Eleni

Sorry if this is a bit off-topic.. I've always thought that selling £'s abroad will buy you more of their local currency than exchanging into that currency before you leave the UK. Is that still true? I am buying a small flat abroad (... in Greece, it's not for investment purposes, so please don't bite!), so I can't use ATMs, the sum is too large. Is it better to take money in pounds and change them into euros over there or change them into euros first, using some online foreign exchange broker based in the uk? If I do change them there I wouId shop around for foreign exchange brokers, I wouldn't exchange at the bank or the airport! Tips, advice etc very very welcome! Thanks Eleni

Living on benefits while you are able to work is a disgrace, right? We work to be useful, not just the money I hope! I didn't vote Labour, I'm not allowed to vote in this country. Kalispera is good evening in Greek.

It's easy to ignore advice when one's main concern is to save ££££. When I was a young naive student in Bristol some maniac was stalking me so the police helped me get a council flat for my "safety". I was super happy thinking how much money I'd be saving on rent. But it was in a no-go area, called Lawrence Weston. My poor boyfriend at the time was begging me not to go there, but I thought he was being a snob. I thought that if I keep myself to myself it will make no difference whether I live in a "good" or a "bad" area. How wrong was I... Soon after I moved in I had a bunch of 11-year olds invading my garden. First they stole my scooter. I replaced that with a bigger bike (thinking that it'd be too heavy for them) but again they came and pulled it out of my hands. People were watching as this happened from their windows and nobody called the police or made any attempt to help. I moved out the next day. Both Thamesmead and Erith felt very much like that area. Like places were resentful, socio-economically deprived individuals are pushed to, away from the thriving city to make space for the ambitious ones. But I'm not successful enough to deserve a proper place in a proper area...

Nai more, eides pou katantisame... na oneireuomaste studio flat stous Buthoules tou London. Ego den exo kotsia na psaxo gia douleia stin Ellada, esu poia dikaiologia exeis pou eisai edo?

True, but if they go for cheap (max. £350 mortgage payment pcm) AND are within London (no more than say zone 3) then I think it may a be reasonable compromise. My alternatives are 1-bed/rent at minimum £600pcm + 5-day imprisonment in my job. My aim is to live cheaply, I can save my "home" dreams for when I go home-home (Greece). But for sure, I would never go for something that has the kitchen in the same room too, it's bad enough with the bedroom/living room! One EA who was showing me round a studio in West Norwood (ex-council,£125K!!) said it's a bargain because it has a separate bathroom! The bottom line is I have to wait a bit more, at least 6 months, to see if prices correct themselves enough! What would be very depressing would be to buy something now, like a studio flat far away/horrible (e.g. Erith) and 3 months later find that I could have got a 1-bed for the same money or at least a studio around my area. So I'll wait. I might even change my job by then! BUT I have to change SOMETHING! And if we all FTB's wait, we will FORCE them to correct their prices

Kalispera to you to! I do appreciate my freedom but the need to buy goes quite deep, you don't just buy property, you buy hope. It justifies those 8-9 hours a day of hopeless boredom sitting in front of a computer screen doing meaningless tasks, you say I work for my mortgage, once I pay it off I will be free. But then it's too late for many of us. It's interesting that you said that it's good it's not a studio flat. When I first started looking I only looked for studio flats. Then I got greedy and upgraded to 1 bed. My aim was to find somewhere to live as cheap as possible, cheaper than rent, so that I can go part-time in my job and do more meaningful things the rest of the time. I am hoping that studio flats around zones 3-4 will go down by Xmas, when I start looking again. I would consider something in a region 70K, which at the moment is unrealistic. Of course studio flats are a bad investment opportunity but they make sense if you pay less for mortgage than for rent right? I hope!

done!

Oops, you're right. I am quite naive that way. I've got so used to filling in my details on the various web-sites to get quotes and register for things I just went on auto-pilot! thank you!

Wow, that's a good approach. I spent 6 years in Bristol btw, in St.Pauls! I bet you're at the nice parts!

I agree. I had a very bad feeling about the area when I went. The same for Erith. So depressing. And I'm already not the most upbeat person! Just been for a walk around my block in Brixton. Full of buzz and life. I know this is a bad area but I am happy here. I've decided I'd rather rent and stay here than move to places like Thamesmead. You only get one life. enjoy your beer!

such a sweet way of putting it! I told the estate agent I'm not interested anymore so don't worry!

Not sure if sin is better than Thamesmead but sounds like more fun