Some info about living in London needed please

[Bibs]

Hi all :wave:
My husband has been offered a contract for 6 months minimum in Soho in London from January. We are weighing up the pros and cons of moving there. It would really help our decision to have some inside knowledge from expats from there who could give us some advice.

Our concerns are: how much does it cost for everyday things? I've heard it's alot more expensive over there. What is accomadation like and prices around that area and what about furnished apartments? What should I expect? Please help.

I've visited England for a month in June about 15 years ago and I liked it as a tourist. But I don't know about living there.

Does anyone have some advice.:confused:

Thanks:)

[Londonmum]

Hi there :wave:

I'm actually leaving London and coming to Auz :)

Ok well first thing is you don't want to live around Soho, Soho is an ok place to work but not to live and esp as it is central London the prices of accom are very steep.

What you want to do is live in Greater London, the prices are better (though rental depending on what your looking for can still reach between £700-£800 Pcm Per Calander Month). Try http://www.acorn.ltd.uk/site/maps/area_rent.php
They are one of the biggest real estate agents in the UK so they should be able to help you. If you fill in the search thing you will hopefully get some results up. As I said I'd look in Greater London and not Central. Also look on http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/system/galleries/download/print_maps/LondonConnections.pdf

You need Adobe reader to see the connections map but it's useful for you to look at so you know which areas outside of central London are on a direct rail/tube route which will make travel a lot easier for your hubby ie: the tube stations nearest Soho are Oxford Circus and Tottenham Court Rd, Tot Court Rd is on the Northen Line (tube) which leads to London Bridge Rail sation which in it's self leads to heaps of places in Greater London and the South (east and west).

You can get funished propertys but like in Auz it's more expensive but then you don't need to worry about getting furniture when you get over there.

If you get a property through an estate agent it's a lot easier as they manage everything, so any probs you go to them and they sort it out.

Other everyday things, well it depends where you shop. Again Central London can be pricey unless you go to one of the markets like Spittlefields (which is the meat market but you have to get there by 6am or you miss out). Supermarkets like Iceland, Asda, Sainsbury, Tesco are all good prices and often have deals like buy 2 get one free, that sort of thing. High streets like Lewisham, Bromley, Enfield (to name only a couple) ie towns in Greater London are also reasonably priced.

There are also huge malls one (in the SE, my fav) is called Bluewaters and the prices range from hight street to labeled brands ie Zara and Massimo Dutti.

Also, before you go try this website www.netmums.com (http://www.netmums.com) you will need to register on it but it is a parenting forum like thisone and people on there are very helpfull.

If you need to know anything more just let me know and I'll try to help where I can.

Good Luck and if you decide on the South East to live, let me know and if near where I was living I can intro you to a few lovely mums who will take very good care of you :thumbsup:

[carls]

I lived there for 3 years and agree that it will cost the earth to live in Soho, or anywhere in the heart of London for that matter. London is in Zones. If you live in Zone 1 or 2 you are looking to pay big prices. The further out the Zone, the less you will pay (or the more you will get for your money - you get nothing for your money with rentals over there) but the more money it will cost to get into London and the longer it will take (depending on your mode of transport and how many tube or bus connections you need to make). I was paying about 100pounds a week to live in the suburbs (zone 3) about a 45min bus ride from central london.
The only thing I found expensive whilst earning pounds was transport and rent. I found food and clothing to be pretty cheap (obviously not when youre converting it to dollars but dont do that once youre earning pounds or you will make yourself sick!).
My boyfriend at the time had a great apartment in west london (Bayswater) - try and find a bargain here if you can because its the best area to live. He was paying about 350 pounds a week (around $875). Steer clear of far east london, some south london and some parts of the north. You will get to know the bad areas, but if you have the money I would suggest west.
Really it all depends on how much your hubby will be earning over there and whether you plan to work as well. If he isnt earning enough to support both of you and a child (I would say well over the 500-600 pound a week mark at least) it might be worth while you staying here for 6 months and getting him to send home the savings.
If you are going to work there dont expect to earn more than a couple of hundred pounds a week for retail or hospitality - its slave labour. If you are going to be doing admin work make sure you know Access, Excel and Powerpoint back to front and have a couple of computerised accounting packages up your sleeve. They are in high demand. A friend told me this before I went and I wish I had listened to her.
For ideas on accommodation prices go to www.thegumtree.co.uk. You want to look for accommodation north of the river. There is also a huge selection of jobs on there to give you an idea of what there is and what it pays. Dont be too fussed about finding a job - if you have the skills (sometimes even if you dont) you will have a job within a week guaranteed.

You can budget shop for groceries at the market or at Supermarkets such as Asda or Iceland (go to their websites to get ideas on prices). The most expensive supermarkets are places like Sainsburys and Waitrose. Topshop (www.topshop.co.uk) is BRILLIANT and I swear I spent half my waking hours there! You could walk out with two pairs of pants and 3 tops for under 100 pounds. Also Zara, MNG and H&M do great clothes that dont cost the earth.

London is great. I found it hard to do anything that didnt cost money, and with my taste I sometimes had to work 2 jobs to support myself...but I also travelled the world from there, had some great (and terrible) experiences and came back with a killer wardrobe! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

PLEASE be careful about your everyday security. Get handbags that go across your shoulder, dont leave your handbag open when you are on the bus, tube or anywhere! You will be surprised how often people will take your valuables out. I was robbed while I was asleep and a guy tried taking my purse out of my handbag while I was kissing my boyfriend goodbye at the tube station. Gypsie kids are everywhere stealing bags. Never leave it out of your sight! If you are in a pub keep it on your lap or put the strap around the table leg. These people are like lightning and you wont notice its gone.
I CANT STRESS THIS ENOUGH!!

I dont mean to scare you - generally you will be fine but you DO need to keep your wits about you 24/7.

There are lots of upsides to living in London. Besides the restaurants, nightlife and shopping, you will come back a better person. Simply because you become more patriotic, you wont complain so much about the way things are in Australia because the fact is WE ARE VERY LUCKY. Getting anything done in London is like pushing sH** up hill! You get to meet great people from all over the world, hopefully travel and have some life changing experiences. You will come back more grateful of your family and friends and of all the nice things you have here!

[Bibs]

Hi :wave:Londonmum and Carls, thanks so much for your replies. I'll definately check out those links. I'll talk to my hubby about your suggestions when he gets home. I'll probably have more questions for you guys if that's okay. Might PM you about it.

Thanks again:)

[Pixie]

Hi I am English been here 8.5 years we're going to London end of Jan so in the same boat as you!!
we have been looking here for places www.foxtons.co.uk we're still not sure where we'll live!! We are staying with my sister at first phew it's a nightmare so much to organise!!

[Incy Wincy]

http://www.oxfordtube.com/assets/london/underground_map.jpg
Here's an underground map which you may have perused already.

I am from England originally. We lived in Hertfordshire which is North of London. My husband worked in the city very near St. Paul's Cathedral and he would travel in on the Metropolitan line. It would take him approx 1hr. Herts is a good mix of varied sized towns, a bit of countryside and is within commutable distance to London. Watford is a busier town than where we lived but they have a good quick overland rail line (not the station marked Watford on the Met line, another line not shown) that takes 20mins into Euston. It's near the M25, M1 (main motorway from the South to the North) and Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton airports are very accessible.

What sort of place do you like living in? Do you prefer city life, suburban or country?

Personally I like Rickmansworth. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickmansworth St. Albans is nice too.

Here's a property website to give you some idea of costs http://www.primelocation.com/uk-property-to-rent/

Maybe I can suggest a few places if you list your, 'must haves',' don't want' and 'would likes if possible'.

[filmgirlgail]

Hiya

Well I like Rickmansworth too as I"m from Amersham. If you look at a tube map that will give you a good idea of places to look at. You probably want to look at Zones 3-5 as Central London is very pricey

To get an idea of food pricing look at http://www.tesco.com/ tehy always have special offers and I find their own brand things of a very high quality. They're also great for cheap but well made babies and kids clothes. I still ask my sister to send me them as they;re just such value for money.

As for clothes - NEXT, H&M Hennes are good and not too pricey. Kids clothes - Primark and like I said all the major supermarkets like Tesco, Sainsbury do great kids clothes.

Hope this helps.

[Polimi]

Hi. I moved from London to Brisbane in August. I'd lived in SW London (Fulham and then Earlsfield, which is near Wimbledon) for about 15 years - so if you want any info on that area, please let me know! As said by others, I def. wouldn't advise living in or near Soho. I think everyone has their favourite areas of London, depending on what they knew best - the Wandsworth/Wimbledon area is definitely good for meeting other young families, has lots on for doing with kids, is near some good parks/commons (for outdoor activities, weather permitting!) and is fairly good for commuting into Soho. I wouldn't advise using Foxtons for finding property - they tend to be overpriced. Other property finding websites are findaproperty.com and rightmove.co.uk, which most estate agents use. I think if you're just going for a short time, you'll have a great time in London - it's just not an ideal place for bringing up children long-term (in my view!). Food shopping etc I don't think is much more expensive than Australia, on balance (some things are cheaper, others more expensive) - although eating out is more expensive. I won't waffle on for ages, as you've probably had enough info already - but do send a message if you want any other advice.

[Polimi]

Hi. I moved from London to Brisbane in August. I'd lived in SW London (Fulham and then Earlsfield, which is near Wimbledon) for about 15 years - so if you want any info on that area, please let me know! As said by others, I def. wouldn't advise living in or near Soho. I think everyone has their favourite areas of London, depending on what they knew best - the Wandsworth/Wimbledon area is definitely good for meeting other young families, has lots on for doing with kids, is near some good parks/commons (for outdoor activities, weather permitting!) and is fairly good for commuting into Soho. I wouldn't advise using Foxtons for finding property - they tend to be overpriced. Other property finding websites are findaproperty.com and rightmove.co.uk, which most estate agents use. I think if you're just going for a short time, you'll have a great time in London - it's just not an ideal place for bringing up children long-term (in my view!). Food shopping etc I don't think is much more expensive than Australia, on balance (some things are cheaper, others more expensive) - although eating out is more expensive. I won't waffle on for ages, as you've probably had enough info already - but do send a message if you want any other advice.

[Polimi]

Hi. I moved from London to Brisbane in August. I'd lived in SW London (Fulham and then Earlsfield, which is near Wimbledon) for about 15 years - so if you want any info on that area, please let me know! As said by others, I def. wouldn't advise living in or near Soho. I think everyone has their favourite areas of London, depending on what they knew best - the Wandsworth/Wimbledon area is definitely good for meeting other young families, has lots on for doing with kids, is near some good parks/commons (for outdoor activities, weather permitting!) and is fairly good for commuting into Soho. I wouldn't advise using Foxtons for finding property - they tend to be overpriced. Other property finding websites are findaproperty.com and rightmove.co.uk, which most estate agents use. I think if you're just going for a short time, you'll have a great time in London - it's just not an ideal place for bringing up children long-term (in my view!). Food shopping etc I don't think is much more expensive than Australia, on balance (some things are cheaper, others more expensive) - although eating out is more expensive. I won't waffle on for ages, as you've probably had enough info already - but do send a message if you want any other advice

[Polimi]

Sorry - I didn't mean to post my reply three times (I thought it wasn't going through properly!). Am new to this...

[CarolineF]

DO NOT LIVE IN SOHO!!!! Its fashionable, has some good restaurants but its also full of strip joints etc and it gets very very busy!

If you want to be near other aussies then areas like earls court and wimbledon are great. There is a huge aussie population in SE London and you can't walk into a pub without hearing an aussie accent behind the bar.

I agree about accommodation areas. Stay out of central london. The cost is huge! For a 2 bed apartment in Worlds End in Chelsea I was paying £750 a month in 1991, and it was not big either!!!!!

The Northern suburbs like Hampstead and Muswell Hill are also quite expensive, but nice areas . Nowhere near as dear as central london though. also consider the Docklands in the East End, trendy, good nightlife, easy run into the city etc.

Public transport in London is quite good. The tube gets everywhere so you can live further out in greater london, pay cheaper rent and yet have very handy access to the city centre.

The supermarkets in the `uk are much better than Oz. They are generally bigger and better stocked. Tescos is the biggest chain and good value. I also like sainsbury's, but frankly most are good. My weekly shop is costing me about the same as in Oz, so about £110 a week when i was paying about $240 in Oz.

Hope that Helps.

If you need any advice on specific areas you have heard of then i'll do my best.

Good Luck.:wave: