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

Fenny

Has anybody ever lived in Camberwell? I'm looking at a nice houseshare there, and the rent's pretty good, but after a bit of Googling I'm starting to feel like Camberwell's not the nicest or safest area to live in...! Just worried about walking home in the evenings and or going out at the weekends and so on, but the street the house itself is on seems pretty quiet and peaceful. Any advice would be v. appreciated!!

bluedolphin

Fenny wrote: »

Has anybody ever lived in Camberwell? I'm looking at a nice houseshare there, and the rent's pretty good, but after a bit of Googling I'm starting to feel like Camberwell's not the nicest or safest area to live in...! Just worried about walking home in the evenings and or going out at the weekends and so on, but the street the house itself is on seems pretty quiet and peaceful. Any advice would be v. appreciated!!

I live in Peckham which has probably just as bad - if not worse - reputation as Camberwell. I've been here almost 18 months now and haven't had much of a problem. (Fortunately, I was visiting home when the riots kicked off in August; the riot in Peckham was just by my flat but luckily I could see my block from the aerial shots on Sky so I could see it hadn't been burnt out... :pac:) As far as I can make out, unless you go looking for trouble you won't find it come chasing you. That said, it's wise to be cautious and streetwise. One thing I would check is how close you are to your bus stop and the night buses that served you - you don't want to have a 20 minute walk at 3am after a few beers anywhere, but especially not around here. Just use your common sense - if you feel okay, then it's probably all right...bit of sense and you'll survive! My experience of living in Peckham is pretty positive; there is quite a community spirit and it's really vibrant; it's also pretty cheap and very "local". Camberwell's pretty much the same, so go for it I say.

Fenny

Thanks, that really helps! I think I'm fairly sensible about not flashing expensive stuff and getting home safely in general, and with luck, it should be fine. Combined with the allure of a Zone 2 travelcard (I'm living in Zone 4/5 at the moment), I think I'll sort out a deposit this week! :P

jethro081

ok folks, this is a bit of an odd question

but im looking at moving over in the new year, and im fairly confident about finding work and that, but basically what im asking is, from your experiences, what would be the minimum amount of savings that you would need to head over?

i have a couch i can crash on for a good while, but im just wondering how much you would think a man would need to keep himself ticking over till he got a job and got paid?

sorry for the vague question, im just looking for some annecdotal evidence here.

thanks

Jack B. Badd

jethro081 wrote: »

ok folks, this is a bit of an odd question

but im looking at moving over in the new year, and im fairly confident about finding work and that, but basically what im asking is, from your experiences, what would be the minimum amount of savings that you would need to head over?

i have a couch i can crash on for a good while, but im just wondering how much you would think a man would need to keep himself ticking over till he got a job and got paid?

sorry for the vague question, im just looking for some annecdotal evidence here.

thanks

About 5 years ago, myself and my OH moved over with £5k each. We both had jobs within a month, had to pay for short-term house-share for 4 weeks and put a deposit down on an apartment before we started receiving pay from our work. Cost of living (food, travel, rent) has gone up since then but if you're looking for a house-share rather than an apartment to yourself you probably won't need to spend as much on a deposit.

spacelucy

Hi,

I've been studying in the UK from 2009 until earlier this year, and qualified as an occupational therapist a couple of months ago. While I was looking for a job I've been back in Ireland, and now I've found one in England so I'm moving back. I've been told I need an enhanced CRB check which the Trust I'm working for are applying for - do I also need garda clearance since I've only been in the UK two years? And if so, does anyone know what kind of garda clearance I need? I can't apply for vetting as an individual, and the UK Trust wouldn't be registered with them. I've read about a police certificate somewhere but it's all a bit vague; can anyone shed any light on the process?

Thanks in advance!

LadyMayBelle

spacelucy wrote: »

Hi,

I've been studying in the UK from 2009 until earlier this year, and qualified as an occupational therapist a couple of months ago. While I was looking for a job I've been back in Ireland, and now I've found one in England so I'm moving back. I've been told I need an enhanced CRB check which the Trust I'm working for are applying for - do I also need garda clearance since I've only been in the UK two years? And if so, does anyone know what kind of garda clearance I need? I can't apply for vetting as an individual, and the UK Trust wouldn't be registered with them. I've read about a police certificate somewhere but it's all a bit vague; can anyone shed any light on the process?

Thanks in advance!

You need to check with the Trust and see if they require a Garda clearance from you.
Have you worked under a Garda clearance in Ireland; I imagine you would have one from college since you did OT... Contact your last employer or college and ask them for a copy of your garda clearance so you can hold onto a copy yourself in case the Trust request it.
Also bear in mind that the uk crb will check Irish addresses as well .

later12

jethro081 wrote: »

ok folks, this is a bit of an odd question

but im looking at moving over in the new year, and im fairly confident about finding work and that, but basically what im asking is, from your experiences, what would be the minimum amount of savings that you would need to head over?

I should think €1000 is about reasonable, depending on how long you can stay with your mates. You could probably get away with less, but I reckon €1000 is enough until your first paycheque unless you have any specific needs like paying for a deposit for accommodation.

spacelucy

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

You need to check with the Trust and see if they require a Garda clearance from you.
Have you worked under a Garda clearance in Ireland; I imagine you would have one from college since you did OT... Contact your last employer or college and ask them for a copy of your garda clearance so you can hold onto a copy yourself in case the Trust request it.
Also bear in mind that the uk crb will check Irish addresses as well .

Just saw this now, thank you! The trust said they'll wait to see what Criminal Records Bureau says. If they'll check my Irish addresses that should be fine I reckon, I did have one for uni which I still have, but have also lived in Ireland since then so was unsure if I'd need updated garda clearance. Hopefully will all be okay!

Scubadevils

Hi All,

I'm likely to move over to England sometime in the next couple of months. I work for a company that want me to move over and I'm in the process of trying to decide if it's the right thing to do - I reckon it is but we've 2 young kids and reluctant taking them away from the rest of the family etc. Anyway... decisions, decisions... Ireland doesn't seem to be recovering anytime soon...

I'm looking around the Brighton area at the moment as it has been really recommended as a place to live with a young family - I only need to be at the office on a Monday in London so the commute isn't an issue as such. That said, if there are areas nearer to London with good community and suitable for young families, good local schools etc I'd be keen to hear peoples views? Hemel had been suggested also but I don't know the area at all. My main considerations are nice area, not mad money, good schools, amenities etc - I was a bit shocked at the cost of the train fare when I went from London Victoria to Brighton a couple of weeks ago, 40-something pounds for 2 single tickets!

Cheers.

djpbarry

Scubadevils wrote: »

Ireland doesn't seem to be recovering anytime soon...

That really depends on what it is you do, but obviously you know that yourself. Things are not exactly rosey in the UK - just something to bear in mind.

Scubadevils wrote: »

I'm looking around the Brighton area at the moment as it has been really recommended as a place to live with a young family - I only need to be at the office on a Monday in London so the commute isn't an issue as such.

Brighton is a nice area - that wouldn't be a bad choice. As for other suggestions, it would depend on where in London your office is? For example, I could suggest Oxford as another possibility, but if your office were in East London, for example, getting to/from Oxford would be a bit awkward. There are plenty of nice areas in outer London too - it all depends on how much you're prepared to spend on housing really.

Scubadevils wrote: »

...I was a bit shocked at the cost of the train fare when I went from London Victoria to Brighton a couple of weeks ago, 40-something pounds for 2 single tickets!

Commuting to/from/within London is expensive - there's no getting away from that fact. But, if you only have to be in your office once a week, then that's not a major consideration for you.

Scubadevils

djpbarry wrote: »

That really depends on what it is you do, but obviously you know that yourself. Things are not exactly rosey in the UK - just something to bear in mind.

Oh indeed and the industry I work in is certainly experiencing its challenges in the UK also - nowhere near that of the Irish market though and I would feel considerably safer there than here... to the point that I've been pretty much told I don't have a career with the company if I stay in Ireland! Assuming of course I decide to take up the offer and not look elsewhere in Ireland, not that there are many choices here though which is the problem.

Brighton is a nice area - that wouldn't be a bad choice. As for other suggestions, it would depend on where in London your office is? For example, I could suggest Oxford as another possibility, but if your office were in East London, for example, getting to/from Oxford would be a bit awkward. There are plenty of nice areas in outer London too - it all depends on how much you're prepared to spend on housing really.
Commuting to/from/within London is expensive - there's no getting away from that fact. But, if you only have to be in your office once a week, then that's not a major consideration for you.

The office is near enough to Euston Road so pretty central, convenient to Great Portland St tube etc. The housing budget is yet to be defined and currently being considered but I think in the region of 1.6k GBP rent per month - possibly push it up to 1.8k. Yes agreed also that its not too much of an issue with only once a week commute to London... well typically anyway.

Thanks for the help!

jonnyfingers

Scubadevils wrote: »

The office is near enough to Euston Road so pretty central, convenient to Great Portland St tube etc. The housing budget is yet to be defined and currently being considered but I think in the region of 1.6k GBP rent per month - possibly push it up to 1.8k. Yes agreed also that its not too much of an issue with only once a week commute to London... well typically anyway.

Thanks for the help!

I'm living in Woking in Surrey at the moment and love it. The girlfriend commutes to London and I go the opposite direction towards the south coast. Surrey is a lovely, albeit somewhat expensive, place to live. But there's plenty of parks and green areas for kids and the schools look pretty good. There's a nice mixture of large towns and small country villages, all within a few minutes of each others. Not sure what your interests are but there's plenty to see and do no matter what you like.

It's also really easy to commute to London and most or the surrounding area.

South Western Trains go to Waterloo and you could get the Bakerloo Line up to Regents Park for work. On the main train lines you'd have a choice of Esher, Epsom, Woking, Guildford and many others as places to live. If you're only commuting one day a week the train would cost about £18 return for each journey. From our apartment in Woking to her office on Oxford St. only takes about 45 minutes. The train from Woking to Waterloo only takes 25 minutes, so very commutable.

Another advantage for Surrey it that it's close to Heathrow and Gatwick airports, handy for trips home or going somewhere for a holiday. The M25 and M3 are close too which gives you driving access to most places.

But all in all there's always a few places in Surrey on the "best place to live" surveys every year.

As for Brighton, I've been there a few times. It's a nice seaside town. The train to London is very good, but expensive, taking just over and hour and it runs very often at peak times. But still, depending on how close you live to the station, you'd be looking at at least a 1.5 hour commute, probably more. The town has a good selection of shops and restaurants, plus Brighton Pier which has amusements and traditional sweets and fast food shops, which is nice. The weather is also very nice along the south coast, but to be honest it's pretty good anywhere south of London.

But unless you really need to live in Brighton for some reason,I'd consider somewhere closer to London. You will find somewhere to live just as nice but save yourself a bit of hassle on the commute to work.

As for your decision whether to move or not, all I can say is that I quit a good job to follow my girlfriend to the UK and I don't regret it one bit. Obviously my situation is different as I don't have kids, but there just seems to be much more to do over here, plus plenty more job opportunists if you ever did want to move on.

If you have any more questions about Surrey, or the Southampton/Portsmouth area, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them.

ballsymchugh

Scubadevils wrote: »

The office is near enough to Euston Road so pretty central, convenient to Great Portland St tube etc. The housing budget is yet to be defined and currently being considered but I think in the region of 1.6k GBP rent per month - possibly push it up to 1.8k. Yes agreed also that its not too much of an issue with only once a week commute to London... well typically anyway.

Thanks for the help!

that budget would get you a cracking house in maidstone in kent where i am.

i'd recommend it for a few simple reasons... it's takes an hour to drive in to trafalgar square at the weekends, excellent train service from a few stations around the place, the schools here seem to be pretty good, it's a nice area (everywhere north of maidstone, with maybe the exception of canterbury, is a hole) especially to the south towards tunbridge wells, cranbrook area.
plus you have 4 airports within an hour. gatwick is 45 mins away if you take your time, stansted is 55 mins (allowing for the traffic at the dartford crossing), heathrow is an hour, london city is about 40 mins away and it's extremely handy for last minute flights when ryanair and aer lingus are already more expensive.
also, just south of ramsgate there's a quality sandy beach for the sunny days, way better than the stones of brighton, and the ferry to france is 45 mins away.

caesar

I'm moving over Thursday I've noting sorted in terms of accommodation but I've being doing a bit of research and looking on gumtree and spareroom. On the plus side, I do have a job sorted. I will be working in Finsbury Square starting next week. Having read this thread and the other one, I've drawn up a list of the following areas for myself:

Clapham - South is apparently better? The young Irish community that is supposedly there attracts me if I'm honest. I want to get to know locals and others but I like the idea of having a few Irish people around, initially anyway. Aside from that, even from the basic research I've done I have a good feeling about the area.

Finsbury Park - Would be handy for work I think, don't know much else about it though.

Kilburn – Seems to come up a lot in terms of the amount of Irish there but at the same time, it's been mentioned that it hasn't attracted the new wave of Irish.

Camden - I've heard good things but someone said to me that it might be better to go out there once in a while rather than live there.

Hackney – The Dalston area was mentioned as somewhere in particular. Also, my sister met work colleagues from London who said it was an up and coming area.

Elephant and Castle/Kennington area - Was mentioned to me by two family members who have lived in London before and on the thread somewhere. I'm not sure though, finding it difficult to get a sense of the area.

Islington - I saw it here and it came up in a few searches on those sites, rent seems on the high side and I haven't yet worked out commute options.

Other areas I have jotted down are Shoreditch, Ealing, Kensal Green and Shepherd's Bush but I still have to do my research on those as well as some more on the ones above.

I don't know London at all but I guess my preference is somewhere with an Irish community. A commute of 45 minutes or less door to door would be great so no further out than Zone 2 I assume. I'm not sure how the above areas fit into my criteria in that sense. Maybe someone can advise? I'm looking to share with 3 or more as I want to get to know people. It would be nice to have one other Irish person in the place in terms of the common ground type conversations. In terms of rent, I figure it’s going to be somewhere between £550 to £800 pcm, can’t see myself going above 700 to be honest, it would want to be special if I were to. I read that a tenant should be earning 2.5 times their annual rent (before tax). Would you think that is about right?

Hopefully, the search goes well and any advice about the areas mentioned or whatever would be greatly appreciated My research so far has been slow but I'm getting there.

djpbarry

ballsymchugh wrote: »

that budget would get you a cracking house in maidstone in kent where i am.

i'd recommend it for a few simple reasons... it's takes an hour to drive in to trafalgar square at the weekends, excellent train service from a few stations around the place, the schools here seem to be pretty good, it's a nice area (everywhere north of maidstone, with maybe the exception of canterbury, is a hole) especially to the south towards tunbridge wells, cranbrook area.
plus you have 4 airports within an hour. gatwick is 45 mins away if you take your time, stansted is 55 mins (allowing for the traffic at the dartford crossing), heathrow is an hour, london city is about 40 mins away and it's extremely handy for last minute flights when ryanair and aer lingus are already more expensive.

Some of the transit times you're quoting there are incredibly optimistic. An hour from Heathrow to Maidstone? Not a hope. An hour to central London? Maybe, if there's absolutely zero traffic - sure the train to Victoria takes about an hour.

djpbarry

caesar wrote: »

Elephant and Castle

No. Just, no.

caesar wrote: »

It would be nice to have one other Irish person in the place in terms of the common ground type conversations.

Like many other posters on here, I think you're putting a little too much emphasis on the Irish thing - it'll end up restricting you. You will not be able to avoid Irish people in London during the course of your day-to-day life - there really is no need to make a special effort to seek them out.

caesar wrote: »

I read that a tenant should be earning 2.5 times their annual rent (before tax).

I would say 3 times as a minimum, but that's just me.

ballsymchugh

djpbarry wrote: »

Some of the transit times you're quoting there are incredibly optimistic. An hour from Heathrow to Maidstone? Not a hope. An hour to central London? Maybe, if there's absolutely zero traffic - sure the train to Victoria takes about an hour.

they're my own experience anyway. it's been a while since i've used heathrow from maidstone, maybe about 4 years actually, but getting to hurling matches in greenford took and hour and 15 mins.
there doesn't have to be zero traffic, just as long as it's flowing, it's fine.
the trains from maidstone don't tend to go the most direct route into london anyway. going out on a saturday via m20, m25, a2 was always fine. you'd only hit traffic about new cross and bermondsey if at all, but it did take an hour.

caesar

djpbarry wrote: »

Like many other posters on here, I think you're putting a little too much emphasis on the Irish thing - it'll end up restricting you. You will not be able to avoid Irish people in London during the course of your day-to-day life - there really is no need to make a special effort to seek them out.

I was thinking that after I posted. I don't know what it is, it's not like I haven't lived with people of other nationalities before. I don't want to live with all Irish or anything like that as I think it would kill the experience to some extent. Ideally, I'd like to find a place that would have people from different parts.

Thanks for the advice.

djpbarry

caesar wrote: »

I was thinking that after I posted. I don't know what it is, it's not like I haven't lived with people of other nationalities before. I don't want to live with all Irish or anything like that as I think it would kill the experience to some extent. Ideally, I'd like to find a place that would have people from different parts.

I think you'll be genuinely surprised by how often you encounter Irish accents here. I don't think a day goes by when I don't hear "Ah, sure it's grand" or some such.

Head The Wall

Hi just want to let people know that I have secured work contracting in a bank down the city and the security clearance requires me to have an actual utility bill in my name. I'm staying with my Girlfriends brother temporarily and I have bank accounts (Irish and UK), National Insurance No and a CRB all registered to my temporary address but they wouldn't accept this.

I found this FAQ good and thought that this may be an important point to add to it as the security clearance doesn't doesn't seem to allow for people in my situation or that have recently moved. Must get down to the phone shop now

afatbollix

What do people think of Twickenham?

Thinking of moving there to get closer to the city from where I live out by the M25..

Quicker trains and Richmond has the tube.

Country lane

afatbollix wrote: »

What do people think of Twickenham?

Thinking of moving there to get closer to the city from where I live out by the M25..

Quicker trains and Richmond has the tube.

Twickenham is not a bad area, but i've heard the train can be a pain in the butt. Richmond, Hampton Court or Kingston are better bets around that side i think. If you working in the city...train from that direction into waterloo..then waterloo and city line is your best bet. You could look along the southwest train line and pick towns out. Of course Surrey doesn't come cheap though.

afatbollix

Only 2 trains a hour from Hampton court. Nice area tho.

I work in Feltham so no need for Rush hour trains

River Boy1986

Hi there

I am moving to London this week, have a job secured but still searching for accommodation. My work is based in Bethnal Green in East London and from searching around Im not sure is it a good area. Can anyone recommend a nice area near by to live which is not to expensive? Going over alone so any help would be appreciated!

As regards getting a NI number what is the starting process. Is it like here, go into a social welfare office or is it different?

Thanks

duffarama

You can call Job Centre Plus and they'll tell you the process, generally you apply and have to sit an interview.

I don't know East London well but I'd imagine Hoxton/Dalston/Shoreditch would be fun to live in

RichMc70

Hi River Boy,

I would personally agree with your suspicion that Bethnal Green is not a "good area". Of course this is dependent on what you are used to.

The problem with surrounding areas are that they have small pockets of 'yuppie type' residents but in the main it's still rough.

Bethnal Green has good transport links with both a Tube and a Rail Station, therefore if your prepared to spend 10-15 mins commuting then you can widen your search for accommodation.

Try looking on http://www.rightmove.co.uk for accommodation and check the Transport for London website http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1106.aspx for Tube and Rail maps.

Good Luck

djpbarry

River Boy1986 wrote: »

My work is based in Bethnal Green in East London and from searching around Im not sure is it a good area.

I wouldn't really agree with the previous poster who said Bethnal Green is a rough area, but then, as they said, it really depends on what you're used to. I would sort of agree with the yuppie comment though - Hackney in general has developed a reputation in recent years for being an "up-and-coming" area and this tends to attract a certain type of person seeking organic markets and the like.

River Boy1986 wrote: »

Can anyone recommend a nice area near by to live which is not to expensive?

What's your budget like and what's the maximum commute you would tolerate?

River Boy1986 wrote: »

As regards getting a NI number what is the starting process. Is it like here, go into a social welfare office or is it different?

Nah, it's pretty straightforward. Don't worry about it right now -get yourself sorted with somewhere to live first.

duffarama wrote: »

I don't know East London well but I'd imagine Hoxton/Dalston/Shoreditch would be fun to live in

Depends how old you are - personally, I hate that whole area. It's like a giant, concrete Temple Bar.

djpbarry

There seems to be a lot of worrying about national insurance numbers around here in general, so here's all you need to know:

When starting work or setting up as self-employed

If you're looking for work, starting work or setting up as self-employed you will need a National Insurance number. If you have the right to work in the UK, you will need to telephone Jobcentre Plus on 0845 600 0643 to arrange to get one. Lines are open 8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday and are normally less busy before 9.00 am. They may require you to attend an 'Evidence of identity' interview - see the section 'What happens when you apply for a National Insurance number'.

Although you need to have a National Insurance number to start work you don't need to have a plastic National Insurance number card.

What happens when you apply for a National Insurance number

Jobcentre Plus will arrange an 'Evidence of identity' interview for you or send you a postal application. If relevant, they will confirm the date, time and location of your interview and what information/documentation you need to support your application.

What to expect at the 'Evidence of identity' interview

The interview will usually be one-to-one (unless, for example, you need an interpreter). You will be asked questions about why you need a National Insurance number, your background and circumstances.

You will also have to prove your identity. Bring as many 'identity documents' (originals, not photocopies) as you can to your interview. Examples of documents which count are:

• valid passport (UK or foreign)
• national identity card (UK or foreign)
• residence permit or residence card including biometric immigration residency documents
• full birth or adoption certificate
• full marriage or civil partnership certificate
• driving licence (UK or foreign)

If you don't have any of these - or other - identity documents you still must go to the interview. The information you are able to provide might be enough to prove your identity.

During the interview a National Insurance number application form will be completed and you will be asked to sign it.

What happens next?

If you were asked to provide additional information you will need to do this by the agreed date. Jobcentre Plus will write and let you know whether your application was successful and, where appropriate, tell you what your National Insurance number is.

If relevant, tell your employer your National Insurance number as soon as you know it. Do not share your National Insurance number with anyone who does not need it as knowledge of your number might help someone to steal your identity.

It is important to keep the letter telling you what your National Insurance number is safe as it is a useful reminder of your number. However, the letter on its own cannot be used to prove your identity and you do not need it to start work. It's the National Insurance number itself that's important.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/BeginnersGuideToTax/NationalInsurance/IntroductiontoNationalInsurance/DG_190057

RichMc70

djpbarry wrote: »

I wouldn't really agree with the previous poster who said Bethnal Green is a rough area, but then, as they said, it really depends on what you're used to.

A 'High Crime Area' may be a better description, as it is well above average according to the UK Police statistics for reported crime activity. 2,251 crimes for the month of November in the Bethnal Green postcode. http://www.police.uk/

Fysh

RichMc70 wrote: »

A 'High Crime Area' may be a better description, as it is well above average according to the UK Police statistics for reported crime activity. 2,251 crimes for the month of November in the Bethnal Green postcode. http://www.police.uk/

You need to take those figures in context, though - without a breakdown of the kind of crimes concerned it's difficult to get an accurate picture. Take Camden - 2051 crimes in the same period, but that doesn't stop a lot of people viewing it as a good place to live (especially if you pick the right parts, where it can get very posh indeed). However, if you use UpMyStreet.com and use the "My Neighbourhood" tools you can see how certain areas compare to the national averages and filter possible areas that way.

I'll be honest, though - I kind of expect any part of London to be a high-crime area to a certain extent - we're talking about a highly urbanised metropolis with a lot of wealthy high-earners living there. There's going to be crime all over the gaff, to a greater or lesser extent.

Head The Wall

River Boy1986 wrote: »

As regards getting a NI number what is the starting process. Is it like here, go into a social welfare office or is it different?

Thanks

Was through this recently, I just rang the jobcentre, told them I would take the interview anywhere just to get it done quickly. Interview was 9 days later and I got my number in the post 2 weeks later.

ballsymchugh

djpbarry wrote: »

Hackney in general has developed a reputation in recent years for being an "up-and-coming" area and this tends to attract a certain type of person seeking organic markets and the like.

this is the funniest, and truest thing i've read in ages!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trB5CSDmf1E

Stemtrex

Hey all!

This thread is great, i was totally lost when researching but my heads a bit more settled now.
Well I'm really considering making the move to London towards the end of March/April.

I'm worried about work though. I have a city and guilds diploma in Sound Engineering but you generally have to know people to break into the sound engineering industry. That's why I'm heading to London in the first place i do a bit of DJ'ing and Production and London seem's to be the place to go for all that.

I'm not expecting to go over there and land a job in a studio or as a resident DJ or anything so I'm wondering if bar work/Nightclub work/Waitress work would be enough to pay the bill's for a fair amount of time over there. I'm willing to work at anything!
Also when it comes to experience, I haven't got much. Iv'e worked in factories and did a good bit of work experience in some Hairdressers and that. Are places more willing to take on Noobies in London than they are in Ireland?

Thanks!

djpbarry

Stemtrex wrote: »

I have a city and guilds diploma in Sound Engineering but you generally have to know people to break into the sound engineering industry. That's why I'm heading to London in the first place i do a bit of DJ'ing and Production and London seem's to be the place to go for all that.

To be honest, based on my experience, that's something that's easier to "break into" in Dublin than London. Or, if you want to hit another UK city with a good music scene, Glasgow, Manchester and Bristol are all decent spots.

But, if you can narrow this down a bit I might be able to help you - I know people who know people, etc. What is it exactly you want to do (be as specific as you can)?

Stemtrex

djpbarry wrote: »

But, if you can narrow this down a bit I might be able to help you - I know people who know people, etc. What is it exactly you want to do (be as specific as you can)?

I have tried a good few places around Dublin and in Louth, iv'e got in contact with a handful of studios and have offered to work for free just for experience, no one want's to take me on though. I could just be trying the wrong places. What I would like to do exactly is get any studio experience. I'm pushed more towards electronic music but I'm not fussy right now. Thanks for the help

Fiii

Hello all,

Looking for any advice people might have...

I work freelance, and MIGHT have an opportunity for temporary work in London. It might be for 3 months, it might be 6 - nothing set in stone right now.
It would mean moving over there temporarily and I thought I might as well start looking in to renting if it does happen. It's not a permanent move, which makes things tricky enough.
I will potentially be working in the Marylebone area, and I would like to rent on my own if I can afford it.
Has anyone any advice on where about I should be looking to rent, and what the average price of a studio/ bedsit might cost?
I've been looking a bit today, but am feeling a touch overwhelmed! I'm used to living in Dublin, and having daft.ie at my disposal. That, and the rents in London seem INSANE for what you get!

Thanks in advance for any help.
F

djpbarry

Fiii wrote: »

...the rents in London seem INSANE...

They are. There’s no getting away from it – London is an expensive place to live.

If you tell us what sort of commute you’re prepared to tolerate and how much you’re prepared to spend on rent, you might get a few suggestions of areas to search within? Anything in particular you’d like to have nearby?

Fiii

djpbarry wrote: »

They are. There’s no getting away from it – London is an expensive place to live.

If you tell us what sort of commute you’re prepared to tolerate and how much you’re prepared to spend on rent, you might get a few suggestions of areas to search within? Anything in particular you’d like to have nearby?

And I thought rents in Dublin were bad!
I think I could manage a 40min commute - maybe more if I had to. No more than an hour though.
I'm thinking a rough budget of £600-700. Not sure if even that's enough though.
As far as nearby, I don't really mind. Truth be told, I will probably be working an insane amount of hours, and won't have a lot of time for anything else.
As long as I have a tube stop nearby, that's the main thing really.

83ste

Fiii wrote: »

As long as I have a tube stop nearby, that's the main thing really.

Don't get hung up on the Tube, there's a load of suburban/commuter rail lines as well, and they're usually less of a crush than the Tube in the mornings.

See www.nationalrail.co.uk for journey times/frequency/ticket costs.

River Boy1986

You should check out spareroom.co.uk or gmmtree. I no you say your looking for a single room flat but you will find plenty of options here and some reasonable prices also.

exiledelbows

If you want to be near Marylebone, start looking out Northwest on the Bakerloo line or the Euston-Watford Overground line (it's Orange on maps). You can be in Marylebone or Euston (they're about a 15 minute walk apart) in 20 minutes on the train and it's also well served by buses (eg, No. 18 is every three minutes during the day)

Some of the locations wouldn't be deemed fashionable but that means rents are reasonable. Try Kilburn, Queen's Park, Kensal green, Kensal Rise, Willesden Junction/Harlesden (some people might think I'm mad to recommend the latter but it's where I live and I love it!). Try out the Jubilee line too.

Fiii

exiledelbows wrote: »

If you want to be near Marylebone, start looking out Northwest on the Bakerloo line or the Euston-Watford Overground line (it's Orange on maps). You can be in Marylebone or Euston (they're about a 15 minute walk apart) in 20 minutes on the train and it's also well served by buses (eg, No. 18 is every three minutes during the day)

Some of the locations wouldn't be deemed fashionable but that means rents are reasonable. Try Kilburn, Queen's Park, Kensal green, Kensal Rise, Willesden Junction/Harlesden (some people might think I'm mad to recommend the latter but it's where I live and I love it!). Try out the Jubilee line too.

Thanks for that. I'm not at all worried about fashionable areas, so those suggestions are really helpful

who the fug

Fiii wrote: »

exiledelbows wrote: »

If you want to be near Marylebone, start looking out Northwest on the Bakerloo line or the Euston-Watford Overground line (it's Orange on maps). You can be in Marylebone or Euston (they're about a 15 minute walk apart) in 20 minutes on the train and it's also well served by buses (eg, No. 18 is every three minutes during the day)

Some of the locations wouldn't be deemed fashionable but that means rents are reasonable. Try Kilburn, Queen's Park, Kensal green, Kensal Rise, Willesden Junction/Harlesden (some people might think I'm mad to recommend the latter but it's where I live and I love it!). Try out the Jubilee line too.

Thanks for that. I'm not at all worried about fashionable areas, so those suggestions are really helpful

Anything on the Jubilee line would suit you as Marlebone is all in walking distance of Baker street

Look at Stratford, except for the madness in August it should be ok

Fiii

River Boy1986 wrote: »

You should check out spareroom.co.uk or gmmtree. I no you say your looking for a single room flat but you will find plenty of options here and some reasonable prices also.

Thanks. That is very much a 'Plan B' for me though.

Head The Wall

Fiii wrote: »

Thanks. That is very much a 'Plan B' for me though.

I had these units in mind but found somewhere else in the meantime, they are in Willesden Green. They do 3 month rentals and are in zone 2 on the jubilee line. Didn't actually go out to see them so unless anyone else can vouch for the area I don't know much about it. 105 a week for a single room which included cleaner, bed linen, internet etc

http://www.refreshaccommodation.com/london-apartments/north-west/willesden-green/willesden-green-long-term-apartments.aspx?sec=o

Fiii

Head The Wall wrote: »

I had these units in mind but found somewhere else in the meantime, they are in Willesden Green. They do 3 month rentals and are in zone 2 on the jubilee line. Didn't actually go out to see them so unless anyone else can vouch for the area I don't know much about it. 105 a week for a single room which included cleaner, bed linen, internet etc

http://www.refreshaccommodation.com/london-apartments/north-west/willesden-green/willesden-green-long-term-apartments.aspx?sec=o

That's just the kind of thing I was looking for. Thanks a million!

Country lane

For those planning on heading over, an interesting article on the new Irish areas of London namely Clapham

Deadalus

Hi Folks,

I was gonna hijack another thread there but decided to start my own. So basically my better half and myself are moving to London at the end of March and don't have much cash to take with us. We would have about £650 pound max a month to spend on rent and was wondering where we should be focusing our search.

Also if anyone is looking for housemates we are clean, considerate people and would love to be considered.

I would also appreciate any advice you guys could provide regarding places to work and any decent recruitment consultants you might have come accross.

Cheers

reusable

Hi,

I moved over 6 weeks ago and found the advice on here pretty good. I used spare room.co.uk to find a room in Oval. Also right move.co.uk is good but they go quick. There is an option on their site/app that allows you to email all the agents in your price range and they will call/email you back. This is good as they don't put everything on the sites.

I've not found a good recruitment agency yet. Reed.co.uk seem to be one of the biggest, suppose it depends on what sector your looking in. I've also used monster.co.uk, totaljobs.co.uk and fish4jobs.couk.

There is also good advice in the moving to London thread.

Cheers,