My first flat, Shared Ownership advice...

This is what it's going to be...

The last few weeks have been a pretty amazing for me, if you have read my #deartuesday post you would have seen that I got my mortgage offer. (if you haven't read it yet, check it out here http://bit.ly/UagO47). I've been waiting for over a month for this information now. But, it finally means that I can make progress on my new flat.

In my life I really didn't think that I would ever be able to buy a flat, as you need at least a 20% deposit to get a mortgage, which is a huge amount of money. I never thought that I had been earning enough money to live in London, save some money and pay off the debts that I built up as a student. So buying a flat had always been out of the question.

In July last year I was speaking to my mum about my housing situation. I was living in a shared flat, which firstly was being sold by my landlady and secondly I had a housemate who was going through a few issues that were affecting all of us. I had always wanted to live in my own place and on my own for a while. You know the feeling when you just want a place where you can wander around in your pants, watch the TV you want to watch and do the cleaning when you want to. 

My mum suggested that I take a look at the Shared Ownership scheme, where first time buyers can buy a certain percentage of a property and the rest of the property is owned by a Housing Association. You pay for the mortgage on the percentage you own and pay rent to the Housing Association who owns the rest of the property. For these type of properties you usually only need a 5% - 15% deposit on the section of the property you own. Which it an easier sum of money to save compared to the usual 20%. It would mean that I could have my own place where I could settle down. No one but me could sell the place from under my feet and the money I was spending was not going just going into someone’s pocket, but helping me up the property ladder.

It sounded too good to be true, but I took a look and found that I could get a brand new/newly built flat with a small amount of savings and at an affordable monthly rate. If I decided just to rent on my own, I would be looking at spending at least £1500 a month, but with this, I would be paying much less on a mortgage and rent. The places available usually are in upcoming areas of London and come with a few restrictions, but if you are happy to put up with that, you are all sorted.

So that was it, I visited a few places and somewhere affordable and in a location I was happy with. It was time to save for the deposit, so I moved back in the parents and the rest is history.

If I’ve got you thinking about doing the same, here are my tips to get you on your way:

1. Register with First Steps London (or look here to find your nearest place) and take a look at the properties available

2. Look at the different areas and work out how much you can afford to spend on rent/mortgage every month. Also add about £300 on top for bills, just in case. I made an excel document to track my outgoings and work it out. It was really useful!

3. Look at the required deposits and work out how much you have or can save on what you are on. Also, add on £4000 to the required deposit for legal fees, mortgage costs and for kitting out your new home

4. Take a look at a few places. Get a feel for what is available. Ask lots of questions, the housing association and developers are happy to help

5. Get your finances in order. Reduce your overdraft and pay off any loans or credit cards. The Housing Association and mortage company will look at your finances thoroughly. Most schemes will ask you to speak to a Financial Advisor, which is usually free until you get a mortgage. Again, ask lots of questions and don't be scared to tell them the truth. They want to help you

6. If you find a place you like, find out what the process is and how long it will take. Sometimes you might have to buy off a plan if the place isn't built yet.

7. Ask your friends or family for a good Solicitor. Ask them lots of questions. I was lucky one of my close family relations is a Solicitor. 

8. Lastly, be prepared for extra and hidden costs. This could be ground rent or additional money for other things. Even though this is 'affordable housing' people are looking to make money from you.

Keep following this blog to see what happens next and how the move goes! If you have any questions, drop them in the comments below.

Cheers,
Steve

2013 - Bring the music!

The start of each year get’s me excited in many ways. One of them is the naming of the BBCs Sound of 2013.

Each year in December, the BBC release a long list of artists they believe will be big the next year. The list is created by a group of critics, editors, broadcasters and bloggers. I’ve been following the list for many years and get really excited to see what new gems are on it. In the past it has helped me discover artists like Hurts, La Roux, Ellie Goulding, Florence + The Machine, Frankmusik, The Ting Tings and Corinne Bailey Rae, I could go on with more, but there are too many!

The BBC Sound of 2013 long list has been no exception and has introduced me to 2 great acts. They are:





This year HAIM took the crown, with AlunaGeorge coming in at number 2 and Chvrches () at number 5 in the list of the top 5 artists. If you want to hear more of these great acts and others on the list, check out this Spotify playlist - http://bit.ly/BBCSoundof2013SpotifyPlaylist or the BBC’s own YouTube playlist - http://bit.ly/BBCSoundof2013YouTubePlaylist

Away from the list though, one of my favourite K-Pop acts, Girls’ Generation released a new album. The lead single is the little number below. A little bit more random than some of their other hits such as The Boys but still good. You can’t help but notice the very 90’s/Shoreditch styling. Yes, it is random, but I really wanted to share it.



What are your top acts at the moment? Which artist do you think will make it big this year? Let me know in the comments below.

Hello 2013 - My New Year's Resolutions

So, as the clock strikes 12:00am on 31st December, we welcome in a new year. But what will 2013 bring? What plans are in store? We never know what is going to happen, but it is always nice to set ourselves a few goals to get us through the year, however long they last.

2012 let me have a fresh start and build some foundations. 2013 will be my chance to get stuck into a few projects and really start to build an exciting future.

Here are a few things I hope to achieve in 2013:
- I want to finish writing a TV drama concept I have...not I won’t tell you what it is about
- Kick some new life into #deartuesday - Yes, it’s back. GET INVOLVED - http://bit.ly/deartuesday 
- Write, write and write some more. Maybe blog more too - I think I say this every year
- Take more photos, start a little project and share it with you - it's all about the memories

A few things that I hope to achieve are already in progress and there are a few more things I would love to do if I can fit them in, but this is where I am going to start. If I make too many big plans none of them will happen. So, it's good to start with just a few.

As well as these things, the big thig for me this year is finally buying a flat. It's been on the go since November, but I think (and hope) that all will be sorted soon. I've dreamt of this for many years now and I never thought it would happen, but thanks to the shared ownership scheme, it might even come about. If you're thinking about it and want to know more, let me know in the comments below.

But anyway, enough of planning. Grab yourself a drink (if you are not too hungover from last night) and raise your glass to 2013, the year that you do more.

What are your resolutions? What have you got planned for the next 365 days? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Man of Steel - 2nd trailer

With an all-star cast the release of Man of Steel in June 2013 cannot come quick enough!

The first trailer gave us a brief insight into the movie, but this trailer gives us extra hints to what we have in store. And to be honest with you... I really can't wait.

Even though I have spent the past year reading both Action Comics and Superman from DC's The New 52, I don't see much of the story translating over to the movie. I know Henry Cavill's costume is based on the Superman in The New 52, but I'm not sure the style will translate.

As with Christopher Nolan's adaptation of Batman, we might see influence from many different graphic novels and mini series. One rumor is that is based on Superman: Birthright. Which I will have to read at some point.

This film is also likely to loose the comic elements of previous Superman films. But, in my opinion  I think that this film needs to stand out as a new, darker and more serious adaptation.

Anyway, I'm going to leave my judgement till June 2013. Enjoy the trailer.

What do you think? Let me know your opinion in the comments below:

Originalsteve

A day trip with the camera...

Last weekend I headed out on my first photography expedition since I finished my photography course in August. I know, I know, I should of done this sooner, but life got in the way very dramatically and my new little project took a bit of a back step.

This weekend was different though. Pete, some friends and I headed down to Hastings for the day. It's a part of Kent that I haven't been to for a while. A great little seaside town that is on course for regeneration. Since I went there, nearly four years ago, a new gallery has opened up and there are quite a few little boutique shops.

The whole point of the visit was actually to test out my new photography skills and take some photos. Being November, of course, it was cold and wet so I wasn't able to play as much as I wanted to with the camera. I really didn't want to get it too wet, even though it is splash proof.

Anyway, it took me a little while to remember all of the setting, but I was able to get some nice shots.

I've posted them on Flickr and you can find them on the link below:

http://bit.ly/QnPpxu

If and when things begin to settle, I might actually get the chance to take some more photos!

Enjoy!

The Man of Steel - Official Trailer

This weekend (like most people I know), with much anticipation, I sat in my local cinema to see the epic conclusion to Christopher Nolan's epic Batman trilogy. The Dark Knight Rises was exceptional! A great story, fantastic script and world class acting made what will be the film of 2012.

But enough of the Dark Knight, it's time to turn our attention to my favourite super hero....Superman. I've seen Superman, Superman 2 and Superman Returns (I got told to skip 3 & 4), but i's time the Man of Steel got some screen time and a remake for this generation, especially with Christopher Nolan behind it!

I'm expecting the story to take the leed from DC's The New 52 (which I have been reading religiously), but anyway, enough of me yabbering on. Watch the trailer for The Man of Steel.

What about you? Are you looking forward to this?
Drop your comments below!
Originalsteve

Joss Whedon and K-Pop

A couple of months ago I read an article about the global rise of Korean pop (or K-pop as it is known), with Facebook and Google+ creating special pages dedicated to the genre. So I decided to investigate. I was expecting some really bad Eurovision style pop, but instead I found something pretty good.

It’s not often that you find some good finally crafted pop music, with catchy choruses and music videos with very slick and precise dance moves. My best discovery was band called Girls Generation. A nine-person pop group from South Korea, who make Girls Aloud and The Saturdays look like those drunk girls you see stumbling down the streets of most towns on a Saturday night after too many Smirnoff Ices.

Here are a few of my favourite songs:




Each of their videos has seen millions of video views on YouTube and they have fans world wide! I enjoy them, even though they are are extremely manufactured. SM Entertianment who created the band make some of their artists train for 4 years before they can release a single, often learning new launguages. What I also find interesting is that their lyrics consist of both English and Korean lines. Making them easy for everyone around the globe to enjoy.

The cross pollination of music styles that have been around since the 30s and 40s. Pete was telling me about episodes of M*A*S*H, which was set in the Korean war of the 50s, where their tannoys would play Cole Porter songs in Korean, but the choruses would be in English.

Maybe Joss Whedon was right...

He is always right, well most of the time. He was with Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV Series) and The Avengers (Avengers Assemble). He did get a couple of things wrong...can I mention Alien 4 or even Dollhouse?

Anyway, he is good at predicting the future and showing the development of culture and language. I recently watched Firefly and Serenity with Pete. With the film and TV series set in the far future, in a universe of terraformed planets, Joss had a unique way of showcasing the development of language and culture.

In the series, he shows a multicultural universe where Occidental and Chinese culture has been meshed together. Language is made up of a mixture of of English and Chinese, with the characters swearing in Mandarin.

Did the creators of Girls Generation watch Firefly or are they taking influence from the past? Or was it their way of influencing the future. Who is to say...but you never thought I would get them both in a blog post right?

Any comments, thoughts or observations. Please leave a comment below!
Originalsteve