Brian Page, shocked by rental prices on a visit to London, finds you get a lot more for your money here in York.

I MAY or may not have mentioned this, but my youngest daughter lives and works in London – and last week I ventured into the deep south to visit her.

She and her fiance live in a onebedroomed box, sorry flat, in the capital. I should say it’s a very nice box, sorry flat, and looks out on a leafy, quiet tree-lined street. And she’s made it lovely inside.

Even so, I gasped when she told me they pay £1,300 per month for a small living room with Lego-sized kitchen off, a bathroom and a bedroom swinging cats need not fear...

What, I wondered, could you get for that sort of money back home in York? Or, to make it even more interesting, what could you get for her half share of £650?

“Tell your daughter to come on back to York, we’ve got some lovely properties for that sort of money,”

was the quickfire response from the team at Quantum lettings. Here is a selection of the Quantum offerings...

* Sawyers Crescent, Copmanthorpe: A two-bedroom townhouse, let unfurnished (but with cooker and washing machine included) in a sought-after village location, ideal for commuting to Leeds and York. Rental £650pcm.

* Arthur Street, York: Within walking distance of the city centre and close to the university, this is a mid-terraced house with two bedrooms and bathroom on the first floor, to let part furnished with a rental of £650pcm.

“And,” the Quantum team adds, “we’ve got some even less expensive properties...”

* Poplar Street, Poppleton Road: A terraced house with two goodsized bedrooms with a Jack and Jill bathroom; it’s in a great location with easy access to the A59 and A1237 and let unfurnished at rental of £625pcm.

And, finally from Quantum, a direct comparison, a one-bedroomed topfloor apartment in a sought-after apartment building on Scarcroft Road with lots of contemporary styling and with white goods included.

This one has a rental (way, way below what the daughter is paying in London) of £525pcm.

Also taking up the challenge were the boys and girls from Letters Ltd.

They came up with this selection...

* Flat 2, 99 Fulford Road. A cosy two-bedroomed unfurnished firstfloor flat in a great location within easy walking distance of the city centre and close to Fishergate shops. It offers a reception room, a modern dining kitchen with gas cooker, fridge and washing machine, a double bedroom and a single and a shower room. The rental is £550pcm.

* 27 Barbican Mews: A two-bedroomed first-floor apartment in this popular area just outside the city walls. It offers a good sized reception room, fitted kitchen with electric oven and hob, washer dryer and fridge freezer, a double bedroom with fitted wardrobes and drawers and a single bedroom and bathroom with shower. The rental is £595pcm.

* 30 Curzon Terrace: An unfurnished two-bedroomed mid-terrace house within walking distance of the city centre and close to the Knavesmire. The kitchen, bedrooms and bathroom are all newly decorated; elsewhere there are two reception rooms, a kitchen and double and single bedroom and upstairs bathroom with shower. The rental is £600pcm.

* 83 Stamford Street East: A similar two-bedroomed terrace house, this one within walking distance of the railway station and city centre.

Here there is a reception room. spacious modern dining kitchen with electric cooker, fridge freezer and washing machine. Upstairs there is a double bedroom with fitted cupboards and another decent-sized bedroom with fitted wardrobe and a bathroom. The rental is £625pcm.

The final Letters Ltd offering is in Hospital Fields, this one a newlyrefurbished two-bedroomed unfurnished end terrace just off Fulford Road. The property has been redecorated throughout with new carpets, kitchen and bathroom. There is a lounge, dining kitchen, spacious double bedroom with two built-in cupboards with rails and shelves and a large single bedroom with cupboard.

The rental is £650 pcm.

Stephensons, meanwhile, came up with a couple of crackers. The first is a newly-decorated second-floor flat just outside the city walls in Barbican Mews. This features a hall, lounge, fitted kitchen with appliances, two bedrooms and a bathroom along with communal gardens and allocated car parking space. The rental is £590pcm.

And they also have an excellent townhouse in the cutely-named Daysfoot Court, in the Heslington Road area, nicely positioned for both the city centre and the university and science park. The property has a fitted kitchen, a large lounge, two bedrooms and a bathroom – and even has gardens to front and rear. Newly carpeted and decorated, it is on offer at a rental of £625pcm.

And now to finish off with a pair from Linley and Simpson, who can offer a smartly-presented terraced house in Upper Newborough Street within walking distance of the city and the hospital and Nestle factory.

On the ground floor here you’ll find a lounge, a breakfast kitchen with range oven and a bathroom.

Upstairs there are two double bedrooms, one with fitted wardrobes.

The rental is £650pcm.

Also from L&S is our last, but not least, property, a furnished apartment in Eliott Court, Fulford, which has an entrance hall, lounge, kitchen with fittings including fridge, washing machine, oven and hob, one double and one single bedroom and bathroom.

Allocated parking is included in the rental of £625pcm.

So there you have it – you do get a lot more for your money in York... at least when compared to London!