Renting a Property in London

Property in London is very cheap, compared to living on a cruise ship, or living in a motorhome towed by a Bugatti Veyron. So not cheap then. But there are ways to keep the cost of renting low.

Much like real surfing, couchsurfing is hard to master. Couchsurfing is basically sleeping over at your mates house for free, for as long as possible, until they realise you aren't going anywhere and start charging you. Once the inevitable charges begin, you can expect to pay between £5 - £15 per night, depending on how cool your mates are.

Couchsurfing is not ideal for long term accommodation, as often you will be viewed as an uninvited guest or someone overstaying their welcome. Also, after sleeping on the couch for an extended period your spine is going to be longing for a real bed. Generally, you won't have the luxury of a cupboard, or privacy, so you will be living out your bag and enjoying late night TV with whoever is using the lounge.

The difference between a hotel and a hostel is a lot more than the letter s, if you are a Hilton sister and used to room service, you're out of luck.

Hostels (or Backpackers as they are also known) are like mini hotels, often with shared rooms, sometimes up to 10 people on bunk beds. Kind of like prison. Also similar to prison life, they are often unclean, and you will have some interesting bunk buddies. They are generally pretty fun for a short period, don't expect to sleep much, as most hostels have cheap bars and thirsty travellers.

Some hostels offer free breakfast (mmmmm... toast!). Usually you have to be out fairly early if you haven't' paid for the next day (10ish, normally). The price of staying in a backpackers ranges quite a lot, depending on how many cell mates you have, if you want a private room, and the general niceness of the place. The price per night can be anything from £7 - £30

Well they might not be the best long term solution for a place to sleep, hostels are an important part of any journey, and should not be skipped, for at least a night or two!

Also known as living-in-a-room-in-a-house-with-people-you-have-never-met, flatshare can either be a great experience where you get to meet new people from around the world, or you could end up living, and sharing, a kitchen/bathroom/lounge with someone you hate.

Your flatmates are a gamble, so always try meet them before moving in. Usually, you pay per week for a room in a house, and everything else is shared. This usually includes cleaning duties, cost of general groceries/household supplies, as well as bills.

Prices range drastically, and are very area dependant, but are roughly from £50 - £200 per week, depending on the size of the room (single/double), property niceness, and amenities. Again, flatshare is an important part of starting your life in London, and should not be missed out!

Well done! You have lots of money. Renting an entire house/flat in London can be quite pricey, again, depending on the area and the property itself. You can keep the costs down by having a roommate or two, letting someone couchsurf, or starting a meth lab in the attic. Just kidding, who would want an australian living on their couch!

The price of rent excludes things like bills for gas/electricity, council tax, interwebs, or pretty much anything but the roof over your head. Splitting these costs with someone goes a long way, so having a roommate or partner helps.

Another little trick you can do (which you usually aren't supposed to do), is rent out the entire property yourself and sublet a room or two to keep your portion of the rent down. This is highly unethical, but highly recommended! Just don't let the landlord meet your new roomies.

Obviously the price ranges massively, and depends on the amount of rooms and whatnot, but you can expect to get a pretty decent 2 bedroom flat or house in semi central to central London (zone 1,2,3) for around £180 - £700 per week.

Cheap areas in central London? Try Kilburn, Shepherds Bush, Camden, Aldgate, Holloway, Maida Vale or Bayswater.