Moving to London for 5 months, where should I live?

[Kas]

I will be moving to London for an internship from September until mid-January. Where should I live?

I've got about 5000 euro saved up and will get an additional 800 a month. With a max budget of about 2000 for the first month, 500+800=1300 for the other months and 1000 for any problems; I think I will be fine. However, I really don't mean to spend it all if I don't have to.

Last year I spent 6 months in Malaysia (with trips to Thailand and Laos) for a different internship, so I already have some experience living abroad. Besides, I'm currently living in the Netherlands so there won't be much of a culture shock.

According to http://studenthousing.lon.ac.uk/ I should wait with getting a permanent place until I am actually in London. However, Lonely Planet tells me that hotel/hostel prices are VERY high in London - I really can't afford to stay in one for my first month.

The organisation I will be doing my internship with is in Richmond. Of course it will be ideal to live somewhere close because I'll be spending 5 days in the week over there. On the other hand, I don't know anyone in London at all so it would be cool if I could live with other international students nearby.

 

[MikeDT]



According to http://studenthousing.lon.ac.uk/ I should wait with getting a permanent place until I am actually in London. However, Lonely Planet tells me that hotel/hostel prices are VERY high in London - I really can't afford to stay in one for my first month.

Yup very high. Friend of mine was telling me it's £20 GBP a night at a flea-pit hostel in Hammersmith, 20 people in a room, all bunk beds. Also next year you've got the London Olympics, so rents will probably sky-rocket. But the way that London is burning at the moment, there might not be much left in 5 months.

 

[Kas]

Yeah :<


On a positive note, apparently I looked up the wrong address on google earth - the company is not in Richmond but smack in the middle of the City - so it doesn't really matter where I live.