Places to live in London on student income?

[Bluebrollie]

Hi all

I'm in my 20s and hoping to go back to school next year and redo my maths GSCE. I then want to go on to study a degree at uni in two years or so. I've had a look at a few places and a uni in London seems to be the best one and my first choice so far.

The plan is for my partner to get a transfer in his job (very easily done) and work full time whilst I study and live with me, But his job isn't exactly the best paying and I have literally no idea how we are going to survive on his income alone. I know we can get a maintenance loan, but it still seems nowhere near enough for us to be able to rent a decent 1 bed flat in London with good transport connections.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm happy to consider places on the outskirts to make it cheaper, I've looked at places like Reading which seem ok but it's just such a long commute to London if you don't live close to the train station.

Any suggestions are gratefully received. Thanks in advance :)

How much rent will you be able to afford on your dp's income?

Can you work part time to supplement his salary?

Rents are falling in London - have been for the last year. You'd be surprised what is available - especially if you are willing to share a larger flat with other people. By pooling your money, you can probably live more centrally than you think and then will not have such significant transport costs. Sharing would be much more affordable than paying for a 1 bed flat on a single income.

At a push we would prob be able to afford £900 a month, obviously that doesn't include bills so it's likely to work out between £1200-£1300 all in. We pay £700 a month now and bills work out about £450-500 a month (including credit card bills and loan repayments etc) but we both work full time and take home over £3000 a month between us at the moment, so we are fairly comfortable. But we do live in the south. Many people always say the south is a very expensive place to live but It honestly depends where you live and I'm guessing it's the same in London?

His wages are about £1300 a month after tax and my income will be about £900 a month, but none of the £1400 previously mentioned includes food, transport or social activities.

DP and I have considered doing a house share - seems fairly reasonable. Just don't know where to start looking!

What part of London will your dp work in?
What part of London is your uni in?

I'd look to share a 3 or 4 bed ex-council property. You'd be surprised how affordable (relative term, I know) they can be in central London if you are sharing. Obviously, the key would be to find dependable and reasonable people to share with.

Have you thought about becoming property guardians? My dd did it a few years ago and lived in some odd, but central places. She had around £60 a week incl bills and council tax. She has friends doing it now that live in ex council flats, they pay nowhere near market rent.
uk.cameloteurope.com/rooms-property-guardians

£900 a month won't get you much more than a shared room in a flat. Rents may be falling but not by that much. DDs rent for a two bed in Elephant and Castle is £1800
a month and two of them are in the flat. You may get a one bed cheaper. However, the one bed flat near us in Shepherds Bush is £1350 a month so you need to look further out in the suburbs really. Reading is not cheap by the way! The train fares will be pricy.

Look at Rightmove. Brentford, Harrow, Croydon, Enfield, Archway, and several other possibilities have come up. All more convenient than Reading.

You'd get a 2 bed at the east end of the district line for 950. C2c into fenchurch street in a reasonable time. Travel costs aren't cheap though

I own a one bed flat in Brentford which is £920pcm. One of my tenants is a grad student. To save a little cash you can walk to Kew Bridge station which is in zone 3, but Brentford station is only 5mins away and about 20 mins to Clapham J and 30mins to Waterloo. Good bus service, tube about 20mins walk.

Not to make this into an advert but flat will be available in Sept.

HTH.