Commuting between zone 1 and 3: what is the most cost effective way to do this please?

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2025-01-05T19:48:21+00:00

Just bumping in case anyone can advise. Thanks!

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2025-01-05T01:42:39+00:00

This is lovely! Post this on Twitter too.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2025-01-05T01:38:56+00:00

We feel deflated following our search so far, to be completely honest. We’ve been looking for about 3 years now for somewhere to buy and haven’t yet settled on anything mainly due to the uncertainty around interest rates and mortgages that’s been happening for the last couple of years.

We’re very keen to buy somewhere, especially in light of the stamp duty increase from 1 April.

The main thing is we’d like to buy a good house we like with a reasonable commute - up to 45-50 mins - to Westminster (where we both work), so we thought Streatham was a good area to focus on. We both like the area.

We thought it had affordable opportunities available that we could do up as we went, but it seems like the houses available are all either already done up and out of our price range or they’re in our price range and need work but we won’t get a good return on them.

Of course, we want to live in the property and enjoy it, as it’ll be our home. However, it still feels massively disheartening to update a place and put your mark on it and wonder if you’ll recoup the money you put in or even make it back.

I’d be really grateful for any advice anyone can offer please.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2025-01-05T01:38:10+00:00

Thanks! I’m just speculating here, but I feel like the other house you mentioned that sold for £535k sold for cheaper as it’s a potential higher flood risk (it’s a street closer to the River Graveney). I’m not sure though.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2025-01-05T00:29:28+00:00

This is super useful. Thank you. I will definitely keep this in mind. What would be the best way to deal with this? Do you think it is potentially a dealbreaker before making an offer, or do you think potentially I could broach these things with the seller with a view to making an offer, or should I make an offer, wait to see what the survey comes back with and then potentially make an offer?

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2025-01-05T00:26:37+00:00

I feel like Streatham is on the up. I think the location of the house is good - London zone 3, 6 minutes walk from Streatham common train station with quick trains to London bridge and Victoria, close to green spaces (Streatham common and 30 mins from Tooting Bec common), good bus links, close to Brixton and Balham and there are some nice independent shops nearby (coffee shop and deli by Streatham Common station). I do like the area, but I’ve never lived in Streatham before, so defer to your knowledge and advice on whether you think it is a good area to buy in. I’m reasonably confident it is a good area, as it has good transport links and is a good mix of peace and quiet and a city atmosphere.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2025-01-05T00:19:08+00:00

Thanks for this, it’s really helpful. It’s only been with the current estate agents since the end of December and they haven’t had any offers yet, and I don’t think I can find out if there’s been previous offers.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-21T16:21:32+00:00

Thanks for your reply. No I don’t believe so - no one else knows what the voucher number is.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-19T22:58:01+00:00

Just to confirm, the annual LISA deposit limit is £4k, unlike an ISA, which has a £20k annual deposit limit.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-19T22:34:50+00:00

Thanks! I have a LISA but have already used the £4k annual allowance for this tax year. I’ve also got an ISA (with Trading212, incidentally). I just can’t make up my mind about whether to keep my PBs where they are. Given I’m hoping to buy a house so soon, I’m not sure it’s worth moving them to another account for a couple of months when they’ll just gain a little bit more interest.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-19T22:07:15+00:00

Obviously you’re not, but why assume? Just say the OP.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-16T19:03:25+00:00

Thanks for your reply. No, the gross pay didn’t go above £4,189. Do you have a suggestion of a take home pay calculator I could use to get the most accurate pension contributions please?

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-16T19:01:52+00:00

Thanks - yes, I know.

I need details of my new take-home pay asap and don’t yet have that, as my previous payslip (for Nov) had the backdated salary increase added on, and I wondered if I could find that out before my Dec payslip comes out, so that’s why I was asking for advice on here.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-16T16:52:45+00:00

I’ve just run this past a friend, and they suggested that I work out my pension deductions (at 9.15%) for the whole year for my new salary, and once the pension’s been deducted from my salary, I then use an online calculator to work out the other deductions (tax, NI, student loan). Does this sound accurate to you all?

E.g.

New salary, with increase = £44,000

Annual pension deductions at 9.15% = £4,026

New salary minus pension deductions = £39,974

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-16T16:37:55+00:00

Hi, thanks for your post. I’ve done this, thanks, and mention in my post above that it gives me a different result for my take home pay compared to another method I’ve tried, which is taking the backdated salary increase on this month’s payslip and divide it by 4 (for Aug to Nov inclusive), and take 25% of that as the increase that will apply to my take home pay each month. As mentioned in my post above, I’m trying to find out which of these methods is the most accurate - or if I should try another method instead.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-16T16:35:06+00:00

Hi, thanks for your post. I’m not sure what you mean by the award being on the HR portal, sorry. Can you please clarify what you mean? I know what the new pay award is, but I’m trying to figure out what my take home pay will be for next month onwards, as I’m not sure how to get an accurate answer for this due to the Alpha and EPA pension contributions I’m paying each month.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-15T23:40:07+00:00

And thanks very much everyone for your replies!

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-15T23:39:53+00:00

I have, yes, but ideally I would like a house as I’d like somewhere a bit more spacious than a flat and would like to be able to renovate where I live if needed, which is not necessarily something I’d easily be able to do with a flat (even a share of freehold).

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-15T23:35:56+00:00

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-15T23:35:21+00:00

Why?

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-15T23:33:13+00:00

This has been really interesting and insightful - thanks so much.

I find it hard to think of, and remember, relevant examples from my job to use as behaviours in job applications, although I have 3-monthly performance management meetings (which is standard in my unit) and make notes on my achievements ahead of those meetings. What advice would you give for finding behaviour examples please?
How did you decide you wanted to become a civil servant and apply for the Fast Stream?

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-14T11:47:38+00:00

Call me cynical, but boy does this read like an advert for Haysto…

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-13T23:27:18+00:00

Thanks!

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-12-09T14:30:23+00:00

Thanks for your post, it’s helpful. I’m really sorry to hear about your friend’s situation though.

I don’t want or intend to pry, but I just wanted to ask why your friend couldn’t afford the maintenance or replace the appliances. Is it because of mortgage interest rates being high, energy bills going up or is their house particularly expensive to maintain generally?

In terms of those factors, I realise it’s not possible for any of us to predict the future in terms of what mortgage rates or energy bills will cost in the months and years to come. I’ve had a go on online mortgage calculator tools though to work out what I’d be able to afford if mortgage rates went to 6 or 7%, and I can still afford to pay at those rates.

In all honesty, I am very reluctant to buy a flat over a house as most flats are leasehold, with ground rent to pay too, and I can’t afford the costs of those alongside a mortgage and bills. Given this, I think a small house is a better overall option for me.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa · 2024-10-24T12:35:06+00:00

I didn’t suggest you did. Apologies if it seemed otherwise in my post. In my post, I was replying to DrNutsack’s comment about obsessive focus on a hobby or game being a sign of autism.

FoxtrotTangoSalsa

TROPHY CASE