Owning your own home

@Tenderloin , we are up near Leytonstone Station (Pretoria Road, off of Grove Green Road). I reckon you'd need around the £400k mark for a 2-bed. Our 3-bed end-of-terrace wasn't much more than that. You'll pay more for something that doesn't need work, or has reasonable decor, but for most places I've seen, I'd want to do things myself properly. So many formerly cheap houses in London have been mucked about with, so it can be hard to find one that's in a fairly original state.

The area itself is good. The South end of Leytonstone High Road is a little scabby, but will Likely improve shortly. Same goes for Leyton High Road, actually. I did look at Wathamstow, but all the people pushing buggies around was driving me up the wall.

Whereabouts in SW6?

Went for some viewings this weekend. The first place we looked at didn't have room for a fridge or anywhere to put a telly.

The second place had walls that were all at different angles and a landing Mc Escher would approve of. And it smelt like cats.

The third place was nice but had a queue of older, better-off looking couples outside, and it was 25k over budget.

Big dose of reality of what 300 gets you in Walthamstow.

ha. when we went round places we spent the entire time thinking "oh god, everyone looks just like us but younger and more successful..."

haha! Glad its not just us then.

^ i know how you feel but try not to let the numbers and what other people look dishearten you too much. i went to loads in walthamstow and would also radomly walk into any open viewings i would see taking place. the only one i got into a bidding war for went for 5k over asking, so the market has quietened down a lot. my mate got outbid on a property where he offered asking at 425k to be outbid by someone putting in 475k! now they are going for asking or under.
you should be able to get a decent 2 bed in walthamstow for 300-315. ive seen some very good ones under offer listed at 320 so just be patient. good luck.

Cheers, yeah, an estate agent that showed us around some places said you can normally go twenty below asking on a lot of these places but even with 300, it looks like were probably just getting a 1 bed.

This is all totally new to me.

Walthamstow Foxtons is now GO

12 months ago £250/275k would have got you a 2-bed Warner down the bottom of Markhouse Road, but even they're up to well over 300 now

be patient you'll get something in your price bracket. how long have you been looking?
avoid central estate agents, they're complete wankers

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/36270365?search_identifier=16ba76ce6d9fa8606aa5d798c512d7e8#byuaDh9PHReH6S8O.97

Lolz i viewed this last year (Sept/Oct time) on the Market at 325k noticed a new agent sign up yesterday and got curious, now on at 425k. Exactly the same state it was in when I looked at it. Estate Agents can gtfo.

It is opposite the Aldi in Catford next door to a motor garage.

how long have you been looking?

In anger, less than a week. We just got pre-approved on Thursday and saw three places on Sat.
Thinking of just getting a nice 1 bed now, seeing as we're probably moving to Stockholm in a year so we can just rent it out when that eventually happens and have something to come back to if it doesn't go as planned.

1-bed Warner on Carr Road, no interior shots for some reason

http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/35992349#R5YKVILZhxcLSxiL.97

Nice.

Keep looking. It takes a lot of viewings to get a feel for what you are looking out for. I'm guessing that if you are planning on moving out in a year then you want somewhere that doesn't need too much work?

Can anyone recommend a good North London man and van? Going from Angel to Stoke Newington.

On a related note, does anyone have any moving boxes/crates they no longer need?

After being excited for weeks about moving house it's only just hit me that we're moving this Friday so we should probably start actually packing!!

Your mortgage conditions will most likely not allow you to let your property unless you've been explicit from the start with your intentions to emigrate. I'm not sure how they find out or what they can do if they find out but I know it's a stipulation on our mortgage. I guess to try to slow down on all the buy-to-lets stifling the first time buying opportunities, you may have to remortgage at a worse rate. Quiz your broker.

Nothing is for certain so it might not happen. If it did it would probably just be short term until we sold it.

most mortgage companies would grant consent to let if you genuinely moved abroad if your job took you there. they would load the interest rate a percent usually. not sure what they'd say if you up'd sticks and left straight away though as they may think you're trying to pull a fast one. otherwise just don't inform them of the situation. as long as they get their money every month they're happy. (i'm obviously not recommending this before anyone gets their knickers in a twist!)

How does renting out your place short term with AirBnB work for example?

Detached LOL

Can anyone recommend a good North London man and van? Going from Angel to Stoke Newington.

I used these lads last time I moved, nice guys and they have a big van.

Booked! Thanks! Had an awkward moment where he was like "Are you xxx's friend? He said someone would call today" and I was like "Uhhh I might be, I don't know his real name"

Oh the perils of the internet...

Ok thanks.

It's likely that we will be moving that way - the other option would be to buy a brand new flat somewhere. I think this is what the gf would prefer but I like the idea of making the place our own.

There's a chance that in 3-5 years should things at work go well that we could buy a place out right but I have itchy feet to get on the ladder!

Don't delay.

When things do go well at work you can be mortgage free at 2015 prices as opposed to 2018/20 prices...