Thursday, May 22, 2014

Sign Here, and Here, and Here


So, the good news is, we seem to have successfully negotiated for the new apartment. (I say seem because although our offer was accepted and we've put down a deposit, I won't feel like it's really ours until we move in.) Last night I spent a couple of hours slogging through the lease and filling out our tenancy application. It is truly terrifying how much money this involves, with deposits and moving costs. We'll be wiped out.

Of course, we'll get some of that money back eventually -- we hope -- but still. It makes my heart race. And I despair a little bit to think we've been here three years and we've essentially saved nothing, beyond contributions to our retirement funds.

This city -- good grief, it sucks the money out of you. It's worse than New York.

I realize we haven't exactly been roughing it, traveling and going to dinner and paying for a posh dog walker and whatnot. Under no circumstances will I give up my travel. But I suppose we need to think about how to put something more aside.

(Click that dog walker link, by the way. It's a funny story.)

I mentioned before that the new flat has a garden, and we're contractually responsible for routine maintenance. Apparently our responsibility has its limits, though. From the lease: "To avoid any doubt the tenant will not be under any obligation to pay for or to replace any house plant that has been left in the premises, if the house plant dies."

Well, that's a weight off my shoulders.

(Photo: Street sweeper, Notting Hill.)

8 comments:

  1. It's a big step. I would be sweating about it too.

    But MAZELTOV!! How exciting. Congratulations.

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  2. Phew! On the houseplants, indeed!

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  3. That houseplant clause should be in every lease :)

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  4. Hooray! Congratulations! You are so going to love having a yard, and outdoor furniture, and, and, and ...

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  5. Your almost new digs sound perfect! yay for the pooch! London is ridiculously expensive, one may need to lower one's standards but I do agree , travel is the point! Can't wait to get out of this country for a while!
    Of course when I go I never want to come back.

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  6. I know what you mean about the cost of being in London. When I got home, I looked at my bank statement and cringed the amount of money I spent on food alone.
    PS, loved the dog walker story.

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  7. As a resident of an extremely expensive city, I am with you on the financial stress anxiety. It seems, sometimes, that we can never get ahead, and I wonder about how responsible I'm being trying to live here. Oy.

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