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Living in London

Park Lane James

Park Lane James

Andy Sinton
Hi everyone.

In September I will be embarking on my last year of University (three year course), and the big wide world awaits thereafter. I've been in part-time employment in various guises since the age of 17, and work for my father whenever I'm back home. After my degree, I'd like to try and move out of Kent and towards a major City, ideally London. I'd rather do so straight after University, rather than find a job back where I live and potentially get stuck in my ways and never make the move. I just wanted to ask a few questions.

Has anyone been in a similar situation to mine, and would like to share their thoughts?

What basic rent would I expect to be paying (I'm looking to share with a friend of mine)?

Also, I was not sure whether to have a job secured before moving or to move there (with savings) and do some job hunting when I have accommodation all sorted? This may sound like a silly question, but it's very important.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks!
 
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Park Lane James said:
Hi everyone.

In September I will be embarking on my last year of University (three year course), and the big wide world awaits thereafter. I've been in part-time employment in various guises since the age of 17, and work for my father whenever I'm back home. After my degree, I'd like to try and move out of Kent and towards a major City, ideally London. I'd rather do so straight after University, rather than find a job back where I live and potentially get stuck in my ways and never make the move. I just wanted to ask a few questions.

Has anyone been in a similar situation to mine, and would like to share their thoughts?

What basic rent would I expect to be paying (I'm looking to share with a friend of mine)?

Also, I was not sure whether to have a job secured before moving or to move there (with savings) and do some job hunting when I have accommodation all sorted? This may sound like a silly question, but it's very important.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Many thanks!
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Honestly - any of the major cities is preferable to London.

Similar employment opps and a far better quality of life as you have far more disposable income.

I could have moved back down to London after I graduated and I never looked back.
 
Leeds Spur said:
Honestly - any of the major cities is preferable to London.

Similar employment opps and a far better quality of life as you have far more disposable income.

I could have moved back down to London after I graduated and I never looked back.
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How much more disposable income than, say, Birmingham or Manchester? I haven't looked too far into it tbh, but if you had 5% more in another City then I'd prefer to live in London.
 
For London I'd budget about £500 a month EACH for rent for somewhere in a decent location with good transport. I base that on 2 friends living in Shepherds Bush in a 2 bedroom flat, round the corner from Loftus Road. the flat isnt spectacular, but the location is brilliant.
 
I was in a similar situation to you, although I moved down to London when I was 18 for my gap year before uni, then went somewhere else for that and will be going back down as soon as I can. I understand what Leeds is saying about disposable income, because when I've worked in other places rent is so much less and it is a big difference. But I just love London. I love the 'feeling' of being part of it. I feel like everything important happens in London, that it's where all the opportunity is, that it's where all the excitement is, and I just love it. I know other cities may well have opportunity and excitement, so I'm actually wrong in what I'm thinknig, but I just have that gut feeling and I'm never truly happy unless I'm back in London. I miss the buzz otherwise and I feel like I'm missing out.

When I was 18 (4/5 years ago now) I was paying £450 a month (including bills) as part of a house-share near Finsbury Park, just up from Clissold Park. Annoyingly fairly near the Arsenal stadium but it was a good area, near Camden, quick access to Angel and Old Street/Shoreditch area, and it was a cool place to be.

I always loved the idea of getting a job in London and just living that whole life, so as soon as I finished college I started looking at things I could do while still living at home in my much more boring small town. I'd then take the train down for interviews and things like that but I soon got the job I wanted - I wasn't picky as I wanted something for the year but it was the best thing I could see open to gap-year people that wanted business experience before uni. So I was lucky in getting what I wanted. As it's your career and not simply something you're looking to do for the experience maybe you'd want to be in London first so that you can take your time in applying for the jobs that you truly want to do - I guess you wouldn't want to be stuck in a graduate position you hated. I didn't mind taking the train down a couple of times though, and I reckon as long as you scope out the jobs you are really keen on and have a good idea of what you are getting into before the interview, you may be able to save at least a months rent (minus train fare) by just living at home until you have an offer accepted.

...Although come to think of it, when I got offered that job, I only had just over a week to find somewhere to live! So it was a bit of a rush, and another journey down in order to view places, and I initially lived in a place I didn't much like (as I'd never lived in London before I didn't know the areas well, and ending up in Poplar didn't have the vibrancy I was expecting!) so I moved out of that one half way through the year. Maybe if you get somewhere sorted that you will like living in, then you can relax and find the job that's right for you, as long as you can pay the rent until you get paid.
 
Park Lane James said:
How much more disposable income than, say, Birmingham or Manchester? I haven't looked too far into it tbh, but if you had 5% more in another City then I'd prefer to live in London.
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Lol!!!

5%??

And the rest.

Think about average salary being £25k, that's £2k a month.......maybe £1600 a month net wages?

In London you'll pay DOUBLE any comparable area of Manchester, Brum or Leeds. You can get a plush city centre flat for £600-800 a month in Leeds. You're talking double that in London.......I reckon it's at least £400-500 a month cheaper to live in the regions. And the London weighting is a myth unless you worth in the public sector, and even then it's negligable.
 
For myself, I'm gonna be looking for the cheaper available properties. If I'm on a salary of 17k per annum, then I'm probably gonna be taking home about a grand per month after tax and National Insurance.

Say for an average (or below) property in a decent area of London, how much less would one be in Manchester?
 
Leeds Spur said:
Lol!!!

5%??

And the rest.

Think about average salary being £25k, that's £2k a month.......maybe £1600 a month net wages?

In London you'll pay DOUBLE any comparable area of Manchester, Brum or Leeds. You can get a plush city centre flat for £600-800 a month in Leeds. You're talking double that in London.......I reckon it's at least £400-500 a month cheaper to live in the regions. And the London weighting is a myth unless you worth in the public sector, and even then it's negligable.
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Depends what industry he's moving into Leeds, if he's going into finance, then there is no point moving anywhere apart from London and the renumeration will more than make up for the additional rent after a couple of years. Also, if you're going into media then you probably want to be Manchester or London. Stay the fudge away from the west, Bristol et al have massive employment problems at the moment.

Spot on with the 5% though... that's just London waiting that you'll receive for travel and it still won't be enough most likely! House sharing can be pretty cheap though, I have mates that have house shared around north London in places like Kensall Rise, Finsbury Park etc. and you can get some pretty good rates as long as you don't mind sharing with randoms.

Best thing James, is to go and have a weekend in a few cities you think you might be interested in and see if you actually like them. Nothing worse than committing your future to a place and finding out you don't like it!
 
Park Lane James said:
For myself, I'm gonna be looking for the cheaper available properties. If I'm on a salary of 17k per annum, then I'm probably gonna be taking home about a grand per month after tax and National Insurance.

Say for an average (or below) property in a decent area of London, how much less would one be in Manchester?
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I'll just demonstrate.

Shepherds Bush - http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-33868609.html

Chapel Allerton in Leeds, (very nice young professional area) - http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property...letType=&letFurnishType=&houseFlatShare=false

Take your pick!!!

This one is in Chorlton.......young professional/student area of Manchester......literally hundreds more!!

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-32865796.html

Bsically in London you'll live in a shoebox and have fudge all money.

In Manchester or Leeds you'll have a NICE 2 bedroom flat and £2-300 a month cash in your pocket. And if you share with a mate even more.

I love London as much as anyone but personally speaking it's a rich mans city. If you earn £50k+ then fine, otherwise forget about it.

There is a reason they are struggling to recruit key workers in London, the quality of life and pay are too low.
 
WookieD said:
Depends what industry he's moving into Leeds, if he's going into finance, then there is no point moving anywhere apart from London and the renumeration will more than make up for the additional rent after a couple of years. Also, if you're going into media then you probably want to be Manchester or London. Stay the fudge away from the west, Bristol et al have massive employment problems at the moment.

Spot on with the 5% though... that's just London waiting that you'll receive for travel and it still won't be enough most likely! House sharing can be pretty cheap though, I have mates that have house shared around north London in places like Kensall Rise, Finsbury Park etc. and you can get some pretty good rates as long as you don't mind sharing with randoms.

Best thing James, is to go and have a weekend in a few cities you think you might be interested in and see if you actually like them. Nothing worse than committing your future to a place and finding out you don't like it!
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I think the 120,000 people who work in finance in Leeds would disagree fella! :) If you mean trading then fair enough.....but there are about 2000 of those in the City........

As you say, cities have their strengths. Leeds is the biggest city outside London for legal and financial services, Manchester is big in these areas as well a Brum but Manchester leads for media. Manufacturing is big in Brum and Leeds........pharma is big in the north west.

Unemployment across London is currently 8.9%.........higher than Manchester, Leeds or Birmingham. The vast majority of students in northern cities stay after they graduate for a reason.

But obviously London is a brilliant global city......all things being equal I would live there, but I could never have what I have here in Leeds in London.
 
WookieD said:
Best thing James, is to go and have a weekend in a few cities you think you might be interested in and see if you actually like them. Nothing worse than committing your future to a place and finding out you don't like it!
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That's a great idea actually. I'm looking to visit Brighton this summer, and might have to look at Manchester and Birmingham in the future to see whether they are viable options. The latter two I have visited before, but only in passing when going to see Spurs.
 
Park Lane James said:
Dan, what other areas of Manchester would you recommend? Over the next week I'd like to do some calculations and budgeting.
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Didsbury and Fallowfield?

I'm not massively up on Manchester to be honest.......others peeps might know better?

Get yourself up to Leeds mate.......i'll show you around.
 
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