a hunting we will go

Flat hunting that is. L2 and I are moving out of our above italian restaurant flat that we share with S and A and moving into our own place at the end of February.

We just don't know where that is yet!

London is very confusing when flat hunting. You only have to give one month notice before you move out and often landlords won't post a free flat until the tenant is long gone. Which means, most flats are available to rent 'immediately' and saying you want to wait till the end of February is a ridiculous suggestion.

So now, we've had to give notice on our old place (we agreed to two months), but we don't have a place to live in yet. We're going all out next week with viewings on Monday, Tuesday and hopefully Wednesday night. This is far too stressful to hunt for a place than it should be.

Also, most flats are managed by agencies. So you only go through an agency, pay them an £100/£150 to draw up contract papers (that look like your eight year old could forge) and an extra monthly fee. Appears they have got a lucrative idea.

The only plus, apparently it is becoming a 'rental' market so L2 and I should be able to bargain to pay a bit less to live in Battersea (our top choice), Abbeville Village or Clapham. Let's see if that is what really happens!