Flat Hunting - Part Four

I've done a previous series about flat hunting from another country,
but now that I am IN the country and it won't be long until Heather and I start this dreaded process again,
I thought it may be helpful to start explaining how we are going about it, now that we don't have to search from across the world.


London is a big, BIG city.
I can't even begin to guess how many agents, landlords, websites, etc. there are dedicated to rentals.
It gets a bit overwhelming.
But if you've got the basics that are needed to find a place to live,
it won't be as bad as you think.

To start, Heather and I have spent a lot of time around the areas of London that we haven't been to.
This includes areas out in zone 2 and 3 that we've heard about and haven't managed to visit,
but also includes those 'dream' areas that if we find an affordable flat we will jump at.
Right now, we've got a range of areas from Clapham to Fulham to Stratford to Islington.
Having a list of higher priorities makes it much easier take on the millions and billions of areas within the city.

We've first chosen areas based on what we want the most, which are safety and distance to a Tube Station.
After this, we begin listing more of the necessities; price range, how much space, furnishings, etc.

Once we've got a little spreadsheet of our desirables, then it's time to search.
Or in our case right now, browse.

Estate agent websites can be tough to navigate, but they aren't all difficult.
Strutt & Parker specialize in properties around both London and Wiltshire, and is one of my favorites to browse around.
It is a great example of how letting agents should organize their site.
There is nothing better than an easy property search function with all of the categories that can help narrow down to exactly what you are looking for.

Right now, as we have some time before we need to get serious, we are really looking at different agents that we may be interested in,
as well as the portal sites that have multiple different properties.

We're just getting prepared with ideas now, but there's no harm in starting early, right?

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