Moving Into The City

Lots of us love the city life. The hustle, the bustle, the travelling across town on our commute. The sites and the sounds of city life lure many to the capital and lots of us never leave. Do you feel the pull to moving into London? Is it a positive move for your career, for your lifestyle, for your family? Let’s look at some of the things you need to consider before making the leap.

Why Are You Moving?

Firstly you need to figure out why you are moving? What’s the reason to leave where you are now and move yourself into the city? Do you really need to? Maybe you’re sick and tired of the long commute from outside of the city and want to cut down the amount of time you spending travelling every day? Perhaps a new job opportunity has come up and from where you are now the amount you’d pay for train travel would cut into your increase in salary? Maybe one of the kids are approaching school age and you’re not happy with the education settings near you and want to move into a new catchment area?

Whatever your reason, write down the pros and cons of moving against staying put. Are you able to talk to your new boss and work out a flexible schedule were you can work at home? Perhaps you can look at some other nearby schools which don’t mean shifting your home life away from where you’re used to? You might feel the lure of the city for a specific reason but think about alternatives.

Where Do You Want To Be?

If you decide on the move, where do you actually want to be based? London is a big city and there are lots of different suburbs to explore. It’s not the easiest city to move across so you need to consider your commute and getting the kids to school. If you have friends and family out of the city you might consider transport links to escape the city once in a while. No one wants to be sat in traffic for hours at a time!

Do some research into the public transport, tube lines, school results and neighbourhoods of different London areas. You might think Putney is the right place for you. Maybe Lewisham has properties you like. Is West Ealing a good spot for your commute? Have you heard good things about the schools in Hounslow? Figure out where you want to be based.

Can You Afford It?

Of course, you will probably need to figure out your mortgage. How much can you actually borrow? The average price of a property in capital is £662k. That is an increase of over £20k in the last year. Can you actually afford to move? Take a look at the properties you would need in the areas you like and see if it’s possible. If it isn’t see if there are other areas of the city which would work for your situation which might offer more affordable solutions. Be flexible with your property requirements too, but stay realistic. If you have two kids you will probably want three bedrooms. If you’re unable to afford the price of a one bed in the area, you’re unlikely to be able to stretch to a property you require.

Do your number crunching. Do your research. See what areas you would like to move to but remember that it might not be possible and you might have to make do or look farther out of the city for something your cash can pay for. You’ll be celebrating your new home in no time.