Week 1 in London

Week 1: 5 - 12 April 2015

Our Contiki concluded back in London on Easter Sunday. On the Tuesday, Brendan started work as Lettings Coordinator at Knight Frank in Knightsbridge, an area close to Harrods and home to the rich and famous (no sightings of anyone yet though...). Property in this area is so expensive that the majority of it is owned by wealthy foreigners, with some rents upwards of £20,000 per week! One particular property currently being marketed is equivalent to over $32,000AUD per week, or a measly $140,000AUD per month - www.knightfrank.co.uk/knq164572

Roslyn also started temp work later in the week, as a receptionist at a banking software company, as she continues her search for permanent employment. While not working, she has been madly searching for a house so we can escape the hostel "lifestyle". 

At numerous inspections, we viewed some good ones, some dives and frustratingly, a few total misrepresentations where the photos/description on the web weren't even close to reality. Noteworthy examples included the couple who conveniently forgot to mention sharing with their 3 year old in the ad, and the private landlords who take real estate photography "enhancements" to the extreme, by uploading photos that were of a completely different and significantly nicer property than the one on offer. Perhaps he thought nobody would notice.

On the rare occasion where one seemed to suit, we had the roller coaster of emotions of getting along really well with the current occupants (and thinking it was a sure thing), but a few days later being told they had chosen someone else.

We ended the week with a miracle, where Roslyn was contacted via an "Aussies in London" Facebook page post from an Australian girl who has recently returned home for a few weeks and was offering us her room. 

So for at least another few weeks we refrain from being homeless!

Highlights for the week:

- End of our Contiki journey

- Pleasant, sunny weather!

- Brendan started work at Knight Frank

- Roslyn started temp work at Temenos

- Attended "Aussies in London" drinks

- Viewed a multitude of properties 

- Discovered extreme real estate photography "enhancements"

- Grand National horse race 

- Oxford VS Cambridge rowing race on the River Thames