Why I Won't Leave London

[@evan]

Hello hello! Hope you like the vid! And my extra deep voice. (This is the last video where there's a deep voice issue soz) Also funny video title considering I've been in Liverpool for the last 3 weeks! Got any Liverpool-related questions for me? (I've got a travel vlog from Liverpool on my second channel up if you're keen!)

[@PHO3N1X_28]

Do you/will you be supporting Liverpool FC?

[@confusedtrans]

Liverpudlian here! Woo woo!

[@gregoryhouse356]

Wool here (someone from the Wirral). Did you consider jumping the 407/437 crossriver bus over to birkenhead?

[@confusedtrans]

No. Good ol Bootle.

[@robwilliams2410]

Your Liverpool video rekindled the great memories of our visit there and a wonderful tour of the north. Hope that you have the opportunity to visit the Lake District, the Dales and York. All great places to explore.

[@goshdoggett]

You do what you want to do, Evan. We all wish you the best. You're an inspiration for not giving up on a difficult thing

[@atruv2089]

"Papa, what did you see in mama that made you wanna be with her?" "The chance to buy a house."

[@conormurphy4328]

*gets down on one knee* “Will you…” *opens property deed* “Go halfsies on a house with me”

[@katrinawall4315]

As someone who’s looking into buying a house in a very expensive city in Australia, I just have to say: you shouldn’t have to uproot your entire life and move hours away just to be able to afford to own a home. In my opinion, you’ve already done the uprooting your life and moving somewhere far away. You’re not just staying in London because you’ve always lived there and that’s what you’ve always known. You specifically chose London for a reason.

[@DisobedientSpaceWhale]

You shouldn't have to - but that's life in the UK. Other UK cities are amazing anyway. London ain't all that.

[@darriendastar3941]

As someone who lives in London longer than Evan has been alive, I truly love these vids. Not only is Evan golden about the points he makes, the comments section also throws up information I wasn't aware of. These videos are treasure chests of information and analysis. One of the things that Evan gets - but I'm not sure people outside the UK (or even people in the UK outside of London) get is that London is an international entity unto itself. You can move to Manchester and live there 40 years, but still be a 'foreigner' (I know this because I was brought up there). But you can come from Timbuktu and become a proper 'Londoner' in the time it takes on the underground from Heathrow to the centre of the city. London is a frequently hard and unforgiving machine of a city, but if you understand it and use it, there's no better place in the world. And understanding the city is the point. If you don't have that, you'll probably hate the place - and you'd be right to do so. If you don't like London - and it doesn't like you - the place can be hell on earth. All that said, Evan - have you considered buying a barge/canal boat? There are pros and cons (mostly cons) when it comes to mooring charges, but it's massively more affordable than a flat.

[@conormurphy4328]

Wonder how it would turn out bringing his date back to “the barge”

[@MsPeabody1231]

@@conormurphy4328 It will be fine. London has a wide range of housing and when you date someone you don't know what type of housing they will live in.

[@LaraGemini]

Spot on! I have been here since 88.....You could buy a Barge in little Venice for 10k then.

[@darriendastar3941]

@@LaraGemini In the absolute nicest possible way, that made me laugh like a drain. The other day I was looking at a really nice, spacious, two-berth barge in Millwall Docks for £200k. And it was regarded as a bargain. Obviously, if I went for a narrow boat and moved a lot, I could live in Little Venice or Camden Lock or the Regents Canal, it could be a lot cheaper. But I need to live south of the River, so everything is more expensive. (Note to London-watchers, this is the only example you'll find where living south of the Thames is more expensive than the rest of London.) All of that said, living on the River or on a canal is still a lot cheaper (and better - the London water-borne are the BEST community in London) than forking out the dosh for some pokey place.

[@evan]

Never ever ever wanted a barge. I’m very tall so living on a boat is hell to me.

[@_stephanie]

London specifically never totally appealed to me, but everything you've said 100% applies to me if you ask why I don't move back to the US. Yes, I know pay is higher in California, mom. And there's plenty of people that went home after uni. But I always wanted to be here, I have friends and connections and a LIFE in Sheffield. I'm happy here, and I feel like I'm just getting my shit together. Maybe I'll change my mind and want out in 10 years... and that's cool, I guess. But why leave now just bec ause other people couldn't handle it?

[@FaithPixel]

Hello fellow Sheffielder 👋

[@NicholasSeemann47]

People definitely make more in California, but the cost of living will be infinitely more expensive than Sheffield as well, especially if you go to the Bay Area

[@rwentfordable]

I'm English and I moved north to Sheffield. What I paid for a 3-bedroom house would have got me a 2-bedroom flat. I also want to retire young, so it was a no-brainer.

[@electricgecko8997]

The Toronto bubble is now so huge, you need to drive almost two hours in most directions to start seeing cheaper prices. So yeah, I feel you.

[@eattherich9215]

I have relatives in the Toronto 'burbs (Ajax and Pickering). My nieces work in the city centre and spend hours on the road. One of them works in the university canteen and has to leave home at 6am.

[@LivvyAlexW]

Yup. People are moving to my hometown of London ontario and making the house prices sky rocket there because they’re leaving Toronto

[@Owen714]

I Know Right I'm from Burlington it's so expensive here especially for being 45 mins outside Toronto

[@PinkiethePanda]

Evan: “i’m a grown up” Also Evan: “Whhhyyyfe or Husbando” 😂😂🤣

[@tonytas1976]

I left London 5 years ago for Yorkshire. Best decision I ever made. £125K for a 4 bed house and it's only an hour and a half back to London by direct train. It's less than £10 on Megabus down and only take 2 and a half hours... I wouldn't judge those of us who left London for a better life. I did 12 years in London and while it's my favourite Big City in the world, I definitely prefer Liverpool just as an example.... Thanks Evan 😊

[@rachjade8785]

People say that London is overrated and overpriced (I agree on the latter), but the person that I am in London and the way that I feel is so different. I’m more confident, I’m so unbelievably happy, I feel content. I’m moving to London next year to do my masters and I am so excited. I understand living there might be different, but I don’t think the way I feel will. I went into my town centre the other day, and I feel so much safer in London than I do in the town I’ve lived in for 21 years (minus some of the time I spent at uni which wasn’t a lot for the last 16 months of my experience *cough* thanks covid *cough*). Am I having to work my arse off with two hard ass jobs to be able to pay for both a masters and moving to such an expensive city? Yes. Is it unlikely I will actually have the funds in a year? Yes. Will it stop me? Hell no!!!!! I’m going to move to London and do my masters at some point. Everyone here puts me down and only gives me a list of cons but to me it’s 100000% worth it to be in the place I’ve always felt like I should be, in order to be the person I want to be.

[@zoeadams2635]

And this is the exact reason I never want to leave London ❤❤. Good luck!!

[@allenwilliams1306]

I was delighted in 1971 when my parents moved to Yorkshire, away from Greater London, while I was at University. This left me with no practical possibility of taking a job, after University, in the Greater London area, where all the “opportunities” were. Therefore, any “ambition” I might have had was dashed to smithereens, for which I have been eternally grateful.

[@Antonia34567]

I feel 100% the same. I moved back to my hometown after doing my master's in London about 2 years ago because I just felt like I could live a more comfortable/luxurious life not having to spend so much on everything. And even though looking back I kind of don't regret it because of covid, I can't stop thinking how out of place I always feel back home, I always have. And every time I come back to London I feel like myself again, like the best version of me comes back. And now I am planning on moving back next year. Sometimes having less money not mean you are less happy or content. My happiest times were when I was almost broke living in London. Some people just will never be able to understand that.

[@LaraGemini]

I moved here for Uni many moons ago ( context - my son is just about to leave for Uni ! ) - I said I would stay for 5 years, but once the bug bites ! I know I am lucky enough to be of the generation that could afford to buy - but it wasn't easy then, more like impossible now. I totally agree with your comment about safety, I have had less issues here than in the small midlands town where I was born and raised. Have fun and enjoy yourself - Welcome to the greatest city in the world !

[@azih8626]

When it comes to moving out of london, i always hear people bashing it as some overpriced dump where you’d get more bang for your buck if you leave, but it’s such a priveleged opinion to hold. London has the highest minority born population in the UK. It’s our home, why do we need to leave just to afford living? Why move to random areas so far away from all we know (family and friends)? People look at the huge metropolis that is london and forget Londoners, it’s our home. It’s easy to overlook it, and think we can just up and leave, but as a minority, is it really sensible to raise a family as the only poc in your area, or leave the area you’re from, which has easy access to POC things like hair care, food, essentials etc, just to afford living elsewhere? In university i went to a really white area, and i had to travel 2 hours weekly to find somewhere to do my hair. My town in uni took a strand of hair and said it was too difficult to deal with, they didn’t want responsibility for ruining curls as they’re not used to it etc (i don’t blame them) but all these things I’ve never even thought I’d experience when i was in London

[@am53n8]

I can confirm the social life thing. 2 friends moved out of the city to a place where there's less of a housing shortage, and prices are lower. It's an hour by car, even longer by train. Since they moved at the end of last year I've seen them twice, before we'd get together at least every month

[@jeffmorse645]

I'm American and I finally gave up the dream of living on the coast of California (Monterey to be exact). Moved inland a few hours and bought a house with the down payment I had been saving for the $800,000 (on average) Monterey cracker box. I mean literally bought the entire house - no mortgage. Some times you follow your dream fighting that uphill battle and other times you're just being a fool for it. I got tired of being the fool. Yeah, I don't have the Pacific Ocean right outside my door and yeah, the weather is hotter here in the Central Valley, but I am way better off financially.

[@Monkeshan]

Hey Jeff. I've lived in Fresno/Central Valley for a while. Which part of Central Valley are you in??

[@g_c6668]

Well said. Also you can probably go to a fancy hotel every 2 weeks by the ocean to get your fix of the ocean, and you would probably appreciate it more that way too

[@Firepea]

Do you have any friends in the same boat you can club together with? Three friends of mine bought a house together, shared for a few years, built up some equity and then sold it, going on to buy their own individual homes. It was a great way to get on the ladder in a rising market.

[@emilygudgeon-osterritter9837]

I like your determination to say within London! As an architecture and urban planning student, I think it's so important to help people stay in the places that they actually want to be without being 'forced out' for any reason. Not only because we should all be able to enjoy the places that we live but also because the impacts of living in a 'commuting town'. For example, housing prices in Bristol (and likely many other cities with good transport links) have increased simply because it's more affordable for Londoners to buy here and commute. However, that then pushes people out of Bristol who want to live and work here. It's all a bit crazy! Knowing that 68% of the world's population will be living in cities by 2050, something seriously needs to be done if we want people to be happy and comfortably afford living in these cities.

[@niggleniggle27]

Bristol is far and away the best city in the land so it's reasonable for people to want to move there

[@notreallydavid]

@@niggleniggle27 Yep, it's very handy for Bath.

[@niggleniggle27]

@@notreallydavidbath is great for the odd daytrip but it's not somewhere I'd choose to live tbh

[@notreallydavid]

Haven't checked in on Evanworld for a long time - great to hear that a note of authentic Anglo arsiness has set in. Welcome, brother. Oh, and all the best with the quest.

[@camerachica73]

As a Gen x'er I lived in London for over ten years and loved it, but could never afford to buy. I left over 12 years ago and have lived all over the south and south west of the country and although I kind of prefer being in the countryside in terms of nature, I do miss London and how easy it was to meet friends there. It's hard making friends when you're older and certainly like-minded friends outside the London bubble. I'm not saying they're not there, but it's definitely more difficult. However if I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd be straight into looking at London homes.

[@cmykimberly]

I am glad you decided to open up about why you want to stay in London, it makes more sense to me now. As someone who lives in the Uk but has only been to London a handful of times and doesn't really like it, I struggle to see why anyone would want to live there but I get the charm that it has and the benefits for you.

[@JasperCasper24]

Tbh at the end of the day, some people really do just love London and Evan is one of them. If nobody actually stayed in London then why are there so many schools and universities? Sure 90% of people outside of London dislike the idea of ever living in London, but I'm sure a whole lot of us have never actually tried it

[@simonh6371]

Lots of people are coming here but they really are the scum of the earth.

[@lorna_alice]

On a train/transport side note: I can get from as far North in England as it gets to London cheaper than going to York and it's half the distance. If I was to see a show in Edinburgh, I would have to leave before the final curtain or wait an hour for the train after it just to travel an hour or stay over. We find it easier to park at Newcraighall, get a taxi back post show then drive back down the A1, basically arriving home before we could catch the train. Transport is genuinely a pain in the arse.

[@lexm17]

Another issue is while Londoners are getting priced out of their areas if they moved up north we’d also be priced out. Everywhere is getting more expensive and life chances in the north west are already not that great. What we need is less focus on London’s needs and more equal opportunities across the country so that everyone has the chance to live and work comfortably but under the tories that’s very unlikely :/

[@lexm17]

@Yah Maha no one up north has ever felt the benefits of London’s investment because while it gets billions poured in we get nothing. I don’t deny London’s importance to the economy but it certainly doesn’t do much for ppl who live outside the capital. E.g. cross rail

[@tomtrials]

@Yah Maha without the finance industry* the fact that its in London is irrelevant. Outside of that industry theres basically nothing that excuses the amount of cash London gets over everywhere else.

[@eattherich9215]

I can buy a spacious house in some places up north for the price of my London maisonette, BUT once I left I could never go back.

[@Ryusola]

This is why I'm championing remote working so much... its not the end all be-all solution but it will ease this problem

[@concordep2504]

Evan you do what you want but for me the cost of trying to buy anything in London as a single person mean you end up with a box sized house for the cost of a 4 bedroom detached house where I live and communising to London is only an hour here in Ramsgate. The other thing is that my brother finds that commuting outside normal commuting is £33 return fo a day. I enjoy your channel and will watch it no matter what you do. 😀

[@ShirinRose]

Meanwhile, commuting into Sydney from 60 km away is (or at least was 4 years ago; I now live in London) just over $8 each way for an adult, and $4 for students, during peak times ($2.90 off-peak for students). I'm still shocked by how expensive the trains are here in the UK!

[@elliothunter2579]

I've only just got back from my holiday and was surprised to have my comment mentioned on this video! Thanks Evan for bringing this up. Just to clarify on my original point, there was no intention to dissuade, simply to point out the extra challenges that being on your own brings (as others have) - doesn't make it impossible but it certainly adds extra stress - which you alluded to very well. I certainly hope you manage it (and me too!) and can relate & great video as always. I spent a few days in London recently to see some work peeps, it's a hell of a city for sure, not sure I could cope with the constant busy as well as those who live there as I like to space out, especially at night, but I enjoyed my time :-) Fingers crossed for the future!

[@Jamie_Smith.]

Evan must be broken! He’s in Liverpool posting on a Friday!

[@robwilliams2410]

Loads of respect for sticking to your dream to buy a home in London. Based on your last video in Liverpool, I made the wrong assumption that you in fact weren’t single. You two looked so cute together in that video. I moved to Germany near the end of the last millennium, found my wife in Würzburg, we moved to Nürnberg in 2007, I became a citizen in 2013, and we bought our home in 2016. Your video reminds me of how fortunate we are. I can’t wait to see how things continue for you, and I’ll be on the edge of my seat rooting for your success.

[@evan]

I am not dating bliss

[@SleepTelly]

Hi Evan 👋, I can really relate to your position, so thought i would share my story but it might not be what you want to hear! I lived in London for 10 years (my 20s - 2005-2015). I spent the last 5 years of that stint trying to buy somewhere. My 10-15k deposit just wouldn't cut it to get anything and I couldn't save as quickly as the house prices were going up. In the end I bit the bullet and moved North, working in Leeds. I bought and flipped a cottage in 2 years and turned my 15k deposit into 40k. Still working full-time to pay the mortgage and save for home improvements. Now on the second house and have about 80k in Equity from improvements and house prices rising. I could afford to move back to London now but don't think the benefits outweigh the negatives for me. In our 30s now all my old London friends are spread across the world not just the UK, so if I moved back or had stayed I would have to make a new circle of London friends anyway. In your 30s everyone moves on with other priorities (e.g. careers, partners and babies) from our 20s so just because you stay doesn't mean what you are staying for will. My story might sound like a flex but it isn't meant to show off. Unfortunately the UK market is stacked against the first time buyer that doesn't have family help with a big deposit. Mortgages are cheaper than rent, so by moving to somewhere less desirable for a few years you can set yourself up for the rest of your life. In the UK property values on the whole only go up, because there is a major shortage. So the advice I followed and would pass on, is to just get yourself on the ladder wherever you can afford because it'll be much quicker to get to where you do want to be than trying to save to do that as your first step. Shared ownership is not available on properties that have any potential to improve, so are not great to build up your equity. So to get ahead unfortunately sometimes you have to move out of town, play the system and sacrifice in the short term to get what you want. - But most people choose that path in the end so don't worry about the fomo of leaving the big smoke. Good luck 👍

[@kmak4861]

I totally take back any comment I made online or in my head about why you want to buy in London, I actually completely agree with all the points you made! I hope you find your dream house/flat Evan 😁

[@kazfreedman9964]

Happy to hear you’ve had some good dates wishing you the best!

[@janewatkins9801]

Glad to hear you won't give up on your dreams Evan 😊. If you do you'll surely feel "if only" at some point. Dreams are important. If you chase them and things don't work out, at least you can be proud that you had the courage to persist. If you succeed it's going to be very satisfying, like the cat that got the cream.

[@moustachetuesdays]

Ahh I love Cardiff! I went to uni there and have a lot of friends still there too. I live even further West Wales, proper rural little town but love going back to Cardiff (precovid! 😔) to see friends and visit Metros and Fuel and get my dance on!! Also boo! At not being able to by as a single! I'm in the same boat and It sucks!

[@aylee1980]

Good for you - I feel the same I’m from London so if I can’t afford live in London I’ll just move abroad. If I’m going to be forced to live miles away from my friends and family I may as well up sticks to somewhere I want to be.

[@conormurphy4328]

I'm probably gonna be looking at buying my own place in London within a year so that video you made was really helpful. Thanks Evan ❤

[@timab1711]

We’re rooting for you Evan!!!

[@edp6000]

Moved from London to near the south coast back in 2004. For the price of our 3 bed flat we managed to get a 3 bed semi-detached house with riverside views. The only thing I miss about London is my old mates, other than that I don't miss anything about London. Fair play if you can make it work though.

[@melodiousramblings8470]

You probably won’t see this but I just want to thank you for recording your journey to citizenship. It helped me realize that they best place for me wasn’t America. I’ve been in France for a couple weeks and it has been absolutely delightful. I wouldn’t have even considered this if I hadn’t come across your videos. Thank you Evan.

[@evan]

C’est bonne!

[@pratosaurusrex1128]

The talks about shared ownership were very interesting. You’re right about living outside London. It depends on your finances but I live in Surrey and two bed flats are between £350k-£450k ($485k-$620k) but with an annual train season to London costing about £2.8k ($3.9k) on top of that and spending up to 1 hour getting there it’s tough if London is where you need to be. Especially for single people.

[@Natasha-tu5qs]

I moved from London to the outer commuter belt. In the end, it really does come down to lifestyle, and how much you value more space (indoors + outdoors) and pleasant environment vs. the fun, bustle, and just convenience of living in London. If you're young and single, I think London is a great place to be. If you're married/partnered, and thinking about having a family, then you might feel the balance starting to tip.

[@imarobotking]

the fact you can live in London, and can save you got some things going for you already, currently with the job i have i literally have not enough to put any away to save. . i also have lived in London for near a decade. and moved to a place back home in Scotland nearer family for now near a decade. and every so often i still "miss" living in London

[@yvonnehorde1097]

Hi Evan,thanks for that vid. When I spent a year in the Uk as an assistant teacher, I was asked where I wanted to end up. I just said anywhere BUT London. I was asked why and said that London was far too expensive for me... (grin). I then worked in a small town close to Birmingham but I viisited London, Schottland, Wales, Cornwall and Brighton - even tough I did not make it to Northern Ireland- I went to the Republic to get to know Dublin a bit - and I had lots of fun. So, the UK has a lot to offer that you might not see at first glance. Try it out a little this year! Your house is ready and you are no longer stuck to it that much...

[@haydenduvall162]

Stay strong Mr.E. Follow those dreams; reach for the stars; everything happens for a reason; thoughts and prayers. When you final have to admit defeat, your struggle will at least have provided plenty of quality content :)

[@heylolp9]

Living in "Greater London" instead of London combines the commute costs and time of the public transport route Buffalo - NYC with the housing costs of New Jersey

[@sarahyardley1923]

Don't over think this, go with your gut feeling and hold on to your dreams.

[@markclemente1503]

I'd love to live in London but it's just so expensive, especially for an archaeologist.

[@bastiaan4129]

As an archaeologist from the Netherlands, I feel your hurt.

[@westr70]

I've been an archaeologist for 50 years and would never even consider living in Los Angeles even though most of my work has been there. They gotta tear down those old buildings so that they can build newer and taller rentals and hence my work. I love living out of the City in suburban foothills. Since I work on construction sites, they start earlier than most of the commuters and so traffic isn't so bad. You're better off my friend. Good luck.

[@jamesfan3010]

Insert 'fancy dig's' joke here

[@Saylor28]

I live in Southern California and my commute to work takes me about an hour. Ironically I don't hate where I live (I actually really like it), I hate where my work is located (Compton) and that my job doesn't offer teleworking unless you have a Medical Condition. Anyway, we can't buy anything either and we have a dual income, so I feel your pain.

[@thegreatsalad]

Hi Evan just wanted to say keep chasing your dreams. It might take a bit longer but it'll 100% be worth it 🙂🙏

[@atinukeladipo2164]

We’re here rooting for you Evan. I really hope you’re able to reside in London if that is your dream. As a Londoner who has also lived in the West Midlands for 3 years, I love both but I get it.

[@Paul2377]

I like visiting London for day trips, but by the end I can't wait to get away. It's so busy, noisy and when I blow my nose after being on the Tube it's black haha. I have to accept I will always be a country boy at heart! That said, I accept that others feel differently. Live where you want to live cause that's what will make you happy. :)

[@MsPeabody1231]

Depends where you go in London. At the moment Central London where all the tourists go is dead. Outer London where most people live is very busy. The Primark on Oxford Street has less queues than the 3 I've visited in South London

[@LaraGemini]

You get used to the black bogeys! London is not just Zone 1 - It covers 625 sq miles and is technically a county.

[@sambam9120]

Black snot is one of the downsides to living here. I can’t deal with country smells, despite being raised in the westcountry. City smog, no problem, cows, get me out of here.

[@Paul2377]

@@sambam9120 Muck spreading is contained to a very short period of the year, whereas pollution is constant in a city.

[@craigistheman101]

@@sambam9120 I live near NYC and this shit doesn’t happen here. WTF London?!!!!!! I’ve been to London once and this also didn’t happen to me

[@ozelhassan8576]

Evan your so funny, Funny in a good way, I love your episodes. It seems to me you are a extrovert, and bring out joy

[@erinmcintosh2534]

Thanks Evan, loving these videos, informative but really easy to watch :)

[@michaelmedlinger6399]

You won‘t leave London because you don‘t want to. I understand completely and subscribe to that attitude (as well as your channel!). Living so far away from the city because houses are cheaper when you really want to be in the city all the time is nonsense. Stay strong! All the best in your efforts. I hope they are crowned with success.

[@opaqueentity]

One reason it's new builds in the deal is that they are available en bulk for agreements with developers/owners. It would be great for it to apply to other housing but there just isn't enough of that that would agree to the deals. The weird thing is when people don't need shared ownership deals and still choose to buy the expensive new builds instead of the older and yes cheaper housing, that also have more parking than the new ones!

[@veronapaisley6915]

Home is where the heart is. Stay strong and follow your life path and intuition.

[@Davefacestation]

I live in rural Scotland and our three bed detached home with front and back garden and a conservatory. It cost £120k. I've tried London but London itself I just don't enjoy. It just feels so closed in and grey. If it were the other way around I'd pay more to live here than London but I understand why people who love London will pay for it. Everyone is different.

[@buttonedupreader6522]

Hey man love your content, I’m not sure about your budget and I know you live in the southwest but I’d highly recommend looking in south east London. Greenwich, Blackheath (shooters hill side only) Woolwich, Plumbstead ect. The area is genuinely lovely with the park, the Heath and Oxelys woods. It has good enough transport links (which will get better with cross rail). I’d go for a flat in southeast London over a shared ownership any day.

[@joshuaayres8932]

That's true about housing bubbles and how far reaching they are. I had the same issue when I was looking at housing in Denver. In late 2003, early 2004. Trying to find the right balance of fulfilling dreams and keeping obligations.

[@sarahgates889]

Gen Xer here, who lives in a town in the London Commuter belt. The place I live has recently become the most expensive place to live outside of London (Winchester), and I have never been able to afford to buy a home here. However this is my home, I've lived here all my life and I wouldn't really want to go too far. Sure I could find a cheaper home South of Winchester in places like Southampton, Portsmouth, Dorset, or even the Isle of Wight, but my family and friends are here and I wouldn't want to leave. So I get why you don't really want to live outside of London, (even though you and Bliss are in Liverpool at the moment. LOL!)

[@allenwilliams1306]

I think the point is that the poison that is London has affected places as far away as Winchester. Destroy London!

[@mikeoneill3092]

I'm so sad that we don't live in the timeline where you decided to come to Cardiff!

[@ellencoleman4604]

Heya Evan, good luck with the search. I have actually just bought my first flat in London so am proof it is possible with a bit of patience and luck (and using a LISA). It's worth holding out if you love the city. And of course I love watching your videos on your life here :3

[@lucyrigden]

Keep your dream. I wish I were younger because like you I love London and now I’m too old to even try. I really hope you make your dream come true

[@Nashy119]

All my London friends seem to be considering moves to scenic places in the countryside. I suppose it's because they have partners now and aren't really benefiting from any London social life anymore (friends moved all over the place, lockdowns).

[@azih8626]

I wish i could leave london in a heartbeat but it’s not as easy when it’s your home and all you know :/ outpriced by your own city is not w nice feeling

[@zanizone3617]

Yep. Priorities change, life changes. Turns out people are not young forever. To the astonishment of all young people since the beginning of time. 🤷‍♂️

[@zanizone3617]

@@azih8626 good luck to you mate. I wish you to find the right place soon!

[@scootbenet]

This is what we did at the end of my thirties. We started the family and moved to edinburgh. Much happier. Barely saw my london friends in LDN anyway as we all had to work so much and were spread across town because £££.

[@liz8597]

I'm sick of people thinking the Midlands and the North are awful sub par wastelands, we have some beautiful cities towns and opportunities too. Sure we have bad parts just like London and if you want to live in London that's your perogative fine but please don't refer to any other major city as "somewhere that's makes me want to kill myself"

[@hucklebucklin]

Mentions of Dublin... thank you for solidarity. To see how bad it is in dublin... none of these schemes exist in Ireland or they only do to a very very limited extent (though as Evan has touched on they're all really bad schemes). It's 3.5x salary and 10% deposit or bust (very small amount of exceptions are given on the salary). Single people can't buy houses, like it's almost impossible. Also high rises are basically non-existent that's not even an option.

[@thomashornsby2833]

I’m only 16 but I still find this content really interesting

[@evan]

Thanks!

[@filmgeek520]

Evan, I really like 99% of your videos, but I'm gonna be honest: I don't like the insiuation you made that people who have moved out of London and to another UK city "gave up" after two years. It is not a sign of weakness, and people who push to make owning a home in London are not inherently better because they choose to stay. I'm glad for my London film school experience, but it would have been terrible for my health in the long-run, and I am much better off personally in Leeds. Again, I'm not saying that making London work for you personally is an inherently bad thing; I don't like the insinuation that it is the only correct option.

[@DisobedientSpaceWhale]

Completely agree.

[@clabood]

Good luck hopefully you can find something that you like ☺️

[@chuck1804]

The outlying cities around London and the transport that connects them have found a way to make themselves at least equally expensive as just living in the centre, and yes some days it takes up to 1.5 hours after waiting and "signal failures" or sitting in traffic just to get OR out of the center usually on some overcrowded and overpriced bus/train. Add in the rent...and yeah, that's why I left. London is for rich foreign investors now, and moreorless nobody else.

[@billydennis899]

As a guy who was born and bred in London, I made the decision to move up north to near Manchester to be with my wife. And as great at this area can be, there is always something missing. The charm of living in London is incomparable. I’d move back to London in a heartbeat and have always missed being in the city. I think your determination to stay in London in the long run will be the best decision

[@DisobedientSpaceWhale]

Why not move back

[@annettewalter2273]

I love London ❤️

[@alimarie3269]

Don't give up Evan! I get the not wanting to leave London; I was the same about my local area (Woking, Surrey - one of those stupidly priced commuter towns), but I was pretty much priced out as a single person (because banks do seem to panic when they only see one name on a mortgage application). It was made infurtatingly harder as a mortage would never cover the prices and my bourough didn't seem to want to do Shared Owernship but the neighbouring ones did... so I had to wait and hope they expanded the criteria! Two years ago now, I did I manage to get a Shared Ownership Flat in the neighbouring bourough (only 10 minutes from my family home!) and at the moment I am still super happy about my little space :) So don't give up, it can happen :)

[@SamyTheBookWorm]

I think there’s definitely a problem in the sense that if you decide to move out of London for a cheaper cost of living, you are going to lose all of your friends. Your friends are never going to come over. Maybe once a year if you’re really close and they’ve got the time. But your entire social life will die. It’s just the way it is. So you have to build up a social life from scratch. And I know exactly how that feels, having moved from America to England. And having seen friends in London move out of the city. They always say they’ll come visit but they don’t, and you never see each other again. Moving to a new city means changing your entire life and I feel like people just don’t appreciate that fact.

[@azih8626]

Another thing people overlook is, london has the hugest minority born population in UK, and as such, we have so much things we take for granted, like black hairdressers, ethnic food markets etc. Not to mention, most poc are comfortable living around other poc, especially older poc, so it’s most likely that if you want to move to a cheaper place, you’d cut ties with all that. This is the nuance people refuse to have when discussing london. They so often leave Londoners and what it means to be a londoner out of the conversation, and never want to acknowledge that it’s not just a expensive city we can leave, our whole lives are here, our familial structures, friends and even significant others etc. I definitely want to move somewhere affordable because as sad as it is, london has outpriced it’s own people, so if we want affordable living we have to go elsewhere. But i have to bear in mind things like when i was in a majority white town for uni, hairdressers would find new excuses to decline their services, whether it be my curls wouldn’t pick up their product, or they scared to ruin it, or their lack of experience on non straight hair means they aren’t qualified etc. It’s a whole new world to get used to, travelling 2 hours to the nearest big city to get your hair done. Or having to carry a smelly suitcase filled with spices because the area you lived in didn’t have things you grew up cooking with

[@cvspvr]

@@azih8626 why do you take black hairdressers for granted? are they vastly superior to white hairdressers or something?

[@zanizone3617]

@@cvspvr maybe because they are far more likely to have experience in treating properly POCs hair? Completely different skillset. Hard to work on if you are used to Caucasian hair only.

[@JoneseyBanana]

I guess the impact to your social life isn't really something that non-Londoners think about because we often move cities for work, etc, and DO keep in touch with friends in other cities. I moved to York a couple of years ago, and still regularly see my friends from Sheffield. I went to a house party hosted by a friend in Liverpool just the other weekend. And my partner has friends in Nottingham and Leeds that he sees on a regular basis too. This wasn't so much the case when we were all uni students without cars living in shared houses, but now that we can all drive and put each other up for the night it happens far more often. It's understandable to find it hard to visit friends who've moved a long way north from London, but if they've just moved somewhere else down south like Bristol, Brighton, or Southampton, isn't the effort to see them worth it?

[@dougal8812]

So you're saying it's impossible to have a social life in other cities which aren't London? If you managed to build a friendship group in London then there's nothing stopping you from doing that somewhere else. Also, if you moved city for uni (hopefully you haven't gone to uni where you've grown up!) then I don't see why you can't move at any point.

[@megasin1]

went deep for a minute there. Honestly good luck to you. Obviously with enough time and work you can get a place in London, as you say with the cards stacked against you. It's gonna be hard but good luck to you. All the best Evan

[@TheRichardHonor]

I live in Salisbury, almost 100 miles from London, and even that had become a London commuter town. Fortunately we were lucky enough to buy a few years ago, but now upsizing has become less likely because the prices are skyrocketing.

[@grahvis]

I think a 90 minute journey is now the commuting radius of London.

[@simonabunker]

Good luck - the English house buying system is very frustrating and takes forever. You really need to hound solicitors to get anything done. Definitely always chose somewhere based on the location you want to be in - that is the one thing you can't really change. London is a fun place to be when you are young (we lived there for ten years) - enjoy it!

[@maximushaughton2404]

I live just outside London, by about 20 miles. I get to go in to London when I want, 4 trains an hour, but don't have the hustle of the city. Rent is cheaper and I feel more relaxed in my daily life. You should look into places just outside like St. Albans, Hatfield, Hertford, Gillingham and so on. You'd be surprised at how different it is, but able to catch a train and be in the center of London quicker than people that live in London.

[@LabradorIndependent]

I often hear people ask me why I don't just move out of London. I think it's based on the notion that people only live in London for the work and well connected transport, but London is so much more than that. Commuting in for work isn't _living_ here, and the experience of being in this city, of living as a part of it is indescribable. It's obviously not for everyone, it's certainly not all sunshine and rainbows and I've no doubt other parts of the UK are similarly wonderful - but there's no place else I would ever want to live.

[@kjh789az]

Thanks for explaining the "moving further out is not the solution" aspect. Good luck, but remember, life is not a rehearsal. The other aspect of cost is time. How much of your finite life do you want to spend trying to get a place in London? As an ex-Londoner I can also say Londoners in the broadest geographical sense do over-rate London and smirk at the rest of the UK. They have to find compensation for the crime, expense, crowding and general bull that goes with London. Perhaps it's about perceived status? Hey, I'm a Londoner! So cool! So f***** over. But I respect your right to choose.

[@Harri_James]

But moving out of London and then spending many hours on trains back to London since most of his friends are in London would cost him a lot of time

[@conormurphy4328]

That sounds more like the reasons *you* don’t like london

[@timflatus]

I am never going to believe anything you say ever again. In fact I'm so incensed I subscribed to your travel channel!

[@KellyIsShort]

Broken rail system in the UK, even worse in the westcountry! One train line that is often damaged by the weather or, Tesco trucks destroyed the bridges (this week in Plymouth). Such fun...

[@SparkieNeisti]

It's Plymouth though, you can't expect too much!

[@KellyIsShort]

@@SparkieNeisti very true haha!

[@michaelwtm]

I respect that, and I will be watching no matter where you live. But if you love London, put in that work and be there.

[@TheMkoose]

If it's home, it's home. That's why I wouldn't leave Manchester ❤

[@michael_177]

I live in Kent, I just get the train into London whenever I need to.

[@MsPeabody1231]

And when the trains screw up like they do every winter?

[@TJD0503]

As someone who lives in rural essec him calling everything outside london the north is really annoying, there isn't anything wrong with being a northerner but it is a flagrant disregard of english cultural differences, it's like calling someone from north carolina a yankie or northerner, it's just not accurate!

[@danielintheantipodes6741]

I feel the same about London. I could certainly afford a regional UK city, but even though I love the north (especially Liverpool and Manchester), if I lived there, it would not have the same romance. I might as well stay in Australia. The romance, for me, is London. Mind you, affordability is also dire here, but not as bad as London! Better to carry on and try buying in London and see how it goes! I will still be here for you Evan!

[@arania.exumai]

I'm a freelancer and I'm just now starting to look at buying. I feel immensely proud of the fact that I'll be purchasing my first house by myself, no partner. Sure, it won't be the most extravagant house on the market with my budget, but it'll be ✨mine✨.

[@sarahkendall5714]

I am in the process of buying a flat (about 30 miles outside of London area). The problem with LISA's is that they are not widely available or known by younger people, including myself, so by the time it would have been relevant for me it was too late. I don't want to say that schools should be teaching this, they have enough to teach kids these days, but more information is desperately needed for young people on all options - mortgages, renting, shared ownership and the different ways of saving money.

[@gemmagreene362]

I moved out of London 20 years ago & I regret it every day. Can’t move back because my husband can’t/won’t do that (he is disabled and it would be so difficult for him to adjust, even if he wanted to). I miss London so much.

[@patrickholt2270]

The only way the house prices are going to come down is if there is a somewhat massive programme of new council house building. Profit in markets depends on scarcity, so the private construction industry can never end homelessness and make sure everyone who wants to own, or at least have housing security at an affordable price, can. So it has to be done in the public sector. Such a programme would facilitate your goal. So maybe that's a thing you might want to help campaign for. Shelter is the big name in that cause. Rather than merely chuck a donation, you might consider making it your particular "thing". Unless you have an overwhelming prior commitment to the care of feral cats or whatever.

[@zkw100]

“Gen X will give loads of money to millennials” …ahahah, as a late stage Gen X, I’ll have to find some money first to give to anyone. 😅😅😅

[@MsPeabody1231]

I am a Gen X. My child is 3. Yep I'm an older parent.

[@eliz1401]

He was talking about the really rich gen x's lol. The fact that their children are millennials won't change anything because they grew up wealthy and privileged and when their parents die there'll be a switch of power but they're not going to suddenly want to help the normal citizens. Most of them have the same values as their parents.

[@katiedid7231]

@@eliz1401 As a small generation, there aren't many Gen-Xers who are old enough to be parents of Millennials (I was 8 when my millennial brother was born). But there are lots of Boomers who are. And they're the ones who changed the rules, after they benefited from them, to make it harder on the rest of us.

[@ivanashley7875]

Evan, please don't move! You love London and so do I, difference is I live in Manchester. Don't get me wrong, it's great here too, but LONDON!! Just walking on it's streets excites me, the history, the culture, the diversity, all brilliant, but the BUZZ!!! Keep at it son, you'll get your own home soon enough, but remember, you've already MADE it! Much love.

[@sakura9400]

Thank you for the Ireland shout-out, I feel validated 😂

[@marry632]

so you actually did say "sorry honey, I'm off to live in Liverpool" :D

[@babalonkie]

If you succeed in London... you have the skills to succeed anywhere...

[@Lee-70ish]

Cool . Do what suits you . I used to live in Brentwood, Essex . I now live in Ipswich, Suffolk. But my job allowed me to move .

[@amberprophet]

I wanted to send a message to give you hope that it's possible. I saved for years and a couple of years ago I was able to buy my flat in London. I'm single so was buying alone and I didn't have any financial help from family. I had a Help to Buy ISA and then switched to a LISA as soon as it was available and combined that REALLY helped. But I did it and I bought a place (not via shared ownership, just a normal place) and it is one of my proudest achievements cause I did it all by myself. It was hard and it was a slog but I did it and so can you.

[@keithevans9544]

I'm probably on the older side of your viewers,and appreciate London's attraction is in the eye of the beholder,did three years there and just never "got" it impersonal ,ignorant and up its own arse pretty much sums it up for me.

[@zanizone3617]

Same. Also, it's astonishing how many of the comments cite friends and large social circles as a major factor in deciding where to live. As if that was some solid foundation for you life plans. You might have one or two good, lifelong friends, if you are lucky. All the others just come and go. In ten years, almost all the people influencing your decision to stay in a place will be likely out of your life. And you will be fine with it. But young people can't even fathom that.

[@filmgeek520]

I am a younger person (mid-20s) and I honestly agree with this so much. I lived in London when I moved to the UK and it was so hard for me to make friends with people in my film program because everyone was networking and I just wanted a good friend to talk to. Nobody I met in London (besides my now-husband, who I had already been dating for two years prior) was interesting in forming life-long bonds. You do not need a huge social circle, you need a few close friends. And if they are real friends, they will understand when you make the decision to move for yourself instead of staying to please them. If I was worried about what my friends thought of me for moving, I wouldn’t have left the states 3 years ago.

[@mysteryegg340]

Cardiff is a beautiful city. I lived there for three years in the early 2000's. Great place.

[@Chloe-rs5rm]

My small town is seeing house prices shoot up because of the London commuters moving here. The price of the house and the cost of the train is still cheaper than buying in London.

[@TheSwiftrain]

Always glad that people want to live in London because it means that I don't have to the thought gives me the shivers all those people ugh

[@supergroveraap]

Òh man I know that feeling of not wanting to give up on a place, it took me 1.5 years of homelessness, plus the start of covid, to leave Brighton behind and move back to my parents, who moved to Greece from the Netherlands.. I still yearn to go back every day, it's the only place I've ever felt at home

[@rlanza1054]

I perfectly understand why would want to be in London. I live in NYC (specifically Astoria Queens and I see the Empire State Building from my apartment). I definitely loved even more when I lived in the West Village in Manhattan back in the late 70's). At that time I never got above 14th Street for months at a time. All my social life was in the Village. All the Bridge and Tunnel people came to my neighborhood during the weekends. Now I have taken over my parent coop in Astoria where I grew up. I take my scooter and I'm on the subway in 10 minutes and downtown at West 4th street in under 30 minutes. So it can take me 45 minutes to get downtown. Not a bad time. And because of Covid-19 there is always room to sit down now on the subway. My brother recently told me about his neighbor's house to purchase and I had to decide if I wanted to move to Milford PA. It would take 7 miles (20 minutes) if I needed a container of milk. And the bugs! Eek! I realized I am too much a city boy. So I do understand staying in London. Here is suggestion if possible in London. Get friendly with an older (really older) lady or gent who don't have any family left and help them out. You may get to inherit their house if you manage to be put in their will! Don't laugh my friend now owns two houses, plus his own.

[@pghrpg4065]

I don't know why, but I'm amused by the phrase "Bridge and Tunnel people."

[@smelliiee]

i thoroughly enjoyed reading this comment

[@smelliiee]

@@pghrpg4065 i think it refers to people who commute into new york but live elsewhere like new jersey etc

[@rlanza1054]

@@smelliiee Yup that's exactly what Bridge & Tunnel means. Anyone from anywhere other than Manhattan. However its usually in my experience only used for the weekend night life. I don't remember if I mentioned that I worked as a Bartender. So we had our regular customers but on the weekends we filled up with Bridge & Tunnel people. People who made the trip to go out and party. But sometimes they thought they were true Manhattanites. I have lived most of my life in NYC. I am a true New Yorker (and yes its a real thing, like a Londoner) but when I live in Queens I am not a Manhattenit. The best way to explain it is when you live in a neighborhood for a certain amount of time you know everything about it and tend to feel ownership of that neighborhood.

[@jamesmalpus7371]

I got asked the same question about moving out of London by a family friends daughter while at a 50th birthday get together a few years ago. For me I do love London even though with lockdown I had no outside space and that was a big drawback, but it’s more simple than that my career choice as an audio engineer there’s a lot more work in this part of the country. So I could live elsewhere but there’s fewer job opportunities and work takes a lot of your life up and I always wanted to do something for work I enjoyed.

[@raenef21]

Re: the single tax. I got around this problem by buying a house with a friend :) you have to have a good relationship with your co-borrower, but it doesn't *have* to be a romantic one