When Rational Becomes Irrational: My London Love Affair

I admit it: I have lost my head.

I have become so besotted with a property I can no longer think straight.

I cannot believe how this has happened, it is not rational, logical or sane.

So what’s the story?

Well it started Sunday 3 weeks ago.  I just happened to see a photo of a block of flats in London.  I cannot explain it – I just knew I had to live there.

That’s it.

That simple.

So I called my friends and I informed them I had found the property of my dreams and I was going to move.

Admittedly, they were rather taken aback – I knew nothing about the property and had not even seen inside – but there I was declaring I would now up sticks and move, lock stock and barrel.

Now I have been thinking about moving house – especially after selling the lettings business and the amount of paperwork I have to store.  And I really could do with a larger house.  But I just haven’t found what I am looking for; I did find a house which made sense, ticked all the right boxes and was on budget…but it didn’t “feel” right.  Somehow it just didn’t feel me, it just didn’t feel like the right next step.  I seriously, tried to talk myself into buying that house because it “made sense” but I just couldn’t do it.  My heart was not in it.

Until now.

Now I seem to have set my heart on a one bed flat in London which is HALF the size of our current house.  It is insane.  It is madness.  And it’s going to cost DOUBLE the price of the house we saw previously which was DOUBLE the size of our current house for HALF the size of the current house!

I know this is seriously skewiff thinking.

Shall I also admit at this point I’ve even been contemplating butterfly wallpaper? Maybe not.

So I’ve spent the past few weeks lining everything up – getting the mortgage application in, organising the survey, getting the legals checked and getting all my ducks in a row so that I am ready to buy.

And then yesterday morning me and the other half had THE conversation about the flat.  Of course, for the past few weeks, “the flat” has been the only topic of conversation – but it’s always been about the good bits, the fun bits, the “won’t this be the most excellent idea in the world” to do bits.  And it was only yesterday morning when we had THE conversation which was the realistic one – the one where the other half said to me:”Sam, are you really sure you want to live in London?”

“Of course, I do” I exclaimed

“Really” He questioned me: “Are you totally sure?”

And then I wobbled slightly.  I admitted I was slightly nervous about the amount of noise, people and pollution – but really that was part and parcel of living in a city and so I had to get over it.

But I did feel a slight hesitation in my voice.

He left for work.  And he left me thinking to myself: “Really Sam, do you want to live in London?”

And so there was nothing else for it – another viewing had to be booked.  And as luck would have it they could take me there and then.  So I quickly got ready and dashed for the train into London.

As I was sat on the train looking out over the green rolling fields of Hertfordshire I felt my heart lurch as the landscape soon transformed to towering blocks of flats and unending shades of grey and red brick.  “Seriously” I said to myself “Is this really what you want to do?”

And as I pushed past the tourists and joined the hubbub and pulsating throb of people who all got it my way, and while I stood for eons trying to cross the fume filled traffic clogged roads;  I knew it.  I just knew it.  I knew that I had to live in London.

My heart was racing while I was walking to the flat – I prepared myself for disappointment – I knew that on this second viewing and after all the discussions I’ve had with a gazillion people about this flat that I would no longer love it.  I would no longer really want to live there all that much.

But, when I walked in for the second time.  I knew I was home.  I knew this is it.  It may not be much.  But I believe it to be my new home.

Now all I have to do is buy my half sized home and work out what I am going to do with all my “stuff”!