"Moving to London" archive thread

movingtotheuk

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I can get my hands on a UK number and i will have an address - this will create illusion to employer i am already living there.

Any point in moving over beforehand? I just have no idea where i may or may not get a job and the Great London area is frigging big!

afatbollix

I got the job before I moved over.. Rent is too much to live here with out a job I would say..

movingtotheuk

Did you not find it more difficult to apply from Ireland? The fact you were not on the ground so to speak?

Fysh

If you've got some money saved that you can live on, it's probably worth it. Aside from anything else, it both forces you to get serious about your job hunt and shows that you're serious about moving over.

Another thing that's useful is that you get a better idea of how you'd travel to and from work, which is vital (when I first moved over I interviewed for a job I was interested in, but turned down because I found out I'd have a 2-hour commute each way unless I moved to a completely different part of London).

movingtotheuk

Fysh wrote: »

If you've got some money saved that you can live on, it's probably worth it. Aside from anything else, it both forces you to get serious about your job hunt and shows that you're serious about moving over.

Another thing that's useful is that you get a better idea of how you'd travel to and from work, which is vital (when I first moved over I interviewed for a job I was interested in, but turned down because I found out I'd have a 2-hour commute each way unless I moved to a completely different part of London).

I am 100% serious! As i say i will have UK number and address - that will show employer I am living in London.

I just have no idea where i might end up working - hence i don't want to get stuck into a lease or move in anywhere.

I suppose, considering i have UK number and UK address, is there any advantage to me moving over??

m@cc@

Fysh wrote: »

Another thing that's useful is that you get a better idea of how you'd travel to and from work, which is vital (when I first moved over I interviewed for a job I was interested in, but turned down because I found out I'd have a 2-hour commute each way unless I moved to a completely different part of London).

I'd agree with this. I lived in a hostel until I found a job and then found a place once I was sorted.

Fysh

movingtotheuk wrote: »

I am 100% serious! As i say i will have UK number and address - that will show employer I am living in London.

I just have no idea where i might end up working - hence i don't want to get stuck into a lease or move in anywhere.

I think it is definitely worth it, if you've got the money to support yourself while you do it - best bet is to find short-term accommodation (whether it's a hostel or a short-term room rental is up to you) somewhere a bit outside of the city, and go from there.

Getting to interviews gives you a chance to try out the transport and figure out what your commute might be like, and you can also get started on looking around at areas you might want to live. You can probably narrow yourself down to two or three different areas by a bit of reading online (have a look at sites like www.upmystreet.co.uk for info on what different areas are like), but it's a good idea to have options if you're not sure where you might be working.

djpbarry

movingtotheuk wrote: »

I am 100% serious! As i say i will have UK number and address - that will show employer I am living in London.

Until said employer asks you to pop in for a chat at short notice.

User Friendly

Assuming you are claiming benefit here,why dont you transfer your claim to london and then look for work just an idea

movingtotheuk

djpbarry wrote: »

Until said employer asks you to pop in for a chat at short notice.

Well they are always going to give at least 24 hours notice which will be fine. I am about 5 mins from Dublin Airport.

movingtotheuk

User Friendly wrote: »

Amusing you are claiming benefit here,why dont you transfer your claim to london and then look for work just an idea

Correct. Benefit is a lot less in the UK i believe.

I am just trying to work out what is best really i suppose. I imagine give it a few weeks at home and then move over fully. In the meantime just go over for 2/3 days at a time i am thinking.

User Friendly

you can pick up cheap phones in carphone warehouse(uk) for £2/3/4 they will come with a sim,mabe virgin mobile
i have a few of them,they will get you started.

i would try tmobile on payg.

djpbarry

movingtotheuk wrote: »

Well they are always going to give at least 24 hours notice which will be fine. I am about 5 mins from Dublin Airport.

You're kidding? Flying at such short notice will cost you a fortune.

Fysh

movingtotheuk wrote: »

Well they are always going to give at least 24 hours notice which will be fine. I am about 5 mins from Dublin Airport.

24 hours notice is not fine unless you've got several hundred euro set aside for the cost of flying over, getting to your interview, then coming straight back. If you're lucky, you might be able to line up several interviews for 2-3 days in a row, at which point you'd be paying for accommodation, travel, and communication. I'd say you're looking at spending at least €300 per trip, and probably more like €600 for a 2-3 day trip over.

If you've got enough money to do that several times, why not just bite the bullet and make arrangements to move over for a month? Get yourself some cheap short-term accommodation and go into full-on jobhunt mode. If you're living here you can cram in more interviews per day, and you can go into temping agencies as well to see if short-term work is available to tide you over.

movingtotheuk

Fysh wrote: »

24 hours notice is not fine unless you've got several hundred euro set aside for the cost of flying over, getting to your interview, then coming straight back. If you're lucky, you might be able to line up several interviews for 2-3 days in a row, at which point you'd be paying for accommodation, travel, and communication. I'd say you're looking at spending at least €300 per trip, and probably more like €600 for a 2-3 day trip over.

If you've got enough money to do that several times, why not just bite the bullet and make arrangements to move over for a month? Get yourself some cheap short-term accommodation and go into full-on jobhunt mode. If you're living here you can cram in more interviews per day, and you can go into temping agencies as well to see if short-term work is available to tide you over.

Good points - i suppose i am just trying to figure what is best.

Might be best just to bite the bullet and head fully over. My biggest issue is finding a place to live and then getting a job which is incredibly far away.

I am just getting back from Sydney so the prospect of launching myself into a new city is not too appealing. You know yourself - finding your way around, finding your best supermarket, etc. I feel like I've just done that in Sydney!

lima

It's important to know that you usually have to commit to at least 6 months when you are renting a place. So you'd have to stay in a hotel or hostel. I can imagine that unless you are <24 the hostels would get annoying!

User Friendly

lima wrote: »

It's important to know that you usually have to commit to at least 6 months when you are renting a place. So you'd have to stay in a hotel or hostel. I can imagine that unless you are <24 the hostels would get annoying!

What?:eek:

if someone rents a room in a house your saying he must commit for at least 6 months?? this is simply not the case at all.

Fysh

User Friendly wrote: »

What?:eek:

if someone rents a room in a house your saying he must commit for at least 6 months?? this is simply not the case at all.

It depends on whether you're renting direct from a landlord/agency (where even a short-term lease will normally involve a 12-month contract with a 6-month break clause) or whether you're looking to rent a room in a shared house (where you usually just pay the deposit of the person you're replacing and take over their share of the rent).

Of course, this neglects the existence of short-term rentals, which is what we used when we moved over in 2007. Best way to go, I reckon - hostels can be a pain in the arse if you're staying more than a few days, and you're better off having a bit of space to yourself if you can get it.

User Friendly

OP


if your looking for a room to rent,without any contract and obligations,pm me and i will get you some numbers.

i guess that settles that.

breadmonkey

And you can always catch a ferry/train for about £30 at very short notice.

djpbarry

breadmonkey wrote: »

And you can always catch a ferry/train for about £30 at very short notice.

True - I've done it myself and it was fine, but I wouldn't want to be doing it on a regular basis.

lima

User Friendly wrote: »

What?:eek:

if someone rents a room in a house your saying he must commit for at least 6 months?? this is simply not the case at all.

This IS the normal case, you can't just say it's not without explaining why you think it's not, it's counterproductive!

If you sign a lease, directly from a landlord through a letting agency, it will be a 12 month lease with a 6 month break clause, 99% of the time.

If you go on gumtree or spareroom or whatever, in MOST cases the person advertising the room will be looking for someone for at least 6 months. In the minority of situations the person might be looking for someone to take over his/her name on the lease up until the lease finishes, which may be in 2 or 3 months time for example.

If a person owns a flat and wants to just let out a spare room, they will usually want you to sign a lease. Now, if this person wants to use your rent to pay towards the mortgage, then they will want you for at least 6 months, as having people moving in and out can be a pain. Which is why most rooms you see available will be for at least 6 months.

The reason I know this is that I have been living here since 2004 and I have lived in 6 different places. The last place I lived in I was only looking for a 3 month let, so luckily I found a girl who owned a flat who was looking for someone for only 3 months, for her own personal reasons. But this flat took me 3 weeks to find, and was £250 a week, so don't expect to just ring up and find a place where you only have to give 1 months notice. This is London.

breadmonkey

lima wrote: »

This IS the normal case, you can't just say it's not without explaining why you think it's not, it's counterproductive!

If you sign a lease, directly from a landlord through a letting agency, it will be a 12 month lease with a 6 month break clause, 99% of the time.

If you go on gumtree or spareroom or whatever, in MOST cases the person advertising the room will be looking for someone for at least 6 months. In the minority of situations the person might be looking for someone to take over his/her name on the lease up until the lease finishes, which may be in 2 or 3 months time for example.

If a person owns a flat and wants to just let out a spare room, they will usually want you to sign a lease. Now, if this person wants to use your rent to pay towards the mortgage, then they will want you for at least 6 months, as having people moving in and out can be a pain. Which is why most rooms you see available will be for at least 6 months.

The reason I know this is that I have been living here since 2004 and I have lived in 6 different places. The last place I lived in I was only looking for a 3 month let, so luckily I found a girl who owned a flat who was looking for someone for only 3 months, for her own personal reasons. But this flat took me 3 weeks to find, and was £250 a week, so don't expect to just ring up and find a place where you only have to give 1 months notice. This is London.

Agree 100%

lima

Coincidentally I have an en-suite room available from 26th June until end of Sept. (and possible longer if you want to sign a new lease), in Clapham in a 3br flat, pme me if interested.. £550pm

User Friendly

lima wrote: »

This IS the normal case, you can't just say it's not without explaining why you think it's not, it's counterproductive!



The reason I know this is that I have been living here since 2004 and I have lived in 6 different places.

I have given the opening poster an option to contact me via pm if they want a room in a house without all the hassle of contacts etc! the only thing needed from the poster will be 2weeks deposit and 1 weeks rent in advance,that will be in 1 property in Ruislip,west london.If you feel you can help the opening poster,a fellow irishman,then you go for it!

Please dont tell me what is normal against what works in London.

By the way,youve been living in London since 2004 when i arrived in London,Big Ben was only a watch!:p

ztoical

User Friendly wrote: »

By the way,youve been living in London since 2004 when i arrived in London,Big Ben was only a watch!:p

Any half decent londener knows big Ben is the bell, only tourists think it's the clock :P

Mc Kenzie

Im moving to london in a month new life new start. Imhoping to find any sorta job whenim over to start off with . Im staying with relatives.

Any1 any tipps ?????:)

Scarinae

What sort of tips are you looking for - where to live? Where to look for work?

My general tip would be to apply for a National Insurance Number once you've arrived, you'll need to arrange an interview at a Jobcentre Plus - if you're staying with relatives, use their address. Once you have a NI number you won't have to pay emergency tax, so getting it sorted quickly is a good thing.

harney

Get a bank account sorted asap!

philologos

I don't know if this is the best forum for this but I'm going to be moving somewhere in the London area in August for work and I'm just wondering about some of the practicalities of moving.

1) National Insurance Number - Will I be able to make any progress in applying for this before I arrive in the UK?

2) Bank account - I'm thinking of setting up a new bank account in Northern Ireland before I come over. Are there any branches that are good in particular if one wanted to use them from the UK mainland?

3) Is there anything else I need to do to register my residence in the UK or is that done automatically?

4) Is there anything I need to do before I leave on the Irish side?

Much thanks for your time
philologos

Seeorr

Not sure about the other Q's but it is worth registering with a local GP as soon as you find a place to stay. You will have trouble getting an appointment or anythign out of the NHS without doing this.