Reply to: Tomorrow

[ChimpMaster]

You can live in Kent - near Ebbsfleet - and be in Kings Cross in just 17 minutes.

[nomadd]

Incidentally, nomadd, I find riding a motorbike into London to be a rather stressful experience at the best of times.

True. But at least it makes you live every day like it was your last.

(Already got a few folks in General putting in orders for my organs; I've told them that I've left instructions in my Will to have them listed on eBay. In the interim, I'm keeping them preserved with alcohol. )

[Graemsay]

I'd agree that London costs are ridiculous, particularly if you live alone or are a sole earner. The trouble is that rents are high, but buying costs even higher.

My last gig was doing Android development, and most of the vacancies are advertised around the £300 to £350 per day level. It's possible to be comfortable on that, but you can't build up much in the way of savings, and that's important in the current market.

Incidentally, nomadd, I find riding a motorbike into London to be a rather stressful experience at the best of times.

[Mister Clark]

Just to add my 2 cents.

I bought a repo 2 bed flat (converted from a grade II listed building) last Jan for 120k.
When the flat was first sold 7-8 years ago it was sold for 160k.

I live on the boarder of Kent and London (zone 4, and when I say boarder, it's literality 30 secs walk into London), my mortgage is 550 quid a month, its a nice area with lots of open space, takes 45 mins to the wharf, and 45 mins to the city, no tube, no standing.

As a bonus I was lucky to get a rate bump last month on a long term gig but could I live my current lifestyle on 60K a year? Easily.

PS - good luck with the job hunt and keep as updated.

[oliverson]

you travel 3 hours each way? every day? How do you do that.

I'm having to admit to myself that I'm facing (LTD) bankruptcy , and being hard on myself for turning down 2hr each way commutes (earlier in the year) .

I just cant imagine myself doing a good job with that amount of my daily time eaten up by the hell that is commuting.

I honestly get mentally drained by the complete lack of humanity that people down here show each other on public transport - it's depressing to have to put up with the total misery of commuting into central london at rush hour. By the time I arrive in the office I'm already jaded!

I am a happy fella by the way

Is there any good news from anyone on this thread? has anyone landed work in the last month or so?

So am I Scoobos (LTD)

[nomadd]

you travel 3 hours each way? every day? How do you do that.

I'm having to admit to myself that I'm facing (LTD) bankruptcy , and being hard on myself for turning down 2hr each way commutes - but I just cant imagine myself doing a good job with that amount of my daily time eaten up by the hell that is commuting.

I honestly get mentally drained by the complete lack of humanity that people down here show each other on public transport - it's depressing to have to put up with the total misery of commuting into central london at rush hour. By the time I arrive in the office I'm already jaded!

I am a happy fella by the way

Agree completely.

I'm in the very fortunate position of having a nice cheap rental property in London, so I stay there most of the time. Commute in by motorcycle.

I am a happy fella by the way

[Scoobos]

you travel 3 hours each way? every day? How do you do that.

I'm having to admit to myself that I'm facing (LTD) bankruptcy , and being hard on myself for turning down 2hr each way commutes (earlier in the year) .

I just cant imagine myself doing a good job with that amount of my daily time eaten up by the hell that is commuting.

I honestly get mentally drained by the complete lack of humanity that people down here show each other on public transport - it's depressing to have to put up with the total misery of commuting into central london at rush hour. By the time I arrive in the office I'm already jaded!

I am a happy fella by the way

Is there any good news from anyone on this thread? has anyone landed work in the last month or so?

[nomadd]

"all the roles are in London"? I don't think so.

I live in Central London and for the past ten years have had to work in the middle of nowhere: currently 90 minutes travel each way.

I live in the middle of nowhere and for the past twenty three years have had to work in Central London: currently 3 hours travel each way.

Maybe we should swap skill-sets.

[helpFul]

I would - but all the roles are in London!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"all the roles are in London"? I don't think so.

I live in Central London and for the past ten years have had to work in the middle of nowhere: currently 90 minutes travel each way.

[darrenb]

I would - but all the roles are in London!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EDIT: Unless you know of somewhere far cheaper with lots of good contract roles available? Please do tell.

I'm still trying to figure out why you guys are still in England? Why not Germany? Or, if banking is the love of your life, Switzerland?

[nomadd]

If a single person requires a 3-bedroom house with a garden, driveway and garage then you're right, you need £60k. Although when you said £60k I thought you meant 60k to spend, not 60k pre-tax income.

Wasn't my quote, it was ChimpMaster:

My market is completely dead too. I've been contracting for a short few years now and I completely understand that (unfortunately) I will have to go permie very soon. If that job pays reasonably (for me that would be £60K)

You said one can't do it, not one can't do it in luxury.

Luxury? If only! I'm taking about a small 3 bed semi in a not so great location in London. With a commute only made bearable by the use of a motorcycle.

The point I was making - and that has been backed up by all the posters who live and work in London as I do - is that that £60k of salary just doesn't get you a decent lifestyle here; in fact nothing like it. The housing and commuting costs simply eat away over 2/3rd's or more of your take-home pay. And when you think about simple things on top - like a pension contribution, well, that leaves you broke. So sure, you can live, but it's not a lifestyle I'd want to live.

Permie role for £60k is OK, but not in London. I moved here and went contract within 24 months - only way I could make it work financially. And if the contracting runs out in London, then so do I.

[d000hg]

1 room for friends + family stopping over.

1 other room for gym kit + office.

Plus a house gives you a garden for Summer. And a driveway and garage (two motorbikes and usually one or two cars, in my case.)

If a single person requires a 3-bedroom house with a garden, driveway and garage then you're right, you need £60k. Although when you said £60k I thought you meant 60k to spend, not 60k pre-tax income. You said one can't do it, not one can't do it in luxury.

[Hot Mess]

I'm totally with Nomadd, those saying you can buy a property for 200k must be looking at the bronx or something.

+ 1

Lived in London for the last 20 years. 250k today won't get a crappy studio in a decent chav free, location within zone 2/3

Life is short. If you decide to live in London, my advice would be pick a nice location or don't bother. Live in Essex, Luton, wherever, and put up with the commute, hassle etc.

To the OP. Keep the faith, you will find something. Don't stress the fact that you've been out for a few months. When you start your next gig I guarantee within a few weeks you'll soon be craving the freedom you have now.

[Scoobos]

I'm totally with Nomadd, those saying you can buy a property for 200k must be looking at the bronx or something.

I've got a horrid, tiny 2 bed (just) flat, and its costing me 900 to rent, but I'm looking at 250k starting for a flat in my area to buy. It's just stupid.

Also, for those that say "just buy a house" - Its not really feasible for me , I'm in the same boat for my SC Clearance. I've contracted worldwide with stints in New Zealand, Australia, Canada and also some holiday travelling time in South East Asia and Indonesia - NO ONE will consider giving me a mortgage without 5 years constant work behind me (or so I was advised).

Nomadd, thanks for sharing too, its given me a little courage to stick with my job search.

I'm seriously worried about my future contracting, but am wet behind the ears compared to you - so I'm reassured a little.

[nomadd]

Yes but you've been renting for 9 years, isn't that right? At £20k per year, that's £180k you've paid in rent when instead you could have been paying down your own mortgage. Do you expect house prices to crash that much?

I'm not having a go, I'm just trying to understand. Maybe I'm missing a point and could learn something.

My rent is less than a third of what you've quoted. Read the entire thread to understand the context of the comments made. My rent is spectacularly cheap for where I live. The rent I quoted was based on someone wanting to move to London now; they wouldn't have access to the sort of deal I have. My current housing costs are less than 1/12th of my "take home pay" after tax as a contractor.

A mortgage over the same term - the 9 years you quote - would have cost me substantially more than the rent I've paid. And even housing HPI over that period wouldn't have made up the difference (Hint: my savings from contracting will hit seven figures - post-tax - by the end of this year; so a mortgage will never be an issue for me.)

And now, we find ourselves at the tail-end of the biggest housing boom in history. Outside of London - and even in N14 where I live - prices are falling. So I'm happy to stick with the dirt cheap rent deal for 5 years more, as prices are falling faster than my rent (and a mortgage at this point in time would mean even higher loses, as well as the capital loss.) I think prices will continue to decline here and elsewhere across the UK over the next few years. Other may feel free to disagree; as I say, that's a topic for a better forum for this type of subject.

Also, I don't like London (at all) enough to ever want to own a house here!

EDIT: Just posted today: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/ar...=feeds-newsxml