Homeless no longer

I finally have a new flat in Aberdeen! I went up on the train on Saturday morning to go to a viewing. The lady showing the flat said the viewing was taking place between 10 and 11am so if I could get there a bit before it would benefit me. Being the good little flat-hunter that I am, I jumped on the 7.08am train and made it to the flat for 9.45am, had a quick look around and told her that I really liked it, was most likely going to take it but that I had booked another flat viewing that was just around the corner but I'd be back in 10 minutes. Turns out in Aberdeen 10 minutes is a lifetime - I arrived back at Flat no. 1 to find she'd just given it away to another girl and I was stood there looking like a right muppet, sweating like hell having just ran to Flat no. 2 and back, and of course, still homeless. "Oh joy", I said with a smile on my face, "I'm so pleased my search for a flat isn't over, I'm having so much fun".

So back to flat number 2. A nice enough flat though located just off Union Street, the main shopping street of Aberdeen, and I'd been hoping for something a little more residential due to living on my own. The letting agent was really helpful and arranged for me to go and see another 1 bed flat that was spitting distance to Uni and in a much quieter location, so on a bus I hopped, iPhone and Google Maps in hand (how the hell did we use to find our way anywhere without Google Maps??). I can't really say much more about this flat than there was a fridge in the living room because the kitchen was that small. Once again, back to flat number 2.

At this point my will to live had bottomed out and was hiding under a bridge begging for change whilst drinking Buckfast out of a brown paper bag. I took flat number 2.

It's not a bad little flat, my only concern was living too near to the central madness but it's on the 1st floor so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. For one person it's quite roomy and it's decorated in neutral tones so at least I'll be able to make it my own. And most importantly, LAMINATE FLOORING. Oh how I hate carpets.

So that's that. I should get the final go-ahead sometime this week and I can send off the deposit. All things going to plan I should be moving on the 4th of Septmber and then all that's left is to start work......

Stuck up a Gumtree.

Flat hunting. One of life's little joys. My usual source of all things accommodation, CityLets has failed miserably in providing anything habitable in Aberdeen so I've turned to Gumtree for the first time. Now, I like the idea of Gumtree and I think it has the potential to work very well and in some cases it does. Nice adverts, full descriptions, photographs of the flats and a Google maps link to their location are all extremely useful when you don't live in the city you are trying to find a place to live in. Unfortunately those features only seem to apply to about 25% of the adverts on Gumtree, I give you some of the finer examples I have found:

Studio flat in West End of Aberdeen Lounge/bedroom, kitchen, shower room, fully furnished.

That is the entire advert. What am I supposed to do with that?! No photos, no indication of size, no idea where it is. Oh sorry it's in the West End. That narrows it down. Grrr.

One bed flat with separate kitchen, FF,DG,CH.

I get the impression that the person who wrote this advert may have to be removed from the flat by winch by the fire brigade because they're so bloody lazy. I'm aware that I could find out what FF, DG and CH mean quite quickly with the power of Google but I just feel that perhaps they could have taken the time to add a few more words to their advert.

I have two potential flat viewings on Saturday so fingers, toes and everything else you can manage crossed. And if you ever have to advertise on Gumtree, please, please, please, for the sake of all the little homeless people out there, put up a sodding photograph!