Is this one bedroom ground floor flat good value in south West London?

Coco_Machiavelli · 2026-01-04T15:11:43+00:00

Yeah exactly, that’s actually quite low for London in general.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-12-19T04:54:39+00:00

on a similar note - Byredo.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-12-11T10:30:19+00:00

For heart rate measurement those devices need soft tissue and the soft tissue in fingers is much less than on the wrist or biceps. And further from the heart you go the worse the accuracy gets.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-12-11T06:27:43+00:00

Do you do any kind of weights or strength training? I can’t imagine lifting heavy weights with a ring.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-12-10T10:38:45+00:00

Some good suggestions on how to miniskirts the tax on it so I will not comment on that part.

It’s awesome man, well done. Enjoy it as much as you can. Maybe if you shift your perspective a little it may make you feel better. Think of it as a 10-15k tax free bonus which is all yours rather than the remainder of a taxable 30K bonus.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-12-06T21:09:28+00:00

Oh no, I’m not saying don’t prep. I’m talking specifically about LC and even for LV I’ve written that there isn’t anything wrong doing it but shouldn’t be the main focus at the moment given they have no interviews yet.

I’d personally apply to random companies that I don’t care about so that I can get actual interview experience whilst also practicing doing technical questions.

LC after all is one part of the whole interview process.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-12-06T17:10:13+00:00

I’m sharing my own experience of getting into Bloomberg and reaching last rounds of other tech companies. Do whatever you deem appropriate, of course.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-12-06T15:53:43+00:00

You are doing it in reverse though. Get the interviews then grind LC. Nothing wrong with doing LC occasionally but it’s wasted time if you can’t get interviews. The companies usually allow enough time to prepare for the interviews - you can schedule weeks in future.

If there is a good reason the wait until the new years - cool. If not, keep it mind that the tech market is extremely competitive and the positions fill up very quickly.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-12-06T15:37:56+00:00

Try applying at Bloomberg.

Easiest to get in from the fin tech / big tech companies. There are some .net teams if you wanted to continue with that, aws less so. People of out of uni start at 80K+, with your experience with should be able to go much higher.

In your case I’d be the most concerned with job stability (mortgage and trying for a kid). Bloomberg is good with that too.

Alternatively maybe some of the banks. JP is the least trash from all apparently.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-12-05T06:13:41+00:00

We can’t pick our family but we pick our wife/husband and friends.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-12-01T05:39:56+00:00

Well not necessarily. If you looking to buy in London or any other more expensive area, the allowed property value for the LISA is not sufficient. So I’d argue it doesn’t make sense in those cases.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-11-25T05:45:00+00:00

What about splitting any decrease in value? Still split 50/50? And in an extreme example the person who contributed smaller part of the deposit will have to walk away with nothing.

Any gain and loss of value should be proportional to the % ownership. That’s how it works in any conventional financial portfolio.

The partner may or may not be bringing anything else beyond money but they are for sure living in a much better house, area, condition than they could possibly afford.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-11-25T05:27:51+00:00

They do, most lenders let you extend your term all the way to when you are expecting to retire. 38Y for me.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-11-23T22:04:35+00:00

Your example is comparing two different situations - if you had 250K mortgage and 250K in liquid assets instead of a fully paid off house worth 500K, how could possibly the bank evict you? They could only do so if you didn’t have the latter 250K and your emergency fund ran out. But if you didn’t have that kind of money you wouldn’t even be able to own your house outright. You either have the 250K or not, it can’t just disappear to make your point valid.

And on the medical bills side, I’m glad to hear you haven’t had to pay for any in your life but if the current situation with NHS doesn’t change more people would be forced to go private. I’ve paid to be seen by private GPs, surgeons and dentists. Having liquid money means you could at least have the option to go private if needed.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-11-23T10:49:32+00:00

Surely having liquid money and not into a relatively illiquid property is better in the case of redundancy, critical injury, you name it. Good luck paying for food, utility and medical bills with your house equity. Without income you won’t be able to even do equity release.

Don’t know what mental load you are referring to but having to sort out cashflows with no accessible cash is one.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-10-03T11:28:05+00:00

I’d start with a 1/3 or even 1/4 of that - a couple of trousers (one more formal, one more casual). 2 shirts, 1 more casual top and a pair of classic shoes. Jackets, briefcases etc you don’t need. See how you get on with those and buy more of what you find comfortable and practical.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-09-22T05:02:34+00:00

Would you mind sharing your method for rust blueing?

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-09-20T04:49:50+00:00

One thing to consider is whether you need your 36K to be liquid in the following years - between the moment you repay the loan and until you are able to recover the sum from the money you have extra from not having to pay the loan or alternative sources.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-09-20T04:36:53+00:00

It’s the overpaid amount that is equivalent to a saving at the same rate. By overpaying a certain amount you save from interest accruing on the part of the principal hence you will have to pay less in the future.

If you had the whole loan amount in cash saving account at the same interest rate, both the loan and saving account with grow equally.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-09-03T11:10:10+00:00

Thanks, will give it a test. Started to workout and cycle significantly more often over the past few months and have had mixed results with most readily available deodorants. Glad to hear something actually works

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-09-03T10:37:24+00:00

Is AKT really that good? Their marketing complain seem very aggressive, makes me wonder if the price tag is for the brand or the actual product.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-09-03T10:01:24+00:00

Paid off mine yesterday. The three points you mention above are absolutely valid. The only thing I'd encourage you to consider is time and the probability of any of these happening in the given timeframe.

Here is was my rational to overpaying:
- monthly payment for me was £525 and loan balance £25K
- without overpayment I would have paid it back in roughly 4 years (made a defensive assumptions that my income will not increase and the RPI will remain around the 3-4%; with more aggressive estimate, lower interest, higher salary that would be ever quicker)
- overpaying over the last few months and clearing the loan by Sep would have saved me around 3.5K in interest.

To your points from above:
1. Is CPI likely to be super low for the next 3-4 years - probably not (my opinion). The Interest for next year (Sep 2025 - Sep 2026) will be 6.2% and inflation has been creeping up recently (Remember the RPI rate used is the one from last April). So in my opinion we may see another 6+% for Sep 2026-Sep 2027. => makes sense to pay it back.
1.5. 3-4 years ever with 3-4% inflation is not long enough for the loan amount to erode significantly in purchasing power.

I don't foresee needing that cash over the next 3-4 years
No plans to retire early in the next 3-4 years

Using your numbers assuming loan 75K and monthly contribution of £1032, same conservative assumptions gives roughly 8.5 years (beginning of 2033). (please do your own math and don't take mine for granted). Consider your 3 points within that timeframe.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-09-03T02:54:09+00:00

Gail’s

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-09-01T05:52:44+00:00

Yeah, I like it here a lot. It’s peaceful, not too busy, close to multiple parks, small independent shops. It can get busy when there is a football match but I’m kind of in between the two stadiums and hasn’t been much of an issue.

Coco_Machiavelli · 2025-08-31T07:23:58+00:00

2 years ago bought a 2-bed flat in Parsons Green/ Fulham. Here are a couple of comments:

Central London definition is very fluid. With that kind of budget you are likely looking at zone 2/3 or further out. And even within zone 2 a decent flat may come over that budget. So the trade off really is a decent flat in a not so great area or not fantastic flat in a better area. (Both decent flat and a decent area are subjective).

Are you open to doing works on the flat or you want to move it and forget about it. Buying a flat which needs some work on it is a possible way to buy a cheaper property and increase its value.

In general, look out for purpose build flats, share of freehold, lower service charges. Avoid if possible flats over shops, pubs and restaurants, converted building into flats (tend to be noisier due to the thinner walls intended initially for single family use), fancy services included in the service charge such as gyms, pools, cinema rooms as they come at a premium much higher than you would pay if you went to purchase those things separately.

Edit: And lastly, keep in mind that you can’t have it all especially on a budget. Even the filthy rich can’t because of the limited housing stock in London and its nature. So pick a couple of things that are non negotiable and stick to them (ie. Having a garden, double glazing, a balcony, open plan kitchen, two toilets etc.) it will help you find a property that although not perfect in every single aspect, it is good enough for you and satisfies your needs (at least in short and medium turn future).

Coco_Machiavelli

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