How I Bought a New Flat in London: A Step-by-Step Guide

Hi everyone, today I'm going to tell you how I bought my flat. You're thinking about buying a flat in London, eh? Trust me, it's not as daunting as it sounds. I was in your shoes not too long ago, scrolling through endless listings of homes in Southwark.

First off, Southwark is a financial hub, bustling with skyscrapers and modern apartments. If you're a city slicker who thrives in a fast-paced environment, this is your playground. On the flip side, South-East London offers a mix of traditional and new builds, perfect for those who want a blend of the old and the new. So, what's it going to be? A swanky apartment overlooking the Thames or a cosy flat in a South-East London neighbourhood?

Budgeting

Let's talk money, shall we? It's the elephant in the room that you can't ignore. London isn't cheap, and neither are its flats or houses. But don't let that deter you. With proper budgeting and a bit of financial wizardry, you can find something that won't break the bank.

Start by setting a realistic budget. Factor in not just the cost of the property but also additional expenses like stamp duty, legal fees, and mortgage rates. And let's not forget the hidden costs like maintenance and utility bills. Got all that? Good. Now you're ready to dive into the sea of listings without drowning in debt.

The Viewing Game: Look Before You Leap

You wouldn't buy a car without taking it for a spin, right? The same logic applies to flats and houses. Once you've shortlisted a few promising options, it's time for viewings. And let me tell you, this is where the rubber meets the road.

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When you're walking through those apartments or houses for sale, keep an eye out for red flags. Damp walls? Dodgy wiring? These are deal-breakers. But also look for potential — could a lick of paint or a minor renovation turn a so-so flat into your dream home? It's all about balancing the pros and cons.

The Final Frontier

You've found the one. It checks all the boxes — location, and budget, and it doesn't have a creepy basement. What's next? Making an offer and crossing your fingers. If your offer is accepted, you'll move on to the legal stuff, which involves a lot of paperwork and patience. Solicitors will be your new best friends, guiding you through contracts and land checks.

Once all the i's are dotted and the t's are crossed, you're ready for the final step — getting those keys in your hand. And just like that, you're the proud owner of a new flat in London. If you are also thinking about buying a flat, I can recommend the company 1newhomes. They helped me a lot with my choice.

A money management tip

The financial system in rich countries developed enough to create many prospects for people to live and consume goods that are really not always affordable to them. Credit cards allow persons even with minimal year income to use loans for buying houses, cars, electronics, kitchen appliances, furniture, and other things of any kind immediately. The only problem is that such a privilege has some pitfalls. One of them is obvious — money borrowed and should be paid back, but the main obstacle is that such money can't teach the person how to manage expenses.

Step by step individual will be spend more and more until suddenly realised that the size of the debt is going out of control. Many people regularly face such situations and some of them have really bad consequences the reason of which is a simple uncontrollable model of behaviour related to money management. To avoid similar to the mentioned above problem it is worth paying attention to personal confidence when money is the matter. To organise correct money management is much more easier when the persons recognise that money help is needed for them.

Use it but be careful

Credits are perfect tools when the right approach is chosen to spend them. Borrowed money should be used in the case it really applicable. It is certainly wrong to waste loaned money on insignificant stuff at a low price, like food, clothes, and items that are part of the style like jewelry. Special equipment, vital furniture, education, house repair works are definitely a proper way to spend money from credit card, but it is better to think twice before overpaying for something like an expensive car or holidays in luxury apartments.

There is no reasonable ground to pay for something that has no real benefits for its user in a long-term perspective. Of course, some certain situations can seem like they are really suited to spend some money that is borrowed from the bank, but after not very complicated calculations it will become clear that after the payment will be done, the debt will become bigger and additionally banks apply a rate that should be compensated for using money. It is approximately 3% but whatever, this is money too.

Monthly repayments mean that a certain part of a person's income will be held by debt obligations and in case of emergency, an individual by having no choice will need to spend more money from a credit card thus simultaneously increasing the amount of borrowed money. This is a cycle that will "strangle" the borrower. Finally, the debt can reach a point where the buying ability of the individual is weaker than actual debt. From such a point, future life will be very hard and even if the bank agrees to offer a kind of grace period for the loan, the borrower will be experiencing a very great lack of resources to live and cover own bills.

Anyway, the best of the best is to spend less than earn. This strategy will help to accumulate enough money for necessary expenses.

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Why is tea so popular?

Tea is the most popular drink in the world. It is obtained by brewing, boiling, infusing a tea leaf, which is preliminarily processed (collection, drying, fermentation).

The world leaders in tea production are China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya.

What kind of tea is there?

Tea can be leaf and packaged. If we talk about leaf, then the following types are distinguished:

  1. Black. A type of tea that undergoes strong fermentation (oxidation) from two weeks to a month (80-90%). It is brewed at a temperature of 85-100 C. Good for blood vessels and heart.
  2. Green. Minimally fermented tea. Contains vitamin C. Improves memory, attention, strengthens hair and nails. It is brewed at a low temperature - 60-80 С.
  3. Red. For its production, buds and young tea leaves are used. It undergoes slightly less fermentation than black. Increases immunity, helps to prolong youth. It is brewed with steep boiling water (95-100 С).
  4. Mate. A drink made from dried and crushed Paraguayan holly leaves. Fills with energy, improves health. It is brewed at a temperature of 80-90 C.
  5. Oolong. Traditional Chinese tea such as Da Hong Pao. It is considered semi-fermented (in terms of oxidation state it is between green and black). Helps to improve metabolism and weight loss. It is brewed at a temperature of 75-85 C.
  6. Yellow. Imperial tea. Produced exclusively in China by low fermentation (approximately 7-10%). It is good for the respiratory and digestive organs. Like green, it is brewed with non-boiling water (60-80 C).
  7. White. One of the oldest medicinal drinks in China. It belongs to unfermented varieties and is produced from young leaves with tea buds. It is brewed at low temperatures - 60-70 С. It is considered one of the most useful types, has a beneficial effect on the entire body.
  8. Pu-erh (Chinese tea). One of the most expensive types of tea, it is produced by post-fermentation (brought to the state of green tea, then subjected to natural or artificial aging) exclusively from mature leaves. Normalizes blood pressure, gives energy, lowers blood sugar. It is brewed at high temperatures - 90-95 С.

Why is tea good for you?

Tea was considered a medicinal drink for a reason. It contains many acids: amino acids, ascorbic, nicotinic, pantothenic; which stabilize metabolic processes in the body, accelerate the breakdown of fats, and lower cholesterol.

The invigorating and tonic effect of tea is due to the presence of theine - tea caffeine. Unlike coffee, it is much softer.

How to choose tea?

Today, there are a huge number of different types of tea, so the choice becomes more complicated. And many are interested in the question of how to choose tea and what to look for?

It is sometimes very difficult for a novice tea connoisseur to stop at any option, especially if there is no person experienced in this matter nearby who will recommend a trusted store. Good tea, unlike any other goods, cannot be compared simply by price, since it is usually loose, and the name of the tea does not mean that it is the same. Therefore, in order to learn how to distinguish good tea from low-grade tea, you will need to delve into many aspects by which it is customary to evaluate tea by tea professionals.

It is known that the main external criteria when choosing a good tea are:

- freshness (bright, but at the same time not harsh (flavored), but rather subtle aroma, natural, not too dull or bright color of the leaf) *;

- naturalness (absence of any additives, dyes, flavors and preservatives);

- a whole leaf (not questionable powder, granules or tea dust in bags);

- uniformity of raw materials (tea leaves are on average the same size and have the same color and shape)

When tasting tea, the main criteria are:

- pure and natural taste, no impurities

- strong natural aroma during brewing, which lasts for a long time in an empty hot cup;

- versatility of shades of taste (various "honey", "nutty", "flower", "milky" shades depending on the variety);

- pronounced aftertaste, which lasts for quite a long time;

- the ability to brew many times during traditional Chinese brewing; - tea must withstand at least 6 spills, and often much more;

- the effect of relaxation, a surge of energy or others - depending on the type of tea and individual.

That is why tea is so popular. Buy your special tea now!

Photo ID 196589674 by ©EdZbarzhyvetsky / Depositphotos.com

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