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| Talk,
Julie Miller,
20 January 1999 | |
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As my belly swells with pregnant anticipation, so our flat shrinks in size.
Hence the very over-due need to buy a house. But just the thought of looking through yet another Property News full of hope - only to have them dashed when I see that all we can afford is something built in the 1970's with as much style as a porta-cabin in need of some modernisation and close to local transport (the Gatwick Express runs through the back garden).
Not perturbed I call up the estate agents using my poshest voice to see what's on offer. Of course the immediately snooty reply is and what can madam go up to followed by a long pause after my reply - then eer sorry we don't have anything in your price range (meaning - oh God not another time wasting poor-person with high hopes and no cash) What the hell do you need to earn these days to live in London? Here in (apparently) up and coming Balham we're surrounded by rich dealers (of the city type not the crack type although they do seem to earn about the same). And that's the problem while the rest of us struggle to keep up with the price of fresh parmesan, those city bankers are getting bonuses the size of the national lottery jackpot fund on a double rollover week. Meanwhile those poor sods not even on the bottom rung of the property ladder can only dream that one day a nice 50's prefab might be theirs. I do wonder where this property boom is heading. We spend most of our adult lives saving up for, or paying off for things, that by the time we've settled our bills the only thing we can look forward to is a free bus pass and £10 off our gas bill if the temperature reaches -20 degres over three consecutive months in winter. Woopee.
Perhaps my young(ish) brother has the right idea with the spend it while you got it mentality. He's never been one to let the grass grow under his feet and he's as free as a 2 for1 in Sainsburys. With no children and the cheapest rent this side of the Shetland Isles he's got money to burn - but does he own a property? Have a pension fund? Medical insurance? Dental insurance? School fees?
A Sainsbury's Reward Card? Well no, but he's got plenty of cash - (cos that's how some builders still get paid) and when that runs out he'll just earn some more. Lovely jubley! The choice is ours. Buy the house - get the headache, more room - more reasons to lie awake at night. And in my case, trying to work out if we can claim the bulk buy of 24 cans of Wiskers - back from the tax man on medical grounds (well they do say that cat stroking is good for stress).
All I want is a house where the rooms out-number the people. Fat chance of that in Balham. Perhaps we should move to a small remote Cornish Village and make Veggeterian pies for a living - perfect for an Urban Hippie. Although I'm not sure that Starbucks have reached Cornwall yet - and I just know I couldn't make it through the day without a Tall skinny latte. I'll just take another look in the Property News...
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