Imperial College London
London
Postgraduate accomodation 2013/2014
Hello guys. I received an offer some days ago and now I am looking for accomodation options and I bet there are a lot like me. Please let us know what solution do you have or any advice of recent graduates.
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I have an offer too and I'm confused just like you. The options offered by Imperial are very very expensive (200/w and above). They closed down a very affordable PG-only accommodation 2 years ago and it's very unwise from them. As an initial plan and for now, I am planning to arrive days before the course start to look for a room in the private sector. What ideas do you have in mind?
Imperial College London
London
Hi guys I've got an offer from Imperial on their Physics MSc, though I'm not sure as of yet whether I'll be accepting it or not (it's really hard to decide between ETH and Imperial). If I do, I will be needing to start looking for accommodation around the area. I have lived in East London over the last 3 years (was studying at QM) and I can tell you the private sector is not that bad. On a side note if you haven't lived in London (or the UK) be prepared to a) pay up front 6 months if you don't have family/friends working in the UK b) be completely disappointed by the quality of housing (at least I was....).
Other than that from a quick search around the web (sites like zoopla or gumtree and rightmove) it seems that you can find something decent for 3-5 people (not far from Imperial) for less than 200pw per person. Let me know if you're interested in grouping up...in case I finally decide to attend.
P.S. Because I read in some other posts about people planning to come a few days early to find accommodation, bear in mind that London houses thousands of students each year and you are not the only ones that will be looking for a place at the last minute. I did once and I've promised myself never again... I would suggest that you plan in advance and try to settle down around mid-July to mid-August at the latest. Paying 1-2 months more may well be worth it in the end!
Other than that from a quick search around the web (sites like zoopla or gumtree and rightmove) it seems that you can find something decent for 3-5 people (not far from Imperial) for less than 200pw per person. Let me know if you're interested in grouping up...in case I finally decide to attend.
P.S. Because I read in some other posts about people planning to come a few days early to find accommodation, bear in mind that London houses thousands of students each year and you are not the only ones that will be looking for a place at the last minute. I did once and I've promised myself never again... I would suggest that you plan in advance and try to settle down around mid-July to mid-August at the latest. Paying 1-2 months more may well be worth it in the end!
It is possible to find such places to live, especially if you move a bit towards the suburbs. Then again the question becomes if you want a long commute to and fro the uni every day and how much are you gonna be saving after you factor in all the traveling costs. Don't forget also that when looking around for flats/houses you have to account for bills and other running costs of the place you are living in, when you say an X amount per week. Btw did you notice that the ad you linked advertised an unfurnished house? Add another 500-1000 to furnish that...
If you need any more help with generally budgeting your studies lemme know, I've run spreadsheets on pretty much everything so I can crunch some numbers for you to give a better idea of what it's gonna cost to live around London.
If you need any more help with generally budgeting your studies lemme know, I've run spreadsheets on pretty much everything so I can crunch some numbers for you to give a better idea of what it's gonna cost to live around London.
don't change travel budget depending on where you live. just make sure you are within Zone 3 when you get a place. Ealing and Fulham are pretty cheap I think. when you get there, buy a yearly Oyster card for Zones 1-3 at the student rate, you won't regret it. if you plan on doing anything in London and having fun, get the 1-3 annual pass. also get a barclay's cycle hire key thing which costs 90 pounds. it may seem like a lot now for the transportation costs, but when you look back on your time there, it will be worth it and is such a negligible amount in the grand scheme of things.
too bad they closed Clayponds, it was super cheap (105pw) and awesome. i have no idea how you can find a good place to live from far away, leaving it to the week before is risky and could make you end up in a bad place. there are also lots of scams around targetting students arranging housing from overseas. your best bet is to go through the imperial accommodation office, or contact students already at imperial and see if they have space in their house. coordinating a 3 or 4 person lease from outside of the UK would be very risky and difficult
too bad they closed Clayponds, it was super cheap (105pw) and awesome. i have no idea how you can find a good place to live from far away, leaving it to the week before is risky and could make you end up in a bad place. there are also lots of scams around targetting students arranging housing from overseas. your best bet is to go through the imperial accommodation office, or contact students already at imperial and see if they have space in their house. coordinating a 3 or 4 person lease from outside of the UK would be very risky and difficult
I'm finishing my undergrad this year, but I was in private rented this year and last. There is a website available for finding accommodation (Imperial Home Solutions), but it requires you to log in which isn't really much help if you don't have an account! It's useful because they put you in touch directly with the landlords, so you don't have to worry about estate agents and associated fees. I'd try ringing them or sending an email, there's contact details available on the website if you follow the links through for prospective postgraduate students.
Cost wise, here's what I faced in the past couple of years. The close you get to college/nicer the place, the more you pay.
This year (2012-2013)
Location: Putney, Edge of Zone 2, commuting in to South Kensington by tube ~35 mins, ~25 mins bike.
Rent: £130 p/w in a House of 6 (maisonette, 2 kitchens, 3 bathrooms, 6 bedrooms, living room, garden access).
Bills: ~£80 for 3 months. This was a large house and we chose to have the heating on, plus we are all heavy internet users.
Travel: £81 per month for a Zone 1-2 travelcard. It is possible to cycle if you wish, I choose to be lazy though.
Last year (2011-12)
Location: West Kensington/Fulham, Zone 2, ~35 mins walk from campus, ~15 mins bike.
Rent: £125 p/w Flat of 3 (small basement flat, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, patio, no living room, & many problems!)
Bills: Probably ~£60 per term. It was much smaller and we used less energy.
Travel: £10p/w pay as you go Oyster top up. This depends more on what you do outside of commuting.
Hope that's of some use
Cost wise, here's what I faced in the past couple of years. The close you get to college/nicer the place, the more you pay.
This year (2012-2013)
Location: Putney, Edge of Zone 2, commuting in to South Kensington by tube ~35 mins, ~25 mins bike.
Rent: £130 p/w in a House of 6 (maisonette, 2 kitchens, 3 bathrooms, 6 bedrooms, living room, garden access).
Bills: ~£80 for 3 months. This was a large house and we chose to have the heating on, plus we are all heavy internet users.
Travel: £81 per month for a Zone 1-2 travelcard. It is possible to cycle if you wish, I choose to be lazy though.
Last year (2011-12)
Location: West Kensington/Fulham, Zone 2, ~35 mins walk from campus, ~15 mins bike.
Rent: £125 p/w Flat of 3 (small basement flat, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, patio, no living room, & many problems!)
Bills: Probably ~£60 per term. It was much smaller and we used less energy.
Travel: £10p/w pay as you go Oyster top up. This depends more on what you do outside of commuting.
Hope that's of some use
@Spankk
Well usually students from each different uni tend to cluster around different areas that are close to the universities themselves. So far from what I've seen for example UCL students hit the Caledonian road area, Queen Mary students went around Liverpool Str., Aldgate East & Stratford, I've seen Brunnel students sticking around Uxbridge, CAS students around Angel/Farringdon, I've met King's students around Charing Cross and LSE students yet again around Farringdon. I can't really say that any of these areas is representative of a student population but you get my point. It always boils down to budgeting, I've met AA students living in Chalk Farm renting places for ridiculous amounts, then again they are AA students. I have even seen Westminster & St. Martins students living in the best of places around South Kensington or Sloane Square (fml, don't ask me how bad students always somehow got money).
Apart from those I'd say that generally young people like a lot the Brick Lane area (Aldgate East), the Hackney/Dalston area, and everything round Angel, Old Street, , Farringdon, Barbican.
With Imperial students I'd say your best bet is around Imperial Wharf and Clapham Junction, since they are the most affordable sort of ok/better areas close to the university. If you lower your standards a bit I'd say you could look around Hammersmith, Shepherd's Bush, Wood Lane, but there areas remind me of the dreadful ghetto style areas I've been living over the past 3 years in East London. (Oh yeah btw, please for your own sake avoid anything in east London, that is anything further that Aldgate East, which is already east enough, perhaps not further than Liverpool Street.)
As far as the accommodation service from Imperial is concerned, I had a chat with the post-grad admissions person in Physics yesterday and said that I will be receiving info and access to those services as soon as I've accepted my offer and my attendance has been confirmed or something. Given that it is still late March if you plan on hitting private accommodation, don't worry its too early anyway.
NOTE: I asked him if there was any chance to get me in contact with other people in my course that may be looking around for accommodation and said that he would be happy to circulate an email around. If you'd like such an idea also, I'd encourage you to get in contact with the relevant person in your department to.
@Dracion
I bought a bike last June and used it to commute to/from work while I was doing a research internship in the Midlands. Need I say I ended up every single day wet...? Since then and given the whether this year my bike hasn't been out for a ride since September...
It can't be only me that when I wake up and check out of the window and see everything cloudy and gray (which I guess is about 90% of the time) that I don't wanna risk it by taking my bike...
Well usually students from each different uni tend to cluster around different areas that are close to the universities themselves. So far from what I've seen for example UCL students hit the Caledonian road area, Queen Mary students went around Liverpool Str., Aldgate East & Stratford, I've seen Brunnel students sticking around Uxbridge, CAS students around Angel/Farringdon, I've met King's students around Charing Cross and LSE students yet again around Farringdon. I can't really say that any of these areas is representative of a student population but you get my point. It always boils down to budgeting, I've met AA students living in Chalk Farm renting places for ridiculous amounts, then again they are AA students. I have even seen Westminster & St. Martins students living in the best of places around South Kensington or Sloane Square (fml, don't ask me how bad students always somehow got money).
Apart from those I'd say that generally young people like a lot the Brick Lane area (Aldgate East), the Hackney/Dalston area, and everything round Angel, Old Street, , Farringdon, Barbican.
With Imperial students I'd say your best bet is around Imperial Wharf and Clapham Junction, since they are the most affordable sort of ok/better areas close to the university. If you lower your standards a bit I'd say you could look around Hammersmith, Shepherd's Bush, Wood Lane, but there areas remind me of the dreadful ghetto style areas I've been living over the past 3 years in East London. (Oh yeah btw, please for your own sake avoid anything in east London, that is anything further that Aldgate East, which is already east enough, perhaps not further than Liverpool Street.)
As far as the accommodation service from Imperial is concerned, I had a chat with the post-grad admissions person in Physics yesterday and said that I will be receiving info and access to those services as soon as I've accepted my offer and my attendance has been confirmed or something. Given that it is still late March if you plan on hitting private accommodation, don't worry its too early anyway.
NOTE: I asked him if there was any chance to get me in contact with other people in my course that may be looking around for accommodation and said that he would be happy to circulate an email around. If you'd like such an idea also, I'd encourage you to get in contact with the relevant person in your department to.
@Dracion
I bought a bike last June and used it to commute to/from work while I was doing a research internship in the Midlands. Need I say I ended up every single day wet...? Since then and given the whether this year my bike hasn't been out for a ride since September...
It can't be only me that when I wake up and check out of the window and see everything cloudy and gray (which I guess is about 90% of the time) that I don't wanna risk it by taking my bike...
(edited 11 years ago)
http://www.london.gov.uk/rents/
Take a look at that site. Don't know how accurate it is but being governmental it should have a bare minimum merit. It will give you a better idea of how the pricing ranges over London. Anything that has to do with areas below the river (or south of Thames) I got no idea about. The only place I've been is at Tate Modern and the shops around it. I've heard its a bit of a no no especially towards more southern areas but still as I said I have no way of confirming/knowing this.
My opinion, if you can find something similarly priced around Hammersmith or some other area closer to the uni why look into east London?
And Whitechappel if I'm not mistaken is right next to the largest mosque in east London. And don't get me wrong I'm not racist, most of them are pretty good people, but having lived around such populations I can tell you that I'm not really fond of walking around my area and every couple of blocks seeing a bunch of Bangladeshi/Pakistani or whatever 15 year old boys playing it gangsta and smoking/selling weed...
Take a look at that site. Don't know how accurate it is but being governmental it should have a bare minimum merit. It will give you a better idea of how the pricing ranges over London. Anything that has to do with areas below the river (or south of Thames) I got no idea about. The only place I've been is at Tate Modern and the shops around it. I've heard its a bit of a no no especially towards more southern areas but still as I said I have no way of confirming/knowing this.
My opinion, if you can find something similarly priced around Hammersmith or some other area closer to the uni why look into east London?
And Whitechappel if I'm not mistaken is right next to the largest mosque in east London. And don't get me wrong I'm not racist, most of them are pretty good people, but having lived around such populations I can tell you that I'm not really fond of walking around my area and every couple of blocks seeing a bunch of Bangladeshi/Pakistani or whatever 15 year old boys playing it gangsta and smoking/selling weed...
Hey guys!
Congrats everyone on getting accepted! I am super excited about accepting my offer earlier this week, too
First off, thank you guys for sharing so many of your stories - it's really nice to know about other people's experiences of renting in London, especially for someone like me - who has never even visited the UK before
Yeah, as some of you pointed out, it's pretty risky to arrive a few days earlier and just speed view all the rooms and decide on the spot... There are a lot of what-iffs in this option...
The buddying-up-and-getting-a-5-rooms-house option seems attractive, especially since it's cheaper that way. But how do you buddy up with people you have never met over the Internet? Also a lot of what-iffs...
So, for someone like me, who cannot arrive in July, as suggested (I can arrive in September at the earliest..) - what is the best thing to do???
There has to be a solution!
Or am I trapped??? 0.o
Congrats everyone on getting accepted! I am super excited about accepting my offer earlier this week, too
First off, thank you guys for sharing so many of your stories - it's really nice to know about other people's experiences of renting in London, especially for someone like me - who has never even visited the UK before
Yeah, as some of you pointed out, it's pretty risky to arrive a few days earlier and just speed view all the rooms and decide on the spot... There are a lot of what-iffs in this option...
The buddying-up-and-getting-a-5-rooms-house option seems attractive, especially since it's cheaper that way. But how do you buddy up with people you have never met over the Internet? Also a lot of what-iffs...
So, for someone like me, who cannot arrive in July, as suggested (I can arrive in September at the earliest..) - what is the best thing to do???
There has to be a solution!
Or am I trapped??? 0.o
Hey! congrats on your offers I received my offer last January and since then my only worry has been the accommodation. I am definitely not willing to stay at the GradPad.. it's too expensive.
I'm also gonna be arriving in September and would really like to buddy up with 1 or 2 more people (a 3 bedroom flat is much more spacious than a 1 bedroom flat and is much cheaper. oh, and it definitely beats the gradpad).
If anyone is interested in teaming up we should contact each other.. get to know each other a bit and see how it goes
I received my offer last January and since then my only worry has been the accommodation. I am definitely not willing to stay at the GradPad.. it's too expensive. I'm also gonna be arriving in September and would really like to buddy up with 1 or 2 more people (a 3 bedroom flat is much more spacious than a 1 bedroom flat and is much cheaper. oh, and it definitely beats the gradpad).
If anyone is interested in teaming up we should contact each other.. get to know each other a bit and see how it goes
Hey all,
I have accepted an offer from Imperial to do a masters in Biomedical Engineering.
Was just wondering what people were doing about accommodation? If going in to studios with GradPad is best, or trying to find somewhere cheap is best? Or even if there are other people who want to share a place with me and my friend?!
I have accepted an offer from Imperial to do a masters in Biomedical Engineering.
Was just wondering what people were doing about accommodation? If going in to studios with GradPad is best, or trying to find somewhere cheap is best? Or even if there are other people who want to share a place with me and my friend?!
Hello I am really interested in that topic too. Please let's keep just one topic, not to get confused.
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2295860
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2295860
Original post by Lunat1c
Hey! congrats on your offers I received my offer last January and since then my only worry has been the accommodation. I am definitely not willing to stay at the GradPad.. it's too expensive.
I'm also gonna be arriving in September and would really like to buddy up with 1 or 2 more people (a 3 bedroom flat is much more spacious than a 1 bedroom flat and is much cheaper. oh, and it definitely beats the gradpad).
If anyone is interested in teaming up we should contact each other.. get to know each other a bit and see how it goes
I received my offer last January and since then my only worry has been the accommodation. I am definitely not willing to stay at the GradPad.. it's too expensive. I'm also gonna be arriving in September and would really like to buddy up with 1 or 2 more people (a 3 bedroom flat is much more spacious than a 1 bedroom flat and is much cheaper. oh, and it definitely beats the gradpad).
If anyone is interested in teaming up we should contact each other.. get to know each other a bit and see how it goes
Hey me and my friend are looking for people to houseshare with!
Original post by mishka_lala
Hey guys!
Congrats everyone on getting accepted! I am super excited about accepting my offer earlier this week, too
First off, thank you guys for sharing so many of your stories - it's really nice to know about other people's experiences of renting in London, especially for someone like me - who has never even visited the UK before
Yeah, as some of you pointed out, it's pretty risky to arrive a few days earlier and just speed view all the rooms and decide on the spot... There are a lot of what-iffs in this option...
The buddying-up-and-getting-a-5-rooms-house option seems attractive, especially since it's cheaper that way. But how do you buddy up with people you have never met over the Internet? Also a lot of what-iffs...
So, for someone like me, who cannot arrive in July, as suggested (I can arrive in September at the earliest..) - what is the best thing to do???
There has to be a solution!
Or am I trapped??? 0.o
Congrats everyone on getting accepted! I am super excited about accepting my offer earlier this week, too
First off, thank you guys for sharing so many of your stories - it's really nice to know about other people's experiences of renting in London, especially for someone like me - who has never even visited the UK before
Yeah, as some of you pointed out, it's pretty risky to arrive a few days earlier and just speed view all the rooms and decide on the spot... There are a lot of what-iffs in this option...
The buddying-up-and-getting-a-5-rooms-house option seems attractive, especially since it's cheaper that way. But how do you buddy up with people you have never met over the Internet? Also a lot of what-iffs...
So, for someone like me, who cannot arrive in July, as suggested (I can arrive in September at the earliest..) - what is the best thing to do???
There has to be a solution!
Or am I trapped??? 0.o
Hey me and my friend are looking for people to houseshare with and wont be arriving until september time
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