HOW TO FIND A PLACE IN LONDON?

there are so many houses, rooms and student accommodation available for rent in london. however finding a right one could be a very time-consuming and stressful experience. there are plenty of things to consider, such as location and affordability, and even when you found the right combination of the two, the condition of the place may not be as good as it was described in the ad, or it may get taken buy another person even before you managed to arrange a viewing.. very disappointing!

a step-by-step guide to getting a new home

1. find the area that is suitabe for you
   london is such a big city and i am shure you  don't want to spend hours and hours on the public transport every day. this is why it is important to make sure that your new home is not located too far from your key points of interests, such as work, uni, or your mates place.
   and, of course, it could have been just as easy as that if there was no financial question involved. as a general rule - the closer to the centre, the more expensive the house will be. If you, however want to live somewhere not farther than zone 2-3 and your pocket is not infinite, you are most likely to settle in some of the worst areas in east or south london. more information on the average pricing of your area of interest can be found here.
   
2. where to start the search four your new home
   if you do know the area in which you are planning to live you can try going to the local estate agencies or visit some of them online (e.g. dexters.co.uk or foxtons.co.uk). one of the biggest online resources for private and agency ads in london is gumtree.com. there you can find any type of property in any area of london. beware though, there are plenty of "fake" ads put on by the agencies in order to attract more customers. so if you see things like the same description for different properties and they all look fantastic and the price is very law, the most likely response you will hear after calling the number provided will be "sorry mate, this place have just been taken, but i have another one nearby, do you want to arrange a viewing for that?".
   
3. arranging a viewing
   when you found something that is suitable and affordable, you have to call the landlord straightaway. finding a nice room or house can be a very competitive activity, some places go literally after five minutes since the ad has been posted. try to arrange a viewing as early as possible to avoid the situation when you come to the viewing and before you even got let in to the property you hear that it's not for rent anymore. during the viewing ask as many questions as possible about the house, the area, flatmates etc. to avoid fraud you also need to make sure that the person who is showing you the property is the owner of the place or the agent representing the owner
   
4. signing a contract and moving in
   usually you will be asked the contract and possibly a part of the deposit (deposit amounts range from one to six weeks couple before you move to the property. make sure that everything is legit and check whether the condition of the property and the items as it stated in the contract is the same as it is in reality. you will probably be asked to pay the rest of your deposit and a few weeks, or most likely a month of the rent in advance on the date of moving in.

how to avoid fraud:

• make sure that the person who is showing you the property is the owner of the place or the agent representing the owner. you can just ask them to show you relevant papers.
• NEVER send any money via western union or give anything in cash before you signed the contract
• do not reply on ads that offer free accommodation

with the deposits and a month of rent payed in advance you get the understanding that moving into the new place is not cheap at all. be ready to have at least £1000 if you want it all to go smooth. alternatively, it may help having some friends already living in london. in that case you can do some sofa-surfing. you can get an idea of that by reading this blog.