Alice Unwin's tips on moving to London
Finding a flat
Having spent the last three years in York, Cumbria and Italy I was very excited about finally moving to the big smoke.
When it came to deciding where to rent the determining factors were transport links, distance from friends and whether it was a relatively safe area. After considering Islington and Clapham I decided to look for a house in Hammersmith. It has very good bus and train links so is an easy place to get to and from and it is a quick commute to BDB (when the District line works)! There is also plenty to do with lots of good cinemas, theatres, pubs and places to eat and the river nearby.
I decided to live with a friend who I have shared a flat with previously. We get on very well and she is also incredibly organised and neat (I can think of a lot of very good friends who would be nightmare flatmates)!
We had about six viewings and when we secured our flat we were both relieved and excited.
The Move
After failing to squeeze my belongings in to the car and discovering at the last minute that the roof rack was broken I was very pleased to learn that you can courier items for as little as £25 all the way from Cumbria to London.
Top Tips
- Flats rent very quickly at the moment and so it is important to build up strong relationships with the estate agents by visiting their offices and keeping in frequent contact.
- Plan your finances: there are lots of additional costs when you sign up to rent a flat (e.g. large deposits, agents’ fees, reference fees).
- Move down a few days in advance of starting work so that you have plenty of time to unpack, orientate yourself and iron your shirt before the first day!
- If your flat is unfurnished I would suggest contacting the old tenants to see if they would like to sell any of their furniture.