Living in London
Like all capital cities everywhere, London is busy, congested and expensive. Unlike US cities, however, London is not high rise and there is an amazing amount of green space in and around it. You should try to choose your location with the cost and convenience of access in mind. Living in the heart of the city often means relying on public transport or cabs to get around. London is multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, with a wealth of entertainment and leisure activities on hand at all times.
At the centre London is a twenty four seven culture, but less so the further out from the centre you get. Lifestyles range from studios in the busy bustling centre, to family homes in quiet leafy suburbs. Costs tend to reflect convenience of access, proximity to the heart of London and desirability in terms of facilities and environment. Generally speaking the west and north are pricier than the south and east.
London is divided by the river Thames and the river crossings are a major traffic congestion point, something which should be considered if you are heading daily for a specific spot in the city.
London is too big and diverse to describe here, but if you want know more here are some links which will help
London housing
This ranges in style, age and size from minute studios to rambling houses, from ancient to very modern. As most of our stock is owned by academics, teachers, writers and broadcasters it tends towards the more homely end of the market, though not always. If you come from anywhere other than a large city, London might come as a bit of a shock, it is densely populated and much of the housing stock is old.
We inspect and assess the property we let to ensure it meets minimum criteria on facilities and fittings, so that what you get is what you expect. Without such monitoring and control you could end up with less than you paid for and a lot more than you bargained for in terms of cost and trouble. Although what we do is not essentially relocation counselling, we do our best to help in terms of location, schools and facilities for each applicant.
What does a typical property cost?
Self contained (i.e. separate entrance no shared facilities) properties currently rent from £350 per week to more than £1,850. There are a good number of one and two bedroomed apartments in the range £395 to £1,000 per week. The closer to the West End (W1 postcodes) the higher the rent. All properties require a significant deposit and do not usually include the cost of utilities in the rent. And while we try to encourage landlords to include council tax, water rates, TV licence and service charges in the rental price this is not always possible. It depends on the length of the let and individual landlord's preference.
Sabbatical Homes Ltd makes an administration charge of £150 plus Vat for lets in excess of 10 weeks,£165 plus Vat 5-10 weeks and £195 plus Vat 1-4 weeks. (Please note these prices will be increased on July 1st 2011).
