I'm moving to London from the US for a teaching position on a £34000 annual salary. I found a really nice 2 bedroom (both are doubles) flat in West Norwood for £1200 pcm not including fees/utilities or council tax and I just wonder if that's a good deal?
Posted by
Portsmouth
5261 posts
That's a pretty average price for London I would suggest. Are you sharing or living alone? On a £34,000 salary that gives you a take home pay of £2199 per month. £1000 to cover council tax, utilities, insurance, groceries, travel and socialising is not a lot, particularly in London. My first thoughts would be finding someone to share the burden of rent with me.
Posted by
London, England.
661 posts
£34k doesn't get you much in London really. Transport can be a big cost, so living within walking distance from where you work will save you money. I'm in Zone 5 West London, and that's about right price wise for my area... which is a nice, but inexpensive area. I would say give it a shot, but maybe keep your options open and don't commit to any long term contracts at first.
As a guide, my yearly bills for a 3 bed house, with 2 of us living there, are approx...
Water £350
Gas £1,400
Electric £600
Mortgage (which is cheaper than rent usually) £12,600
Council Tax £1,400
Home Insurance £350
TV Licence £150
Mobile Phone £120
Internet / Phone / TV Package £700
Home Care Breakdown Cover, boiler fail, etc. £150
Food, etc. is all extra... I spend around £1,000 a month, but i don't try and save money, you could spend MUCH less than that depending on your tastes.
Forget getting a car...
Good luck.