Last proper post from me was in November… holy jebus. A lot has happened in a short time.
After an epic amount of hassle from the estate agent Foxtons (henceforth known as Fuckstains), I finally got settled into the new flat and the regular exchange of money for a decent postcode has begun. A few guidelines for renting in London, since buying there will require getting Croesus on the mobile:
- remember that rent is quoted per week? Well your monthly hit is not the lazy estimate (weekly_rent × 4), but rather (weekly_rent × 4.33). That can be 100/month difference.
- admin fee will appear at the last minute, 320ish, plus VAT.
- deposit will be six weeks rent.
- basically expect to drop about 3.5 grand before you even get to sniff your keys.
- being a tenant sucks the big one.
When being allocated an agent, especially try not to get a flailing muppet cloned from Gareth, right down to the brain-shaving whine of a voice. Who has never closed a deal before, and will make an unending series of mistakes and will repeat the aggravating litany, "please excuse my inexperience".
Thankfully the flat is ideal. Really central, close to work. And in a quiet area unmarred by sirens, gunshots and vomit.
10-Feb-07 at 7:49 am | Permalink
Ah – it’s getting like Tokyo then. To get a flat here, you have to throw around 1,000,000yen (4~5 of the queen’s finest) on the tatami. Nice round number. Nice burning sensation around my ass.