Living in London

[Gambo]

Hi,

 

Basically I've been offered a new job in London which I've taken so I need to move from Swindon and I've got 3 weeks to do it in. 

 

Really I just want decent ideas on where to live, I will be working in the city so it needs good links to there, no more than 45 mins travel ideally and I hopefully want to take my car with me. 

 

Any help would be massively appreciated. 

[Aspman]

Unless you have to better just to ditch the car in London.

 

My Bro-in-law lives down Surrey Quays way, that seems to work for him and is about 45min from central London on the tube. Not too many murders near him. He got more dead junkies on his doorstep in Dundee.

[BJM]

I would seriously consider remaining in Swindon, and investigating / comparing the costs of commuting from Swindon and renting / buying in London itself.

 

The rail commute from Swindon to Paddington takes 1 hour (plus or minus 10 minutes), with further time to get to your place of work, but it can easily take over 1 hour to commute into the City from many parts of London itself

 

(Bear in mind that those areas with the best and fastest links are inevitably the most expensive in terms of rent / purchase costs.)

 

I can't be more specific, but know several people, including former colleagues who opted for this route rather than the significant costs of relocating to London (it takes 30 minutes to drive from Cheltenham to Swindon Station and the rail tickets were about half the price.)

[BossFox]

Buying?

Renting?

Budget?

[vindaloo]

Hi,

 

Basically I've been offered a new job in London which I've taken so I need to move from Swindon and I've got 3 weeks to do it in. 

 

Really I just want decent ideas on where to live, I will be working in the city so it needs good links to there, no more than 45 mins travel ideally and I hopefully want to take my car with me. 

 

Any help would be massively appreciated. 

 

45 minutes to get to the city limits things a little IMO. I assume you're thinking of renting, then buying. Studio appartment somewhere near Lewisham, Blackheath might do it. Though Earlsfield/Wimbledon might also be worth a look. I'm biased as I have mates in Earlsfield. Property priices in London are currently of the <ouch> variety.... Unless you own one of them already.

[Gambo]

I'm looking to rent, my budget is probably around £1k a month and potentially a bit more for the right place. 

 

About 45 mins to an hour commute I'd go for and Swindon is out of the question, there is no way on earth I'm paying £8k a year + tube for a season ticket on the train haha. 

 

I'm currently looking at Clapham, Wimbledon, Stratford and possibly Woodford, although I've heard the Central line can be a bit dodgy.

 

I'll probably only live at this place for 6 months tops while I find my feet as my contract for work does say I should be willing to travel Monday to Friday, so I want to know what kind of places I'll be travelling to before I settle into something longer term. 

Edited 27 October, 2014 by Gambo

[LeeHarrison]

Stratford and Woodford, there's a place slap bang in the middle of both of them that you over looked............ Forest Gate   

 

In all seriousness, as Stratford has been 'rejuvenated' due to the Olympics infrastructure the pricing has rocketed. What you will find with London is if it's got a 'name' it'll cost you more. If there's a Starbucks or Costa Coffee it'll cost you more    East London wise, the links are so easy in to the City, from here you're straight in to Stratford in 5 minutes and Liverpool Street in 15. Docklands is only a stones throw as well.

 

I'm not saying Forest Gate in particular but you could save a bit of money and look at one of the 'up and coming' places rather than the already there brigade.

 

Oh, just don't go out at night, there's some scary folk around....................

 

 

 

 

........ oh wait, nope they're there all the time   

 

It's a good place to be, I don't live in the East End but family do so know the areas pretty well. There's the odd carsey but every area has these. 

[VRS Mike]

they must be paying a fair whack for you to be happy to spend that much on rent!!?? I would look to live outside the city and commute, really don't like the big smoke lol, but saying that it will be a step up from Swindon.......

 

£1k a month in Swindon would rent you a mansion!

[LeeHarrison]

they must be paying a fair whack for you to be happy to spend that much on rent!!?? I would look to live outside the city and commute, really don't like the big smoke lol, but saying that it will be a step up from Swindon.......

 

£1k a month in Swindon would rent you a mansion!

 

That's the problem. A grand a month round here will get some people the sofa of a shared bedsit!! 

 

Back to sensible head. £1,000 a month isn't bad at all - do you have kids and/or a missus Gambo?

[Gambo]

That's the problem. A grand a month round here will get some people the sofa of a shared bedsit!! 

 

Back to sensible head. £1,000 a month isn't bad at all - do you have kids and/or a missus Gambo?

 

Nope 28, single, no kids. Yeah they're paying me a lot but they had to, to get me to work there haha. 

 

I'm not happy about paying up to £1k a month, I think it's a bloody rip off, but needs must and all that. 

Edited 27 October, 2014 by Gambo

[Auric Goldfinger]

My Eldest son lives in Anerley, near Crystal Palace, ground floor 2 bed flat  £1300 a month, season ticket into the city £2K per year

[mannyo]

1K a month for London does not get much, perhaps a small 1 bed flat or a studio apartment. If your used to a largish sized house you'll feel very cramped. Car parking and insurance will be a big headache, you'll have to leave your car at the roadside for most properties and London is considered high risk.

I'd look at the areas outside of London, for example to the north. Places such as Stevenage and Potters Bar have great links to Kings Cross. Stevenage to Kings Cross on the high speed non stop commuter train takes about 25 mins, but you'll be standing the whole way.

I've done regular commutes from Stevenage to Mooregate, and it can be done surprisingly quickly. Get fast train to Finsbury Park and then change to the slower train that runs to Mooregate (City).

3 weeks is really pushing it, by the time you've found a property, gone through all the referencing and credit checks, paid a massive deposit and one months rent in advance. I guess you'll need around £2-3K paid out before you even get the keys.

[Gambo]

To be fair I'm looking at a room in a shared house, similar to what I'm doing now in Swindon. But cheers for the suggestions, gives me something to think about. 

[LeeHarrison]

You'll get a 1 bed flat or studio for £1,000, half decent areas. As maanyo mentions though, it's the extras that take its toll, parking is a pig and not every property is guaranteed parking, the permits aren't exactly cheap either.

 

Wait, I'm now going the other way with my thinking   

[gadgetman]

You could look at greater London areas. Watford, Barnet, the chalfonts, Uxbridge etc. Anywhere close to one of the tube lines.

Depending on what time you'll be travelling, you could do these in an hour if you leave at 7.

If you'll be travelling at 8 for a 9am start, 45-60 min means you'll be slap bang in central London, and £1k won't get you much if anything.

[@Lee]

there's some nice piles in the Chalfonts

[Oli3000]

My 1 bed garden flat in Wimbledon is £1200, but split between the misses and I. Then bills etc ontop of that and onstreet parking.

I would definitely advise looking on spareroom.co.uk. You will find much better value for money living in groups of 3 or above. Studios and 1/2 bed flats are particularly expensive relatively. Yes you'll have to live with randomers but it is so common in Lodnon now it is a none issue. The thing I would be most worried about is that property practically lasts 24 hours on websites before it's taken, particularly if in a desirable area and reasonably priced, as the demand in London is just so high.

All the areas that have been mentioned will be fine, but I personally would find somewhere for the first month and then work out where I really want to go from there. Almost all of the old stereotypes about rough areas are rapidly being vanquished due to the massive surge of young professionals and the huge shortage of new housing, making once poor areas incredibly wealthy.

Ow and for reference, it takes me 45 mins door-to-door to do Wimbledon to Oxford Street, or to Moorgate and the heart of the city on the tube. I can cycle to London Bridge in 30 minutes, also.

[Gambo]

My 1 bed garden flat in Wimbledon is £1200, but split between the misses and I. Then bills etc ontop of that and onstreet parking.

I would definitely advise looking on spareroom.co.uk. You will find much better value for money living in groups of 3 or above. Studios and 1/2 bed flats are particularly expensive relatively. Yes you'll have to live with randomers but it is so common in Lodnon now it is a none issue. The thing I would be most worried about is that property practically lasts 24 hours on websites before it's taken, particularly if in a desirable area and reasonably priced, as the demand in London is just so high.

All the areas that have been mentioned will be fine, but I personally would find somewhere for the first month and then work out where I really want to go from there. Almost all of the old stereotypes about rough areas are rapidly being vanquished due to the massive surge of young professionals and the huge shortage of new housing, making once poor areas incredibly wealthy.

Ow and for reference, it takes me 45 mins door-to-door to do Wimbledon to Oxford Street, or to Moorgate and the heart of the city on the tube. I can cycle to London Bridge in 30 minutes, also.

 

Cheers, do you know much about Colliers Wood? I'm on spareroom already and found a few properties in the Balham / Colliers Wood area, I just don't know that they're like. 

[Oli3000]

I get the tube from Colliers wood when I do use it - very quick into the city and you're far enough out that you'll always get a seat. Balham is much busier for trying to get on the tube, but you should always manage to find space. Both are nice areas. Colliers Wood is very suburban and safe - and you're much more likely to get on street parking. It's a stones throw from Wimbledon which is a lovely social/shopping centre. Balham has a bit more going on and is full of young professionals but will be pricier as its that bit further in and close to Clapham which is a yuppy hub! We really like Collier's Wood as it is quiet and safe! But we don't mind being a bit further away from the clubs but prefer having a nice local!

Both are on the cycle super highway 7 which is direct to the city if you fancy braving the bike. I cycle to London Bridge or Waterloo daily and it's fine, although busy at times.

[Gambo]

Excellent, cheers for the info managed to find a shared house with a driveway, so might go check it out tomorrow then. 

[Aspman]

I did read a story once in the papers that it might actually be cheaper to commute form France than to live in London.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-177017/Could-commute-France.html

http://www.shelteroffshore.com/index.php/living/more/euro-commuter-live-in-france-work-in-uk-10143

[gallego1968]

I live in East Barnet where there is a direct line to Moorgate from Oakleigh park station. It is nice here but not the cheapest place to live.

[tempra007]

I live in East Barnet where there is a direct line to Moorgate from Oakleigh park station. It is nice here but not the cheapest place to live.

Along the same sort of lines, try the  Colindale area, last time is was there they put a lot of money into the area. Used to work at Barnet College (the Grahame Park site) it's a direct train straight into london from here, quick and easy.

[Clunkclick]

Another possibility, is to take accommodation outside the M25 boundary (where rents will be sub £1K a month and the environment way better) and then drive to the outer suburbs and take a half-hour  non-stopper in to the centre (I'm thinking Tring to Euston, Harrow to Marylebone, Ebbsfleet to Stratford/St Pancras.). I think quite a few people are doing that as evidenced by the trade in the outer suburbs where home-owners let out their drives as a daily parking resource for commuters.

 

Swindon/Paddington daily will be an overcrowding/delay nightmare.

 

Plenty of weekday residents in South Harrow, come into town on Sunday evening, go home on Friday and do four nights in a Travel Lodge or equivalent or stay in local lodgings - probably £40 a night - that wiil give you a tidy saving on £1K a month.

 

Roll-on Cross-Rail.

 

 

Nick

Edited 29 October, 2014 by Clunkclick

[Furbytom]

Or just get a new M3 on a PCP deal for £1k/month and sleep in it. Problem solved! ;-)