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Renting In London
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
It's a long way off, but I am looking at doing a postgrad course after a year of work (in order to earn the money to do so) The course in question is at Leeds University but involves 6 months on a placement in London. This is full time so i wouldn't be able to earn part time work, hence the need for a year out before this. Anyway, i am already trying to prepare myself for it in order to try and work out costs. I would need to be able to get to central London, specifically Westminster, every day so I'm wondering if any Londoners would be able to tell me how expensive rent is in a few areas. I'm assuming the Underground system could get me to anywhere i need to go easily enough.
In theory i could commute from home, but if the Christmas break has taught me anything, it's that living with my family would be far far far too stressful! Plus i want to live in the big city...
Thanks.
In theory i could commute from home, but if the Christmas break has taught me anything, it's that living with my family would be far far far too stressful! Plus i want to live in the big city...
Thanks.
0
Comments
The rent in almost every area will vary massively.
Check out www.thegumtree.com for more ideas.
Also, every area will have good and crappy properties on offer - likelyhood is that you'll have to check out a few before you find one that you like!
I'd budget around £400 + bills as a half decent figure to start with.
Yep, the tube network will get you to Westminster with no issues. Go to www.thetube.com and use the journey planner to check how long it will take from each area.
Good luck!
Ah, in an ideal world... I don't want to sound too cynical, but don't count on having a quick commute via the tube (sometimes it's quicker to walk between stops or even to use alternatives like bus, bike or overland train services). You might also want to consider the cost of travelling from one zone to another via bus or tube - check out TFL's website for info on ticket prices. Getting about in London with your face stuck in someone's armpit during rush hour can cost you a fair wad.
Gumtree's good; you might also find it helpful to check out Loot, too. There's a bunch of articles about renting advice here as well - hope it's of use. Good luck!
Thats the part i have the problem with, i really don't want to live here! I want to experience the city.
Yeah - but then he would be missing out on living in the Big Smoke.
Personally, there is no way I would live way out to commute in (I have done the other way round as I still live where I want to be) as you are so restricted on experiencing the whole thing (nights out etc).
Also, living with family blows.
My view is, if you're going to "do" London, do it properly. 6 months is not a long time if you don't like it - and if you do, it could be some of the best time you will have experienced.
As is the case with anywhere - you make of somewhere what you will and London isn't perfect, but out of the many places I have stayed/worked, it's head and shoulders above the rest.
I'm going to guess £20 return for the day.
based on a 5 day working week, that's about 400 a month.
For that, you may as well rent 1 bedroom somewhere and walk/cycle where you wanna be.
ps, stupid gay double post.
Annual:
Aylesbury- London £2920.00
Aylesbury- Zone R1256 Zones £3320.00
Montly:
Aylesbury- London £280.40
Aylesbury- Zone R1256 Zones £318.80
If it's not for a few years, prices will have changed.
The main thing that stopped me was the fact that travelling in and out of London every day would have costed an absolute bomb.
Either way, I'd die if I'd have to commute from Aylesbury to London every day.
Because the placement is at the House Of Commons :P It would be for 6 months, and i can see myself settling there afterwards...
Tal: Course info is here http://www.leeds.ac.uk/polis/study/maProgrammes/MABritPol.shtml
I really couldnt stand to live at home, and it would mean forcing my sisters to share permanently in their room which wont go down well... plus i would be Oh 22 when this occurs. Ive checked out a few websites and it seems with some luck i could get a bedsit with bills included in zone 2 for less than £100... It would save on the stress of commuting an hour in everyday.
Its a long way off yet though.
I'm going away for a couple of days. Keep the advice coming
I would suggest a house share, I have seen lots of reasonable ones in the back of a magazine I got on the tube, it's aimed at Aussies/Kiwis, can't remember the name.
Of course, if you're willing to live a little further out, you can still get nice places, my brother's a little hard to get to (though still technically zone 2) he cycled 40mins when he was working with Shell.
Renzo, you've got plenty of time to make a deicison whether you want a house share, flatshare, to rent on your own, to find out the prices, get connections (eg if you know someone in London, you could potentially stay round theirs 4 nights a week and be home at weekends...
websites:
www.rightmove.com
www.findaproperty.com
There are plenty of places around for 400 a month, good places, and having a student oyster card will save you loads. Single tickets in zone 1 are £1 each way.
And it's quite possible to walk in London.
As for duratiuon of contracts, they vary from a monthly to a 12 month contract...
There are so many choices, first you gotta decide what you want and then go for it.
No...but now that you mention it
However my suggestion is that you get a job as a parliamentary researcher in your gap year and see how you go with that first.
Ohh and a bedsit just screams horribleness to me - your better off going for a room in a shared house.
How would i go about getting a job like that for a gap year? Don't I have to be aligned to a party?
Wise advice, I've had a bedsit in the past and it was grim, cheap though.
I will ask my house of commons contacts and find out for you - but you will have to pretend to the MP that you agree with their party yadda yadda as you are employed by the MP not by parliament if that makes sense. Oh and if there is a general election you all automatically get sacked - though if your MP is reelected you get to keep your job.
I went for a drink there a couple of weeks ago and I'm sure you would fit right in - it was full of lots of earnst young men and women.
But obviosly don't go into any job unless its only on a one year contract saying you only want to do it as a gap year.
Well I'd be fine, as long as it wasn't a Tory
OMG I love boris so much I want him to be PM!!
Funnily enough i saw a job advertised on Conservative Radio and I thought of you. Anyway I've sent you an email so hopefully you will get it - but i will also get on the case with contacts as well......