Tuesday, July 08, 2008

I am home early waiting for an estate agent who is to bring prospective new tenants to see our apartment. Every creak on the outside stairs seem magnified as I wait impatiently filled with mixed emotions.

I can't believe we have been in this apartment nearly two years ... for that matter I can't believe that we have been in London over two years. I don't realise the time just whooshing past! Plans seem to be made to be broken. If it hadn't been for the infamous (and way too much quoted and repeated) credit crunch, we might have even been thinking of buying an apartment. All that seems distant ... but a more realistic and favourable option would be to just continue in our current place. And even that seems a remote possibility now.

While rent increasing is something that we hate but expect, most of our friends in this area have renewed their contract at a reasonable hike of inflation + a bit. That seems the norm with most people I have spoken to. However, our landlord has a little drama every year (well atleast he did exactly this last year). First the property is reassessed for market value and then he proposes a rent which is 10 - 12% higher. Last year we settled at a mid way 5% Now we're back on this again ... it seems to be a tougher negotiation (from what the agent presents). Except that I am fed-up with these games and even if it's a bit like cutting my nose to spite my face, I am ready to move. We have started looking at options incase our current negotiation falls through .. and seems like so is the landlord. Though moving might be the more expensive option than giving the landlord the increase .. I hate the idea of being taken for a ride. As I keep waiting, I wonder if anyone is really coming or this was another general pressure tactic!