Way out west

The search for a new place to live began in earnest once I’d got back to London. Relations with certain housemates didn’t start that great and have progressively got worse. Even before the most recent lot moved in, I’ve wanted out. Finding somewhere to live this time has proved a hell of a lot harder than my summer move to Acton.

Back then I was easily pleased. Deciding that a lack of a living room was the least of my worries as all the housemates seemed to get on like a house on fire. Barbeques on the terrace, who needs a communal space? Me! I do!

I have, over the months, decided on things I would like in the next place I move in to. Obviously a living room is priority number one, eating meals in your bedroom every day is not why I moved to London. I’d like to sit down and watch a bit of telly with the people I live with. The place also had to be near shops. I chose Acton because Morrisons was just down the road, can’t be doing living out in the middle of nowhere. And finally the transport links had to be good. Acton is pretty well connected on rail, tube and buses, easy access to work and the city was paramount.

I like West London. I liked it before I lived here and I still like it. I know Ealing quite well now, so I was keen to find somewhere nearby. Shops, transport, Iain & Aleks, it was where I was basing my search. It’s been so much harder this time though, really expensive, female only lets…so I broadened the search to North London as well. Back when Iain lived at Wood Green, I liked the fact that this little corner of London was so well connected. The Green Lanes is a street like no other too, so I started looking around there. This was where I actually seemed to get somewhere regarding viewings.

Saw a few based around the ‘Haringey Ladder’, a set of roads off the Green Lanes, but a lack of connection with the potential new housemates saw a few crossed off the list. A house near Turnpike Lane was an eyeopener – how NOT to share a house – and it left me feeling a little low. Was it seriously this hard to find a place? I saw two that I really liked and was keen to move in. One just off Green Lanes and another in South Ealing. Everything I wanted, they had. But competition was high and they went with someone else.

I found a place on Gumtree in West Ealing that looked pleasant enough, an old house with ‘period features’, stripped pine floorboards and all that. The landlord lived-in, and was an older bloke, so this was less of a shared house and more of a home. The decor was a bit dated and tired, but it all seems to fit with the rest of the house. It gave it charm and character that you don’t get in shared houses. It had a living room, dining room, conservatory and garden – so communal areas sorted.The bedroom itself was a decent size, overlooking the street with a big bay window.

I made it plain that I was interested in the place. It’s pretty much ticking all the boxes, so made my intentions clear to the landlord, Gordon, and waited on a response. Didn’t take him long to go with me. I must’ve made a decent impression. The location can’t be faulted. It’s five minutes from West Ealing station, a further few minutes from a massive Waitrose. West Ealing Broadway is ten minutes away, with all manner of shops down there. Iain and Aleks’ flat is just a 20 minute walk through the tree lined streets that typify this corner of Ealing. It’s on a quiet street, save for the sound of the railway nearby. Having been brought up living really close to the Nottingham – Skegness line, this isn’t a problem at all.

I’m happy I’ve got what I wanted, and that this search is over. I’ve given up my evenings, not had a proper meal in ages, all just to see some real shitholes. I’m glad things are sorted now. I got the keys for the place tonight and I’ll be I there by my birthday. I’m more confident that I’ll last more than six months there.