Rosemary

My Spanish teacher has managed to gain one years work teaching Spanish in London starting in September. Her husband and two children will be going with her so she is in urgent need of accommodation so if any one can recommend reliable letting agents she would be grateful. Places that she has mentioned is Twickenham and Harrow but I do not think that she has full details as yet. She is thinking about doing a house exchange but the likelihood of her finding an exchange in the right area is slim.

Rosemary

Domino

where in London Rosemary ??
what restrictions vis a vis schools and travel ??

I met a lady who works at the Granada INSS who spent a couple of years in Wimbledon and would really like to go back there but not sure what her situation was at the time.

Rosemary

Those are the only places that she has mentioned at the moment. She has not told me what she is doing about her two childrens schooling. I think that although she only has about 6 weeks in which to sort things the powers that be are not giving her all of the information at the moment. I have repeatedly told her that housing is expensive in London but she is so eager to go that she is not really listening.

Rosemary

Domino

Yes, I saw the 2 places but wondered if it was for another reason - friends/relatives. ?
And they aren't exactly next to each other

Would assume Knight Frank is a company to start with, but they may prove to be expensive - but it would give her somewhere to get started and start some open ended planning.
Presumably she will be taking a weekend over there before the contract starts

the most important things IMO are kids schooling and travel to/from work. the OH can sort himself out after that

Rosemary

I do not think that she is thinking straight about it. Here she has a permanent teaching post, her husband only works in her mothers orange groves so is available for child care, her mother does much of the child care and most of the cooking. If she takes the post her children will go with her in September, her husband cannot go until January so I wonder how she will manage in a strange place with all the additional responsibilities.

Rosemary

jackytoo

Tell her to look at www.forolondres.com

Loads of info' for Spaniards moving there.

Link to "habitaciones and pisos

http://www.forolondres.com/foro/forumdisplay.php?f=6

Domino

my BH managed when she came to Granada without a single word of Spanish, left me behind with the dog.
but no kids to worry about though.
managed to move twice although she had help from SP workmates with all sorts of things
perhaps that is an answer ?

and can she get her permie job back again after the year ends ??

Rosemary

Latest news is that her permanent post is safe, she will get really good money and that her mother is going to go with her until her husband can join her in January.

She is still hoping for a house exchange in Wimbledon or Putney rather than renting but I believe that the chances of her finding someone who would want to come to our little town is remote.

Rosemary

cricketman

Hmm very unlikely. I used to live in Putney. An expensive area. 2-3 bed flats are between 1500-2500 pounds per month, which will eat up all her teacher's salary

Houses are even more expensive. Wimbledon and Twickenham are not much better

1 teacher's salary to bring up a whole family in London is slightly crazy, unless she goes and lives somewhere horrible and far away from the school. She would be better off teaching somewhere in the North where living costs are so much cheaper

EMR

Rents and London rents were discussed in BBC news this week, 50% of salary was not an untypical figure.
Even here in the SW in Somerset a Ibed flat on the seafront will cost £650month.
A London position should have a London weighting with it to in part compensate for the high housing costs.
Twickenham and Harrow definetly high rent areas very popular with Twickers also gaining from the Heathrow effect.