[看屋。鄉村小屋] no.8&9－大喜媽咪

在忙碌閒暇之虞，我們仍持續地在關注房地產市場。看了幾間房子，曾經滿心地愛上其中一間房子、認真地跟仲介討價還價，不過，至今還是的在尋找中。

在英國，通常都是先在網路上瀏覽，看到感興趣的房子，再跟仲介連絡約時間看房子。

這個週末，我們在濃霧大雨下開車去 Hebden Bridge 看(兩間)房子。

(在網路上)一見鍾情的房子，暖爐果真很美，實際看過卻是 big nonono。

在天候不佳的情況下看房子，最大的好處就在於，可以看的出來房子整體的採光、還有是否有結構上問題，e.g. 滲水(damp)。

山坡上看似四層樓的房子，確實是四層樓，卻是依山壁而建。

一間房兩戶，一二樓為一單位，出入口在一樓；三四樓又是一單位，出入口在房屋後面的馬路上。

很奇妙的建築~

(照片來源：upmystreet.com, by A P Kapp)

(照片來源：upmystreet.com, by R Burton)

我們對於另一間房子就很感興趣，雖然它是一間背靠背、又被夾在中間的 terrace house，可是整體的感覺很舒服 very airy and light。

上網查了一下這個郵遞區號的居民的總體特質，一整個妙~

Here is an overview of the likely preferences and features of your neighbourhood:

Family income	Medium
Interest in current affairs	Medium
Housing - with mortgage	High
Educated - to degree level	High
Couples with children	Low
Have satellite TV	Low

Towns where neighbourhoods fitting this profile can be found includeYork, Canterbury, Swindon, Norwich, Bristol, Reading and Cardiff.

Thistype is a mixture of young professionals and students in prosperousprovincial towns and cities. Households are a mix of singles, couplesand flat and house sharers.

Residents are mostly in their 20sand early 30s. They are well qualified, usually to A-level and degreestandard. The older individuals in this type are often already insuccessful professional and managerial careers. Others are in lowermanagerial roles, as well as clerical occupations. Some work in theeducation and healthcare sectors. The term-time student population inthis type is above average.

Most of the housing is terracedwith some converted flats. Purpose built flats are rarer. Renting froma private landlord is higher than the national average, but many arebuying their properties on a mortgage. Most households are two or threebedrooms.

Car ownership is in line with the national average,with most households having one, and some having two cars. Despitethis, most residents use public transport, cycle or walk whentravelling to work.

These individuals are slightly higher thanaverage holders of savings and investment products such as ISAs, unittrusts and stocks and shares. They are also likely to use the Internetfor savings accounts and to source credit cards.

Theirpreferred newspapers are The Guardian, Independent and Observer. Theyare likely to have cable TV and are keen on exercise and sport as wellas theatre, music and the arts.

大致上是說，居民大多為年輕族群，20~40歲左右，多為白領知識份子(英國的階級觀念還是很重)，也有部份是學生族群(是在曼城或是 Hudersfield uni 唸書嗎?!)。

比較有理財概念，比較有在使用網路(對呀~ 網路並不是家家戶戶都有基本配備唷~ 麥先生在遇到我之前並沒有在家使用網路的習慣呢!)。

居民也通常對於「文化產業」很感興趣，或許是因為離 Hebden Bridge 市區(有舊式電影院、很多小型的藝廊)很近吧~

upmystreet.com 的網路查詢功能真的還蠻不賴的~ 蠻推薦大家在出租屋/買屋之前可以去查一下~

恩，這個周末要來考慮一下要不要出價~ 嘻~