Granted, my move from Southampton to London is only a temporary necessity for an internship. An everyday commute to the capital would’ve been impractical and I’ve found myself settling in just fine in my double life as a metropolitan woman.
So today I thought I could tell you about my experience as a Southampton student looking for private accommodation in both cities. The comparison may be helpful for you one day!
Obligatory Big Ben photo
Finding a room in London
The first step was a room search. I found my London room through a free house search website. The website allowed me to post an advert of myself which meant landlords were able to contact me themselves. This was probably a more efficient way of letting people know I was looking for a place – landlords are always looking to fill spare rooms. I went to about six or seven viewings and most rooms were decent sized with utility bills included in the rent. I was even able to customise my search based on my maximum budget and other preferences - look out for the ‘advanced search’ option when you go on these websites to do this!
For students with internships, house shares tend to be the cheapest way of getting accommodation. However there are other types of accommodation too; from bedsits to studios or one bedroom flats. It goes without saying that you must always go with someone you trust to these viewings or meet with whoever is showing you the place at a public area.
I was fortunate enough to find a room fairly quickly. The problem was that I was also unfortunate enough to get a room that suddenly became unavailable three days before the big move! That was pretty devastating. If, like myself, you get some work experience in the city and become unlucky in your accommodation search, there is never any harm in speaking to your manager about starting after you’ve secured yourself somewhere to live. The most important thing is that you find a place that is safe, comfortable, and within your budget.
The University has some valuable tips for those looking for private accommodation, wherever it is you're moving to. Looking through them really did help so you may want to check it out!
Monday morning motivation - courtesy of Transport for London!
What to pack?
The most challenging thing about the move was traveling with all of my things. I had to travel via coach so I stuck to the bare minimum. So I packed my clothes and shoes for work, pots and pans, a pillow and my alarm clock. I was surprised I managed it myself!
My entire life packed into two suitcases.
How different is the search for accommodation in London compared to Southampton?
The University has plenty of advice outlets for students who need help in their search for accommodation in Southampton. The Students' Union also have a Housing Advice team to support you.
Southampton even has SASSH – a university-accredited student accommodation search engine. Made in collaboration with Southampton Solent University and Southampton City Council, it lets you search for student houses, flats and lodgings in Southampton. You can get in touch with the landlords themselves if you prefer not to go through an estate agent. It even lets you search for rooms in other towns and cities.
My student house in Southampton for this year, found through the SASSH website.
A similarity between the two cities is that a deposit will almost always be required whenever you move into a new place. It is a good idea to sign a tenancy agreement between you and your landlord or whoever is letting you the room before you hand over any money to them.
It is a universal truth that moving homes is quite possibly one of the most stressful things we have to go through at one point in our lives… but this needn’t be the case! If you plan in advance and go to some viewings you are guaranteed to find yourself a nice place to live in regardless of what city you may find yourself in one day.
Stay safe and best of luck in your search!
Rylyn
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