England (London in particular), has a general reputation of being an expensive country to live in, and this is mostly due to the cost of accommodation. On average, you can expect about half of your income to directly go toward rent – this means you really need to determine exactly how much you can afford to pay for accommodation and what type of accommodation you want to get.
Renting prices will greatly be determined by location. A single room in London can cost as much as a house in a city in the north of England! Unless you have a well paying job, then it’s highly likely that you will need to flat share with a few other people (who you will probably find will also be expats). Flat sharing is not only cost effective; however, it’s also a great way to make new friends and engage with new people and culture.
On the other hand, flat sharing can mean much less privacy than having a residence of your own, and for some people this can cause a lot of unwanted stress.
So, if you prefer your own space, and can afford to pay more towards rent, then renting a studio apartment or a smaller apartment might be the option for you.
Flat Share
The high rent prices in England (and especially in Central London), have forced lots of expats into shared living, or flat share as it is commonly referred to. Flat sharing simply means that you rent a single bedroom in an existing household and you share the common rooms, such as bathroom, kitchen and lounge room with the people who rent the rest of the bedrooms. This is the most economical option and is a fantastic way to make new friends and engage with new people .
We highly recommend using Kangaroom - the flat share and room share search engine. You can search for a place to live by clicking in the tab above or searching directly from the Kangaroom website.
Renting your own
If you like your own space and need more privacy, then renting a studio apartment or a house is the best solution. Undoubtedly, renting on your own will be more expensive; however, you might be able to secure a nice apartment with the basic essentials for just a bit more per week or month that some flat share accommodation.
If you intend to rent a house, it's probably wiser to go directly through an agency; however, you can use sites such as Kangaroom.
If you do decide to go through an agency, always ensure that you enquire about their fees prior to engaging their services.
