Find a flat and timing issues

Hello everyone,

My girlfriend and I had been planning to move to London next year--summer of 2006.  However, I recently was told that the project on which I am working is not going to be funded next fiscal year and I will therefore be out of a job as of 1 July 2005.  So we figured that since I'll have to look for a new job anyway, I may as well look in London.

Because our preparation period is shorter, we don't have much money saved, and we'll go only if I get a job offer.

I am a British citizen and my gf and I have been living together continuously since Aug 2002.  So I'm not really worried about the UP visa process.

Now I am confused about the best way to go about this, especially how/when to find a flat.  The issue is that we need to minimize the time between the end of my job here and the start of a job in the UK, to minimize the amount of time without income. 

So, would it be best to take some time off just before my job ends, go over and secure a flat, then come back, finish out my job, pack, and move?  But I would not have much vacation time, so we'd have maybe 1 week there, and I don't know if we'd have any hope of finding a flat in that time period.  Or, do we not visit ahead of time, but just move over a week or two after the end of my job (using the time off to pack and prepare), move to a B&B or holiday rental, and then search for a flat?   That give more time, but the down side is that the B&B or holiday rental would be more expensive than a long term flat let would be.

Any advice on the flat search?  Or on any other part of our plan?  Has anyone else done anything like this (i.e., moving over and not joining a partner already living there).

Thanks!

www.rightmove.co.uk for flats

If I were in your situation, I'd make a short list of flats I'd like to see.  Then I'd come over for a week to look at those flats and, hopefully, secure one.  Since you're a citizen, you can look for work while you're in the US and/or while you're here visiting, so take advantage of that!  Obviously, where you live is going to determine where you can work (or the other way around), so once you've nailed one down, the other will be easier to manage.

Good luck!  It's daunting, but you can do it!   

Thanks, lola!  I was kind of thinking about that plan.  I was just worried that 1 week would not be long enough to get a flat.  I was also thinking that I could apply for jobs before then, and perhaps could then do interviewing (assuming I got any) during that flat search visit as well.