uk2006

I'm planning on moving to the London area around October 2005 and would like to know about flat-sharing. I will be moving to London alone and would it be awkward to begin flat-sharing with people I just met. What is the cost for mobile phones service in the UK? I'm from the United States and would living in London be a positive experience for me? Thanks for your help.

carakombol

Well one good place to look is loot.com also craiglist.com (click on 'london') can be good - try this website as well. Mobile phones are cheap, and you usually don't have a service, you buy 'top up' cards and pay as you go. At least some people do - I did. I think this is probably the cheapest way to go - correct me it if I'm wrong. Bottom line is that London will swallow your money in one gulp, so come prepared. I spent an ungodly amount of money there (I'm back in the states now) - for example, for a days pass on the tube your looking at around $8 - sometimes more (ie rush hour). Buses are usually one pound fifty if I remember correctly (or 1 pound i don't recall), and this is much better, but London is so massive that just to get from one burrow to the next on the bus can take you an hour. Who has time for that? AND the tube shuts down so early, that at night I often had a 3 bus transfer/2 hour journey home to lovely Tottenham (NE London). However in reference to the money, I was able to get a 'job' tutoring a little girl, and the pound being so strong, I made a lot of money - $20 an hour and I could have asked for more but chose not to.

Hope that helps!

One more thing is that it can be a little hard to make friends in London, unless your particularly vivacious or have friends there already so flatsharing might be a good way to get your foot in the door and have someone to go have a pint with every now and again and meet more people.

OH! Also they have student monthly tube passes that are good deals if that applies to you I don't remember what they're called thought - some funny name.

So lastly, when you think about London, think about what you pay a month here, and at least DOUBLE that - if you've got that sort'a dough, go for it!

Cara

Wanderlust

It might also be a really good idea to put this question in the 'Moving back to the UK forum'

W.

carakombol

oh didn't I? I'm new to this forum, I thought that's where my reply would have gone since her message was in that forum!

Cara

ABCDiamond

Don't panic The last time I looked, I would swear that this thread (or a very similar one) was in the moving back to UK forum !! But its now in the Australia forum.

Someone is playing with our minds

Wave the Sails

Gosh this takes me back to my flatsharing days - yikes.

I used to advertise my rooms in loot.com - best place! More upmarket ones will also be in the Evening Standard and Sunday Times. These are less popular though as you have to pay to advertise in them.

HTH

MrsMangle

I can understand that the prospect of sharing with strangers is pretty scary - but it is also a good way to meet people in a new city! Just insist you meet anyone who shares the house first, trust your instincts and go for a place where you can lock your own room! If you have a job to go to, or pals already in London, its really worth asking if they know anyone who is looking for a housemate/renting a room!