Down and out in Amsterdam in London
I haven't updated in a while as Kirsty tends to be there when I (I installed Firefox onto the laptop last night as Internet Explorer was being odd, and apparently one of the extra functions is that it auto-corrects my typing so that my 'i' becomes an I) do things and makes more eloquent accounts more promptly than I could.
Last night I booked passage for myself, Kirsty, Lauren, John, Jenny and Hannah to Amsterdam by ferry in early June, if you are not one of these people but would like to come to Amsterdam at some point in early June, I'm afraid you'll now have to book it yourself, (although I will provide the information on fares and routes if requested).
Later today I will have to phone the place we intend to stay in Holland as 2 person rooms are only available by telephone.
I have not had anywhere near as much luck trying to find a flat in London and that leaves me feeling rather unsettled and I'm unsure why.
The three main problems seem to be
1) Websites/those advertising seem to be incapable of distinguishing between a 2 bedroom flat that three people can move into and call their own, and a single room in someone else's two bedroom flat.
2)There seem to be precious few properties advertised in places we've looked at (which at one time or another has covered every tube stop in South East London) On occasion I have seen the same property advertised at different prices on two different websites.
3)The prices of a great many places are exorbitant and when talking to Estate Agents on the phone they don't seem to understand that.
For example this morning I phoned up an agent asking about a flat which was £850 including council tax and he said "I'm sorry that one was taken yesterday, but I do have a house three streets away for £1250"
People like this who EXPECT you to have far more money than you do are the worst part about trying to do any of this. They make me feel like a child who has found a 10p in the street and ran to the shop, only to find that they are sold out of bikers and space invaders and fredos.
This feeling is compounded by the fact that a part of me is saying these flats are too expensive as it is I paid £65 a week to live in halls and in private Stirling accommodation I have paid between £53 and £60, and for the past 14 years my mother has been paying £50 a week for a THREE BEDROOM HOUSE! So when I look at properties that are looking for £90 a week per room in a house part of me has severe doubts about their affordability.
I feel anxious that I'm about to go on holiday and don't have anywhere to live when I return, and I don't know why I feel so anxious about going away for a week then finding somewhere to live when this time 2 years ago I went away for 3 months with nowhere to live when I got back and found a flat with Donald Webb within 2 weeks. Perhaps its the fact I don't know London as well or that now I've got to think about me and Kirsty (and I suppose in this instance Kate)
That will have to do for now as I need to get ready to go into town.
For those who didn't make a note in their diaries, today is Kirsty's 21st and a celebratory dinner at Jimmy Chung's will be held around 7pm.
Last night I booked passage for myself, Kirsty, Lauren, John, Jenny and Hannah to Amsterdam by ferry in early June, if you are not one of these people but would like to come to Amsterdam at some point in early June, I'm afraid you'll now have to book it yourself, (although I will provide the information on fares and routes if requested).
Later today I will have to phone the place we intend to stay in Holland as 2 person rooms are only available by telephone.
I have not had anywhere near as much luck trying to find a flat in London and that leaves me feeling rather unsettled and I'm unsure why.
The three main problems seem to be
1) Websites/those advertising seem to be incapable of distinguishing between a 2 bedroom flat that three people can move into and call their own, and a single room in someone else's two bedroom flat.
2)There seem to be precious few properties advertised in places we've looked at (which at one time or another has covered every tube stop in South East London) On occasion I have seen the same property advertised at different prices on two different websites.
3)The prices of a great many places are exorbitant and when talking to Estate Agents on the phone they don't seem to understand that.
For example this morning I phoned up an agent asking about a flat which was £850 including council tax and he said "I'm sorry that one was taken yesterday, but I do have a house three streets away for £1250"
People like this who EXPECT you to have far more money than you do are the worst part about trying to do any of this. They make me feel like a child who has found a 10p in the street and ran to the shop, only to find that they are sold out of bikers and space invaders and fredos.
This feeling is compounded by the fact that a part of me is saying these flats are too expensive as it is I paid £65 a week to live in halls and in private Stirling accommodation I have paid between £53 and £60, and for the past 14 years my mother has been paying £50 a week for a THREE BEDROOM HOUSE! So when I look at properties that are looking for £90 a week per room in a house part of me has severe doubts about their affordability.
I feel anxious that I'm about to go on holiday and don't have anywhere to live when I return, and I don't know why I feel so anxious about going away for a week then finding somewhere to live when this time 2 years ago I went away for 3 months with nowhere to live when I got back and found a flat with Donald Webb within 2 weeks. Perhaps its the fact I don't know London as well or that now I've got to think about me and Kirsty (and I suppose in this instance Kate)
That will have to do for now as I need to get ready to go into town.
For those who didn't make a note in their diaries, today is Kirsty's 21st and a celebratory dinner at Jimmy Chung's will be held around 7pm.