What's In a Name?

We just returned from a week in London, touring schools and house hunting.  Let's just say the system is WAY different over there and a bit of a pain in the arse since they don't have MLS.  Thank heavens someone else was in charge of arranging all of the showings with the various letting agencies.

One thing I found to be quite interesting was the fact that most houses do have a number, but also have a name.  Instead of looking for a numerical address, we found ourselves crawling down the street at a snail's pace, looking for the house name because we weren't provided with anything else.  Some of the houses we toured included Hallingwood, Greensleeves, Grassholm, Merton House and Frogmore.

Our favorite location, but not top choice, was built on the canal and connected to miles of tow paths that are now used for walker/bikers.  It was very picturesque, but the Texan in me was immediately suspicious of the still water.  Let's just call that one Mosquito Manse.  Another house had a very expansive garden, English speak for backyard.  You could tell the folks living there had a dog, and it must have been the size of a Shetland pony because he did his business multiple times across the flagstone patio.  It should be dubbed Casa Caca.  There were a few houses obviously built in the 70s that haven't had any current updating other than some paint and carpet.  I'm thinking Partridge Family Palace might be appropriate.

The good news is that we did find a lovely home within our budget that will meet our needs - not too big, not too small, but just right.  We're headed for the burbs of Surrey since central London's offerings could be  aptly named Coat Closet or Cracker Box.