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Topic: affordable housing????  (Read 1782 times)

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  • moving to London in Jan 03!!!
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affordable housing????
« on: August 15, 2002, 06:05:56 PM »
hello everyone -
i'll be moving to london for 6 mths in january with my french boyfriend, david. i will be getting a work visa from a company called BUNAC (anyone familiar??). with this program you can get this 6mth work visa if you are a current student, or recent grad. sooo.....ill be graduating in december (yea!!  ;D) and we needed to find a solution to stay together [smiley=love.gif]. it has been hell all year, visa, work permits etc. i am stuck in michigan until i graduate, so i didn't have much choice. david came over here twice for 3mths each time. so enough of this back and forth crap  [smiley=confused.gif], so we think the best option is to move to london. i lived there when i was younger, ford transfer family....... :) so i'm familiar with the general ins-and-outs of british life. HOWEVER.....i'm worried about housing. this program says they have a message board with flats for rent etc. but i have heard so many diff. things i am worried i'll get screwed  [smiley=inquisitive.gif] they tell you to wait until you get there and stay somewhere for a few days until you find something....who knows............any advice?????? [smiley=dizzy2.gif]


Re: affordable housing????
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2002, 06:48:05 PM »
First of all a big hello! Welcome to the group.  ;)

My husband did Bunac, but the other way.  (Went from the UK to USA) so if you have any questions, I may be able to find out for you.

As for renting flats here, first be aware that flats in London are very expensive.  If you are coming over as a student, you may want to think about finding a flat-share and living with another couple or another person.  This seems to be very common here.  We lived in a place with three other guys for the first few months of our marriage so it can be done!  For this type of arrangment, I expect Bunac webpages may be very helpful.

However, if you're going at it on your own, my advice is to definately wait till you get over here.  The process is very different, and finding areas where you want to live can be tricky.  (There isn't any 'avoid the east side of town' sort of thing here....neighborhoods vary greatly street by street.)  

Plus, you'll have to go through a letting agent and you won't find any that will work with you before you get here or more than a couple of weeks before you move.  It's a fast market.

Anyway, hope that helps ans congrats on your upcoming graduation!

Let us know if we can help with anything else!!


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Re: affordable housing????
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2002, 09:26:57 PM »
thanks for the advice...i guess my big concern is that i will be moving with my boyfriend, and am a bit hesitant living with other people...i have had my fair share of bad college roommates...haven't we all. so how was your experience like?? and the apartments are expensive...we have been looking online lately.... [smiley=uneasy.gif]

the good thing is, is that i do still have friends in the london area so i'm sure they will be able to help - this won't be a blind move to the uk....i just feel like its out of my control right now. i have such limited resources here in the US, and my other classmates are getting jobs the normal way, living in michigan when they graduate etc. kinda leaves me in the cold. we are not really encouraged to go out on a limb after graduation. i guess that's what happens when you live in the midwest!!

so, anyways, thanks for the advice - i really appreciate it!
corey :)


Re: affordable housing????
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2002, 11:22:36 PM »
Hi again, Corey.

I know what you mean about bad college roomies, but honestly, it's different here.  I know lots of married couples that live with other people. It's just to expensive for most people to have their own place.  You'll find that there are plenty of mature, professional people that live with others.  

I wasn't keen on it either, but it worked out fine for us.  I was glad to get our own place, of course, but it really was much better than I thought it would be.  My hubby had lived there with the other guys for nearly four years and hadn't had problems either.

It's just a suggestion for ways to get settled quickly since, as you're finding out, it is expensive!

Glad to help, just let me know if you have any other questions!


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Re: affordable housing????
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2002, 02:20:20 PM »
Hey c_orey!  Just wanted to introduce myself.  I came over on the BUNAC visa last August unitl Feb of this year then went home to apply for the finacee visa and came back to marry my hubby.  It is a great programme and I didn't have any problems getting a job, but my experience was in Scotland.  I think they are very good about helping you out and they give you the all important character reference when signing up with a bank, but the programme is run out of Edinburough and I was in Glasgow, so I didn't get a chance to take advantage of it.  Good luck and if you have anyother questions let me know.

Donel
'Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.' - Emerson


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Re: affordable housing????
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2002, 08:34:18 AM »
Quote
.... and finding areas where you want to live can be tricky.  (There isn't any 'avoid the east side of town' sort of thing here....neighborhoods vary greatly street by street.)  


You can't be serious?  

Whilst things can vary considerably in just a couple of hundred yards, there are large swathes of London that can be easily ruled out, like pretty much anything north and east of the City on the north side of the river, and everything east of Wandsworth south of the river, except for a few small pockets around Dulwich ($$$$), Blackheath and Greenwich.

Given that all housing in London is a crazy price, I would recommend SW London.  There are a good number of flats and small houses (especially in Wandsworth, Tooting and Wimbledon), communication is good with both tube and train lines, and except for a few small areas there is almost nowhere I that I wouldn't consider living from Wandsworth all the way west to Kingston and North to Kew.  I know that many people recommend NW London for similar reasons.
Richard


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Re: affordable housing????
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2002, 11:58:01 AM »
Visit http://www.loot.com , pick up a copy of Loot from any newsagent, or have a friend send you one now.  It's a great resource for renting flats and houses and also flat/house shares.  As you'll see on the website, it also is a good resource for cars, furniture.....almost any goods and services you might need.  

Don't be afraid to share a place.  It's a good alternative and there are lots of ordinary, normal, professional adults to share with.  Also, lots of homeowners are looking for people to share to help meet the mortgage.  


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