Rent, deposits, electricity bills, commuting – all of those things are important elements of planning out a relocation budget. But here’s the thing with them – they are predictable.

You know that you’ll need your home nicely heated, lit and furnished, you know you’ll need your lifters, the fridge filled with food, the internet as well as many other things that make up your daily routine. Calculating them into your budget is as simple as adding two and two together. Heck, a simple google search will tell you all you need to know about the cost of living in London.

But then there are the unexpected expenses that come out of nowhere to chip down your unprepared bank account quid by quid. But what can you do other than sucking it up? You can’t predict the unexpected…

Or can you?

Well, the least you can do is try, right?

You’ll need a doctor

Let’s all be serious here. You will need a doctor within the first couple of weeks of you living in London. And no, it’s not because of the ecology, or not even because you’ll be picking fights with people over a seat in a Tube wagon. You’ll need a doctor because a relocation – any relocation – is a direct jab at your immune system.

The environment, the weather and even the germs that adapted to the area are different from the ones you’ve experienced at home for the entirety of your life. Sure, these risks are not even remotely close to a serious threat, but a really bad case of flue is more than likely even in summer. Sadly, all that you can do is stack up on some meds in advance. Even then, you’ll probably have to pay a visit to your friendly neighborhood practitioner.

The fashion dilemma

Ok, this one is tricky because you might think that you are fine with your wardrobe choices (and you probably are at this point in time), but trust me on this one – you’ll need some new clothes as soon as you move in. There are three primary reasons reassuring me in my certainty on the matter:

• The local weather. It’s not so much that it’s either too cold or too hot in London, but rather the fact that it’s not that is frightening. Our weather is as bizarre in its unpredictability as a teen girl choosing which she likes more: the new edgy Goth band or the My Little Pony series. You can’t be prepared to it before you’ve felt the bite of the Albion’s winds on your neck during an otherwise sunny afternoon.
• The local fashion. British people have an established taste when it comes to clothes. Our fashion choices are as practical as they are inspiring hence, despite wanting to, we usually judge a book by its coat color. That being said, our fashion sense is on point thus it raises a natural desire to blend into the new party of “cool kids”.
• Your body changes. Life in London comes with a very specific lifestyle. With all the commuting going around you’ll probably be walking on your two much more than you ever did in your life. The food portions are also much smaller here than in the US or in many other countries. Add a pinch of relocation stress into the mix and you’ll end up with a weight loss cocktail unlike any other. The clothes you are used to simply won’t feel as comfortable on your new Smoke bod.

The needs of many

You know how the old saying goes, “A place is only as good as the people you know in it. It’s the people that make the place.” Nowhere in the world is it as true as in our beloved, community-bonded capital.

Your new friends, co-workers, and neighbors will be more than happy to welcome you into a new, fascinating circle of meetups, hangouts, barbeques, etc. In simpler words, you will be going out a lot.

Given that a pint of beer or a glass of wine starts at 5 pounds at a decent pub, all of the amazing nights out filled with joy and unforgettable emotion will inevitably make a dent in your bank account.

New opportunities

London is one of those places where the opportunities for growth are limitless. You can join one of the many available gyms, study foreign languages with native speakers from all over the world, educate yourself on everything from nuclear physics to all things pottery and all of that without even leaving your area. It would be a shame to miss out on these amazing chances that life is giving you.

Alas, like any other worthwhile thing, these kinds of “classes” are relatively expensive. Be prepared to cough up some serious quid for seeing the new and improved version of you in the mirror.

Thankfully, you of all people, are definitely worth the investment!