- This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated Sep-1710:59 am by
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After months of looking for a better job, I have recently got a great opportunity to work for a very well-regarded financial organisation — in London. I finish at my present work around Easter and I’m supposed to start soon after at the new place, which means that I will be spending May getting used to a new city and a new job. My plan is to rent a room in London and stay there during the week, coming back to Edinburgh for weekends and for the Level III exam, since my husband is in Edinburgh. I saw some places on spareroom.co.uk and contacted lots of people, but got hardly any replies. Now I’m getting quite stressed out — wondering if I’ll be able to get a decent place, whether I’ll have the time and space to study, etc etc.
Any advice from folks here — are there any other websites I could look at for accommodation? I’m getting quite harried trying to make sense of the staggering prices, the transport, and the geography of London. -
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Hi @MockTurtle‌, congrats on the job! 3 thoughts:
1. London is fairly painful in terms of prices. Are you based around Bank or Canary Wharf (or somewhere else)? If Canary Wharf, you should be able to get a decent place for not-too-high a price. Bank would be a lot more challenging. I’m assuming you’d like to stay as close to work as possible as you’re only staying during the week. I worked in Edinburgh about 5 years ago – to my recollection the prices weren’t all that different from London, has that changed?
2. If price really is an issue, a good arrangement might be to see if you know (or if your friends know) any management consultants that live in London. MCs tend to travel to other areas Mon-Fri, so they might be interested in essentially sharing the same apartment (either them crashing at yours over the weekend for a fee, or some other arrangement)
3. Studying shouldn’t be a problem – there are tons of cafes and public libraries if your apartment turns out not to be suitable. Some people study in their offices too – works well!
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Thanks @Zee, my office is on Liverpool Street, so I’m looking at places from where I can commute within about 45 minutes. I am willing to accept the higher prices, but I don’t get any replies when I call, text or email the people putting up the ads! The only replies I’ve got are: 1) Sorry, it’s already taken 2) You seem alright, but I need to see some other prospective tenants before deciding.
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Oh 45 minutes? Tons of choice for liverpool street then. You can live in Canary Wharf even if preferred as it takes 15 minutes commute by train. Plus it’s quiet on weekends with lots of cafes to study and near to the City Airport (to fly back to Edinburgh).
Maybe you should look for an agent? It’s the quickest way to search for a place – Felicity J Lord, Foxtons, Chesterton Humberts are good agents to start. You should narrow down the areas you want to look for though.
If you prefer the DIY search yourself route, have you tried Gumtree? Though perhaps sometimes it can be a dodgier experience and it’s best to use an agent for your first time!
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