I'm moving to London next month!

[Adam]

I did have a previous thread up where I was deciding if to go or not but quickly decided to edit it out and asked for it to be deleted because I was just throwing my toys around as I've always hated the place.

But then I started to think, it's been about 10 years since I've been to London so it must of changed, I do need a new plan soon and I don't want to be too far from my girl or I'll just be finding ways to go to London all the time. So I sucked it up and decided I'm going with her - she did ask me btw, I'm not just following like some freaky stalker.

I think it will ok, Olympics next year which although I failed in scoring any tickets I still like the road athletic events (marathons) and with other free shit always going down in larger cities I think I can make my frugal way of living work there. I will miss the hills though.

I just need somewhere to live now - anyone have a one bed place going spare?

[Planetary]

im pursuing the same thing. easier said than done but i have a few friends there which should help.

[Adam]

Good luck! I don't know anyone there. But I'm really excited about the move now. This would of been a million miles away from what I wanted to do three months ago.

Gumtree has been the best place to look for properties so far I've found.

[LucieT]

Hi, I am french and moved (alone) in London for two months last winter...how to live in London ?

Try a share house/flat...you'll find it easily but avoid web agency or website in general,even Gumtree, why ?
Because there are a lot of conditions: you have to have a job, and an english bank account to be accepted.It's legal and official so you better have the right profile to this..
The other option is to go to a news paper shop, see the ads, or better, read the ads sticked on those shop walls, you'll find a number and few descriptions, call for a viewing and accept or not..the conditions are way more flexible as long you pay your rent.
I don't know if you're on budget but you have to know that the average price for a room in a share house in London central is around 600-700£, zone2 to 4 it's half.

Of course if you're looking to rent an appartment, it means you have some money,so no worries, agency must be the best..

What I can tell you is you must have a job there, just to open a bank account, have a mobile phone plan etc..all those little things..

Most of central London is ok, avoid the north, just saying, but if your girlfriend lives in London you must know it..
Personnally I lived in Leyton: east, zone 3..by an ads on a shop wall..
I was next to the train station, and supermarket and everything...
people are pretty nice and very polite there..if you need more information ask me.
I went there to find a house and search a job all by myself..now I know !

PS: if you need a good and affordable hotel central London,while searching for your home I can tell the one I went to, very good !
Because yeah you have to be in London to search, and have an english phone number so they can call you, without it no chance, unless you already know somebody there of course, the only thing you can do while being outside the UK and London, is to book a viewing, explaining you will really come in London at a precise date, and WILL have an english phone number, with that some may accept a viewing..but again you must prove you have a job in the UK and stay more than 6 months to have a chance to be selected to be part of the flatmates with the ads you'll find on the web like Gumtree..roommates and co...with the hand written ads on the streets walls it took me only one week to find a room that way.

[fonky pizza]

*chuckles*

London is fucking dangerous!

good luck!:)

[LucieT]

*chuckles*

London is fucking dangerous!

good luck!:)


London is fucking less dangerous than any places in France, the riots are pretty over and were very localised..
London is a city were there are cameras on every streets, you can get a 50£ fine if you throw your cigaret in the street ground, believe me London is pretty safe !
The north zone 2-3-4 is just sordid.

[Echewta]

Forget it brother, you can go it alone.

[fonky pizza]

London is a city were there are cameras on every streets, you can get a 50£ fine if you throw your cigaret in the street ground, believe me London is pretty safe !


Wow! Funky town!

[LucieT]

@Adam: Oh I just realized you're already live in the UK :o, that changes everything of course, bank account, phone number etc... so yeah try Gumtree or things like that. I was talking for a non UK resident as I was..

[Adam]

yeah, I'm only 200 miles north of London atm, gf is 170 miles out currently. So we're both london n00bs but British so all of that side is ok.

Ok, here is a response to one of the nicer properties we've seen on gumtree so far - it's a one bed in westminster and it's very cheap (for the area).

Hello
Thanks for your mail. I am a very young comfortable professional,26 who works in a recording company as a studio manager.I would like to rent out a double bedroom Garden Flat with Broad Band Internet to a very easy going person at 700 per month including all bills.available now for you to occupy.not shared apartment..My apartment is very comfortable fully furnished flat of brand duplex flat.Located in quiet residential area {Westbourne Terrace, Paddington, W2 }Only 2 minutes from Paddington Station with the Heathrow Express service, and close to Hyde Park,London Underground (subway) and buses can take you across the cityis fully furnished with digital home cinema, hi-fi system, VCR, DVD player, phone, fax, computer, cable/satellite, internet access, wardrobe, cupboard, Hanging wardrobe, safe deposit box, radio alarm clock, hair dryer, fully air-conditioned, central heating, intruder alarm, fire alarm and more. Large fully equipped kitchen, 2 toilets and unlimited wireless internet.
I dont want any problem for myself.., i need to know the person that will occupy my apartment that is, the person that willl take care of my apartment like theirs because am letting the flat out because am presently in manchester working. It is not compulsory that i rent out the flat but if i can get a reliable and tidy person that will take care of my flat for me i can let it out.so i need to know them better i.e what you and your partner do for a living.
Rent Includes

Electricity
Gas
Water Charge
Council Tax
Lease
internet


Waiting to read from you.

we can't decide if dodgy or poor english. Our question was "do you have a floor-plan or dimensions"

[Planetary]

sounds good for two people.

[Adam]

sounds good for two people.

It's the detail. It reads like he is leaving his computer! And hair dryer, alarm clock but I suppose that isn't too weird. But his computer?

I don't want someone else computer in my flat for starters, but no-one would leave that right?

[LucieT]

The question is: do you really need to pay 700 fucking pounds in that poshy borought,for probably a very small room, while you can pay 300 to 400 pounds for a big double room elsewhere let's say in a "middle class" zone...
It's up to you, plus that person is clearly selecting according to your job and earnings, he wish you won't stay much home during the day (the less you use thing the better it is) and the more you earn the better you'll pay..you better be a banker or something to have a chance...this place is one of the ritchest of London.
The only good point, it is not shared and all furnished..so in that way this is super cheap compared to a normal rent..
Seriously try around Leyton. I did search all around London,that was still the best if you don't wan't to spend tones of money for nothing, my cousin lived in London for more than 10 years, she ended in Leyton, after having lived in 20 different share house all around..

Again all depend if you want to put some money in the rent or not...

[LucieT]

It's the detail. It reads like he is leaving his computer! And hair dryer, alarm clock but I suppose that isn't too weird. But his computer?

I don't want someone else computer in my flat for starters, but no-one would leave that right?


Apparently this person has this appartment as a basement, nothing really personnal in it, he must have his own personnal laptop with him, that's why he let a computer in it, + of course it's a plus to attract people.
Also, not every ad in Gumtree a reliable, so yes be careful, just book a viewing and you'll see..

[venusvenus123]

yeah, I'm only 200 miles north of London atm, gf is 170 miles out currently. So we're both london n00bs but British so all of that side is ok.

Ok, here is a response to one of the nicer properties we've seen on gumtree so far - it's a one bed in westminster and it's very cheap (for the area).



we can't decide if dodgy or poor english. Our question was "do you have a floor-plan or dimensions"

He sounds foreign. Not sure if there's anything dodgy. It's a good deal if he just wants to sub-let his apartment. Good to be central too. If you're sharing the rent with your girlfriend it's reasonable.

Welcome to London!:)

[Planetary]

i'll probably just end up on someone's floor as im heading down without a job! (y)

[LucieT]

i'll probably just end up on someone's floor as im heading down without a job! (y)

I did go there without a job and being french..
Just save some money..

[Planetary]

I did go there without a job and being french..
Just save some money..

Yeah i am. a couple of months rent should suffice, plus a bit of spending cash.

if i don't go soon i never will so it's gung ho

[Adam]

I don't want a house share other than with gf. So £700 inc it all is very reasonable. If we're central too then gf cuts down on travelling as it's where her job is which in turn can save many hundred per month. I need to find a job there also so the nearer I am to the centre then the nearer I am to jobs.

Have been reading about gumtree scams since, they very much sound like this ad and response. So we dunno.

I'm not house sharing or going into a studio - my girl and I are the type of people that need space from others so a wall between bedroom and living room with no-one else around will be a must at times.

[LucieT]

Yeah i am. a couple of months rent should suffice, plus a bit of spending cash.

if i don't go soon i never will so it's gung ho


I went with 5000 euros (for two months and a half): 500£ first week at hotel, travelcard: 123£ each months, went room found: rent 360£ each month + deposit , around 200£ per month for food and necesary stuff all the rest shoping and extra cost: sim card:pay as you go, buy a desk, TV, and some other shit to live...
5000 euros = around 3000£

[LucieT]

I don't want a house share other than with gf. So £700 inc it all is very reasonable. If we're central too then gf cuts down on travelling as it's where her job is which in turn can save many hundred per month. I need to find a job there also so the nearer I am to the centre then the nearer I am to jobs.

Have been reading about gumtree scams since, they very much sound like this ad and response. So we dunno.

I'm not house sharing or going into a studio - my girl and I are the type of people that need space from others so a wall between bedroom and living room with no-one else around will be a must at times.


sometime renting a room in a share house is not a choice...few can afford an appartment there, and finding a job is not easy too...but you're british..

If you can rent this appartment then go ahead !

[ms.peachy]

700 in Westminster is a brilliant price, unless the place is utterly awful. Anything less than 1000 really in central is a great deal. Yes of course you can live further out and spend less, but then you have to... live... further... out. Which is fine if that's what you want to do, but if you want to be in London, then BE in London, I say.

God I miss London.

[Adam]

We confirmed that one is a scam.

And yeah, I'm agreeing with ms. peachy. GF job is in Barbican which is pretty central. If it's in within three miles then it's zero travel costs which is a big saving because even in snow (does it snow in london actually?) it's easy enough to walk.

I'm a great believer in living where you work. The need for personal transport or travel cards are most people headaches about life no matter where you live so cutting that out you instantly have a better life.

But by Seldon, the costs! ouch ouch ouch.

[camo]

I'd move to London. I've heard it's a riot.

Yeah yeah.

Anyways, thats another bbmb member that lives nearby increasing their chances of never meeting me. Ha!

Good luck Adam (y)

[Planetary]

hey it's not like i need luck or anything. luck is for the unprepared. (which i am)

[LucieT]

We confirmed that one is a scam.

And yeah, I'm agreeing with ms. peachy. GF job is in Barbican which is pretty central. If it's in within three miles then it's zero travel costs which is a big saving because even in snow (does it snow in london actually?) it's easy enough to walk.

I'm a great believer in living where you work. The need for personal transport or travel cards are most people headaches about life no matter where you live so cutting that out you instantly have a better life.

But by Seldon, the costs! ouch ouch ouch.


really?, funny cause I don't feel the same, I like transport because it's a transition between your home and work, plus I don't like to live where I work. I need a separation,of course I'm not talking about 2 or 3 h of transport (max one for me ) I don't wanna feel I'm almost at work when I'm resting at home...you don't see much things, all the same...you end to live in the same street, same borought, a small little world while you're in a big city with so different things, and you end by not knowing the city but just your place..I need to see differents places...because believe me people who live where they work don't make the effort to go farther.
Some londoners told me they never went in their live in the south London..I am french and have seen more of London than them, how sad is that.
But it is definately money saving from 70£ to 200£ per month, London is one of the most expensive city in the world in transport..and the money you would save by living farther would be lost in paying transport..so yeah economicaly, no hesitation.

If you want to rent in central London, minium 1000-1200£ per month for a little appartment,(unless, you lucky and find a great deal, it is possible) that's why most people rent a room in a share house, this is pretty common there.
My doctor told me he had some collegues living in London in a share house, you see even doctors just rent a room..so..
if you can find exactly what you want, good for you, but be prepared to make some effort by accepting certain things you don't want to.

PS: Barbican ? my fave museum/gallery !!

[Adam]

commuting isn't the same as travelling.

Living where you work is ideological/political for me - be the change you want to see.

[Gareth]

i find gumtree really poor to use.
also, some of the photos you see are nothing like what the rooms actually look like.
been here since may.
love the city, hate my job (still).

[Adam]

The thing is, gumtree is where the money is saved. Advertising on rightmove isn't for everyone and they're generally attached to agencies as well. But I do agree gumtree isn't the easiest to use and is very open to scammers.

[Gareth]

i'm also looking for a place and it seems really competitive right now. i was supposed to go view last night, but got a phone call in the afternoon saying it'd been snapped up already...the place had only been up for like a day.
oh well. thinking about finding a place through agency - which isnt what i want to do but it may be unavoidable.

[Kid Presentable]

Not to sound like someone who hasn't lived there in years, but does TNT provide any value anymore?

[Teh]

Zone 5 is where it's at. You get green, and trees, and it isn't total urban sprawl forever and ever.

But I have a car now so I'm going to move beyond Zone 6.

[Planetary]

Zone 5 is where it's at. You get green, and trees, and it isn't total urban sprawl forever and ever.

But I have a car now so I'm going to move beyond Zone 6.

thats fucking miles away

[Adam]

Still moving but hold ups due to events outside my control

I'm excited about the move. Our current thinking is still Zone 1 or 2 but we might get a two bed place and use airbnb.com to help pay the bills which we kinda worked out should be cheaper than having a one bed even when just sharing 40% of the time. But we'll see what come up and makes sense.

My gf is currently use airbnb for her job and coming up to Sheffield at the weekend - all because of my circumstances not moving quick enough, grrr :mad:

[venusvenus123]

Zone 5 is where it's at. You get green, and trees, and it isn't total urban sprawl forever and ever.

But I have a car now so I'm going to move beyond Zone 6.

I moving to Mars!:cool: