point. So there will be a large cost of new transport year or two down the line. (i'd say 3k for something semi-decent thats going to be reliable and last)

I don't want to be out in the middle of no ware, not yet, maybe in 5-10 years time, but now is time to be in the smoke and increase my social life a bit 

Fuel aside - your running costs are likely to increase. So dont use that as an excuse.  If you have a desire to live in London, then as said, make that a requirement.  Don't try to use it for justification, as you will mislead yourself.


Only you can make the decisions, but make them with the full facts, not tweaking them to suit your needs - else you may end up with something you can't afford.


If you go down house route, dont rule out lodgers - my lodging years were some of the best times I had - permenent company, drinking partners, larking around.


Back to running costs, I probably only do 1000-1500m a month now, but even with my 3.0l, my appitite of tyres and brakes, and a 12yr old car, I still don't think your running costs add up, certainly not as savings (your mileage will not drop to zero )

[Mr Skrunts]

Whats the situation regards parking costs with a flat, house, if possible there is a chance for a drive/car port or even garage.  If living in london then get a small 60mpg runabout, cheaper all round, no point of a big car in london anyway, what you save will a small car would pay for the mig to be driven for pleasure.

Or, work more hours and earn more, then aim higher.

[tunnie]

Omega will be staying, its worthless anyway, no point in selling it. No matter how i drive it gets between 24-27mpg on gas. Cracked 9.6p mile on long runs, town runs its a cheap as a diesel so i'll keep it.

Holidays will need to be on the cheap so more camping ahead 

not tweaking them to suit your needs - else you may end up with something you can't afford

After mortgage payment still have £1k available, so do-able 

[Martin_1962]

Nothing wrong with running high mileage old cars, I think 15,000 a year in a 16 year old wasn't bad. ( A while ago but an example)

[TheBoy]

Omega will be staying, its worthless anyway, no point in selling it. No matter how i drive it gets between 24-27mpg on gas. Cracked 9.6p mile on long runs, town runs its a cheap as a diesel so i'll keep it.

Holidays will need to be on the cheap so more camping ahead 

not tweaking them to suit your needs - else you may end up with something you can't afford

After mortgage payment still have £1k available, so do-able 

I seem to recall somebody telling me when I bought my first house (may have been mortgage advisor, or solicitor) that if mortgage is more than half your take-home income, then you may struggle.  That may have been based on my wage at the time, the fact interest rates were 15% , and related to freehold with no rent and service charges.


Having been privy to some of the places you have shown an interest in, it seems you are now looking at a completely different area of London, and away from the 'free' commute  :-/


Good luck with your search.

[tunnie]

Omega will be staying, its worthless anyway, no point in selling it. No matter how i drive it gets between 24-27mpg on gas. Cracked 9.6p mile on long runs, town runs its a cheap as a diesel so i'll keep it.

Holidays will need to be on the cheap so more camping ahead 

not tweaking them to suit your needs - else you may end up with something you can't afford

After mortgage payment still have £1k available, so do-able 

I seem to recall somebody telling me when I bought my first house (may have been mortgage advisor, or solicitor) that if mortgage is more than half your take-home income, then you may struggle.  That may have been based on my wage at the time, the fact interest rates were 15% , and related to freehold with no rent and service charges.


Having been privy to some of the places you have shown an interest in, it seems you are now looking at a completely different area of London, and away from the 'free' commute  :-/


Good luck with your search.

Its just below half 

Its still a free commute if i cycle it, whilst Acton has better link to Sky, Wimbledon is much nicer area.

Do also remember someone telling me if its not a struggle then you have not pushed yourself hard enough 

[TheBoy]

Do also remember someone telling me if its not a struggle then you have not pushed yourself hard enough 

correct, for the first couple of years.  Though make sure you have every other outgoing covered.

Also be aware that interest rates are liable to creep up, possibly in the summer/autumn, and that most companies, particulalry corporates, are trying to keep renumeration costs under better control.

[tunnie]

Do also remember someone telling me if its not a struggle then you have not pushed yourself hard enough 

correct, for the first couple of years.  Though make sure you have every other outgoing covered.

Also be aware that interest rates are liable to creep up, possibly in the summer/autumn, and that most companies, particulalry corporates, are trying to keep renumeration costs under better control.

I am totting up my figures on a fixed 3 year rate, so gives me stability for 3 years.

For job stability i am about as good as its going to get i feel, also experience i am getting is going to be valuable. Why Sky is doing in mobile (although not to everyone's taste) in technical terms is class leading.