Renting a place within commuting distance to London

[Stravaig]

LOL! You made me laugh OH. I was struggling to think why hedgehogs would have any influence on whether or not we got a house to live in.
I think hedgehogs are nice. I think most animals are nice (although I confess that I'm scared of some of them scarier than I am).

Can we come and live with you for a few weeks?

[oldherbaceous]

If I had the room, you would be very welcome, Stravaig….it must be so stressful for you!

[Stravaig]

Well things ain't so bad. A friend who has a flat in Whitstable was keen for us to have it again for our leave next week. We stayed there before for a month when we were stuck on one our evacuations. Sometimes it's really hard to find something. Anyway, we did leave her place clean and tidy and I left her freezer with plenty of my home-cooked meals. (All properly labelled with instructions about what to do with them.) She said it was the most wonderful gift.

We also had a virtual viewing this afternoon of a very suitable house. Pity it's not exactly where we'd like it, but it is suitable. I suppose we'll just have to wait for a few days for the bog off email.

Something will turn up, however unappealing. I don't understand why UK hotels don't have fridges or freezers - you have to get an expensive suite for that.

Another weird thing about the UK is that they usually have their utility room for laundry etc in the kitchen. Urgh. That's the only country I know that does that. The kitchen is for food prep and cooking - why on earth would anyone expect to do the laundry in there?

[Westi]

Hi Straviag!

In regards of the laundry in the kitchen it really surprised me when I came over as well. Mostly we had outbuildings with the laundry in with hanging space as well when living in the sticks but when we moved to the 'big smoke' it was always the small area before going out the back & doubled up as a boot room/laundry space.

Mind the houses here are very small in comparison as well (well mine is anyway), so I understand the need to economise on space. It is definitely on my list for when we do the side & back extension, but won't be at the back door, that space will open onto the patio seating area so is going to be in it's own room along the corridor with the wet room as then the plumbing all contained together. (Or more accurately where the architect decides, BUT not at the back door)!

[Primrose]

I suppose with England being a small country with a growing population houses and kitxhen in particular will probably continue to have to be multi purpose, and most house architects are probably still men who perhaps are still lagging behind in really understanding what,s involved in running a multi functional household !

I guess coping with laundry was never a prime priority when architects designed our housing stock and kitchens in particular . With another winter coming up and rising energy prices I suppose if it,s not an outdoor drying day we,ll still be layering our damp laundry over cooling down morning radiators while we put on our extra layers of fleeces ! A huge laundry cum general purpose domestic pantry room would indeed be a great luxury but with current housing and land prices here I can't see that happening unless you're a Lottery winner,

[peter]

Stravaig I've sent you a PM.

[Stravaig]

Nope, we didn't get that house either.

I've just been on Amazon buying books to console myself. That's always my way of facing hurt, anger, or disappointment. Buy a book!

Also booked another course at Billingsgate. This one is only for a morning and so not so full on as the last one I did - 6 am till 4pm. Of course we were well fed and had breaks but it was still tough going.

The seafood school has now closed. But CJ, who was the director of that, has now set up her own school on the same premises, ie the floor above the market. I'm doing shellfish on a Sat morning in November. Might anyone like to do that too and meet up there?

As for finding us a house I'm really going to have to get more stuck in. I expeect we'll end up in Airbnnbs short term but I'm really fed up of moving house so often - and also living outside our usual area, ie Essex when we want to be in Kent.

[Stravaig]

Now that we're back in the UK for a week, we went to see a big house and a nice flat yesterday. Usually the landlords take days to choose between potential tenants so I braced myself for the wait and subsequent disappointment. Amazingly the lettings agent phoned us a few hours later and said the landlord had accepted our offer for the flat (subject to checks and paperwork). It should be OK. Oh wow. What a relief.

Maybe the lettings agent felt sorry for me because I was in tears on the way out. (I'm not usually that type of person but it just all got to be too much.) She said she would do all she could to help us.

We'd normally prefer a house, with garden, in the UK, but it's a lovely flat with a large outside terrace and a small balcony. I guess container gardening will be the way to go.

HAPPY but concerned that things might not go to plan.

[oldherbaceous]

Keep positive, Stravaig, it will happen…

[Stephen]

Some good news Stravaig.

[Stravaig]

The lettings agents have taken our first payment from our bank account. Looks like it's happening!!!

And our friends with the Whitstable flat aren't going back there until December (Christmas) and we still have their keys, (at their suggestion) so it's very unlikely that we'll be trying to sleep in shop doorways. That kind of existence really is not fun so don't think I'm making light of it. I have gone through times in my life when I've sneaked into a parked bus just to get a bed or even tried to kip in a phone box. It's really not nice.

But now I think that "everytin gonna be alright, yeh. Everytin gonna be a'right."

I don't suppose anyone cares but I'm from the north of Scotland.

[oldherbaceous]

Now that is good news, Stravaig….well done.

[Stravaig]

Aye, I'm starting to think that things will be OK and we'll have a new home (with a view of Asda's roof) in a couple of weeks.

Oh blimey.

But when you consider what's happening elsewhere I suppose we're well off.

[retropants]

thank goodness you have found somewhere to go Stravaig.