It is easy to find a house, it is not easy to find a home, which is why we came up with ‘ where to live ‘. Never has this been more accurate than moving to a foreign country. If you do not know the areas, it is difficult to make a choice. You can ask the Facebook groups; they are immensely helpful. However, people differ. The areas that some people find desirable may not be where you feel comfortable. Here are some guidelines that may help.
Distance
The further you move from London, the less expensive your rent will be. The properties also become larger. While this seems like the ideal solution, keep in mind that it could take you some time to commute to the office. Not all towns have direct transport links and you may have to change trains a few times before you get to your destination. Some people travel about 3 hours a day.
Price
If you are travelling from one of the commuter towns, you may be paying an astronomical amount of money to get to London. Some tickets are about £25 per day. It is cheaper if you buy a monthly or annual ticket, but it may outweigh the amount you are saving on accommodation. If you do not live within walking distance from the station you will have to take a bus to get there or you will need to drive. Leaving your car at the station could cost you about £7 per day.
For instance, a season ticket from Woking to London will cost you £86 per week or £330 per month.
Finding a rental
You may have to pay a large deposit on your rental if you do not have a UK credit record, keep this in mind and discuss this with your realtor. A popular site to visit is rightmove.co.uk, you can put in the area you work and set your search parameters. Zoopla.co.uk is also useful as is openrent.co.uk where you deal directly with the landlord. These sites will also give you the energy rating and tell you in which council tax band you fall. Council tax is largely dependent on the size of your property and the area in which it is located. It can be around £200 per month.
Another informative site to visit is www.streetcheck.co.uk which provides loads of information on different areas throughout the UK including local culture, crime, nearest schools, dentists, doctors and more.
I am an ex-teacher turned part time CV writer, online educator, and blogger who moved to Ireland with my husband three years ago. We brought along 4 pets and too many books to count. After a year in Ireland we made the move to London. We love exploring new places and taking long hikes around Surrey where we live. All of which I exploit on my blog that mostly serves to amuse my mother and my best friends.
