Home Hunting.

With summer now at an end, the search for a new place to live in London is underway. Tips for helping you find a perfect apartment/room in the city are below.

 

The market moves at a ridiculously fast pace in London, therefore the best thing is to look last minute. Most places advertised will be “available now” or available in a week’s time.

It is much easier to secure a home if you can actually travel to London and stay for a couple of nights. I can guarantee you will find something suitable within that time frame. Remember people want to fill their properties fast! Viewings will usually happen after 24 hours of contacting the agency or landlord if not sooner.

I’m using www.spareroom.com  to find a room. The advance search is really helpful as I set mine up with 20-minute tube commute duration. Then you can add a maximum price, your gender and any preferences like a smoke free household. It is best to be specific while searching, as it can get a little tedious continually looking through property adds. If you're un-able to be in London, like I currently am, Google street view will become your new best friend! I’ve used this before to pick a place to live, along with some online research of the area and it works well. 

When considering a place to live, factor in what times of day you need to travel and are the transport links good. In addition to this, would you feel safe walking alone at night? I find living a short walk to/from the tube station more reassuring especially if it’s a quiet residential area. For evenings out also bear in mind the night tube is currently open! The Central line and Victoria line have never looked so appealing!