Posts Tagged ‘moving to london without a job’
Thursday March 3rd, 2011
Author: Colleen
Relocating to London - Image via Wikipedia
For those
relocating to London, here comes the harrowing conclusion to my series of personal journal entries upon first
moving to London in 2008 (see the previous posts starting from
here)…okay, maybe I exaggerate how high-level of interest this may be, but it really is what I wrote. Sorry if I wasn’t an exciting expat writer at the time…or ever since. In any case, written about my first month
living in London, these entries have covered my three-week experience staying in short-term accommodation in London hotels as well as the torturous two weeks that I spent viewing
London apartments without the help of a
London relocation agent, which would have saved us tons of time and money (hint-hint). And now, if you’ll kindly give me a drum-roll, I’ll share the remainder of the miscellaneous observations I had made as a brand new American expat in London (emphasis on “miscellaneous”):
27.10.08
Other random observations/doings in our first weeks: Where television is concerned, we haven’t had that much exposure, but enough to surprise us over how much U.S. Presidental coverage there is (and, of course, we arrived here just as the economic shite was hitting the fan everywhere in the world) and enough to engross us in a new favorite realty show, “Coach Trip.” Further, the Cadbury “Twisted” candy bar commercial holds ridiculous power over me, actually managing to break through one of my infamous cold shoulders and render me giggling uncontrollably. Regarding the shops, if you eat in at Starbucks, you are served in an actual ceramic mug, there is a T.J. Maxx equivalent named T.K. Maxx (for whatever reason), and we have found our grocery options to be Marks & Spencer (higher end, but great ready-to-cook/serve prepared meals), Sainsbury, Somerfield, and Tesco. I had a giggle the other night when I opened our carton of eggs to see, plastered to the side of one, a white feather—these English eggs must come straight from the chickens’ vajayjays! We have found a Home Depot equivalent in Homebase, where we purchased topiary boxes and plants to plant ourselves for our window ledges. Perhaps my most precious shopping experience so far, though, has been the purchase of a special little bear from Darkest Peru at the real Paddington Station. I also bought a fabulous scarf at a little boutique on Portobello Road in Notting Hill.
Well, for whatever in the heck that’s worth. 
Just thinking of that Cadbury ad still makes me giggle, and it wasn’t long after gifting my nephew the Paddington Bear that month that I found myself back at the official kiosk in Paddington Station purchasing another one as a Christmas gift for his mother, who might have otherwise stolen it out from under her own kid in his sleep. I still find feathers on my eggs now and then, and I continue to *heart* Portobello Road and Notting Hill in general, as it’s the fabulous locale of London Relocation, but of course, and honestly a big fave of American expats moving to London—we show London apartments there all the time! Now, my journal does go on to chronicle some local UK weekend excursions that we made early on, but I think you can use a break from my “Dear Diary,” no? I thus conclude my lil’ “Moving to London: The American Expat in London Diaries” series and hope it at the very least showed you some glimmer of my sincerest, deepest felt empathy for you as you make your own London move.
Tags: american expat in london diaries, Americans moving to London, canadians moving to london england, expat moving to london, flats to let in london, london apartment, london lettings agents, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london as an accompanying spouse, moving to london without a job, relocation specialist, rent london apartments, west london
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Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Wednesday March 2nd, 2011
Author: Colleen
Relocating to London - Image via Wikipedia
For those
relocating to London, I’m starting to wind down this series in which I share my personal journal on first
moving to London in 2008 (see the previous posts starting from
here). Written about my first month
living in London, these entries have so far covered my three-week experience staying in short-term accommodation in London hotels as well as the two weeks that I spent viewing
London apartments on my own, regrettably without the help of a
London relocation agent that would have saved a tremendous amount of time and money. Who knew? (Hopefully YOU do by now!) And so, as I now present the penultimate post to this series, I’ll share the miscellaneous observations I made as a brand new expat in London:
23.10.08 [continued]
Random observations that I’m for whatever reason compelled to document: the crazy, cussin’-n-spittin’ old man that I thought would knock me down in the Brompton Cemetery (the first of many crazy old men talking to themselves encountered on the streets); the bitter American woman loudly proclaiming to her male companion (husband?) at the pub that the English are “arrogant bastards,” as she then exits dramatically, expecting her man to be right behind her, but who instead dumps her remaining beer into his own glass and chugs it, and then follows her out with a too-small-for-his-stature backpack slunk onto one shoulder; the recurring fashion—black opaque tights with denim skirts, skinny jeans tucked into boots; two sightings of paramedics tending to a victim lying on the sidewalk/street (I don’t know, I just think it’s strange I’ve never seen this before, but now have twice in my first 3 weeks weeks here); a drunk guy kicking a moving car in Piccadilly Circus and the driver flying out to knock said drunk down on his ass in one blow (he actually skidded on the asphalt, and the argument ensued for longer than the dudes’ respective woman friends and rest of traffic would have preferred).
Ah, yes. Gotta love the London nightlife in its most touristy spots. Piccadilly Circus is certainly not one of my favorite spots, though I do enjoy venturing to London’s theatre district for live performances as well as just reveling in the vibe of the bright lights, restaurants, and theatre-goers (our next show will be Flare Path, starring Sienna Miller). And for the record, I do not share that boozy American woman’s sentiments! But I was dying of curiosity as to what happened to piss her off so much…
But my gosh, in reading this entry over, I’ve painted a violent picture of London! Please take my word for it that these are not things I’ve seen in abundance since then. More likely, this was the perspective of a sheltered gal who was getting used to living in a city again after a few years in the suburbs. Anyway, join me tomorrow as I conclude my “Moving to London: The American Expat in London Diaries” series with more of the randomness that followed my London move.
Tags: american expat in london diaries, Americans moving to London, canadians moving to london england, expat moving to london, flats to let in london, london apartment, london lettings agents, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london as an accompanying spouse, moving to london without a job, relocation specialist, rent london apartments, west london
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Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Tuesday March 1st, 2011
Author: Colleen
Relocating to London - Image via Wikipedia
For those
relocating to London, I’m continuing to share my personal journal on first
moving to London in 2008 (see the previous posts starting from
here). These entries were actually written
after my first month
living in London, but retroactively cover what those initial few weeks were like…and while not the most chronological of records, I’m trying to keep it consistent by topic. My first posts kicked off with my relatively lazier days staying in short-term accommodation in London. By “lazier days,” however, I don’t think I’m giving myself due credit, because without the assistance of a
London relocation agent, a significant chunk of the first weeks was spent hitting the pavement to view
London apartments all on my own. It can easily take that long when you’re unfamiliar with London, its neighborhoods, and its lettings agencies…so in all honesty, it took me nearly
two weeks to see the number of
London apartments London Relocation can show in
one day:
23.10.08 [continued]
Just waiting for the British Gas repairman to return from the shops with what will hopefully be the solution to our towel rack/radiator issue. It is so freaking cold in here in the meantime…I’ve started to get fit again with all this city walking, with walking to and fro London real estate offices and properties a dominant activity that first week and a half. Thanks to all of those numerous lettings agencies for playing a role in the process of looking for and, yes, finding a home. After viewing 23 flats, #23 was, in fact, the charm. It was so close to being #22, but we finally saw past that one’s balcony to fully see the traffic, the lesser storage space, the smaller bathroom, the crappier entryway, the questionable furniture. Our abode now, on the other hand, is off a side street. It has a lovely entry with well-preserved period banister and fixtures (moldings, etc., even in the unit). It has a huge bathroom on a lower level that I guess used to be the kitchen, and the kitchen, now off the main room, is newly refurbished—I find it so interesting that they place washing machines in the kitchens. Suppose it makes great sense, doesn’t it, when there isn’t a special room or closet for such. Much better than hauling crap down to a communal facility. No balcony, but access to a communal garden on the next block. Our boxes are supposedly in transit on the sea and will arrive by the first week of November. Meh. In any case, it is definitely pleasant to now have a place to call home, and I am nesting .
I won’t lie. There were some doozies among all the London lettings agents I worked with. One in particular twice took me into a flat in which the tenant wasn’t expecting us—when one woman opened the door in her bathrobe, the first thing the guy thought to say to her was, “Nice legs.” Umm…You don’t really know quite what you’re getting into when you set foot inside one of those estate offices. My uneducated search simply began at the first one I saw down the street from the hotel, and I just hopped along from there. Some have integrity and represent only quality flats, others just scramble with what they can get and will say whatever they must to get you to sign the lease so they can get paid—they don’t necessarily care about you, because you are not the one paying them (except in administrative fees); the landlord is. So they’ll be nice to you until you’ve signed on the dotted line and transferred all your money; whether they’ll have your back after that remains to be seen.
That’s what distinguishes the London relocation agent from the lettings agent. In addition to sifting out the good from the bad agents and properties, our promise & guarantee states,
“YOU come first until you’re happily settled in your new home. We stand by you. We care.”
To read more about making the relocation versus lettings agent decision, please read my posts, “London: Relocation 2” (guest post at Lotus Events’s website, our recent client!) and “Top 5 Reasons to Use a London Relocation Agent Vs. Doing it on Your Own.”
Tags: american expat in london diaries, Americans moving to London, canadians moving to london england, expat moving to london, flats to let in london, london apartment, london lettings agents, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, London Underground, moving to london as an accompanying spouse, moving to london without a job, relocation agent versus lettings agent, relocation specialist, rent london apartments, west london
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London Apartments: What to Expect in a London Flat, Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Monday February 28th, 2011
Author: Colleen
Relocating to London - Image via Wikipedia
For those
relocating to London, I’m continuing to share my personal journal on first
moving to London in 2008 (see the previous posts starting from
here). These entries were actually written
after my first month
living in London, but retroactively cover what those initial few weeks were like…and while not the most chronological of records, I’m trying to keep it consistent by topic. My first post kicked off with my experience of those first lazy days staying in
short-term accommodation in London…which ended up being longer-term than we’d expected thanks to how long it took to search
London apartments on our own without the help of a
London relocation agent (never again!):
23.10.08 [continued]
Basically every night has been a night out at some pub or restaurant given that we’ve only recently acquired a kitchen and still need to do some grocery shopping. I tried to subsist during my days at the hotels on granola and fig bars, Nutella, bread, and bananas (and then the countless croissants I’ve eaten almost daily), so am now looking forward to some real homemade meals (hmm…therein lies the challenge…). I suppose I should mention that we shifted down the street to the Premier Inn on Knaresborough for our 3rd week to change things up a bit. Wise decision. Our room was much bigger, warmer, and overall more accommodating, and, better yet, we didn’t have to face the reception staff of Enterprise anymore. That was getting so old, leaving and retrieving the key at their desk, getting called after constantly to settle the bill when I myself had no power to do so sans credit card (I cut them all up prior to coming here…a test in spending control) and Ryan (the one with the credit card and UK debit card) for whatever reason was free to go each morning unhindered. Those women were just so smug…not like the friendly staff at Premier, who so kindly stored all our shite that one day to free us up for a mini-weekend trip to Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Ha, I’d totally forgotten about how bitter I got toward the hotel staff . Not their fault, really, it just compounded my feelings of vulnerability in being so limited in so many ways those first weeks. As if it’s not unsettling enough to not yet have a place to call home, where there’s no credit history, there’s no credit card either. My husband and I lived here about a year before we finally got our UK credit cards after, logically, establishing some UK credit. And though my husband was issued his debit card by our bank straightaway, his second-class citizen of an accompanying spouse had to jump through hoops and wait several weeks to get hers. Grrr!! Yes, I still had my American debit card, but, as I said above, no credit cards, which I suppose was my fault, but I was trying to be responsible in leaving any and all U.S. balances at ZERO once we moved and I was unemployed in the UK for a while.
A huge section I’ve skipped over in my journal here related to night after night out with our friends. Needless to say, as isolated as my first weeks as a London expat did feel, we had a surprising number of friends from the States who already lived here or were traveling through on business. Paths criss-cross like mad here in London, I swear, so please read my post “This is Your London Life” for a glimpse of the surreal interconnectedness this city can offer just when you’re fearing a London move will sever your ties!
Tags: american expat in london diaries, Americans moving to London, canadians moving to london england, expat moving to london, flats to let in london, london apartment, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, London Underground, long term hotel accommodations in london, moving to london as an accompanying spouse, moving to london without a job, relocation specialist, rent london apartments, short stay accommodations in london, west london
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Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Friday February 25th, 2011
Author: Colleen
Relocating to London - Image via Wikipedia
For those
relocating to London, I’m continuing to share my personal journal on first
moving to London in 2008 (see the two previous posts
here and
here). These entries were actually written
after my first month
living in London, but retroactively cover what those initial few weeks were like…and the more I delve back into this journal, the more I see I was all over the place in the memories
. Not the most chronological of records, but I’ll try to patch my chicken scratchings together by general topic. Today’s, then, speaks to a lot of the London sightseeing I did as I allowed myself to be a London tourist before it registered I was now a London resident!
23.10.08 [continued]
I suppose in resuming my recap of the past weeks, I’ll continue to extract from my mock entry last time. “Wandered around…Got lost.”…my day of wandering brought me to an intriguing cemetery off Old Brompton Road. It is huge, and become a sort of inspiration for me; it is so serene, yet full of life in the walkers and joggers that pass through and the squirrels and crows that reside there. Other walks have taken me to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, where I once sat to watch a little kids’ football practice, by all the shops along the main streets of each local area, like Kensington High Street, by a warm and inviting bookstore glowing orange on a black, rainy night when I legitimately was lost and soaked (which I later figured out was Daunt Books on Fulham Road). Just having stopped in for a break from the cold and wet, I left without purchase and continued to meander my way back to Earl’s Court. A couple days I went to the city to walk the South Bank that I love and view the Tower, successfully then losing myself in the business district and looking to St. Paul’s as my guide.
I cut out the part where I was obsessed with a book I wished I had bought at Daunt, but couldn’t remember the title or where the bookstore was—so funny to think how disoriented I used to be on streets I know so well now! Mixed in with my wanderings those first days was of course also the practical, first and foremost looking to rent a London apartment. And as a trailing spouse who moved to London for my husband’s job, it was only a matter of time before I had to look for one of my own. All in due time, however. If you’ll be in a similar situation after your London relocation, if you’re able to take some time to just acclimate and “be” for a while, don’t feel guilty doing it. It’ll make make you and your partner happier in the long run the more familiar you are with your new environment, feeling a part of it and taking the time to make your London apartment into a London home, which my journal will speak to next week.
Tags: american expat in london diaries, Americans moving to London, canadians moving to london england, expat moving to london, flats to let in london, london apartment, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, London Underground, long term hotel accommodations in london, moving to london as an accompanying spouse, moving to london without a job, relocation specialist, rent london apartments, short stay accommodations in london, west london
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Moving to London: London Sightseeing, Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Thursday February 24th, 2011
Relocating to London - Image via Wikipedia
If you’re relocating to London and didn’t read my post yesterday, I’d initiated the major sucking up of pride and privacy to share my personal journal on first moving to London in 2008….maintained until living in London began to feel more like the everyday than a vacation.
The first entry is a continuation of the one before, and necessary context is as such: adding to the transitions of quitting a job and relocating abroad is the fact that we were just married that June and maintained our long-distance relationship between Chicago and New York until moving to London! That’s right, London is the first city my husband Ryan and I have lived in together since Chicago in 2004, if you can believe it (I still can’t).
21.10.08 [continued]
…See, now in extracting those details I have found myself unexpectedly reliving my first couple weeks at the The Enterprise Hotel, Ryan’s and my first home away from home, where we first arrived on a shockingly sunny, gorgeous day. September 28th, to be exact, as we flew overnight. The lobby and restaurant of the hotel seemed updated and nice enough, yet the rooms evidently retain their English charm…in that they are tiny and cold. Whatever, it suited our needs (even though our luggage consumed half the room, even with 2 pieces stored downstairs), and the location was excellent. Hogarth Road extends directly from the Earl’s CourtTube station and is accessible to pubs, shops, cafes galore. We became so smitten with the area, in fact, that we’ve decided to stay here and, thus, just moved into a flat of our very own (our first together) yesterday.
More details on that later. I actually need to dash right now to catch the Tube to the city for my 2nd religion/science debate at St. Paul’s Cathedral. Last week’s debate centered on the Big Bang, and tonight is Evolution. That being said, gotta go so I get a seat.
23.10.08
The St. Paul’s debate the other night was great – unlike the prior one, there was an atheist in the panel, so that stirred things up. As did the clearly more ornery crowd who kept moaning about the echo – to a good end, though, as they did rectify the sound issue that had likewise been present last time. Next week is Body & Soul, i.e., debating whether there is a place in the human genome for the soul. I admittedly tend to tune out whenever anyone has been talking too long, and focus is even that much more of a challenge when the eye has a massive dome and intricate mosaics, sculptures, and paintings to wander about. A surreal kind of solitude even in a room filled with people. The intellectual, the curious….
A friend has teased me for my crush on Paul—yes, as in the cathedral—because I tend to mention it a lot in my blog posts. Well, this entry here is a clue as to why. I explain it in my “Found Your London Flat? Now Find Your London Deep.” post, but will say again here that, regardless if you’re religious or not, finding a quiet time and place for thought and reflection is invaluable after a London relocation when you may be re-evaluating a whole new personal and professional game plan going forward (prevalent among trailing spouses like me). St. Paul’s was that place for me at that critical time, and I’ll always carry that peace and introspection with me. May you find the same after your London move, and stay tuned tomorrow for another installment of “Relocating to London: The American Expat in London Diaries.”
Tags: american expat in london diaries, Americans moving to London, canadians moving to london england, expat moving to london, finding a short let apartment in london, flats to let in london, london apartment, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, London Underground, long term hotel accommodations in london, moving to london as an accompanying spouse, moving to london without a job, relocation specialist, rent london apartments, short stay accommodations in london, St. Paul's Cathedral
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Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Wednesday February 23rd, 2011
Relocating to London - Image via Wikipedia
Author: Colleen
If you’re relocating to London (like I did over a couple of years ago), for the next few posts I’m going to be sucking up an amount of pride and privacy on your behalf. Well, I suppose I shouldn’t assume it’s going to do you any good, but hoping it offers some empathy as you get yourself situated. The thing is, I’ve always been a bit of a Dear Diary kind of gal, and while I no longer chronicle daily experiences as an adult, I always do record my travels. So upon first moving to London, I figured I ought to try the same at least from the get-go…that is, until living in London began to feel like the everyday to me and not a vacation. There’s not too many of these entries, but I’ll start sharing what’s there.
To give a little necessary context, I moved over as an accompanying spouse for my husband’s job. I taught high school English back home, but UK visa delays prevented me from procuring work prior to our London move. So, basically, when we finally did move over, it was my job to find us a London apartment to rent, unpack our crap and create a new home of it, job-search, and otherwise wander the city and pick my nose.
And so, *ahem*:
21.10.08 [as is writ in the journal...that's the European date format, which places the day before the month, FYI]
I sit here with pen in hand wondering why it is so difficult for me to get started. I suppose it’s because I don’t know quite how to approach writing of my daily life in one of my travel journals. Ordinarily, the everyday stuff has no place here, but I find myself in, what is for me, an unusual situation. How am I to chronicle a life abroad? Not just touring this time. Living. Getting settled. Eventually, getting a job. In London. At first I thought maybe I’d do little daily entries of my days in brief (at least these introductory days of unemployment): “Woke late. Wandered around. Had a chai latte and croissant at Starbucks. Got lost. Found my way back. Contacted a negotiator [lettings agent] and viewed some flats.” But I didn’t, and I’m not sure why. Probably laziness, as once I get my journals going, I don’t really want to reduce them to succinct statement of fact; I want them detailed so I can live and breathe them again whenever I pick up one of these leather-bound tomes of my international existence. I want details like the luxury of sleeping in for the fifth month of a prolonged summer vacation, yet the stress involved in such when the maid at the extended-stay hotel knocks on the door and I have to flail out of bed with an apology and request that she come back later, afterwards feeling like the biggest loser, the only one in the hotel without a purpose demanding that I be up and showered and dressed by a respectable A.M. time. The same shame occurs when I preemptively hang the “Do Not Disturb” sign to avoid the aforementioned stress, as I am then stressed when imagining the neighbors can hear what I’m doing (the re-chaining of the door from within after opening [it being] the dead giveaway) and the maid seeing my sign and shaking her head in judgment. Tail between my legs, I slink back under the sheets and bury my shame in 2-3 more hours of sleep…
Hey, I never promised it would be interesting. Just the beginnings of real, authentic thoughts of an American expat living in London for the very first time, and not even in an actual London apartment yet. It may sound mundane, but, like it or not, this is the common existence for the trailing spouse or partner at the outset, until we make our own friends and find our own jobs in London or discover other outlets for our skills and passions. It’s a displacement that takes a while to adjust to, but I promise that there is no more engaging place to do so than London, and, honestly, hiring on the services of a London relocation agency will expedite that transition. Don’t wait as long as we did—3 weeks in a hotel!!! Meh, more on that in my next installment of “Relocating to London: The American Expat in London Diaries.”
Tags: american expat in london diaries, Americans moving to London, canadians moving to london england, expat moving to london, finding a job in london, finding a short let apartment in london, flats to let in london, london apartment, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, long term hotel accommodations in london, moving to london as an accompanying spouse, moving to london without a job, relocation specialist, rent london apartments, short stay accommodations in london
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Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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Friday November 19th, 2010
Author: Colleen
Moving to London within the next year? Then methinks it’s time for another Top 5 list highlighting some of our blog posts for those looking to rent London apartments, but first needing to determine what you’ll be moving into them with or without:
[hey, where's my drumroll?! Ah, that's better...]
1. Moving to London with a pet - Some recommended resources for educating yourself on pet regulations and shipping. I’ll make this a twofer by also including a link here to a previous post on dog-friendly London if it helps at all with deciding whether the pooch will be pleased here. Oh! And while I’m thinking of it, according to some recent buzz on our London Living discussion boards, the Queen Mary 2 is recommended as a cheaper travel option – our Londonista performed a price comparison of $300 on the QM2 versus $1,500 on BA, for the dog’s fare!
2. Moving to London with a car – Resources for looking into shipping your car to London, getting a UK driver’s license, and other driving options and responsibilities.
3. Moving to London with a spouse – Okay, in this case, if you have one, it’s not really so much the decision about whether to bring it 
. Or is it?? I have heard there’s an increasing number of couples who are choosing the long-distance marriage over jeopardizing one or the other’s current employment. If that’s not your case, though, just be prepared for what may be in tow for that loving spouse and how you can be supportive.
4. Moving to London with a job – Some advice on how you can approach negotiating an expat relocation package depending on how you’re transferring over here through work. (I’ll make this another twofer—to bring this list to a lucky 7—and throw in another two pence on moving to London without a job…there’s no set formula to it that can guarantee success, this is merely a few suggestions on where you might get your job search started).
5. Moving to London with furniture – In most cases, our clients move over without it; it depends, really, and this post addresses those factors and some options if you choose to do without.
For what those are worth. Bear in mind these are brief blog posts and not exhaustive resources, but they should at least help you start thinking through these issues and point you in the right direction. And, of course, you are encouraged to give London Relocation a call so we can speak to your individual needs in more detail!
Tags: accommodation in london, americans relocating to london england, Canadians and Americans in the UK, canadians moving to london england, colleen, Flats in london, london apartment, london apartments, london move advice, London Relocation Services, moving to london with a car, moving to london with a family, moving to london with a job, moving to london with a pet, moving to london without a car, moving to london without a job, overseas relocation advice, rent london, top 5 favorite blog articles
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London Relocation Top 5 & 10 Lists!, Relocating to UK: Visas, Banking, & Other Logisitical Issues
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Saturday September 4th, 2010
Author: Colleen
Whether you’re moving to London alone, with a family, as a student, as a professional, with a job, without a job *inhale* *exhale* no matter how you slice-n-dice your particular relocation situation, we all have to at some point pack up and schlep our stuff across the pond.
Today’s packing tip for moving to London is annoying, but simpler if you start thinking ahead. Basically, start to sort through and divide what will be staying behind and what should be given away. This way, even if you’re not ready to pack up your necessities because you still need them on a daily basis at home, you can start to clear out the rest.
Every time you’re looking in your closet, try to identify things that you can donate to charity or give away to the lucky friends and family who wear your same size I remember planting a giant box in front of my closet, so, in waves, I’d toss more and more into the box as long as I was standing right there and thinking about it anyway. If it goes in the box, while that takes up some space, it’s not making a mess. Do the same for accessories and knick-knacks, and keep revisiting your closets/cabinets with a fresh eye every day or two to see if you can’t part with a little more.
At this stage, it’s wise to also identify what you don’t regularly use, but that you don’t necessarily want to toss. If you can do without these things for a while, start to pack them up as well and store them in your own storage for the time being or where they’ll reside after you move to London. In my case, we didn’t want to pay to rent a storage unit, but we were blessed to have family willing to take it on for a few years. The possessions we left behind are divided between my sister’s and father-in-law’s basements, and some is actually being put to use in our parents’ homes—my mom and dad are enjoying my bookshelves filled with my precious leather-bound book collection, and my father-in-law is actually using our living room set (the leather would fare better in use than sitting in storage left to dry and crack). This infringement on our loved ones’ space shouldn’t be taken lightly, however, so do offer some sort of compensation or a generous gift.
The more these non-essentials are thinned out, the more clarity with which you’ll be able to look around and assess how to pack up the need-to-haves later. Giving stuff away is really a good exercise to perform anyway (even if you weren’t moving) for saving space with the added benefit of helping others. And leaving stuff behind might at first seem painful, but ask yourself honestly when the last time was that you used a certain item and just trust in the truth of “Out of Sight, Out of Mind.” I’m as sentimental as they come, so if I’ve come to terms with it, so can you!
So in the spirit of your london relocation, put your Sorting Hat on and sort it out!
Tags: colleen, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london as a student, moving to london from america, moving to london tips, moving to london with a job, moving to london without a job, packing tips and tricks, packing tips clothes, packing tips for moving to england, packing tips move
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London Weekend Warriors, Moving to London: Tips & Culture, Relocating to UK: Visas, Banking, & Other Logisitical Issues, Saturday Moving Tips
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Tuesday August 31st, 2010
Author: Colleen
The decision to relocate to London is easier for some than others. Maybe you’re being transferred for your job and feel like you have no choice. Maybe you’re moving to London without a job and have no clue how you’re going to get your visa, but you’re bound and determined to get there. Regardless what bucket you fall into, everyone will agree there’s something special about the city of London worth moving for:
1. The layers upon layers of London history. As my Weekend Warrior Sundays are now chronicling, the city of London dates back to ancient times, with a surprising amount of structures/artifacts still intact to prove it. One of my favorite moments of appreciating this aspect was standing in Ye Olde Cheschire Cheese with the founders of Anglotopia, when Jonathan commented, “This pub is older than America.” Historical sites and tales are endless, and most museums are free!
2. London’s cultural diversity. You aren’t moving into a realm merely of men in tweed suits and bowler hats; you’ll be immersing yourself in a rich and spicy melting pot of all ethnicities. Listen to the languages, taste the food, feel the various fabrics, and see the world from an entirely different perspective.
3. The perfect hub for travel. Whether you’re just road-tripping or jet-setting for a bank holiday weekend excursion outside of London, or delighting in the nationally mandated 5.6 weeks of vacation and joining the rest of Britain on its August mass exodus, there are simply not enough days in the year to accommodate all the places you can easily go to from London. Even just day-tripping in the UK is a valuable experience, but if you’re eager to skip the border, you can grab cheap flights on EasyJet or RyanAir or take the Eurostar into France.
4. First-rate entertainment. Be it at the West End theatres watching a musical or on your sofa watching TV, there’s gobs of talent in London waiting to be enjoyed. The variety of theatrical performances to choose from any given day is staggering, and the prices are more reasonable than Broadway. British humor on the telly alone is worth it with its dry cheekiness; yes, they love their reality TV as well (which inspired most of the reality shows in the U.S.) and show an awful lot of American sitcoms here, but one trait of UK TV that I particularly enjoy is the panel show. Whatever theme it is structured around, the participants’ discussion is both comedic and intelligent, reinforcing the art of conversation beyond the inane scripted babble of The Hills variety.
5. The mindset. Never in my life have I networked with such depth and frequency before moving to London. Because it is a diverse city, its population is comprised of many expatriates who are relocating to the UK and leaving their familiar support networks behind. This has the effect of making people very proactive in seeking friendship and professional contacts, opening themselves more up to new people and experiences than they might have in their home comfort zone. I’ve grown a lot in this respect and feel enriched by the people of substance I’ve had the pleasure of meeting since relocating to London myself and find this to be a very special aspect of the move that I hope you will enjoy as well.
All right, then, I’ll leave you in suspense until Part II of (in my opinion) the top 10 reasons to move to London.
Tags: colleen, London Relocation Services, moving to London advice, moving to london alone, moving to london checklist, moving to london from canada australia, Moving to London from US, moving to london where to live, moving to london without a job, relocation to london england, top ten reasons to move to london, top ten things to do in london uk, transferring to london for a job, why it's better to live in london, why move to london
Posted in:
London Recreation, London Relocation Top 5 & 10 Lists!, London, England History, Moving to London: London Sightseeing, Moving to London: Tips & Culture, Moving to London: Weekend Excursions
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Wednesday August 25th, 2010
Author: Colleen
If you’re moving to London on a budget, my fellow Londonistas and I have been starting to compile some cost-saving ideas over at London Living to help you pinch your pence once living here—this is particularly useful if you’re moving to London with children or as a student or otherwise without a job (which certainly happens in the case of dual-citizens or Tier 1 visa-holders).
I’ve mentioned before how Living Social is an easy way to catch daily updates on good deals throughout London, and lately some friends of mine who are also American expats in London have been giving the heads-up on other resources. Groupon, like Living Social, offers exclusive savings on any number of dining or recreational activities, and morelondon will keep you in the know on free events. For a growling stomach, don’t feel you need to live on Marmite and toast alone—treat yourself to a dinner out! Toptable and OpenTable are your go-to resources in that case.
None of us who aren’t originally from London are kidding ourselves—it’s an expensive city. You’ll be paying through the nose enough on housing in London (but remember the time and money you’ll save on hotel costs if you use our relocation services to find a London flat!), so don’t do the same for what can still be a pleasurable and indulgent lifestyle
Tags: canadian moving to london england, colleen, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london blog, moving to london budget, moving to london from america, moving to london tips, moving to london with children, moving to london with no job, moving to london without a job
Posted in:
London Food & Beverage, London Recreation, Moving to London: Tips & Culture
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