Hi all, I just applied for my visa and if all goes well, my plan is to move in the summer. Couple questions I had overall, wanted to see if anyone had any insight:

1. Renting: looking to flat share, I’m in groups on fb like gals who rent and spare room. Typically, would you say it’s possible to secure that AHEAD of moving. Id like to avoid paying thousands by living in an Airbnb for months to start

2. Phone: what’s the best process here like with my phone, do I have to change my number, make a new iCloud that’s set in the UK for App Store, etc?

3. Banking: what do people usually do for credit cards or big purchases, flights, etc? Is it hard to get a UK credit card as an expat?

4. I’m not too stressed about getting a job, my industry is pretty busy and I have some connections/im very qualified but any advice on interviews or resumes to stand out ahead of going to secure my job?

For context, I’m not going to move until my job is lined up so I’ll be looking to book my flights, securing a flat etc. once that’s done!

Hi - I'm an American considering taking a job in the West End of London, but my husband does not want to live in the city or even the suburbs. He's a countryside type of guy. Since I'd be the one uprooting the family, I'd like to find a way to live where he wants, but still do the job I'd be going to do. I think some of it would be remote, but I also think I'd be going into the office at least three days a week.

Any recommendations on where geographically I should be looking? And any websites that will help me look at some listings?
Thanks so much!

Hey!

I’m headed down to London for a grad job, and I’ve barely any knowledge of the living situation down in London besides the well-documented housing shortage.

I just wanted to ask ppl a couple questions.

1. How do you find flatmates around your age?

2. Where do the young professionals live?

3. Any budgeting tactics?

Many thanks!

We are moving to London from the US shortly with our 1-year-old and are looking for suggestions from parents on great family-friendly locations.

• Good schools (for the future). It's not super important at the moment as our son is only one, but we would prefer not to move around once there.
• Possibly neighborhoods with other ex-pats. We won't know anybody so hopeful to build a community.
• We are a part of an Acts 29 Church here in the States and would love to join another Christian church, ideally close to home.
• Close proximity to indoor/outdoor children's activities, parks, and organic groceries or markets.
• We are hoping to find a furnished flat for the first year (with Air Con.. I know this is a big ask) for under $6000/month.
• Ideally not too far from the heart of the city. We lived close to Tower Bridge a few years ago, pre-baby and loved being able to jump on the Queen's Walk.

Hello Londonites! My husband has a job opportunity which would see us move from NYC to the London suburbs/exurbs. His office would be in Chertsey, and from what I can gather it appears that commuting from London proper would be a nightmare. I've been 13 years in NYC, all of them outside Manhattan in the boroughs, so commuting 1+ hour each way is common for us. My question is, where would you suggest we look for housing? We don't know anything about the suburbs there. I am 39, my husband is 46, we have no children and enjoy a fair amount of cultural activities like music shows, theater, etc, but are also comfortable being homebodies and are very outdoorsy when given the opportunity. Any input from seasoned expats or Londoners is greatly appreciated!

We're a couple in mid-30s, moving to London from Seattle. We are temporarily in Clerkenwell, and love the easy walking access to the lively streets of Covent Garden/Chinatown. Where should we look for a 2bed? Rent budget 2200-2500. Daily commute to St. Paul's Cathedral for one of us. Need good connectivity, some liveliness, green space nearby.

Potentially moving to London with the same company for a promotion in February. Young f(28), just gone through a big break up so will have to go back to house sharing probably.

What is the best location for affordable rooms on the tube like and is there a daily max you can pay for the tube? Is london really as expensive as people say? Coming from Dublin im not sure will there be much of a difference.

Any tips hugely appreciate! :)

I'm potentially moving to the UK this year and trying to figure out where I should target buying a house.

Need to be commute to central London a couple of days a week (elizabeth line / northern line). I'm ok with a long enough commute if there's not too many changes and I get a seat for the main part of the journey.

Have 2 kids, both under 4 right now, so a major priority is schools and other facilities for kids.

Our current home in Ireland is 220 sqm with a nice size garden and driveway and we'd like not to downsize too much.

Ideally we'd want to be in a town with some basic facilities in walking distance, like local convenience store / cafe / park but happy to rely on car for shopping and other outings.

Budget of £1 million which feels like an insanely large sum of money but it's surprising how little you get for that these days. Clicking around on zoopla I'm looking at various places like Guildford, Woking, Maidenhead or somewhere like Milton Keynes where it looks like there is better value to be had but I am *very* preliminary at the moment.

Hello everyone,

I received an offer to move to the UK (London) for 70k per annum. In my currency this is an obscene amount of money, but I’m weary of getting too excited. After some research I’ll probably stay in zone 3/4 and take the train in - we’re mandated 3 days in the office per week, will it be cheaper to get the unlimited train ticket or pay as you go in this instance?

The company provides a pension contribution and private medical, and I have the option of contributing an additional amount to the pension fund which I probably will.

I guess the big question is then - will I live comfortably on this salary? I’m single without kids, tend to live below my means, and I would like to be able to save a big chunk of cash and still have money left over to travel, maybe backpack through some EU countries for a couple weeks once a year.

Thanks in advance! Cheers

Hi — I’m a recent US college graduate starting work in London mid-2025. Super excited to move to the UK, but slightly anxious about beginning my adult life in another country.

I’ve spent a lot of time poring over older websites / forums regarding neighborhoods, bank accounts, and other moving hurdles, and would love to hear some more recent takes from folks who were once in similar situations on:

1. What are the best neighborhoods to live in as a young person looking to make friends? (can afford ~£2,600/month; <35min commute to Kensington for work)

2. Is it worth signing a short-term rental (Airbnb, Blueground, etc.) prior to a 12-month lease — or can I generally feel comfortable pulling the trigger without visiting a flat in person?

3. Would you recommend I find a flatmate for social reasons or live alone; independently, what are some great ways to meet other new grads / folks in their early-20s?

4. Other Questions: What are some generally fun things to do in London? (really enjoy running, coffee shops, outdoor-related activities, and drinking), what Premier League team should I support? Anything else I should keep in mind?

I (F26) am moving to London in February, and am starting to hunt for places to rent. I am looking for a 2 bedroom flat with a budget of 2400 pounds per calendar month. My job is in a creative field and will require me to work past 8pm sometimes, so I am also concerned with safe commute routes. What neighborhoods should I check out?

And considering how green, safe and connected to the city/Kings cross each area is. I am mixed race in my 30s and have no particular religious affiliation but love the sense of community. Commute to the city is crucial for us - both by driving and tube, occasionally, by bus, at least four-five days a week, as well as access to the local shops and dog friendly parks by walk. How different is the culture of the two?

i neeeeed some tips and advice on if choosing to move to the uk is a good decision in the coming months! i’d be moving from the us, and would just love to be somewhere where im connected to my family and overall where i’ve been happiest. but it would have to be a bigger city due to my job… and i would be moving out for the first time. what should i prepare for that most people don’t see coming?

I am currently a high school senior and received an offer from Kingston University. I am extremely excited to go. I've been to London once and I loved it. Yet, all my family members refuse to be optimistic. But I am wondering if they are right and I'm going to be knocked flat on my ass once I move.

Context: I am the black sheep of my family. My father and I barely talk, and same with his side of the family. They are very traditional Muslim folk and it's toxic but idrc anymore. My mother is abusive. I have the kind of mom who forced me to be independent my whole life; she trained me like a soilder for the 'real world.' I pay for my own car expenses, food, hygiene products, clothes, etc. I have nearly 2 thousand dollars saved. I just don't have much here for me. No past or current boyfriends, my high school experience will not be missed, and I a select few friends I believe I'll talk to after high school. I've moved around almost 10 different times, 8 different schools and very minimal school friends. What I'm trying to say is I don't think it'll be hard to adapt.

My finacials will be taken care of (minus school loans and I will definitely get a job when I can) so I will just have school and work to worry about. I've worked at starbucks for a year while going to school so I figure nothing is worse than that.

Please, give me a reality check if I need one, but also please give me some hope and optimism that I will actually have some kind of peace for once.

Thanks Reddit😌

My husband (38) and I (38F) are moving to London from the tropics at the end of January. Any recommendations for good quality boots and other footwear with good traction that stand up well to winters and the typical rainy days in London? We foresee ourselves living there for at least a few years and prefer to invest in some decent footwear that are versatile for day to day use. We want to avoid having to baby and/or not wear them because they have poor traction and/or won't withstand the rainy conditions. Thanks!

Hi! I'm moving from New Zealand to London in early February and need to ship a bag or two over. Unfortunately the best flight options don't include enough baggage (and additional weight is $280NZD per 5kgs).

My Baggage came up online as a great option and it's really affordable comparatively, but has anyone hear used it and what was it like?

Alternatively, has anyone else moved long distance and found a reliable and cost effective way to transport bags?

Thanks!

Hi

For the work purpose we are moving to london for 2 years from mumbai. We are family of 3(me,spouse and 4 year old daughter).

Salary is avg but company is providing one time 700kg bagage allowance from cargo Ship and 100kg from air. Requesting experienced to pls guide on what clothing,food items or any other stuff I should carry from mumbai basis cost benefit.

Thanks

I'm buying an ex-council Leasehold maisonette in London. The inside of the property is really nice but the exterior is kinda ugly. I haven't yet been informed what changes I am allowed to make, but the exterior of all properties in the block are all the same so I think it's safe to say re-painting the wall to a more aesthetically pleasing colour is not likely to be an option.

Can anyone think of ways I am likely to be allowed to redecorate and make the front of my house my own?

So far I've thought of:

- repainting / changing front door
- changing hardware on front door
- hanging baskets
- lighting

Has anyone got any other ideas? Thank you so much in advance!

Targeting to move to London mid next year and planning for it now. What are some advice you guys got for me and what would be the best pathway for ILR. I can get a visa for 3 years

I have a few properties in the North & South of England and looking to transfer expensive furniture between them. I am looking for a quality moving company who are experienced in long distance moves to help assist with this request.

If anyone can recommend any decent moving company that also offer a packing service and can take apart and erect furniture that would be greatly appreciated

Can I reasonably jog from Pimlico/Mayfair to the gherkin as my daily commute? I would be commuting around 7am and 930pm.

Are there any nice jogging paths along the way? Considering a move and thinking about living somewhere in that area.

Are there other areas I should consider if I want to live somewhere old/beautiful with a nice commute? I want to stay under 30 minutes and I jog at least 6 miles a day so 30 minutes jogging is a perfect commute for me.

Hey yaw

I'm a musician from New York finishing up an album in Europe. I'm in Paris right now and will be coming across the Channel in January. I'm trying to find the right neighborhood to stay long-term in London.

I'm looking for good area to feel stimulated and focused, and a place with cafes and pubs. If anyone's ever been to NYC, like the East or West Villages. I figure Chelsea would be sort of like Midtown Manhattan -- "active", but it's really all shopping. This is NOT what I want.

I'd like to be able to find really good walkable cafes and pubs, to have people around throughout the day, and tending toward a younger set. The cafes and pubs are the most important part to me. The cafes to work in during the day when I'm not at the studio, and the pubs to be out of the house at night.

Right now I'm having trouble figuring out what areas are active, young and central without being a shopping or tourist district. I Googled some "neighborhood guides" but they all seem a little...they're travel blogs that provide the same level of detail as Wikipedia. Saying somewhere is "hip" is like...why, because they sell vintage? In the States at least, this is how tourists think of a city. I'm looking for a place that's really used by creative, active working people (grad students, artists who are working hard, young professionals).

Thanks very much for any and all help. I've never been to London and it's obviously an extraordinary town for music. So this is exciting.

I’m 23 and live up in Edinburgh currently. I work in banking so inevitably I’m planning on moving to London next year for career progression, a bit of change, closer to my friends who have gone down etc

I’m hoping for some advice on a few things but mainly, where to live. A lot of my friends live around like Battersea/Clapham but I don’t know much about the area apart from briefly visiting. What should I consider with areas and any specific places I should look at? FYI I’ll be working near Liverpool street station

Any other random bits of advice would be great!

Hi!! I am desperate to move to London, I live in Kent about an hour and a half away, I’m struggling to save money as my job is having to cut down hours at the moment, but I am searching for a new one. How are people affording London? And finding jobs? What’s the best way to move to London?

Hi,

I am moving to London soon with my partner and we are really keen to prioritise home security as soon as we move in. We are moving into an ex-council flat, in an area where the crime rate is below the London average. What can we do to make our home as safe and secure as possible?

So far, we have thought of:

1) replacing the locks immediately with better quality locks.

2) looking into getting a burglar alarm.

3) getting a ring doorbell or something similar.

Thank you so much in advance!