Moving To/Living In London Megathread - ALL QUESTIONS TO GO HERE

Fysh

frag420 wrote: »

Dont go with Three network. I moved here in March and they were good to begin with but now they are constantly dropping signal in my area. Very bad service. That o2 deal mentioned above sounds good to me.

frAg

Different networks are good in different areas. Three are generally held to be pretty good for data, not necessarily so good for voice & text. But you really want to be using the coverage checkers for wherever you're going to be living and working before picking a network - at least one network has terms stating that it's your responsibility to do this before signing a contract along with a clause such that if you sign before checking, only to discover you get no signal in your area, you can't get out of the contract.

Woden

Rainbow_brite wrote: »

Great thanks I'll stick with O2 then, I heard T mobile isn't great for coverage either!

Try giffgaff. It uses o2's network and its £12 for unlimited internet (the big draw), unlimited texts, 250 uk minutes. I switched to it a few months back having been on 3.

http://www.giffgaff.co.uk/

Marcusm

Rainbow_brite wrote: »

Great thanks I'll stick with O2 then, I heard T mobile isn't great for coverage either!

I'd be careful relying on any of this. Coverage is very area specificfor problems. They all ahve decent coverage in London but some will have problems in very tight specific areas. T-Mobile is part of the biggest network in the country (EE) and should not have any general coverage issues. Otside London it's possible to be more general no different than in rural Ireland where some areas are better covered than others.

In some people's huses they can get better coverage from one network than another but to suggest it's a generalised issue is naive.

If you're moving over, best thing is to look at what gets you cheap calls home. Also, change your Irish phone over to PAYG as the absence of roaming charges for most irish networks int he UK means that your friends/family can call your Irish number rather than a UK one.

djpbarry

Lunni wrote: »

I've been looking at Battersea/Clapham Junction.

Battersea is becoming increasingly fashionable and, therefore, expensive – Chelsea is only just across the river after all. It’s not a bad area to be in, but any places I’ve looked at around there are crazy expensive.

Lunni wrote: »

Can you get on any train, for example, a First Capital Connect service, using your Oyster card, to go somewhere in central London? For example, CJ to Victoria?
Definitely willing to put up with the lack of a Tube service if a train/bus combo can get me where I need to go!

Pick two points in London on Google Maps and, using data from TFL (www.tfl.gov.uk), it will tell you what your public transport options are (example).

Louche Lad wrote: »

As regards the Clapham High Street to Clapham North interchange: they're separate stations, so you'd have to touch out of one, walk through the streets (not fun on a cold wet February morning I guess), and touch in at the other.

I think this is an important general point. I find that a lot of people in Ireland are under the impression that you only pay a single fare for any journey in London if you have an Oyster, but this is obviously not the case. If you change to a different mode of transport (bus, tube, overground, DLR, etc.), you pay another fare, just as you do in Dublin with a Leap card. This is an important consideration when choosing where to live, as all those different fares can start to add up very quickly.

brónaim cád??

I'm moving to London close to Greenwich in August. Get in touch if you want to get a house share together

Lunni

djpbarry wrote: »

Battersea is becoming increasingly fashionable and, therefore, expensive – Chelsea is only just across the river after all. It’s not a bad area to be in, but any places I’ve looked at around there are crazy
expensive.

They are quite expensive, but not much more than anywhere else in Zone 1/2, from what I've seen. I could never afford a flat there, but the houseshare options don't seem too bad.

Pick two points in London on Google Maps and, using data from TFL (www.tfl.gov.uk), it will tell you what your public transport options are (example).
I think this is an important general point. I find that a lot of people in Ireland are under the impression that you only pay a single fare for any journey in London if you have an Oyster, but this is obviously not the case. If you change to a different mode of transport (bus, tube, overground, DLR, etc.), you pay another fare, just as you do in Dublin with a Leap card. This is an important consideration when choosing where to live, as all those different fares can start to add up very quickly.

I think most people do know that. It's one of the things putting me off living in Battersea. I think I'd end up going for a monthly card to save all the hassle but then that's another expense. I don't mind walking but Battersea is too far from my work for it to be a comfortable walk on a daily basis.

breadmonkey

Guys anyone living in Stratford? How is it? Based in Battersea at the moment but looking to move somewhere less expensive suitable for couple working at Hampstead Heath and London Bridge.

BreakingGood

Hi guys, have recently received a job offer in Hammersmith Grove for a full time job. Kinda 70/30 for it because on one hand it's London, and I've never lived anywhere other than Galway so I'm quite nervous about that, on the other hand it's a great oppurtunity.

Would there be a huge difference between the 2? Obviously I'd assume there would be but input from a good source would be nice.

35k is the starting salary (more than I've ever earned) but with it being London I assume it probably evens out to be an average enough salary. I would like to maybe get membership to a golf course and also would be going to a few football matches come August so I'd like to know will I have much leeway in regards this?

I have a full driving license but plan on using public transport for the time being over there anyway. Is there weekly/monthly tickets for train/underground?

What would be the story with bank accounts etc. I assume wages can't be paid into my AIB account, so I'd have to set up and English bank account?

One more Q: Would accommodation in this area be expensive? If I do go over, I'll be going over by myself so I'm not sure of what to do in that regard yet

I'm sure I'll have more questions but I can't think of them atm!

Thanks

BreakingGood

BreakingGood wrote: »

Hi guys, have recently received a job offer in Hammersmith Grove for a full time job. Kinda 70/30 for it because on one hand it's London, and I've never lived anywhere other than Galway so I'm quite nervous about that, on the other hand it's a great oppurtunity.

Would there be a huge difference between the 2? Obviously I'd assume there would be but input from a good source would be nice.

35k is the starting salary (more than I've ever earned) but with it being London I assume it probably evens out to be an average enough salary. I would like to maybe get membership to a golf course and also would be going to a few football matches come August so I'd like to know will I have much leeway in regards this?

I have a full driving license but plan on using public transport for the time being over there anyway. Is there weekly/monthly tickets for train/underground?

What would be the story with bank accounts etc. I assume wages can't be paid into my AIB account, so I'd have to set up and English bank account?

One more Q: Would accommodation in this area be expensive? If I do go over, I'll be going over by myself so I'm not sure of what to do in that regard yet

I'm sure I'll have more questions but I can't think of them atm!

Thanks

£35K is a great salary for a single person. I've seen people say on here that it's just OK, but I can't fathom how it's not more than enough unless you're p*ssing money away. I was literally on half of that when I lived in London and that covered rent on half a one-bed flat, bills, food, transport, work lunches and I had a bit left over for socialising. £35K should be fine as long as you don't try to recreate the Made in Chelsea lifestyle (and it is easy to do, I have so many friends who go out and spend £100 on sushi every other night and wonder why they're broke). Golf and football matches should be no problem.

There are monthly tickets for the Tube and the cost depends on which zone you live in. It varies from under £100 for Zone 1 up to over £300 for the outer zones. Hammersmith is in Zone 2. Just set up a bank account when you get here, no problem. Accommodation is expensive everywhere in London, but sharing a house with others keeps the cost down. Renting a one-bed place for just you would be pricey alright. I imagine over £1200 in that area, at least.

Fukuyama

Hey guys,

I posted in this forum a while back. Before all our 'moving to london' threads got merged.

Plan is still a go!

I leave next Tuesday (6 days!!) right after the bank holiday weekend. Should be wandering aimlessly around central London by noon.

first off I want to thank everyone who posted with advice and stuff for me. It was a big help particularly with things like bank accounts and stuff. THANKS!

I am however getting a little anxious about finding a flat ASAP when I land. Basically, I'm planning for a two day stay in a cheap hotel until I find one.

Is this realistic? I'm looking around Zone 2/3 Picadilly line.

I'd love to hear advice/ experiences of people who literally landed with their luggage and had to go find a flat. As opposed to being able to stay with a friend or relative.

Cheers!

-- Dean

jonnyfingers

Lads and ladies, myself and the future Mrs. Jonnyfingers are looking to leave leafy Surrey for somewhere in South London where the commute is a bit cheaper. For the work commute my office is near Warren Street station and hers is near Oxford Circus. Her sister lives in Bromley so were looking for somewhere that's relatively close to there (say within 20 - 30 minute drive) while keeping our commuting time reasonable (preferably less than 30mins but realistically somewhere between 30mins - 50mins is more likely).

Doing a bit a quick research is I've been looking at most of the stops on the Orpington to Victoria train line. Has anyone any experiences of living on that line or any suggestions for decent places to live?

FTA69

Dean,

Start arranging viewings online now so you'll hit the ground running. If you find a place, take it. It doesn't matter if it's sh*t. You're only here three months to get drunk and chase women. (At least that's what you should be doing!) Have a look at Manor House, Turnpike Lane and Wood Green. The former two are a bit rough but also have a bit of character, are close to town on the tube and are cheap. While I never had to find a flat on the hop, I know it's not a renter's market. Arrange a few viewings for the same day if possible. Have everything handy deposit-wise, snap it up straight away. Prepare for the fact you may have to purchase bedding etc.

Playboy

jonnyfingers wrote: »

Lads and ladies, myself and the future Mrs. Jonnyfingers are looking to leave leafy Surrey for somewhere in South London where the commute is a bit cheaper. For the work commute my office is near Warren Street station and hers is near Oxford Circus. Her sister lives in Bromley so were looking for somewhere that's relatively close to there (say within 20 - 30 minute drive) while keeping our commuting time reasonable (preferably less than 30mins but realistically somewhere between 30mins - 50mins is more likely).

Doing a bit a quick research is I've been looking at most of the stops on the Orpington to Victoria train line. Has anyone any experiences of living on that line or any suggestions for decent places to live?

Somewhere on the Victoria line... Straight into Oxford circus and warren street in a few minutes. Brixton, Stockwell, Vauxhall would all be reasonable enough in my opinion.

jonnyfingers

Playboy wrote: »

Somewhere on the Victoria line... Straight into Oxford circus and warren street in a few minutes. Brixton, Stockwell, Vauxhall would all be reasonable enough in my opinion.

Thanks for the suggestion. We're looking to stay a bit further out from central London, and be a bit closer to her sister in Bromley. We had a quick look at Brixton at the weekend and weren't mad about it to be honest, be we should give it a bit more consideration as it is a great option commuting-wise. Ideally we'd like to live in a place where we could afford to buy a house in a few years, but that might be a bit too much to ask.

Anyone know much about Dulwich, Sydenham or Penge?

djpbarry

jonnyfingers wrote: »

Anyone know much about Dulwich...

Nice and green, but pretty quiet. Couple of good pubs, but generally not a whole lot to do around there. Feels quite suburban.

Marcusm

djpbarry wrote: »

Nice and green, but pretty quiet. Couple of good pubs, but generally not a whole lot to do around there. Feels quite suburban.

With Dulwich, I think it depends on whether you're talking east (lots of bars & cafes, younger vibe around Lordship Lane), north (large Edwardian terraced/semis for £1.5m+) or the village (megabucks). My advice (having spent my first 6 London years in Croydon) is to work out the commute first and pick a station or stations with options then try and find a home suitable for you then try to define sociable areas.

Marcusm

Gerald Curved Elevator wrote: »

£35K is a great salary for a single person. I've seen people say on here that it's just OK, but I can't fathom how it's not more than enough unless you're p*ssing money away..

The problem with London is some thing £35k is a great annual salary while others think it's just about acceptable at 35k a month (or even 35k a week). It's definitely good enough to have a decent life on but not if ou think the streets of London are paved with gold. 35k is well over the median income for London, for the UK as a whole, 85% of households earn less than 35k gross (including all benefits).

83ste

jonnyfingers wrote: »

Thanks for the suggestion. We're looking to stay a bit further out from central London, and be a bit closer to her sister in Bromley. We had a quick look at Brixton at the weekend and weren't mad about it to be honest, be we should give it a bit more consideration as it is a great option commuting-wise. Ideally we'd like to live in a place where we could afford to buy a house in a few years, but that might be a bit too much to ask.

Anyone know much about Dulwich, Sydenham or Penge?

As mentioned above, Dulwich is nice but pricey. Penge is pretty rough to be honest, but probably cheap, and I think Sydenham is similar.

Have you considered Beckenham? You have the option of either Orpington line to Victoria or the Hayes line to Charing Cross, about 30 mins travel time either way. Pleasant area - quiet and suburban, yes, but I think that's a good thing - and not too expensive. Plus, it's 10 minutes' drive or 1-2 train stops from Bromley.

Fysh

Marcusm wrote: »

The problem with London is some thing £35k is a great annual salary while others think it's just about acceptable at 35k a month (or even 35k a week). It's definitely good enough to have a decent life on but not if ou think the streets of London are paved with gold. 35k is well over the median income for London, for the UK as a whole, 85% of households earn less than 35k gross (including all benefits).

I think around 30kpa is the minimum required to properly enjoy London without constantly being constrained by budget. It's enough to pay your share of rent somewhere decent, cover the bills, and leave you a reasonable chunk for both saving and discretionary spending. It's possible to get by on considerably less, but it's not easy.

Fukuyama

FTA69 wrote: »

Dean,

Start arranging viewings online now so you'll hit the ground running. If you find a place, take it. It doesn't matter if it's sh*t. You're only here three months to get drunk and chase women. (At least that's what you should be doing!) Have a look at Manor House, Turnpike Lane and Wood Green. The former two are a bit rough but also have a bit of character, are close to town on the tube and are cheap. While I never had to find a flat on the hop, I know it's not a renter's market. Arrange a few viewings for the same day if possible. Have everything handy deposit-wise, snap it up straight away. Prepare for the fact you may have to purchase bedding etc.

Wooo!

Just secured a room in a flat in Bounds Green in Zone 3 on the Picadilly. Right next to Wood Green

Cheers mate!

FTA69

Bounds Green is only up the road from me and is a lot nicer than Wood Green! Any idea for a job?

jonnyfingers

serrity wrote: »

As mentioned above, Dulwich is nice but pricey. Penge is pretty rough to be honest, but probably cheap, and I think Sydenham is similar.

Have you considered Beckenham? You have the option of either Orpington line to Victoria or the Hayes line to Charing Cross, about 30 mins travel time either way. Pleasant area - quiet and suburban, yes, but I think that's a good thing - and not too expensive. Plus, it's 10 minutes' drive or 1-2 train stops from Bromley.

We are indeed looking at Beckenham as it seems a good fit. Quite and suburban suits us and the commuting time is about what we expected. Now comes the hard part, trying to find a decent flat or house to rent!

Thanks for all the suggestions folks.

pippin123

Hi, I am also a qualified secretary/administrator and I am planning to move over to London in september, I think the best thing to do is sort out your accommodation and the begin the job hunt while your over their .

pippin123

What's the story with the job situation in London, I am a qualified Secretary/Administrator with experience, Does it take long to get a job over their, I already have loads of money saved up to keep me going for a while. Planning to move over in September, want to live in Islington, kentish town or angel I think(any other suggestions)?.

Thank you

Fukuyama

FTA69 wrote: »

Bounds Green is only up the road from me and is a lot nicer than Wood Green! Any idea for a job?

Yeah it's a nice area. Nice and leafy and quiet enough at night. And Wood Green is only up the road for shopping etc...

Today was my second day here. First 'real' day so just kind of explored. Job hunt, setting up bank and all that begins tomorrow. I'm just thankful I came over here with a pretty decent bit of wedge that I'd saved up. Things like the rent and transport and getting set up with the basics will eat into your wallet.

At the minute I'm thinking an unpaid internship might not be so bad. I won't be living like a king (far from it) but the experience would likely be better than a paid job in my field (business, digital marketing, advertising) which I'll find it hard to get. I've yet to get my degree (next year is my final year). I'll definitely look though . If I landed a paid gig, however small in that realm of employment I'd be over the moon!

Also, a question or three if I may.

I just went online there and bought a 7 day travel card for my Oyster card. Zones 1-3.

1. It said I have to 'collect' it at a station (I selected Bounds Green). Does this mean just touch on as normal to activate, go to a machine to collect it or go to a kiosk and ask a member of staff??

2. If I were to go from Bounds Green (Zone 3) through central London back out the other side to another opposite Zone 3 stop like Acton Town. Is that okay or am I technically going to far?

3. How do you register you card for a monthly one? It says go to a tube station. But the guys there always seem busy manning the turnstiles.

Cheers,
Dean

Ps. If anyone want to give me, or knows of an entry position role or internship in a business environment I'd be much obliged. :P

Vokes

Dean0088 wrote: »

Also, a question or three if I may.

I just went online there and bought a 7 day travel card for my Oyster card. Zones 1-3.

1. It said I have to 'collect' it at a station (I selected Bounds Green). Does this mean just touch on as normal to activate, go to a machine to collect it or go to a kiosk and ask a member of staff??

2. If I were to go from Bounds Green (Zone 3) through central London back out the other side to another opposite Zone 3 stop like Acton Town. Is that okay or am I technically going to far?

3. How do you register you card for a monthly one? It says go to a tube station. But the guys there always seem busy manning the turnstiles.

1. Just touch in when going through a turnstile at your nominated station.

2. That's fine with a Zone 1 -3 travelcard.

3. You can buy the monthly at a ticket machine when scanning your card. Or a ticket booth if the station has one.

exiledelbows

Dean0088 wrote: »

Yeah it's a nice area. Nice and leafy and quiet enough at night. And Wood Green is only up the road for shopping etc...

Today was my second day here. First 'real' day so just kind of explored. Job hunt, setting up bank and all that begins tomorrow. I'm just thankful I came over here with a pretty decent bit of wedge that I'd saved up. Things like the rent and transport and getting set up with the basics will eat into your wallet.

At the minute I'm thinking an unpaid internship might not be so bad. I won't be living like a king (far from it) but the experience would likely be better than a paid job in my field (business, digital marketing, advertising) which I'll find it hard to get. I've yet to get my degree (next year is my final year). I'll definitely look though . If I landed a paid gig, however small in that realm of employment I'd be over the moon!

Also, a question or three if I may.

I just went online there and bought a 7 day travel card for my Oyster card. Zones 1-3.

1. It said I have to 'collect' it at a station (I selected Bounds Green). Does this mean just touch on as normal to activate, go to a machine to collect it or go to a kiosk and ask a member of staff??

2. If I were to go from Bounds Green (Zone 3) through central London back out the other side to another opposite Zone 3 stop like Acton Town. Is that okay or am I technically going to far?

3. How do you register you card for a monthly one? It says go to a tube station. But the guys there always seem busy manning the turnstiles.

Cheers,
Dean

Ps. If anyone want to give me, or knows of an entry position role or internship in a business environment I'd be much obliged. :P

To answer your questions.
1. Just tap in.
2. That's fine, every journey within zones 1-3 is included. All bus journeys (regardless of zones) is included
3. You've to do it at a window in a station. Hit a zone 1-2 station on a weekday afternoon. Takes 5 minutes or so and takes a few hours to go through.

djpbarry

Dean0088 wrote: »

At the minute I'm thinking an unpaid internship might not be so bad. I won't be living like a king (far from it) but the experience would likely be better than a paid job in my field (business, digital marketing, advertising) which I'll find it hard to get.

Why? What makes you think you're going to be doing anything as an unpaid intern that you wouldn't be doing as a paid temp?

tok9

Hi Lads,

Just got a job in Watford yesterday and I'm starting on Monday. Fortunately the company are paying for a flight over and a hotel in Watford for the month so I'm not completely stranded when I get there. Now it sounds like I'll be doing a lot of my work (QA) at the main office and in London itself.

I was just wondering a few things.

How long roughly is it from the city center to Watford?

What areas between there would be good and reasonable locations to stay as I'm going over at a graduate level.

Thanks for the help.

Louche Lad

tok9 wrote: »

How long roughly is it from the city center to Watford?

Not sure what you mean (train? car? bus?), but fast trains take roughly 20 minutes from Euston to Watford Junction. (Watford Junction is the main station in Watford.) The trains to take are the ones going to Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Northampton etc. — there are also some very very slow ones that stop everywhere.