Types

London is a busy, transient city, which means the property market is fast-paced and strong.  Types of accommodation vary depending on finances, length of stay and your own personal situation and preferences. 

Very few people secure a property from abroad.  In fact, it is inadvisable to do so.  Signing a lease before arriving in the UK means basing an expensive decision on the opinion of someone you’ve never met and if you’re lucky, a photograph – very risky indeed.  You wouldn’t buy a second hand car without a test drive so why commit to a year in a flat you haven’t bothered to view? 

Upon arrival in the UK, most teachers have pre-arranged accommodation to see them through their first few days in London.  Booking an inexpensive room in a Bed & Breakfast, hostel or hotel will give you time to settle into your new surroundings and become accustomed to using the tube and buses.  A week or so should be enough time to get to know some areas of London and begin searching for a flat.  Oftentimes a day’s notice is all you need to either terminate or extend your stay, making this type of temporary accommodation a good option when you first arrive.  Please see our section on Bed & Breakfast, hostels and hotels

Living on your own can be a very costly venture in London.  If this is a priority for you, bedsits and studios will be the most economical option.  A bedsit is often a single room in which you live and sleep with a separate cooking area and bathroom shared by other tenants of the building.  A studio flat is more self-contained with the bedroom, living area and often the kitchen combined in one main living space.  The bathroom is often small, but private and with direct access from the flat.  If you are after a bit more space, it is possible to find a one bed flat within a teachers’ budget, provided you are happy to stay a fair distance outside of the city, commuting to Central London by tube, train and bus.