Moving to London can be one of the most exciting things you’ll ever do. It is a chance to live in one of the biggest cities in Europe as well as one of the most cosmopolitan, and you’ll have the opportunity to meet interesting people and revel in the sights and sounds of everything that is English. If you are moving to London for work then the chances are that your employer will provide you with accommodation, but if you are looking for that perfect London rental on your own, then you need to know all about how to rent an apartment or house in London.
There are two main types of rental properties available in London:
- Private Rentals: You can rent a property directly from the landlord or owner of the property, which is a private rental. The advantage is that you will not have to pay an agency fee, but the disadvantage is that there is no intermediary available to help if something should go awry.
- Letting Agents: You can use the services of a letting agent or rental agent. This does have the advantage of having less of a risk, but if you have recently moved to London you may not have all of the paperwork that is needed to use one of the many letting agents. You should also be careful when using a letting agent to use one of the most reputable agents.
The price of property for rent in London varies considerably depending on the area that you choose to live in. In the most fashionable areas space is at a premium and the prices are extremely high. You will have to weigh up all of your considerations before choosing an area and starting your search. The factors that you will have to consider are the proximity of your home to your work. While you may not be able to afford to stay close to the city and the heart of the business world, you will want to choose a London rental that is close to a major transport route so that you can commute to work easily.
The price of rental apartments drops considerably as you move out of the centre of the city, but make sure that you are close to amenities so you don’t have to walk for miles to get something simple like bread and milk. If you have children, then schooling is another consideration. Schools are zoned by area so you have to live in the area to enable your children to attend a local school. Many areas that have excellent schools have property that is higher in price.
If you are moving to London one of the best things you can do is to find one of the professional relocation services that will be able to take care of the details of your move and will advise you on the areas that you should live in and will be able to have you moved in a couple of days after arriving.