Help me find somewhere to live in London

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I've decided that since leaving university I have been living in my parents house for quite long enough, and if I don't get out of there in the next couple of months, I am going to kill someone. As my best friend has had to audacity to get a job outside London, thus ruining our best laid plans... the questions remain:

1. Should I look around, answer an ad and move in with some friendly-looking strangers?

2. If so, where do I start? London isn't exactly the smallest place in the world and I have no real idea where to start looking... other than ads in the local paper, and that strikes me as being a very bad idea indeed, not least because it means I'd be looking locally. Websites and stuff would be useful.

3. Where should I move to? There must be loads of bits of London I haven't discovered yet. I've lived in Catford most of my life, so I can safely say I've had enough of 'edgy' inner-city life and am quite happy to move somewhere safe and middle-class and dull. I'm not likely to be spending a huge amount of time there, in any case.

I am of course aware this will be the kazillionth thread of this sort, but thanks in advance. There's no major rush, but I'd like to be out there before Christmas at any rate.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 15:22 (twenty-three years ago)

First things first, how much can you afford?

― RickyT (RickyT), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 15:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Up to a maximum of about £350-£400 pcm, probably. I have no particular desire to be near the centre of London.

Apologies for use of word 'edgy'. It is, indeed, rubbish.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 15:27 (twenty-three years ago)

"Up to a maximum of about £350-£400 pcm"

Thhis might be the point when people start laughing at the screen, so possibly a bit more, but preferably in that range.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 15:33 (twenty-three years ago)

Up to £400 pcm seems fine.

South London south London yaaaaay!

― Sarah (starry), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 15:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Follow the advice in the hilarrious cartoon strip "Move To The City" in Time Out every week.

Loot online will give you some idea of the prices but you'll never get anything off that. Capital/Guardian flatshare might be a good spin the bottle type thing.

Terrible time to look right now though wot with all the students.

― Pete (Pete), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 15:44 (twenty-three years ago)

First and foremost best way of getting good & reliable flatshares is through friends or friends. Can't be beaten.

Failing that ... I've had horror stories finding places through the Guardian. One was a landlord who took my money and waited till AFTER I moved all my stuff in before informing me that he was selling the house in a few weeks. The other is a CRAZY PSYCHO HOARDER CAT LADY FROM HELL and the only reason I stay here is cause I like living in zone one for £300 a month, and I really get on with my other housemate.

I'd reccomend just GOING to neighbourhoods that seem likely, and beating the streets. Look for those cornershops where actual locals advertise for flatshares. Friends who have had the best luck with flatshares all got them through that method.

― kate, Tuesday, 17 September 2002 15:45 (twenty-three years ago)

well, I always do this, but you should consider SW London. I live in Roehampton/Putney, and while most of it is a bit dearer than you're looking for, there's some pretty decent areas for cheaper. How about Tooting? Colliers Wood? Even Mitcham has some nice bits.

Failing that, how fussed are you living near public transport? It can make a big difference in prices if you don't have a train nearby.

― Mark C (Mark C), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 19:28 (twenty-three years ago)

"move to the city" is the lamest thing ever

― bob zemko (bob), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 20:38 (twenty-three years ago)

i am the worst person in all of london to ask this. i've lived in 2 london houseshares which were fine, i tried looking for a third earlier this year, and nobody wanted me. no one at all. i'm not joking either.

― gareth (gareth), Tuesday, 17 September 2002 22:05 (twenty-three years ago)

ignorant furriner time! what does pcm stand for? & what's the average pay for a shit retail job in the city? (ie 400 pounds seems like a screamingly high amount of cash for a one-person apartment, at least to someone from upsidedownland).

― Ess Kay (esskay), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 01:59 (twenty-three years ago)

per calendar month. And I have no idea about the pay thing, I'm not in London; rents don't really seem much cheaper round here but I don't know about wages here either.

How easy is it to find a job in London right now? How about if you have almost no employable skills, qualifications or experience but would still like to be sat in front of a computer (and not in a call centre, either) instead of sweeping floors? Or is there any other not entirely nasty city in the south of England which is noticeably cheaper than London but still has interesting gigs and public transport to London which doesn't stop at 11pm? Something tells me the answer is no. Sigh.

― Rebecca (reb), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 02:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Proper West London (ie not Notting Hill) is like that! It's like London, but it's not quite, but it's easy to get London London from West London.

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 07:55 (twenty-three years ago)

But, it's hella difficult to get a job in London right now. All them recent graduates and all that.

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 07:58 (twenty-three years ago)

SK, pcm = per calendar month. £400pcm for a one bedroom flat anywhere in central London is called being very lucky indeed. You're looking at least £250-300pcm for a room in a flatshare. One bed flats more like £600pcm and up. KatieG, her geezer and I are paying £1250 pcm between us for a two bedroom flat in Shepherd's Bush, and this is well below average for the (not particularly fancy) area.

― RickyT (RickyT), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 08:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Bloody graduates! I hate it when they say "or graduate calibre", I mean if they want a graduate just say it and don't waste other peoples time!

Haha I got a letter confirming the fact that I had been asked for an interview this morning - THE INTERVIEW WAS YESTERDAY!

I like the fact they are not professional. This is a PLUS POINT! Gimme a job (although yr offices are pokey and the pay is also puny but better than here oh go on go on go on).

― Sarah (starry), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 08:13 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll be looking myself soon, seeing as flatmate has accepted an offer on our flat, probably staying in North London though, preferably in the Stow, where early searches have found two bedroom places round the corner from my house (unfurnished) for 150 a week. First need a job though :o(

― chris (chris), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 08:14 (twenty-three years ago)

(Rebecca: My brother got a decent job in the middle of London doing I guess what you might like to do, and he had pretty much exactly the same qualifications/experience and is the same age, though that was a year or so ago)

― Graham (graham), Wednesday, 18 September 2002 09:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Ess Kay & Rebecca - the average income in London is a tad below £30, 000 a year. In the rest of the U. K. it's a shade under £20, 000 a year.

Bizarrely (;> ), for a shit retail job you get considerably less than £20, 000. I'd imagine; I am fortunate enough not to know...

Basically, London seems to run on the principles that half the people who work there spend 2 hours getting to work every morning and there are no jobs as shop assistants, bus drivers, hospital porters, administrators, etc. At least this is what I conclude from Estate Agents' ads and my employers' pay negotioation offers.

― Tim Bateman, Wednesday, 18 September 2002 10:20 (twenty-three years ago)

i like ealing. it's not that far to go central on the tube, and it also has some nice shops and restaurants and parks and stuff and has a nice vibe.

but i've only "lived" in london on-and-off a few months a year for the past few years, so i'm probably not the best person to be giving out advice.

― sand.y, Thursday, 19 September 2002 00:06 (twenty-three years ago)

cripes! etc etc. & is that pcm figure just the rent, or does it include power/water/air/whatever-else-you-people-have-to-pay-for? are bonds typically two weeks or a month?

― Ess Kay (esskay), Thursday, 19 September 2002 01:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Those figures (and I agree with Ricky's) usually don't include any bills. The biggest of which is council tax, which is about a thousand a year for the whole property (depends on council and rough price of the place) which in a 2-bed apartment can work out at another 40 quid or do a month.

A room sharing in a large house is the norm for most young non-rich people. Aussies and Kiwis are renowned for living like, 20 to a room.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 19 September 2002 02:14 (twenty-three years ago)

i got a new place to live yesterday!!!!

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 19 September 2002 08:07 (twenty-three years ago)

YAY! Well done Gareth!!! Whereabouts?? And when are we all invited over to drink your bouze and eat your food?

― Sarah (starry), Thursday, 19 September 2002 08:09 (twenty-three years ago)

Congrats, Gareth. Where is this new abode?

SK, if bonds = deposit, four weeks/one month is the norm, but this has started creeping up to five or even six weeks.

― RickyT (RickyT), Thursday, 19 September 2002 08:15 (twenty-three years ago)

its between essex road and southgate road, about 10 min from H&I tube. i move in next saturday

― gareth (gareth), Thursday, 19 September 2002 08:21 (twenty-three years ago)

More details please! House? Flat? How many others?

― Sarah (starry), Thursday, 19 September 2002 08:28 (twenty-three years ago)

well done old chap, told you'd find summat soon didn't I?

― chris (chris), Thursday, 19 September 2002 08:32 (twenty-three years ago)

four years pass...

Apart from Gumtree, where should I go to find somewhere to live in London?

I had too much fun this summer, and left this whole househunting thing too late..

― Jill, Wednesday, 22 August 2007 15:37 (eighteen years ago)

moveflat.co.uk

― Filey Camp, Wednesday, 22 August 2007 15:44 (eighteen years ago)

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