A tenant with an unusual appendage:
"For sharing need to share with 1 person with attached toilet bathroom."
A heroic self-sacrifice from the current tenant:
"Basically I am young professional Male working as barista in central
London and would like someone a (FEMALE) to share the room with me,You
could have your own separate bed"
The tenants REALLY want to make sure you know where they are from:
"*** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY
*** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY *** CESKY
"
A flat with a lot a spare bedrooms?
"Being practising CHRISTIANS when boyfriends or girlfriends visit, we use separate rooms overnight.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Terrible Estate Agent photos
The author of this blog has stumbled across some comedy gold here. The property market really is a funny business!
http://terriblerealestateagentphotos.com/
http://terriblerealestateagentphotos.com/
How to save for a deposit whilst you are renting according to the press
I've noticed that newspaper articles about how to save for a deposit whilst you are renting seem to involve some rather dubious maths.
The Metro had a report this Friday entitled 'Renting is the new buiyng.' In it they say that the average rent for a 1 bedroom flat including bills is £19 140 in London whereas the average rent for a room in a flat share and bills come to £7 914. So that's a saving of £11 227. With such a big saving you could get a 15% deposit on a £282 00 flat in three years only.
Well firstly dear Metro, not everyone earns £19 140 once we've paid our taxes. And secondly, just saying that something is expensive so therefore not buying it SAVES you money is very bad maths. By that token I could say that a bottle of Moet and Chandon costs £197 at Tesco and by not buying myself one for my daily champers bath I save a massive £72 000.
The Metro had a report this Friday entitled 'Renting is the new buiyng.' In it they say that the average rent for a 1 bedroom flat including bills is £19 140 in London whereas the average rent for a room in a flat share and bills come to £7 914. So that's a saving of £11 227. With such a big saving you could get a 15% deposit on a £282 00 flat in three years only.
Well firstly dear Metro, not everyone earns £19 140 once we've paid our taxes. And secondly, just saying that something is expensive so therefore not buying it SAVES you money is very bad maths. By that token I could say that a bottle of Moet and Chandon costs £197 at Tesco and by not buying myself one for my daily champers bath I save a massive £72 000.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Sometimes a room is cheap for a reason!
£350 a month near Liverpool Street
"Please note that the room is WALK-THROUGH, however we can help you to place a curtain for your convenience."
£320 a month in Greenwich
"Has no door or windows and can't stand up in (unless you are short 5"!)"
£326 a month in Kings Cross
"Triple Roomshare (3 people) with balcony near Kings Cross Station."
£240 a month in Neasdon
"Please note that the room is WALK-THROUGH, however we can help you to place a curtain for your convenience."
£320 a month in Greenwich
"Has no door or windows and can't stand up in (unless you are short 5"!)"
£326 a month in Kings Cross
"Triple Roomshare (3 people) with balcony near Kings Cross Station."
£240 a month in Neasdon
"I m italian boy and I m 26 years hold.
I looking for roomate because the rent of the room is too expensive for me.
I looking for roomate because the rent of the room is too expensive for me.
I want a female room share because she is more polite gentle clean and tidy compared to males."
£1 a week in Friern Barnet
"Average 15 hours per week helping in the house with general running of
her household:
-cleaning
-laundry
-ironing
-babysitting
-school run
-help
with kids homework
-looking after the house when they're away."
£1 a week in Tufnel Green
"I'm looking for a female to house sit for me while I work away....I am looking for an open minded lady, I live an alternative lifestyle which will not suit everyone."
Sunday, August 11, 2013
The most expensive flat on Spareroom.co.uk
The current most expensive flat on Spareroom.co.uk is a flat in Oxford Circus for £1200 a week.
You would think for that kind of money the agency would have lit their photos a bit better but there you go.
You would think for that kind of money the agency would have lit their photos a bit better but there you go.
Earn £100 000 to afford rent in Central London
According to an Evening Standard article this week an 'affordable' rental property is defined as being 35 % of your salary. According to research a person has to earn £100 000 a year to be able to rent a property by themselves and still be able to have a decent standard of living. That would work out as £1750 a month rent.
I earn about £1600 a month at the moment so an affordable rent for me would cost £560 a month.
So how many flats on Spareroom.co.uk are there for rent for £560 a month in London?
Well there is this 'flat' in Streathem Hill for £550 a month which seems to be a single bed room with a sink and possibly a hot plate. No information on whether you get a toilet or not.
And this £500 a month room in Greenford which does come with a bathroom (or 'wet room' as the advert describes it). Not sure why the plug socket needs to play such a prominent role in the photo.
What could I get for £1500 to £1750 a month ?
A lot of choice in Central London, that's what. Once you get down to £1000 a month the amount of choice really tails off....
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/earn-100000-to-afford-rent-in-central-london-8754108.html
I earn about £1600 a month at the moment so an affordable rent for me would cost £560 a month.
So how many flats on Spareroom.co.uk are there for rent for £560 a month in London?
Well there is this 'flat' in Streathem Hill for £550 a month which seems to be a single bed room with a sink and possibly a hot plate. No information on whether you get a toilet or not.
And this £500 a month room in Greenford which does come with a bathroom (or 'wet room' as the advert describes it). Not sure why the plug socket needs to play such a prominent role in the photo.
What could I get for £1500 to £1750 a month ?
A lot of choice in Central London, that's what. Once you get down to £1000 a month the amount of choice really tails off....
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/earn-100000-to-afford-rent-in-central-london-8754108.html
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Rules for Tenants
A landlord created the following set of rules for potential tenants to read through when they came to look at his property:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2260035/No-pork-fridge-showers-longer-15-mins-I-approve-visitors-Womans-shock-shes-presented-list-house-rules-viewing-flat-rent.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2260035/No-pork-fridge-showers-longer-15-mins-I-approve-visitors-Womans-shock-shes-presented-list-house-rules-viewing-flat-rent.html
Sunday, April 21, 2013
How to save up for a deposit whilst renting in London
The Evening Standard provides some advice on how to save up for a deposit whilst paying a big proportion of your salary in rent every month.
This article was in the paper in September 2012 and it made me smile at the time so I thought I would share it here.
In September 2012 an average deposit for first time buyers was £57,175. The Evening Standard came up with several solutions how someone might save this money.
1) Live Frugally
The Evening Standard stated that living frugally could save you £4000 a year.
So it would take 14 years to save for a deposit this way.
This is the method that I have been using to save money. I like to think that I live fairly frugally but I only manage to save about £1,500 a year this way. And despite putting this much in my savings account each year, some of it has been spent already on things that I`ve not been able to afford with my salary (rental deposit, new laptop, brother's wedding, general day to day living when I first arrived in London and wasn't managing my spending very well).
At my current 'living frugally' rate I will have save for a deposit in 38 years time. However, I could definitely live a bit more frugally, as I do spend quite a bit on theatre tickets.
2) Take a Second Job
The Evening Standard suggested that if you could earn an additional £99.20 per week, you could save for your deposit in 11 years.
I have earned a little bit of extra money via this method. My job pays us a 1.5 hourly salary for our overtime. In addition, I've done a few hours of freelance work for a company where my friend works. To be honest, I haven't really had many freelance hours and the money I've earned this way has almost all gone on day-to-day living.
I currenty work 40 hours a week. I think if I got some additional hours I could speed up the 38 years it will currently take just with frugal living to save up for a deposit.
3) Live Ultra Frugally (this one was called postpone having children)
Save £14 000 each year for 4 years.
This is actually impossible. By the time I get my salary and pay rent, bills and train tickets I don't have £14 000 a year:
My salary net is about £18 000 a year.
My rent and bills on average are about £6, 840 a year.
My train ticket is about £3 500 a year.
That leaves £7 660 a year for everything else. So I'll leave that suggestion with the Evening Standard.
4) Live with your parents
Save £15 000 of your salary each year for 4 years.
My parents don't live within travelling distance of my job. I was living with my parents for 6 months when I was unemployed. I applied for jobs anywhere I could find them and the one I got was in the other end of the country.
4) Preherit
Aka ask your family for the full £57,175.
Here is the article in full:
http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/raising-the-roof-how-generation-rent-can-get-on-the-property-ladder-8315847.html
This article was in the paper in September 2012 and it made me smile at the time so I thought I would share it here.
In September 2012 an average deposit for first time buyers was £57,175. The Evening Standard came up with several solutions how someone might save this money.
1) Live Frugally
The Evening Standard stated that living frugally could save you £4000 a year.
So it would take 14 years to save for a deposit this way.
This is the method that I have been using to save money. I like to think that I live fairly frugally but I only manage to save about £1,500 a year this way. And despite putting this much in my savings account each year, some of it has been spent already on things that I`ve not been able to afford with my salary (rental deposit, new laptop, brother's wedding, general day to day living when I first arrived in London and wasn't managing my spending very well).
At my current 'living frugally' rate I will have save for a deposit in 38 years time. However, I could definitely live a bit more frugally, as I do spend quite a bit on theatre tickets.
2) Take a Second Job
The Evening Standard suggested that if you could earn an additional £99.20 per week, you could save for your deposit in 11 years.
I have earned a little bit of extra money via this method. My job pays us a 1.5 hourly salary for our overtime. In addition, I've done a few hours of freelance work for a company where my friend works. To be honest, I haven't really had many freelance hours and the money I've earned this way has almost all gone on day-to-day living.
I currenty work 40 hours a week. I think if I got some additional hours I could speed up the 38 years it will currently take just with frugal living to save up for a deposit.
3) Live Ultra Frugally (this one was called postpone having children)
Save £14 000 each year for 4 years.
This is actually impossible. By the time I get my salary and pay rent, bills and train tickets I don't have £14 000 a year:
My salary net is about £18 000 a year.
My rent and bills on average are about £6, 840 a year.
My train ticket is about £3 500 a year.
That leaves £7 660 a year for everything else. So I'll leave that suggestion with the Evening Standard.
4) Live with your parents
Save £15 000 of your salary each year for 4 years.
My parents don't live within travelling distance of my job. I was living with my parents for 6 months when I was unemployed. I applied for jobs anywhere I could find them and the one I got was in the other end of the country.
4) Preherit
Aka ask your family for the full £57,175.
blog on generationrentv
blog on generationrent
Here is the article in full:
http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/raising-the-roof-how-generation-rent-can-get-on-the-property-ladder-8315847.html
My rent
I thought I'd work out what proportion of my salary I spend on rent in London and travelling to work.
Flat 1 March to September 2010
5 bedroom flat, 2 bathrooms but no living room
Private landlord
Zone 2
£670 a month rent including bills (50 % of my salary at that time)
£256 a month train ticket (19 % of salary)
Flat 2 September 2010 to September 2011
3 bedroom flat including a living room and a yard
Sublet from colleagues
Zone 2
£650 a month rent and £70 bills (54 % and then 52 % of salary)
£269 a month train ticket (20 then 19% salary)
Flat 3 September 2011 to March 2012
3 bedroom flat including a living room and a balcony
Sublet from friend of the owner of the flat
Zone 1
£700 a month rent including bills
£283 a month train ticket
Flat 4 March 2012 to current
4 bedroom flat including living room and a balcony
Private landlord
Zone 2
£510 a month plus about £60 bills (38% of salary)
£298 a month train ticket (19 % of salary)
Flat 1 March to September 2010
5 bedroom flat, 2 bathrooms but no living room
Private landlord
Zone 2
£670 a month rent including bills (50 % of my salary at that time)
£256 a month train ticket (19 % of salary)
Flat 2 September 2010 to September 2011
3 bedroom flat including a living room and a yard
Sublet from colleagues
Zone 2
£650 a month rent and £70 bills (54 % and then 52 % of salary)
£269 a month train ticket (20 then 19% salary)
Flat 3 September 2011 to March 2012
3 bedroom flat including a living room and a balcony
Sublet from friend of the owner of the flat
Zone 1
£700 a month rent including bills
£283 a month train ticket
Flat 4 March 2012 to current
4 bedroom flat including living room and a balcony
Private landlord
Zone 2
£510 a month plus about £60 bills (38% of salary)
£298 a month train ticket (19 % of salary)
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