My Apartment/Job Hunt in London
So far I've been in London just over 4 weeks but honestly it feels a lot longer than that. Not in a bad way though, in a good way because I've done so much over here. I feel like I've lived here for months, and I'm starting to feel very comfortable here.
Prior to the move over, I had A LOT of questions and I've had to wait until moving over to really find out the answer. I want to help anyone moving over here or anyone moving away from home so I've put together some answers and advice I've learnt so far from being here.
Apartment hunting: what to consider, where to look and how to prepare?
London is definitely not as competitive as Dublin, you will be spoiled for choice over here. Many of you asked when should you start looking? As soon as you know when you're moving over, start looking straight away.
You need to be constantly searching online and arranging viewings but I would say you definitely need to be in the country as the turnaround is very quick over here.
The best apps or websites to search for a flat are - Rightmove and Zoopla. I did find some other websites and they turned out to be a bit dodgy so make sure you're looking at legit websites.
You will probably go to several viewings before finding the right one. Once you find the one you usually have to pay one months deposit or in my case 6 weeks rent.
You'll have to pay 'council tax' every month. I've never even heard of this before living here. Basically its around 100 pounds a month so take this into consideration when planning your budget.
Similar to Ireland you will need both employee references and landlord references so have everything ready to speed up your move in date.
Finally, always consider what zone you want to live in as travel expenses are high. I wasn't expecting the tube to be as expensive as it is and I'm only going from zone 2 to zone 1.
On the other hand the further you move out of London the cheaper your rent will be so you need to weigh up your options.
I knew I wanted to live in West London so I was delighted to get a place just around the corner from Portobello Road in Notting Hill. It's so nice having the market and quirky little stores on our door step, I am definitely loving London life.
Job hunting: Where to look and when to begin searching?
Moving over without a job was the most nerve wrecking thing about the whole move. Before moving over to London I was temping in various different companies through recruitment agencies and I loved it. Temping isn't for everyone but for me it was ideal as it gave me the flexibility to work on my blog and take the time off when I needed it.
I knew I didn't want a permanent job when I came over to London so I applied to several recruitment agencies and they were all really helpful. I was getting constant emails every day with job offers and finally one came along that suited me perfectly so I went for the interview and got it. The role that I've taken on is a temp role for a few months but I'm loving it so much I hope that it gets extended. That's another advantage of temping, it's like you get to try before you buy so if the opportunity comes up for the role to become permanent you can then make a decision based on whether you like it enough to stay or not.
Like I said above always consider where you're going to live because you don't want to commute from miles away, plus the tube is bad enough at rush hour so you'll want to spend the least amount of time down there as possible.
Here are some of the recruitment agencies I met with and everyone was really friendly and helpful.
- Talent staffing (I got my job through this agency)
- Angela Mortimer
- Joyce Guinness
By the way, this was just my job experience over here, it will vary for everyone!
My biggest challenge so far? Missing Dublin and dealing with the expensive London life.
It's been a good 2 years since I've lived outside of Ireland so I do feel slightly out of my comfort zone, which isn't a bad thing either! I'm definitely settling in a lot quicker than I did when I lived in Madrid but I do miss home a lot. My mum just went home after visiting for the weekend and I found it really hard to say goodbye, I already miss her so much. I definitely miss being able to get the bus home to see my family but I've learnt to get used to it.
Everyone warned me before moving over about how expensive it is over here and
unfortunately they were right. On the plus side rent is more or less the same as Dublin but eating out and going for drinks is really breaking the bank. I admit, I do spend a lot of my money on food but I think I'll have to tone it down a bit and maybe stick to going out once a week. Don't get me wrong there's loads of places that are cheaper than others and it's great that so many restaurants do bottomless brunch at the weekend, you just have to do your research and find the reasonable spots.
One of my biggest challenges would definitely be the dreaded tube. Luckily I work quite early so I miss rush hour but I have got caught in it several times and it is not pleasant. I don't have a problem with the tube when it's quiet but it is still no comparison to the lovely Luas we have in Dublin.
Well that's it from me for the moment. If you've any questions whatsoever about London or anything you're curious about, just ask me here or on Instagram.
I hope everyone's having a good week!
Besos,
Zoe Elizabeth
OUTFIT DETAILS
Jacket - Zara
Trousers - Zara
Bag and sandals - Louis Vuitton
Bag - Lily and Bean
