If you live in the UK perhaps at one time or another you may have travelled to London. You may have visited for pleasure, to visit family or indeed for work. Living in London can be a rather diverse experience. Every borough of the capital has a unique personality, some feel positively villagey and others downright metropolitan.

As a homeowner looking to buy a property in the capital you should choose carefully where you buy a London home. Here are some ideas to help you consider the best options.

How to Move to London and Make the Most of Your New Home

Moving house is a stressful time for all involved. Whether you are selling your property and buying a new one or buying your first ever home, the moving process is never easy. From all the paperwork to organising the moving companies and deciding on the day to exchange contracts and keys, it can seem like a never-ending state of turmoil.

But that doesn’t mean you cannot make the most out of the situation, especially if you are making the big move to England’s capital, London.

Moving to and living in London is a dream for many, yet not all of us are lucky enough to buy a house or rent a property in this cosmopolitan city. If you are one of the lucky ones, however, here’s how to make the move to London much smoother so that you can enjoy your new start.

Know the area you hope to find your London home

We all know that London is very large and can be difficult to navigate. This is why it is in your best interests to explore the areas you are considering moving to before buying.  In this way you’ll have a greater understanding of where you will be moving to and laying down roots with your new London home.

Know your London Borough before buying a London home

Each London borough is unique. Some are ideal for families; others make for great homes for young professionals who are yet to settle down. Therefore, you will want to ensure you choose a borough for your London home that suits your needs and vibe.

London boroughs that are perfect for families include:

• Richmond
• Bexley
• Teddington
• Chiswick
• Crystal Palace

Looking for a younger more energetic vibe for your London home?

However, if you are a young professional, then you may wish to live in the following boroughs:

• Brixton
• Shoreditch
• Hoxton
• Angel

Always research each place beforehand so that you can consider the costs of living there as well as the type of housing that is typically available to you. You will find that in the centre of London, apartments are the norm. Therefore, if you are after a house, you may wish to live on the city’s outskirts.

Plan Your Move Ahead of Time

Whether you are moving from one part of London to another or moving from outside of the city, navigating the London streets with moving vans and cars can be very stressful. London traffic is real and can be an ordeal you will have to grow accustomed to, but that does not mean you cannot make the process as easy as possible.

Tips to buying a London home include:

• Moving outside of rush hour: London rush hour is around 07:30 and 09:30 in the morning and between 17:00 and 19:00 in the afternoon/evening. It is better to avoid moving during these times unless it is essential.
• Invest in a storage space: If you have a lot of furniture and belongings, then trying to move them from A to B in a day or two can add a lot of stress to an already stressful situation. Rather than try and move everything all at once, you should invest in a local storage space near your new abode so that you can move furniture before the big day and the slowly move it into your new home once you have the keys. SafeStore has many options for local storage space so that you can pack up your belongings and make the move at a more leisurely and relaxed pace. Take a look at SafeStore and see whether they have storage space options near your area.

Unpack Slowly

There is no rush when it comes to unpacking your belongings in your London home. Security is important so ensure you don’t leave valuables lying in plain view. Protect yourself from opportunists.

Rather than try and fill up the space, unbox the necessities and then live in your new home and see what inspiration hits. You may realise that some of the furniture you have is too bulky and would lessen the natural light within your living room, for example.

House sitters

Once you have moved to London you may need a house or pet sitter. Join a housesitting website and build a profile. Check what services they offer.

House sit a London home

The advantage of your location is that it is a huge draw to experienced travelling house sitters. Experienced house and pet sitters know that they can exchange their pet and house sitting services for free accommodation in London. Because if you don’t charge money as a pet sitter but exchange your services in a collaboration you will be popular and much in demand.

Housesitting website

They may be a free pet and housesitting sit but are they professionally run? They may be a paid for housesitting website but do they offer free pet and housesitters? Free house sitting websites or free house sitters? Which is the best option for you? Check the reputation of the platform to ensure you make the right decision for you.

London pet sitters

Petsitting services in any capital city are bound to be expensive so you might need to consider your options carefully. You can access affordable London pet sitters by thinking laterally.

Consider the free housesitting websites offering free pet and housesitters who come to your home at their own expense. This is a great solution for anyone needing London housesitting and petsitting. They will exchange their services free of charge for free accommodation. It is a fair exchange and can save you a lot of money in pet hotels and kennelling fees.

Cat sitters London

If you have cats then it is likely you will need cat sitters for when you go away. Sometimes friendly neighbours can help for short periods.

House sitter in London

If you find the only time you have difficulty caring for them is when you need to go away on business or on a holiday then consider finding a house sitter. You can pay for a housesitter in London, but remember there are also housesitting websites where you pay a small fee for a professional service to find you free housesitter who will also care for pets.

It’s a fair exchange if they get to stay in your home.  And as a destination London house sitting is popular. At the end you both review each other as part of the arrangement and they earn your review as you earn theirs.

Areas popular for house sitting in London

Essentially any where on the London tube will be popular with housesitters who prefer city life. Many of them will be without a car and so will rely on public transport and the ‘Tube’ is the backbone of the capital.

A final word on keeping a London home

London is a wonderful city to move to. Yet as a London home owner making the move can be extremely stressful. Minimise the stress of moving by planning and being as organised as possible. Investing in storage space is a great way to make the transition as simple as possible.

Further reading about housesitting and housesitters

At Housesitmatch.com we like to share useful blogs and practical advice about housesitters, housesitting and pet sitting. We hope you find this small selection of our blogs on house sitters useful.

Housesitters keep pets safe at home and save money

What a housesitter does – Top 10 responsibilities

Top 10 tips for cat sitting

Top dogsitting tips for beginners