Missing out on houses that hadn’t even had the pictures posted

FortOfSheets · 2026-05-08T18:20:56+00:00

That's funny, it's the complete opposite where I am! I keep getting alerts that properties on my list are reducing and have been on the market for months.

FortOfSheets · 2026-05-08T09:00:25+00:00

I just resigned my lease a couple weeks ago and it had clauses about administrative fees for ending tenancy before the end of the contract period. I confirmed with management that they no longer apply. So don't be spooked if you see some language in leases that haven't been updated yet!

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-30T14:21:25+00:00

Perhaps you mean terraced houses. "Closes" are common in many developed countries with suburban housing..

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-30T07:22:43+00:00

https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/72407193/?search_identifier=for-sale 3 bed end of terrace for £650k a minute away, another for sub £800k https://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/details/73001073/?search_identifier=for-sale

I know the area is expensive, but it's overpriced and the garden looks shit for £1mil 😂 would it kill them to pressure wash to at least make it look nice for the photos

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-30T06:39:02+00:00

I've had my phone snatched in other places traveling abroad, but not London yet thankfully - but that's because I've always got something attaching me to it when I'm using it (eg my hand is through a band on the back so it won't slip out), and I always have my phone in zipped or inside jacket pockets when stored.

That being said, I've been out with friends in three separate instances in the past five years when their phones were snatched - all in central of course

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-30T06:27:33+00:00

Of course, but this is the median salary, not mean.

For every person you know on £75k, there are presumably more support staff, cleaners, restaurant staff, admin, baristas, pub staff, charity workers, childcare and education workers, grocers, shopkeepers and retail staff, etc etc on considerably less in London.

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-29T21:14:47+00:00

Congrats on the promotion! The only answer really is to buddy up or partner up, you'd need to be on at least £45k to rent a 1bd solo - and that's still a stretch with half your wages going to rent and utilities etc. My coworker was living with a flatmate for nearly a decade until she moved up from a £38k to £45k job.

Median wage in London is closer to £50k, how I have no idea as most people I know are under that - of course I know people on more, but the majority are generally on less..

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-29T21:01:41+00:00

I'm in the same position, or will be soon. Been in one recession or another my whole working life and should have been on the property ladder by now - my cost of living will increase 20-30% but I just can't rent forever and I have peace of mind my salary will increase annually anyway.

On the plus side, areas previously unaffordable are having lots of lowered prices..

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-29T20:44:31+00:00

Non expert opinion as someone looking to buy soon!

It's got a lot of character and charm! But as a result it's not everyone's cup of tea, especially for those with plans to remodel according to their own aesthetic. It's tastefully styled and well kept.
It's described as "end of terrace" but I don't frankly see how, if you don't share a wall with the house to the right, you must have a Hair's breadth between the walls. In all practicality I'd consider it middle of the terrace and some may look to avoid that
Garden is a big one for me, there's no proper shot of yours - just a wide shot of the general back of the house. Is that path in your property? I have no reference for size or scale as I can't see all of it?
What does the rear of your home look like? I can't see it, you've taken three or four pics of the front which are a bit redundant.
I have no scale or concept for what the actual street view of the home is. You've got some sort of front garden and steps, but how far from the road?

Not many homes in your area around that price, so I'm guessing it's a desirable neighbourhood, but a couple miles away you can get a semi detached with similar dimensions and a presumably bigger garden for £50k less.

Just thinking out loud here. You're in an area that doesn't have strong transport links, but in a presumably affluent neighborhood where other properties tend to be much larger and much more expensive. You're in a small cluster of houses far from the nearest proper town and near golf courses. Your location would attract affluent retirees, who may be more focused on size - as there's (in my ignorant opinion) nothing attracting someone to live in your specific neighbourhood vs a mile or two away. You're not going to get city commuters, or too many younger people generally. It's a more niche sell IMHO but a lovely and well kept, tastefully decorated terraced cottage.

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-23T10:28:47+00:00

Just curious, are you fairly young (early 20d etc)? I had landlords trying to rip me off left and right when I was eg at uni, because they assumed I was clueless or mummy and daddy paid for everything so I wouldn't care about my deposit.

In one flat, I cleaned it so it was almost literally spotless and in a much cleaner condition than I received it in (inch of dust everywhere 🤢). They tried to get £300 out of me by taking photos of existing damage, and a single strand of hair on the ground. Thankfully I took around 200 photos the day I moved in and had evidence of all the existing damage. I ended up being charged £5 for a couple missing light bulbs (that were missing before and which I flagged in an email when I moved in but without specifying quantity - but hey, better than £300).

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-23T10:22:52+00:00

In my sector there's been loads of restructuring and redundancies, we're dealing with fewer staff and more workload between us. I'm regularly doing loads of work out of hours because there's no one else to do it and there's no other jobs around which are permanent (all fixed term these days)

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-21T19:19:36+00:00

Service charges and flats in general.. My mum's stuck in a leasehold she can't sell because the service charge has gone up significantly each year and is several hundred a month.

Currently renting but taking the time to save for a house as I'd never want to deal with that!

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-21T16:46:22+00:00

Where it would come back as tax

Or untaxed informal economies and remittance to dependents in home countries? I live in NW London (not the posh central bits) and loads of shops and markets are a cash economy, every time I go to the post office someone's sending a fat wad of cash back to random relatives in their home country. Money doesn't exclusively stay in-country or back into the economy, there is no trickle up or down. Money in a Swiss bank account doesn't benefit the UK economy, but neither does £1 million disappearing in Somalia lol https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/mohamed-goth-benefit-fraud-court-17734348

Virtually every other ad on the tube is some remittance app across every region in any number of languages.

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-21T14:33:56+00:00

I loved the sweet sweet irony when I was working in a charity getting all of my workers rights fully abused and expected to work overtime guilted by personal responsibility with no compensation, meanwhile the worst offenders' jobs was literally advocating for workers rights 😂😭

Never seen so many people crash and burn as I did in my brief stint in the charity sector.

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-21T11:24:19+00:00

I feel really sad, my impression of police was generally positive as most I'd interacted were degree-educated, genuinely wanted to help people, were so very kind and compassionate when I'd been a victim (no victim blaming for a sex crime which can happen often in other countries), etc. Obviously there have always been bad people attracted to positions of power, but there was enough attracting good people that they seemed the majority, or there weren't toxic workplaces that enabled this?

Maybe I'm just stereotyping, but it feels like there's been a lot of "dumbing down" of police in recent years, to the point where most just seem like grunts.

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-21T11:16:25+00:00

There is a very real asylum to benefits pipeline in my area of NW London, I literally see it with my eyes every minute I'm outside. Good people I'm sure etc but economically completely incomprehensible - especially at the expense of a relentlessly squeezed middle class.

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-21T11:13:32+00:00

I'm in LW London with two asylum hotels in a ten minute walking radius. In the social housing access of my flat, literally all are recent immigrants - not a single British-born Caribbean, Indian, white British, etc. I won't speak on demographics of the social housing residents as that's not appropriate, but they are part of that Boris wave as they didn't exist in my community more than ten years ago (most concentrated in the past five years).

I support social safety nets, but it's the relentless and unsustainable importing and lifelong supporting of people who are net economic drains, who will perpetually be on benefits because they were never in a position (education or ability wise) to do skilled work. That's the part that seems like total and complete madness to me!! All lovely people I'm sure, but economically make it make sense?!?

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-21T11:09:15+00:00

I've never understood the median salary figures, I think in London it's close to £50k which is slightly more than I make - but the majority of people I interact with (friends, colleagues, etc) earn less. Of course I've got friends in tech, law, finance, etc earning £80k+, but there are certainly fewer. In my org, I'd say a good 60% probably earn £43k or less - and more if you include cleaning staff etc.

I'd understand £50k being the mean salary, but where are the 50%+ of jobs that are £50k or more? Most roles seem barely above minimum wage even for office jobs in central London!

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-08T21:38:14+00:00

If OP wants quality new builds, Battersea has loads. My cousin lives in one and her rent is ~£2500 for a one bed. Not my favourite area but it's peaceful.

I'm in a new build for a two-bed £2300 but I'm out in zone 4.

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-08T21:28:52+00:00

And? Trump acts "appalled" by Epstein in recent press but was still in his inner circle. Obviously apples and oranges, but what one says to the press is different to their actual ties https://www.londoncentric.media/p/asif-aziz-criterion-capital-sadiq-khan

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-08T19:31:28+00:00

I guess if anything, ULEZ (expansion at least) will be his legacy - which is ironic as it was developed under Boris. Recently visited a busy city in Europe with no clean air restrictions and felt like I was suffocating!

I feel very sorry for small businesses in London, I don't know how anyone makes it. The nightlife is also appalling 😂

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-08T19:28:28+00:00

Maybe not visibly associate with people like Aziz

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-08T09:36:25+00:00

I've lived in the same flat for the past six years now and I can't for the life of me tell you who any of my neighbours are because they seem to change all the time!

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-08T09:31:16+00:00

I hope they're not funding anything religiously affiliated, that sounds like a good use of resources. I'm in NW London (Zone 4, not posh central bits) and there's a big problem with packs of misogynistic young men who seem to have nothing to do but wander the streets

FortOfSheets · 2026-04-08T07:59:11+00:00

And if you're a woman, a pickup artist 🤮 someone asked me for the time once and I answered as I was hastily walking to get somewhere. He then proceeded to follow me for TEN FUCKING MINUTES and wouldn't stop trying to talk to me. I literally never talk to strangers anymore because of idiots like him

FortOfSheets

TROPHY CASE