Ozone Recruitment really does know what it’s like to come to the UK to live and work because we’ve been there, done it and bought the T-shirt. So here is a quick guide to the sort of things you’ll need to consider…
Most, but by no means all visitors to the UK tend to start off by living in London. If you’ve never been there before, London is one the largest and most exciting cities in the world. To give it some kind of perspective, the M25 runs around it and at 118 miles (190 km) long, the M25 is the longest, and probably the most congested, ring road in the world.
This means two things. Firstly, it allows Londoners to moan about something other than the weather and commuting in general and secondly it means that London is so big that each borough (suburb or neighbourhood) is perhaps better thought of as a town in its own right.
Wherever you chose to live in London, public transport will be your main way of getting around. Fortunately, London is really well serviced with trains, underground and buses. The cost of renting a house or flat varies across London and although this may not be your first choice, the larger the number of people in the house the lower the rent. As a rule, the further out you are from the centre, the cheaper accommodation is likely to be.
Although this may seem daunting it means living in London doesn’t have to feel like living in a city. Each London Borough, and there are 33 of them, has a different vibe, lifestyle and price, so deciding where you want to live can be quite a decision. To help you, here are some suggestions: -
South West London is popular with Aussie, Kiwi and South African travellers and places such as Clapham, Putney and Barnes are vibrant and still relatively inexpensive although this is changing. Wimbledon is a great place to live and not just for the tennis. It has a village feel, lots of pubs and shops and green areas. Prices are relatively affordable but on the rise.
West London is famous for Earls Court and is cheaper than central London but the prices are going up as more and more Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans are moving to Shepherd's Bush, Hammersmith and further out toward Ealing.
North West London has become very trendy over the last few years but affordable shared accommodation can still be found in places like Paddington and Bayswater. Notting Hill is expensive but while perhaps not as attractive, they are many other equally convenient, affordable and popular areas.
North London can be a short bus or tube ride to the city, and is convenient and trendy. Islington in particular is a great place to live if your budget will allow it. Camden, with its artistic and alternative influence and large market district is an exciting place to live. Prices can be more reasonable than Islington, and still with great transportation links. Finsbury Park is cheaper and a very much alive.
East London and Docklands has lots of new housing developments and restaurants. Accommodation is very reasonable here and transport links are pretty good too. In 2012 the Olympic games will be held here so you can be pretty sure the prices will soon start to rise!
South East and South London are generally not as popular with travellers mainly due to the transport links. The tube doesn’t generally go there (although the over ground train system does) and try getting a London taxi driver to take you ‘south of the river’ after midnight! Nevertheless there are some great places to live in south London including Greenwich and Blackheath, Brixton/Peckham and parts of Croydon. And Bromley and Bexley are so rural they even boast some farms!
In reality though, most of London is easily accessible to the city so looking farther a field is sometimes a smart and budget-wise decision. Check out the London underground map on our links and if you would like impartial advice on where to live, please let Ozone Recruitment know and we’ll do our best to help you.