Relocate to London in 2011

It’s the New Year and there’s nothing like a cold January morning to give you a kick up the backside and start making some plans for the blank canvas that is 2011. Now the festivities have well and truly subsided, it’s time to start thinking about your move to London.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a quiet time of year for people moving in and out of London, it’s actually quite busy. Australians and New Zealanders tend to move to London during their summer (which is now), so you’ll need to be on top of your game in order to get ahead of the competition and secure the best accommodation and temp jobs.

Accommodation

The first thing you need to decide is where you want to live in London. This will probably be determined by a number of factors, such as your budget, proximity to potential workplace and where your existing friends live.
If you’re not sure about residential areas of London, then please take a look at our North London, South London, East London and West London pages.

Next up, it’s really wise to place an ad for FREE with Easyroommate, who are an excellent flatmate finding service. You can request a room, or search for available rooms all over London.

Jobs

Totaljobs.com have stated that the first quarter of 2011 could be tough for jobseekers, due to ‘external influences like the VAT increase and continued instability in European markets’ meaning that recruiters may play it safe until they can see what is happening with our economy.

This may sound quite bleak, but what it actually means, is that there could well be a rise in temp work available in London. Please look at our Working in London page for information on how to approach working as a ‘temp’ in London.

In the meantime though, there’s nothing to stop you from looking for a permanent job. There may be less jobs available but companies are still hiring. For those of you who are ‘Apprentice’ fans, take a leaf out of runner-up Chris Bates’s book, who prior to appearing on the show managed to secure a job as an investment banker with JP Morgan after completing his degree at Nottingham University.

In order to get ahead of the game, make sure your C.V is totally and utterly polished and upload it for FREE to Monster. It’s a great service, where as well as searching for available vacancies, you can include your C.V in the pool which recruiters look at to hand pick the best of the best to invite to interviews for jobs which they don’t even bother advertising.
It’s a bit of a pain, but only approximately 1/3 of London jobs are officially advertised. The rest are filled by recruitment agencies, word of mouth and candidate selection sites such as Monster.

We’ve given you some starting points here for your move to London in 2011. Happy New Year from everyone here at Moove2London and we wish you the best of luck for your move.

Where do Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans live in London?

Those of you familiar with our Moving to London from Abroad page, will know that we already have heaps of information on arriving in London from overseas. For example we have advice on visas, finding temporary accommodation and flatshares, airport transfers, how to go about getting a NI number and much more.
What we’re going to be doing in the next couple of weeks though, is to launch pages for each of the following groups of expats moving to London:

• Australians moving to London
• New Zealanders moving to London
• South Africans moving to London
• Canadians moving to London
• Americans moving to London

In the meantime, here’s a quick discussion on where Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans tend to live in London. This information should only be taken as a guide for those wanting to live in and around their particular expat communities. You can of course live wherever you want to!

Where do Australians live in London?
When most people think about Aussies living in London, they tend to think about Earls Court (known affectionately as Kangaroo Valley) and at one time they’d have been right as this area of West London was the first port of call for many Australians arriving in the UK.
But rental prices are quite high there, so people gradually drifted out to nearby Shepherd’s Bush instead. Nowadays though, it is Fulham and Clapham in South London where the largest population of Aussie expats are to be found. Balham, Streatham and Tooting also being good local (but often cheaper) options.
You can start searching for accommodation or people to share with, before you even leave Australia. Sign up with Easyroommate for FREE.

Where do New Zealanders live in London?
In general, many Aussies and Kiwis live in similar areas to each other. Although the two nations are extremely different and there is a decent amount of friendly rivalry between these two Southern Hemisphere countries, Australians and New Zealanders living in London tend to have a lot in common with each other in terms of being far away from home and having similar urges to see a lot of Europe whilst they’re over here. Therefore, you’ll also find a lot of Kiwis living in areas such as Clapham, Fulham, Ealing and specifically Acton (tends to be favoured more by Kiwis than by Aussies). Both Australians and New Zealanders can also be found in the north-western residential arc of London which includes areas such as Willesden, Queens Park and Kilburn.
Again, to start searching for accommodation before you’ve even stepped onto an aircraft, try signing up with Easyroommate , who are one of Moove2London’s favourite flat-finding sites, because they’re totally FREE to sign up with!!!

Where do South Africans live in London?
South Africans in London have in recent history previously formed a huge community living in Leytonstone (East London), although reportedly this community has decreased quite a bit in the last 18 months.
Other areas of London that South Africans tend to gravitate towards, include Southfields and Wimbledon in South London, Enfield in North London and also Clapham Junction alongside the Aussies and Kiwis.

Residential areas within walking distance of Central London

Most of you who are moving to London will have to rely on the transport system in order to get from A to B. Sometimes our transport system lets us down, for instance if there is a tube or rail strike, bad weather conditions or terrorist threats. On these occasions, London descends into chaos as Londoners do everything they can to get from home to work and back again using as many inventive methods of travel as is humanly possible.

So how can you get around this?

Well many of you will just learn to live with it and not worry yourselves about something that only happens on a few random days of the year. Others will decide that they’d rather live somewhere within walking distance of Central London, so that they can travel to work on foot on either a regular basis (it’s a great way to exercise and to see our great city) or in case of a travel emergency.

Whilst many areas within easy reach of Central London are understandably expensive, there are other more affordable areas that are well worth a look at if you have your heart set on donning a pair of trainers every day.

Here are 10 areas within walking distance of Central London that you might want to consider living in:

Bethnal Green
Bethnal Green is situated in East London in the postcode area of E2. Famed for it’s association with the Kray brothers, it’s extremely handy for nearby Shoreditch and of course the City of London. It’s approximately 1.5 miles from Bethnal Green to Liverpool Street making it perfect for those who want to work in the country’s financial capital. If you’re more brave and fancy walking to the West End, then it’s about 4.5 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate .

Kennington
Kennington is situated in South-East London in the vicinity of the Oval Cricket Ground. It’s a reasonably trendy area to live in with some good local pubs. In terms of walking distances, it’s a brisk 2.5 miles across the river into Victoria where there are plenty of offices located. If you need to get to the West End, then that will take you a further 20 mins.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Islington
Islington needs no introduction. It’s an extremely popular area for graduates and young professionals to live in. The area is centred around Upper Street which is lined from top to toe with trendy shops, bars, restaurants, pubs and cafes.
The distance between Islington and the City is approximately 2 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Bayswater.
Bayswater is situated in West London approximately 2.3 miles from the West End, which is perfect if you happen to work on or near Oxford Street or Soho.
A walk between the two usually involves walking through Hyde Park, so it really is a lovely commute.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Stepney Green
Another area located in the East End of London is Stepney Green. Although it could arguably be described as being historic more than it is glamorous, it is in a perfect location sandwiched between the City and Canary Wharf which are both 2 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Battersea
Battersea is located in South London. As it’s only a short distance across the river from Sloane Square, parts of the area attract the wealthy, although you can also find some decent, affordable flatshares and property rental here.
The distance from Battersea to Victoria is approximately 2.6 miles, but if you need to go further into the West End, it’s more like 3.5 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Hackney
Hackney is another favourite East End haunt that is probably most famous for the Hackney Empire and it’s market. Hackney is referred to as both a council borough and a town, but in this instance, we’re talking about the town.
Hackney is most appropriately located for those who want to walk to work in the City of London which is approximately 3.2 miles away.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Stoke Newington
Stoke Newington is located in North London. Slightly further out than some of the other residential areas mentioned on this page, it is an area that has recently ‘up-and-come’. Stoke Newington is often described as being great for families and has a young atmosphere to it. The popular road to hang out on is Church Street. A journey into the City of London covers approximately 3.5 miles of road.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate..

Peckham
Most people don’t hear ‘Peckham’ without conjuring up images of the Trotters living in Nelson Mandella House. Well it’s a long time since ‘Only Fools and Horses’ was on our screens and in that time, Peckham has moved slowly up the ranks and is now considered a satisfactory place to live, not least because of the fact that some decent watering holes have opened up and that it’s close proximity to Central London. The distance between Peckham and London Bridge is approximately 3.2 miles.
For current rental prices and rooms to rent, please visit Easyroommate.

Moving To London From Overseas Checklist

Summer is the time when most people think about moving to London. If you’re moving to London from overseas, you’ll have many more things to consider than the average Brit who can just stick everything in a van and drive a couple of hundred miles. So we’ve compiled the below checklist to give you some ideas of what to think about when you’re planning your move over here. It’s not a very country-specific list, so adjust it depending on where you hail from.

Do it A.S.A.P

• Sort out your visa. For more info about visas, please visit Ukvisas.gov.uk You should normally leave yourself at least a couple of months for a visa to come through, but it could be much longer or shorter depending on your circumstances.
• Write an excellent C.V and upload it for FREE to Monster’s database where employers can search for candidates for their jobs. It’s absolutely free to post your C.V up there, so if you don’t do it you’re really missing a great opportunity.
• Book your tickets. Take a look at current prices using Expedia
• Check that your passport is valid and has more than 6 months left on it

2-3 months to go

• Start looking for somewhere to stay. Sign up with Easyroommate . Use the box below to search for FREE for a room in London.
• If you need to stay in a hostel for a few days before you take up semi-permanent residency somewhere, book a room at Hostelworld which has many affordable, yet comfortable hostels located in Central London.
• Inform your local tax office that you’re planning on leaving the country so that if necessary you have time to fill in a mid-year tax return or possibly even get a tax refund depending on your situation and the tax procedures in your home country.
• You should also

1 month to go

• Find your medical records so that when you register for a doctor on the NHS, they’ll be able to quickly see your medical history. This is especially important if you have an ongoing condition or need regular prescriptions.
• Arrange your travel insurance for your journey. Make sure it covers the value of all your belongings for your trip.
• Give notice on your current accommodation and service contracts such as gym membership, cell phone contracts etc.

1-2 weeks to go

• Find out how to register for postal voting so that you’re able to vote whilst you’re away from home.
• Redirect all mail and inform utility providers of your impending departure.
• Start downsizing your belongings and make lists for packing.
• Have a going away party and say your goodbyes – make sure you have a full list of email addresses and phone numbers!

How to create a great flatshare ad

If you’re looking for rental accommodation and housemates when you first move to London, then we thoroughly recommend that you use a flatmate finding service such as Easyroommate .

With Easyroommate and other flatmate finding services, when you sign up you’ll need to create a profile. Much like meeting people in person, first impressions count and so you’ll need to make sure that you’re showing the best version of yourself to those scouring the database.

Here are some tips that you might want to bear in mind when putting a profile together.

• Where possible, add a photo of yourself. Easyroommate’s research shows that you’re 3 times more likely to be contacted if you add a photo of yourself. It’s not about people judging whether you’re attractive or not, but it is about people sussing out whether they think that you’re their type of person or not. Harsh, but true.
• If you’re going to include a photo in your profile, then be careful about which one you pick. That picture of you dressed up as Frankenstein at last years’s Halloween party, might have been hilarious, but it probably won’t do wonders for attracting potential housemates.
• This is basic, but make sure your ad is written with good spelling and grammar. Some people will judge you if you spell words incorrectly and skip on to the next ad. If you were never a spelling bee champ and aren’t blessed with a strong vocabulary, then turn to a friend or family member who is and ask them to read over your flatmate ad before you post it.
• Sell yourself as a housemate. If you’re a great cook who is going to make a mean Sunday roast then say so. You need to let people know what will be so great about living with you.
• Honesty is important. If you’re thoroughly opposed to living with couples, smokers or pets, then say so in your ad so that you’re not wasting anyone’s time, including your own!
• This isn’t a dating site, but it’s not a dissimilar process. You want your ad to stand out from the crowd, but for the right reasons. Try and come across as friendly – a little humour never hurts either.
• Most flatmate finding services allow you to start by signing up for a free basic profile. Try using this for a week or so and see how you get on. If you haven’t had much luck, then it’s usually worthwhile upgrading to a premium membership for a small fee which will allow you many more options, such as being able to contact everyone on the database and including a phone number if you wish.
Tags: Easyroommate, flatmate finding service, flatshare, housemate, move to london, rental accommodation
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