Can you suggest affordable, not gross, living pls.

Anybody out there? Anybody?

Well if you are I am moving to London the week of June 1st and am having trouble finding a place to live. I am looking for a furnished flat (perhaps in the Meda Vale-ish area) for about 800 (pounds) a month. Everything seems to be taken or really expensive. It also feels strange renting a place I haven't even seen yet. Let me know if you have a suggestion.

Thanks

Hello,

I don't live in London (I am in the north west) so I cannot advise you on which area are more affordable in London. I just know that £800 is not much to live in London, you will probably have a tiny flat for this amount.
Did you have a look on these website ?:
http://www.ashleymilton.com/
http://www.moveflat.com/My/Maida_Vale/

I think it could be easier for you (and more affordable) if you would share a flat with other people. It will give you the time to know which areas you like and which ones you can afford.
Also I think it could be quite hard to find a flat before you are actually in London. They usually ask for references (proof of income , previous adress, etc) et they also usually will ask you for at least a month deposit (+ the first month) and you will have your deposit back when you leave the flat.
Also if you would share with other people you don't have all the bills to pay !
Here is an example of how much the bills costs:
Water: £200 /year
Council Taxes (depend in which band area you are) : +- £ 700
TV licence : £121/year
Electricity & Gas : +- $40/month
Telephone/Internet Broadband/ cable (TV) : +- £40/month

The food is quite expensive, it cost us around £70/week (2 person) when we are really careful !!

I hope this helps !!

Joanne

Maida Vale is a pretty expensive area and, as with most areas of London, is pretty mixed i.e. some bits of it are nice, others really not so nice, which could be a problem if you're arranging this rental without visiting the property.

If you need a fairly central location, you'll probably find better value south of the river e.g. Elephant & Castle, Vauxhall, Stockwell, or east London e.g. Whitechapel, though these areas may not be to everyone's taste. If you don't mind living further out, you'll definitely find cheaper prices the further out you go.

Going for a flatshare would always be cheaper too - and another advantage of sharing is you would seldom have to sign up for a minimum period, so if it didn't work out you are free to move on.

Remember also no utilities will be included in the quoted rents if you're renting a whole flat i.e. heat & light etc is payable on top of the rent. Council tax may or may not be included - you should check.

And if you have a TV - it's a criminal offence not to buy a TV licence!

I was able to find a "flat" (really just a large closet) in West Ealing for £90/week, including electricity, water and council tax.

I'd suggest looking in Loot or Gumtree.

If you're willing to share a room, you can find something in the range of $45 (if you're lucky) to $55 a week. Also, I've been told that the other large cities, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, etc, are cheaper to live in. Depends on what job you expect to get, or how long you want your Canadian dollars to last.

I live in North Wales.

Dead cheap.