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[anon23]

About to relocate to London. Any advice on where and how to start to look for housing? In general, how much should one expect to pay for renting a 1 or 2 bedroom apt? And can one realistically afford to buy an apartment? For those who have gone through this process before, how long have you rented before buying (if that is an affordable option at all)?
Thanks in advance for any advice!

[expatinuk]

A good place to look for property is: http://www.rightmove.co.uk. As for the best place to live in London, that's all relative. Where are you working? How long do you want to spend commuting? How much do you want to spend? As for how long you can expect to rent before buying... again... how much money do you have? What kind of contract do you have? You CAN get a 95-100% mortgage here... but you will need a credit score to do so, and it usually takes a couple of years to get a credit score. If you have a sizeable amount for a down payment you could get a mortgage now.

Good luck... let us know what you find.

[wegie]

In addition to rightmove I'd use http://www.findaproperty.com. For renting a one or two bed, well it completely depends on where you are. In my part of London (Kew Gardens, eminently desirable apart from the aircraft noise), a two bed is a thousand pounds a month and upwards. Move just north of the river into Acton, and you'll be paying at least 200 pounds a month less. You'll also pay less if you're prepared to live in an area that doesn't have a tube station.