Quote Originally Posted by Castaras View Post
So. House searching.
You had me at "house searching". How stressful, in and of itself.

And how infuriating, when you do all the right things, to abruptly discover there is the real estate equivalent of "the secret cow level" through which you must first pass. And I'll bet you received no apology or sympathy, just, "Moo, moo, moo, moo-moo-moo-moo, on hold, moo, moo."

It's absurd, and unfair.

I don't know how things work in the UK, but in the US one can (for a fee) hire a rental agent to do all that searching for you. In fact in some cities it is almost impossible to get a good place without an agent. Here they usually charge a percentage of the first month's rent, which on top of all the other fees, deposits, and moving costs can make things difficult ... But it might, in the long run, be gentler on your budget to hire an agent than shelling out money for cabs that lead (effectively) nowhere.

I was initially outraged at the thought of hiring an agent. However, I have come to view it as an investment in my own sanity.

You have my sincere best wishes for finding a place, and for staying sane in the face of that task. Best of luck.

Monkey

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