Relocating? ... All About Housing, Rentals, Apartments & Roomates

[StellaMare]

I'd like to get in touch with someone who has relocated or is planning on relocating to London
It looks like I'll be moving there next year, to pursue work in the fashion magazine field, and I need all the tips I could get..

[gius]

that's perfect, thanks! nylonbits
is there any areas i should watch out for ?
like areas that are not very well-liked.. seedy, dirty, dark, industrial areas...
we have those in vancouver, so i'm assuming it's the same there
i'll be visiting centre de textiles contemporains

Originally Posted by nylonbits

your best bet for montreal would probably be craigslist or classifieds on the mcgill university website http://www.mcgill.ca/classified/
a lot of students sublet their places for the summer!~ hope that helps

and for toronto i would say check out the classified ads or student housing pages for the universities/colleges in toronto

[shoegal87]

I found a studio in london near russell square for 453p a week. Me and my bf are planning to stay for 6 to 8 weeks so we'll share the rent.I've looked up gumtree but there's nothing better and most of the university residence halls are already booked!
What do you think?

[xjessiex]

Hmm, I wish I could move to NYC. But unfortunately that's almost impossible, unless you find a job there before moving Why must it be so difficult for Europeans to move to the US!

[dorien]

ok, so i got back and found a couple of spots i could definitely see myself in.
life is different than what i'm used to, but i can deal with.
plus my job offer just fell through in Tokyo...so yeah.
it's damn near impossible to get a visa/job for Japan, as they are both intertwined.
i now will be making the jump to NYC, probably by the end of this month.
just trying to get some cash together before i make the move.

i'm trying to hit 15K to pull me through the first couple of months, which will probably be the hardest, while i get adjusted. plus i don't have a rich family to fall back on, so it will be all me.

I also need to get a job, or two for that matter.


anyone making the move soon?
i'm kind of nervous....

[chloegirl]

Originally Posted by dorien

ok, so i got back and found a couple of spots i could definitely see myself in.
life is different than what i'm used to, but i can deal with.
plus my job offer just fell through in Tokyo...so yeah.
it's damn near impossible to get a visa/job for Japan, as they are both intertwined.
i now will be making the jump to NYC, probably by the end of this month.
just trying to get some cash together before i make the move.

i'm trying to hit 15K to pull me through the first couple of months, which will probably be the hardest, while i get adjusted. plus i don't have a rich family to fall back on, so it will be all me.

I also need to get a job, or two for that matter.


anyone making the move soon?
i'm kind of nervous....

dorien i'm not making a move just yet but hope to in the near future! much like yourself i need to save up before i can do so.

it's normal to be nervous, that feeling of the unknown can be terribly overwhelming and nerve wracking! but it seems to me that you've thought it through and new york is where you need to be! its that gut feeling, something you can't explain it but you just know. it may be a hard adjustment for the first little while but every day is a new day. there's lots of jobs out there, you just have to know where to look.

all i can suggest is going to new york with an open mind and no expectations. (expectations = disappointment) enjoy the experience + expect the unexpected and just go with it!

all the best and good luck with your move!

[dorien]

thank for the support chloegirl

but what worries me is the current state of our economy, (US wise)
and the potential pitfalls that might come with making the move at this current state of our economic crises.

i might get a job and then a few months later they cut my hours/pay or even worse, get laid off.

i also worry about my parents, and their ability to maintain themselves above water per se. they make ends meet, but if one of them were to be fired, (my dad is a tailor and my mom takes care of two kids for this rich family and both have taken pay cuts recently) i doubt they can pull themselves together. plus my younger/only sister is in college right now, and i'm paying for it.

so each time somethings breaks down or an unforeseen debt comes up, i pay for it. that been said, i doubt i can stretch my finances as well being in another city and having my own financial woes to worry about. plus, if i'm going to try and make it in the fashion industry, (magazines in particular, hence me moving to NYC) I will more than likely have to work myself up...so my first year or two will be me doing grunt work. so...yeah. a lot to think about.

but i'll probably see you up there.

ciao

[superbeautiful]

I'm going to FIT this fall and my only choice for now is student housing, and student housing at it's cheapest. It isn't too bad though. The dorm i'm applying for is right across FIT and it's around $8,000 to $9,000 for a whole school year. It's not the most luxiourios place but at least it's a living space where I can sleep and shower.

Sometimes you have to sacrifice comfort for fashion. This time it's not shoes, it's housing. Haha.

[Meg]

good luck Dorien. Like I said before, my best suggestion is temping. It gets you cash asap as you are normally paid on a weekly basis, helps you meet people and also gives you flexibility to go for interviews/job hunt. Life is full of unexpected surprises but you can't live life in fear of them. Go for it!

shoegal - to me that is a HIGH rent. I would never pay that much for a studio to be honest. London does have some reasonable housing, you just need to search it out. That said, since you are doing a short let, obviously the prices are going to be higher. I paid 700 pounds per month to live with two others in Marylebone which I would say is as good or better neighbourhood than bloomsbury. Then I moved to SE London and paid like 217pounds a month for a teeny tiny room and eventually moved to a bigger room in the house for 325 a month, but that was cheap. Anyway gumtree I agree is useless. There are better sites like moveflat.com which is my fav. and has real English people on it unlike gumtree. Some local areas also have their own forums which have lettings on them posted by locals.

[shoegal87]

meg, thanks!
Yes gumtree is totally useless, I'll look up moveflat (thanks for suggesting!) but i haven't found anything less than 220-250 pounds a week for a studio so far ;(

[Eiko Konuma]

Originally Posted by dorien

thank for the support chloegirl

but what worries me is the current state of our economy, (US wise)
and the potential pitfalls that might come with making the move at this current state of our economic crises.

i might get a job and then a few months later they cut my hours/pay or even worse, get laid off.

i also worry about my parents, and their ability to maintain themselves above water per se. they make ends meet, but if one of them were to be fired, (my dad is a tailor and my mom takes care of two kids for this rich family and both have taken pay cuts recently) i doubt they can pull themselves together. plus my younger/only sister is in college right now, and i'm paying for it.

so each time somethings breaks down or an unforeseen debt comes up, i pay for it. that been said, i doubt i can stretch my finances as well being in another city and having my own financial woes to worry about. plus, if i'm going to try and make it in the fashion industry, (magazines in particular, hence me moving to NYC) I will more than likely have to work myself up...so my first year or two will be me doing grunt work. so...yeah. a lot to think about.

but i'll probably see you up there.

ciao

dorien, i completely understand what you're going through right now. i'm currently debating a move to nyc for school, and i too will be entirely self-funded, not to mention worried about the us economy and my parents income, etc., so i can empathize.

just wanted to say good luck, and i hope you find that silver lining soon since you'll be facing an upcoming huge decision. i guess my advice to you would be to try and land a magazine gig before you make the move outside of the industry. i've heard that it's sometimes easier to work outside of the fashion industry first, then move to fashion mags once you've established your resume. hope that helps and best of luck!!

[Meg]

well goodluck shoegal. 250 pounds/week is still better than 450! The further you move out of course, the cheaper it gets. Don't be afraid of not being in central london. There are so many absolutely stunning areas of London which aren't central, have great pubs, excellent access, plus you don't have to deal with annoying tourists as soon as you step out the front door!

[StellaMare]

Meg: Do you know where one could find info about the nice, lesser known, areas of London that you speak of? I'm moving next year and I am looking into living somewhere less central but still convenient and safe. But then, maybe paying for transport would make it as expensive as living in zone 1..

[shoegal87]

Originally Posted by Meg

well goodluck shoegal. 250 pounds/week is still better than 450! The further you move out of course, the cheaper it gets. Don't be afraid of not being in central london. There are so many absolutely stunning areas of London which aren't central, have great pubs, excellent access, plus you don't have to deal with annoying tourists as soon as you step out the front door!

thanks meg! actually it's still 250 pounds each -.- because i need a studio with a kitchen and all the utensils already there.
Private owners that rent studios usually require at least a 6 months rent and we're only staying 8 weeks so Im looking at places like unite that offer student accomodation.
The cheapest that i found is in ANGEL (http://www.studius.com/) 175pw each. how's the neighborhood?what areas do you suggest??
thanks for your help!

[.:sprigged:.]

^ Angel is quite nice! And £175 is pretty good IMO.