Renting In London

[Renzo]

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.

[g_angel]

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.


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!

[Kimono]

I'm assuming the Underground system could get me to anywhere i need to go easily enough.

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 (http://www.tfl.gov.uk) 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 (http://www.loot.com/property/flats-to-rent-in-london-up-to-100pw), too. There's a bunch of articles about renting advice (http://www.thesite.org/homelawandmoney/home/renting) here as well - hope it's of use. Good luck!

[Fiend_85]

Renzo, it'd be cheaper to live in aylesbury and commute, as marylebone is so central.

[Renzo]

Renzo, it'd be cheaper to ive in aylesbury and commute, as marylebone is so central.

Thats the part i have the problem with, i really don't want to live here! I want to experience the city.

[g_angel]

Renzo, it'd be cheaper to live in aylesbury and commute, as marylebone is so central.



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.

[Fiend_85]

Experience it when you've got the money mate. It's only short term, and will save you a packet. I know what you mean, Aylesbury would be improved by a direct hit from an intercontinetal balistic missile. But until you can afford london, it's probably worth staying out of it. There's always the oppurtunity for evening fun etc with people you work with, last train is fairly late as I recall.

[Fiend_85]

Experience it when you've got the money mate. It's only short term, and will save you a packet. I know what you mean, Aylesbury would be improved by a direct hit from an intercontinetal balistic missile. But until you can afford london, it's probably worth staying out of it. There's always the oppurtunity for evening fun etc with people you work with, last train is fairly late as I recall.

[BritJamez]

To be honest, I don't know how much a train is from Aylesbury to London.

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.

[Fiend_85]

A season ticket will save a bundle, and so will an oyster card. Living in this shit-hole with his parents will save him a lot.


ps, stupid gay double post.

[JsT]

A season ticket will save a bundle.

Annual:
Aylesbury- London £2920.00
Aylesbury- Zone R1256 Zones £3320.00

Montly:
Aylesbury- London £280.40
Aylesbury- Zone R1256 Zones £318.80

[katchika]

what's the post grad? Why does the work have to be in London?
If it's not for a few years, prices will have changed.

[Bri-namite]

I was really close to going down to move in with my sister who lives in High Wycombe last year, had a job in London lined up and everything.

The main thing that stopped me was the fact that travelling in and out of London every day would have costed an absolute bomb.

[Fiend_85]

Annual:
Aylesbury- London £2920.00
Aylesbury- Zone R1256 Zones £3320.00

Montly:
Aylesbury- London £280.40
Aylesbury- Zone R1256 Zones £318.80
Saves on rent/bills

[katchika]

yeah but renting will give him independence, moving back in with mum and dad at the age of 21/11 (? that's a guess) is not exactly a bundle of joy.

[Randomgirl]

I went to UCL and am still living in London now having graduated. Lots of students do it, it isn't as expensive as people think. It's well worth it in my opinion.

[Dear Wendy]

What postgrad do you want to do Renzo?
Either way, I'd die if I'd have to commute from Aylesbury to London every day.

[Renzo]

what's the post grad? Why does the work have to be in London?
If it's not for a few years, prices will have changed.

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 :)

[katchika]

Dunno what sort of quality they would be at that price. I mean I pay around £86 in Wolverhampton.

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.

[Fiend_85]

If you're set on it Renzo buds. A mate of mine got a nice (seriously, lovely) place in zone 3 (turnpike lane - picadilly line) for not that much, something like £80 a week. But she was sharing with students (being on herself) and it was a year long contract, you might want to check that out though, if you want i can ask her who the letting company was and you can look them up yourself.

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.

[queenmab_roo]

yeah that's another thing to take into consideration: most places want 12month contracts, and not 6 months.

[migpilot]

Why do people think that living in London is like living on another planet???

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.

[Randomgirl]

yeah that's another thing to take into consideration: most places want 12month contracts, and not 6 months.
But there are a lot of 6 month or shorter contracts available too.

[Wyetry]

Are you subtly hinting that you want to come and live in my spare room?

[Renzo]

Are you subtly hinting that you want to come and live in my spare room?

No...but now that you mention it ;) Nah hehe.

[Wyetry]

Hum well I live in London and it costs me over £100 a month to get to work and takes me an hour each day.

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.

[Renzo]

Hum well I live in London and it costs me over £100 a month to get to work and takes me an hour each day.

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?

[budda]

Ohh and a bedsit just screams horribleness to me - your better off going for a room in a shared house.

Wise advice, I've had a bedsit in the past and it was grim, cheap though.

[Wyetry]

How would i go about getting a job like that for a gap year? Don't I have to be aligned to a party?

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.

[Renzo]

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 ;) (Unless it was Boris.) Of course if i go into a proper job next year I'm not going to say it's only for a year, I could just resign to go after a year though i guess. Sounds good though, ah the joys of contacts...

[Wyetry]

Well I'd be fine, as long as it wasn't a Tory ;) (Unless it was Boris.) Of course if i go into a proper job next year I'm not going to say it's only for a year, I could just resign to go after a year though i guess. Sounds good though, ah the joys of contacts...

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......

[Renzo]

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......

I've got it thank you. I will look into it. Incidently my housemate worked for her MP during the summer after starting a placement there.

[Wyetry]

If you don't have any particualr issue your keen on your MP is always a good place to start - I also wrote to my local lib dem councillor when i wanted to do political work experience at school I think we were 15 anyway he got me a placement at the local government.

[Renzo]

If you don't have any particualr issue your keen on your MP is always a good place to start - I also wrote to my local lib dem councillor when i wanted to do political work experience at school I think we were 15 anyway he got me a placement at the local government.

My MP is a Tory. I did some experience then i was 16 or so. He's a right slimey bastard. :(

[Fiend_85]

you really think so? I always thought liddington was basically alright...

[Renzo]

you really think so? I always thought liddington was basically alright...

He seemed so smug and self satisfied. Maybe thats all MP's mind but I digress.