Moving to London in September for Grad School with a Dog

Hello. I'm a newbie to these forums. I am working professional in my 30s who has  been accepted to a one-year graduate program at City University in London this fall. I plan to attend school full-time and work part-time (either for my current US company via telecommuting or possible via UK company as my student visa will allow me to work up to 20 hours a week in the UK). I hope to secure my own studio or one-bedroom flat, rather than attempt a flat share.

I've been reading these forums and I must say that my excitement is waning as I consider the task of finding a flat for myself and my dog for September.

It sounds like there is a housing crunch in London? I lived in London for a summer many years ago, but did not rent a flat. I am familiar with some of the areas in which I am searching for housing. I am looking in areas from Camden Town/Euston to Bloomsbury and east to Clerkenwell, Islington, Shoreditch and maybe Hoxton. 

My original plan was to fly over for a week in late July/early August to secure a flat for September but after reading these forums I'm not sure that plan will work.

Has anyone had any experience using London Relocation Services newcomer link: http://www.londonrelocationservices.com/? [nonactive]

Supposedly it is owned and operated by Americans. At first I dismissed this service as the fee is the equivalent of one month's rent but now I'm thinking it may be worth it? They will line up flat showings and drive you around London looking at the flats (up to 18 I think) and help you with negotiations/paperwork.

I'd say the difficulty you may face will depend on a) your budget, and b) how big the dog is.

When my wife and I were looking for a 1 bedroom place in London, we narrowed it down to a few neighborhoods (much like you have), and then just walked in to estate agents in each neighborhood and asked what they had in our price range.  Usually they had at least 3 or 4 rentals to look at, and after maybe 2 or 3 days of looking we were able to find one we liked.  Given that experience, I wouldn't suggest paying a relocation service.

I'd suggest having a look on rightmove.co.uk to see what's available in the neighborhoods you're interested in, so you can see how they line up to your budget.  At least that might help you narrow it down so you can do a more efficient search when you come over.

My dog is a medium-sized dog and weighs 35 lbs.

As a student only working part-time, I will be on a bit of a budget and I realize that may be a challenge in finding a flat in my desired areas. I have already checked many of the flat listing sites (rightmove, gumtree, etc.) and do see that it is possible to find something acceptable on my budget (If I can trust the photos of flats that are not blatantly too good to be true within my budget).

My current goal is to see if I can find a studio or one bedroom for 1000 to 1300 pounds per month (including utilities if possible). I realize I may need to adjust my budget once I'm there and see what is available. The goal with that budget is to be able to live on my part-time salary and minimize the amount of loan money I must borrow.