Yep and in most places they're demolishing the Victorian/Edwardian stuff and putting the new shoe-boxes where they stood... which is a bloody shame
All of you saying you don't stand a chance of getting that are wrong - I live in Tufnell Park in Zone 2, London and I pay 470 a month, + bills which are about £100. My room is 4m x 3m. £550 a month inclusive of bills in reading is EASILY doable.
I pay £460 a month living with parents.I have aspergers syndrome also depression also dyslexic unable to work so don't get that much support.
I live in Reading, 550pcm for a double room is going to be pushing it but you may get lucky. You're more likely to find a studio flat for about 600pcm plus all the normal bills.
Depends where exactly in Reading. Another mate of mine has a room with 3 other flat mates in Caversham for £425/pcm, really quite a nice place as well
Absolutely, a house share is the best option if price is the biggest concern. And Caversham is nice, I live there too.
Just don't look into London. My girlfriend is going to work in London next year, quick look on house prices, cheapest is £600 for a tiny room in a house shared apartment.
I bagged a 2 double bedroom (with ensuite) 3 year old new build flat in central london. It has solar-assisted heating, A rating efficiency, balcony with a view over playing fields - all for 1250 pcm, all mod-cons in the kitchen. Rent split two ways with my Bro' - it's a comfy life. It's all about the hunt and random opportunities, and being in a position to snap up the goodies when they appear.
For the money some of you pay you would be better of buying. 1250 PCM is alot basically the mortgage for a decent sized family home anyplace accept London.
... and once you're a couple of years into a mortgage/have traded up from your flat that figure covers London too. We're paying £930 mortgage on a 3 bed detached in zone 4. Don't buy because you think you'll make a mint, buy to get the stability and absense of the annual where am I going to be living stress. Living like a hermit for 2 years to save the deposit on my flat was the best move I ever made.
I think we've got you here in the South West Look up Sandbanks property. We live 6 miles out of it and our property is worth £650k.
We're looking into getting mortgaged, but we traded up from a ramshackle 1k/pm dive in clapham to this dream pad. Getting anything with decent space, in prime locations these days is abysmally difficult and demotivating.
As said before, to live alone on that budget might be a bit tight. I'm from the area although admittedly haven't looked at prices recently but have in the past. Had a one bedroom flat (nothing special) which was £650 a month all in and it was an absolute steal at the time (approx 3 years ago). You'll most likely be looking at a bedsit for you budget I'm afraid and would be far better off as others have said, getting a house share which would see your money getting you a reasonably large room in a professional share.
Erm Im looking for a double room guys, there seem to be loads available for around the £550 mark, they just either are in a street that looks like chavs all belong on it, are tiny, have big minimum stay requirements etc etc etc.
Back on track ... Since RTT suggested Caversaham (I don't know Reading at all), have you tried these: (Although the one at £549 is listed as single, its described as double in the details) http://www.spareroom.co.uk/flatshar...38679591&sort_by=days_since_placed&mode=list& http://www.spareroom.co.uk/flatshar...38679591&sort_by=days_since_placed&mode=list& http://www.spareroom.co.uk/flatshar...138679591&offset=0&sort_by=days_since_placed&
This made me think of the quality triangle for coding - you can have two of quality/speed/price but not all three ... in this case you can have two of space/location/price - I really do think a lot of people now want all three and so end up with none of it because they won't commit until they find perfection (which of course never comes). Poshed up for a year as well (West Hampstead balcony flat overlooking a tennis club full of bored 30something housewives) then knuckled down to save. Think the main way people trip up when buying is they treat the place like a rental - what you see is all you get so you want something pretty perfect. Buy cheap/small/battered to get started and spend a little money on decorating and making nice yourself (it actually costs less than you think), then sell a few years down the line and move on to something closer to what you'd like. The mortgage will typically be less than rent and all that money you've been saving is suddenly available guilt free to use for living. Once you made the place livable you can carry on saving/paying down the mortgage to make that 2nd place something a lot closer to what you want. /grandfatherly advice ends