Is this do-able for London?

[WitheringTights000]

Hi all,

Just looking for some advice regarding living in London!

I live in the UK (not mainland UK) in quite a small and boring city.

I'm 30, single and want to move somewhere fun and lively! Everyone here is married and having kids....nothing wrong with that of course but I'm not at that stage!

My salary in London would be 45k. I would not be able to share a flat/house as have a bladder condition so it would not work for me. I would need to live alone.

Is it do-able on that salary? I hear conflicting reports. I would probably be able to bring some savings of just under/around 10k.... but im guessing that won't last long in London.

If London isn't do-able does anyone know of any lively/fun cities in the UK I could live in, also where I could get about by foot and not need a car!

Thank you in advance

Back to this thread yet again! I appreciate everyone's advice but sadly I am no further on with moving to London.

I was told by someone much more senior than me working in my sector I should be on 45k in London.

But all the jobs I apply for/see in my sector and at my level in London are offering salaries of around 35-37k.

I just couldn't afford to live there on that.

Has anyone else found that the salaries being offered in London do not Match up with the crazy cost of living?!

Ask on the 'my 23 YO earns £60k' thread, apparently that's the least you should expect as a new graduate according to them.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, at least you keep coming back to the same thread.

There's been a couple of posters recently who've posted several times over a few weeks or months about the same problem using different usernames and never taken the advice given. They deny being the same posters despite the stories being remarkably similar.

I’ve lived in London since 1998. I wouldn’t move there now if I had the choice. Unless you are wealthy, it’s a shit-hole. I’m fortunate to live in a beautiful part of C London, but see the crime and lack civility getting worse. Yes, there are wonderful cities, but I wouldn’t live here with a hand to mouth life.

45k is probably doable, but not in a nice part of of the city. You can always find cheap stuff to eat and do, but what is your long-term plan re savings? What about travel?

Has anyone else found that the salaries being offered in London do not Match up with the crazy cost of living?!

yep wage stagnation. Loads of people on 50k or so will be comfortable in London but because they bought yrs ago.

If it s you just you and you want two years of london experience you can do it. You will look for cheap and free experiences for outside work. Parkrun is free. Parks are free. A community choir or bookclub is 10£ a week. Ollioappp. Just make it work if that is what you want. Live as a guardian.

You don't need to live in Central London - most people on normal salaries (unless they have social housing) don't. Plenty of places on Zones 4 and 5 will suit your budget - these places are often a 30 min train or tube ride from the centre - which is perfectly normal as a commute.

I wouldn't totally rule out flat sharing - would a room with an en suite suite if you need access to a private bathroom - that is quite common now for new build flats being rented.

Apart from housing London can be a lot cheaper than other areas of the country - no need to run a car, plenty of cheap or free cultural activities, lots of cheap food markets and low cost restaurants (Time Out used to do a "cheap eats" section every so often which was very helpful), more opportunties to earn extra money (things like deliveroo, casual bar work, task rabbit, dog walking), if you live in NI you will probably also be delighted with the lower heating costs - it genuinely is a lot drier and warmer here.

If you are young, single and child fre I say go for it - too many people here see the cost of London living either through the prism of havind children and wanting a three bed house and garden or as a highflier who wants a central London apartment and the lifestyle to go with it.

Also another tip is to look somewhere not on the tube network as they tend to be less desirable and therefore cheaper. I landed in SE London 20 years ago for that reason and have gown to really love it.

@Magnoliainbloom - I'm not sure what my Long term plan is. I would definitely need to get a flatmate but would only be looking for one flatmate and a flat with an ensuite .

Ensuite flats are 1400 a month, which would be just about okay on 45k, but the problem is I can't find any jobs which pay 45k.

I have good experience so it's disheartening.

I would also like to meet someone to settle down, not sure how easy that is in London.

@Ginmonkeyagain - would deffo be a flatshare with ensuite but I feel like I couldn't even afford that at the moment! 1400 a month! Seems rather steep. I feel like no point looking for somewhere not on the tube network as I wouldn't want to spend a lot of time travelling and it would be isolating.

Ok - what do you think of as "a lot of time" ? Most Londoners factor in at least an hour to get most places - that can be a shock for many non Londoners but it is just a fact of life for us. You cannot afford to live in a short walk or tube journey of everything on £45k.

I live in Zone 3 off the tube network and it takes me 40 mins door to door to get to the office.

I woudl really recomend looking at South East London - it has a good overground rail network and buses - Lewisham has the DLR as well. Croydon whilt furthe rout is acually a lot more accessible than some places on the tube as it has a very well connected and busy mainline rail station.

There are definitely flat shares or even one bed flats less than £1400 but you will need to widen your search. I’m not on the tube network, but I can get into London Bridge in 12 minutes on the Thameslink, and also have the overground which goes straight into Shoreditch and Islington from where I am in SE London.

Prices have absolutely shot up since I moved here 10 years ago, and you’re right that salaries definitely aren’t in keeping with the COL, but unfortunately when you first move to London you have to slum it a bit until you find your second/third job on better money and know enough people that you hear about cheap rentals that aren’t advertised. If you want the London experience and are willing to downgrade your expectations for the first year or two that you live here, then go for it - there’s so much fun to be had in London. You’ll meet loads of other single people and like-minded women. Dating is hit and miss - it’s a numbers and luck game, a lot of people don’t want to settle down but there are people who do as well. You’ve just got to be upfront at the start about what you’re looking for.

I moved to London in 2014 earning £13k (!!!) as an intern, rented a room in an ex council flat that barely fit anything else in it except the bed. In the intervening years I flat shared in just about every location until I rented my first solo flat in Tooting Broadway in 2019 for £950pcm (it would cost more now I’m sure). Bought a flat in 2021 for £205k when earning 45k - again, would be harder now with mortgage interest rates but there are still lots of flats under 250k near me and to rent for under £1500. I would really recommend looking in SE London for more budget options, and I’ve found there’s a great young community round here too.

@Ginmonkeyagain - yea I guess nearly an hour seems like a lot of time for me.

I would deffo do a flatshare with someone but it's still £1400 a month.

I would worry that Croydon etc would be a bit far out for me

Lots of new build apartments in elephant and castle, are you familiar with that area/is it decent?

My only other option is Toronto but I'll need. Visa and its not cheap either! However it's now 26% cheaper than London

@WitheringTights000 Elephant and Castle is very central but also a bit busy and grotty (it is basically a transport interchange!) and not a lot around the immediate area, it has a couple fo universities localted there so a lot of the new builds are aimed at sudents and international investors. It may feel a bit too "big city" if you are new to London.

Honestly I would recommend you find an inner suburban area - (zone 3) it will be cheaper and you will find the pace of life a bit slower and easier to make conenctions with local hobby groups and neighbours and find a local pub etc... Very central London is expensive and very transient.

I think you need to stop being so hung up on travel distances nd times - unless you are luckly enough to live n Zone 1, living in London will inevitably involve a fair bit of travelling.

Don't go to Croydon!

Toronto sounds interesting

@Ginmonkeyagain - thank you for your advice as I had no idea elephant and castle could be a bit grotty.

I do go over to London often as I have to see my specialist there, and actually going into hospital over there on Friday. So the areas I'm always around are the likes of Harley Street, Marleybone etc. so tend to have lunches/dinners in those areas. I'm wondering if that's the London I'm envisaging in my mind, rather than real life London. Even though I know I won't be living in those areas.

@dramoy - Toronto is fab in summer. But rather cold in winter which is off putting. I hate the cold.

@Ginmonkeyagain - sorry also wanted to ask if you are familiar with Tooting? Someone recommended it to me

Not so much nowdays- but it is a common area for house sharers when I was younger (say 15 years ago) you always knew someone who lived in Tooting!

It is vey famous for good vegetarian South Asian restaurants, it has devent tibe connections.

Ahh yes - Marleybone and Harley st are lovely but very much out of reach for most normal people!

However it is a an area that is easily accessible for lunches out and drinks still.

@Ginmonkeyagain - it really is a lovely area!

If only money were no object.

Not going to lie I would like to also settle Down at this point.

What is the dating scene in London like?

Tooting is great

Tooting is great! Loved living there. I’d recommend Tooting Broadway over Bec, it’s more lively. Real life London is nothing like Harley street and Marylebone though 😂 as for dating…people don’t move to London to settle down. More people want casual things than serious. I’ve been here 10 years and used dating apps for most of that time,

oops posted too soon - 10 years of dating and it’s only in 2021 that I met a decent guy and entered into something serious

Thinking about the types of jobs that are WFH, they don't need to pay a London premium, as they can be done from any location,which is why you are going to struggle to find HR jobs that meet your criteria.

Well I met Mr Monkey in a London bar in 2005 and he's still here!

The advantage if London is there are lots if people and regular top ups of new ones!