Flat Found!

I went to the UK this weekend to see Jason & help him find an apartment. We were successful! It was actually one of the places he had seen the previous weekend. We looked at about 14 places, half of which he had seen before, and the other half were new to both of us. It's a totally different experience than in NYC. The agents are (generally) much less pushy: they'll help you figure out what the landlord would/should be willing to accept; and actually listen to you, hear what you're looking for, and show you things you therefore might consider. Overall it is a more pleasant experience!

Another strange thing (besides the prices being listed weekly, not monthly) is that rent is negotiable (not the case in NYC). So, we found a place listed at 430 pounds/week, offered 380, and landed at 385. Sweet. It's a really funky place, definitely re-done in the 80s. 2 bed, 2 bath, good-sized living/dining room, and a suspended kitchen(!). Pictures follow!

Master Bedroom

Second Bathroom

Living Room (note stairs leading to kitchen)

Kitchen (note tiny oven)

Of course it was pretty fantastic spending time with Jason, too, this weekend. I finally got to tell him all the stuff that's happened unrelated to the relocation... well, sort of. Like his dad giving me a call to check in, or the guy who took some furniture and later wrote to me to tell me Jason looks like Van Gogh. We hung out in the park in Greenwich for a little while Sunday, just lazing around. I got some decent sleep, finally, and felt more normal than I had in weeks. It was wonderful.

The whole experience is certainly going to be interesting. I am now re-evaluating my stuff - mainly kitchen stuff - to see what else I should not bring to UK and instead bring to NH for storing this weekend. Our storage will be limited (although thankfully we'll have Jason's mom's place for 'seasonal' storage), and there are quirks, like the small oven + fridge. So, I'm going to try to bring only what I can't live without ... you know, like 3 8"-round cake pans, the bundt, angel food, and tart pan.

We're now t-minus 11 days til (likely) move! Still haven't booked a flight yet, but you know, details, details!