Searching for my new London home............

My past two days were spent looking for a new home. :(

I walked miles miles and miles. sigh.....


THAT DREAM HOUSE
Yesterday, when i finally found my "dream house",and rushed all the way to the agents' office to pay deposit, we realised that they made a mistake with price. £650pcm not 525 pcm exclusive all bills, means it would add up to £800++ in winter just on rent and bills! We can "make it", since I am starting work, but we saw no point spending so much! Sigh....

That was a really really lovely home. There is a small patch of grass which you can put two chairs and a table for breakfast or plant some flowers. Even if you dun plant anything, you can"borrow" the view of the neighbours's garden. I think it is a nice neighbourhood, since the neighbours keep immaculate gardens and dogs. :)

That cottage has a small living room-which is big enough for a 3 seater and another 2 seater (ie friends can crash there comfortably), a nice kitchen, and a bedroom upstairs which had a huge wardrobe, and a writing table which spans across the window, overlooking the neighbourhood which is filled with cream and stone coloured "cottages"(no excuse for writer's block). It is near the recreation grounds, and on my way to buy groceries/work I would pass the nicely kept grounds, a CLEAR stream, and also an ancient street which is very Oxford-ish. There is also a very lovely, small church along the way. The cottage is 10 minutes away from the Tube, town centre and the LIBRARY!!!!

Argh!!!!!!!....Hmmm.. I am starting to regret abit about not taking that one. We still have not found a place to move to! Stress!

When i earn more $, and $150 more pounds is like chicken feed to me, I will get a cottage there :D

THAT POOR MAN'S GROUNDS
If you watch chinese/Hong Kong shows, you will know that once upon a time, when the times were bad, families live in houses which were once grand. Those big houses were converted to many small "homes" which are effectively a room plus small living with/without kitchen. These were called "da zha yuan". There was one near kong kong house as well. Once a grand house for some important Brits, it was shared by many families. Each has one "room", and they share the compounds. I went there once or twice, only to get chided by mum and kong kong when they found out. That was a complicated place, and I should not go there. Anyway, I was too scared to go again. That big house was dark, had weird characters, and there were many ghost stories. Rumors said the Japs did things there, and in another two big bungalows in nearby.

I saw a "studio flat" in Hounslow- (where? check out Bend it like Beckham!). Incidentally, that was one of the first place I got very familiar with, thanks to that show on tv. The realisty is not much of a difference, that place is populated mainly by Pakistanis and Indians-Banglas? Rows of nice sub-urb semi-Ds ofr detached houses line the major roads. In fact, it is like any of the better off landed property areas in Malaysia/Singapore.

That was where the "da zha yuan" is. An investment minded Pakistani converted one of these nice semi-Ds into many "studios". There were at least 6 studios, maybe even more. Even the servant's quarters/garage had been converted into a "studio", and a Filipino family was staying there. We were offered two choices. A "flat" upstairs which is actually a room that is 3/4 of my bedroom size at home, and a shower/toilet where I cant straight in, let alone my hubby. That was a no-no. My hubby would get brain damage from banging his head onto the ceiling when going to toilet. Imagine, he won't be able to stand straight easing himself, or brushing his teeth, or bathing. That is not all, we also got to share kitchen with others. Nope. Even when it is well within out budget. But still not cheap you know, 550pcm for that location, that size!!!

OK. We wanted a bigger one! We were offered one for 650pcm-the ground floor unit, which felt exactly like "da zha yuan". Size is ok, but we have neighbours who will share the compounds, and walk pass out unit. Privacy? That is an issue for me. My hubby is concerned about those police warnings, cos there was an arson attack in another unit. What if the mad guy(s) decide to throw kerosene in our unit?

Other "studio flats" we viewed were actually converted from garages/kitchen of some Pakis family. How will it be like to live with them, feels like some servants family living next to the boss.......

And that Hounslow area really live up to the reputation-full of pakis.. and the planes wow!!!!

Imagine how noisy it is!

I told my husband "Lok, we got a clear view of the wheels!!!!". If our eyes are fast enough, can count the windows. Maybe hubby can wave a flag at the plane I am in from the garden, and I could see him??

And Heathrow is definitely one of the busiest airport. It had to be!! We counted one plave whizing past us every 10-15 s. Whionggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg........................

The first time I had one over my head, I was so shocked..., that the agent was laughing at my reaction. I think the babies in this area will have hearing problems. I think I will end up shouting at people all the time.

sigh. .............. I got to walk many more miles to find a place called home.

If only I cound spare £150 more. NVM. I just got to "REN". I just got to keep on looking at adverts for properties going for sale at £150K to £200K and tell myself. If I save some money, we will be able to get one of those 2-3 years later. No more renting. When we leave, we will be landlords... and it will be our turn to squeeze money out of some poor newcomers to pay the installments of our flat. Muah hhahahahaha (evil-GRIN)