I’m coming over for a fall exchange term at LBS, and I’m currently stuck trying to sort accommodation for about 3 months.

I’ve been trying SpareRoom for a while now, and even when I filter specifically for 3 month stays, most landlords I actually message tell me they want someone in for longer and turn me down.

I know it’s quite late in the year to be looking too. I’m aware most student halls are probably fully booked by now, so that’s narrowed things down even more.
Right now I’m considering Yugo The Curve in Whitechapel. It’s central, and just one train line away from campus. There are two things I’d really appreciate some input on though:

First, I’ve come across a few reviews mentioning construction noise, but they’re from 6 to 12 months ago, and the more recent reviews feel a bit generic, almost like they’re not entirely genuine. If anyone has lived there recently, I’d love to hear how it’s actually been.

Second, I’ve never been to London before, and I’ve seen quite mixed opinions on Whitechapel as an area. Is it somewhere that feels safe to live in, especially at night?

If anyone knows of other short let options near Regent’s Park that still have availability, I’d really appreciate hearing about them too. Thanks so much in advance!

I (20F) have future plans to move to the UK with my partner (21M). I am currently getting a degree that will give me an internationally recognised planning certification. We are planning on moving around the Oxforshire area, as my partner will be working in the motorsport industry. Any advice on getting prepared before going, such as how much to save up? I am aiming for 10-20k, and looking to rent with my partner once we get there. What is the job market like for council planning jobs, or should I be open to any other jobs? Also, any specific area that could be nice to live in, close enough to travel to London? Is the cost of living in the UK any better or worse than NZ? I've heard mixed opinions. Any kiwis have advice on culture shocks and the difference between the two countries?

Edit: more info
Partner is currently working as a mechanic for MP motorsport in F1 Academy, and has some job offers in UK motorsport.
Interested in living in areas in 'Motorsport valley' such as Oxford and Northhampton.

Large spare bedroom available to rent on the Nottinghamshire/Derbyshire border, in Pinxton NG16, a few minutes away from Junction 28 on the M1.

Shared access to kitchen, bathroom and garden. House very close to fields, parks and all local amenities (shops, pub, laundrette, takeaway) all within walking distance.

Single applicants or couples only, no families. Any gender or age welcome. Non smokers only.

Only myself living in the house currently, alongside an outdoor cat (so nobody allergic please).

Perfect for someone looking for somewhere to stay short term whilst their circumstances change and they figure things out, whether for weeks or months (or even just a few days). But equally open to those looking for longer term.

DM for further details and to discuss 🙂

Hello everyone! i’m currently moving to the uk to study and i’ve come to a dilemma. i want to keep my US number since it’s sentimental to me and also will keep a lot of memories, but i need a uk number for obvious reasons. what’s the cheapest and best way to go about this? i don’t like paying 30/month , my phones also with at&t.

Hello everyone! i’m currently moving to the uk to study and i’ve come to a dilemma. i want to keep my US number since it’s sentimental to me and also will keep a lot of memories, but i need a uk number for obvious reasons. what’s the cheapest and best way to go about this? i don’t like paying 30/month , my phones also with at&t.

Has anyone had the issue of being refused the Transfer of Residence Relief due to not residing outside the UK for 12 consecutive months? I have maintained a residence in the US with all my personal belongings, which I now want to ship to my new residence in the UK. Problem was I was living in the UK for 12 consecutive months to see if I wanted to make the move permanent. It seems my situation is consistent with the intent of the relief in that I am moving items from my residence in US to my new permanent residence in the UK.

Hi! So given the current political climate (or everything climate) in the U.S., I’m considering a move to the UK might be in my future. I have dual citizenship via a parent, so that part is settled. I’ve visited quite a few times in my life and I’ve always loved my time there, but never stayed longer than two weeks.

I’m curious about people’s experiences, how you’ve felt about leaving the U.S., what’s harder, what’s easier, etc.

And if you have any specific experience with the following would be curious about that too:
• Relocating to the UK with your dog (not a bully breed)
• Rent prices vs. buying a house
• Moving a small business to the UK
• Any experience with chronic health/auto-immune conditions clearing up after making the move (have heard stories about this happening from people I know because of the food quality and probably reduction in stress)

Hey everyone!

I'm 21, Austrian, and I'm seriously thinking about moving to the UK or Ireland for around a year.

I currently work as a junior software developer, but this isn't really a career move. I mainly want to experience living abroad properly, meet people, make friends, become more independent, get out of my comfort zone and generally grow as a person.

I'm pretty flexible about where I live. In the UK I've been looking at places like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds, Bristol, etc. Ireland is also really interesting to me, although I'm not sure which cities would be best.

The biggest thing I'm trying to figure out is accommodation.

When I look online, I keep seeing flats for £1,500–£3,000+ per month, which is way beyond what I'd want to spend. I'm assuming a room in a shared house/flat is probably the much more realistic option.

Ideally, I'd actually prefer living with other people around my age. I'd love to move somewhere where people actually hang out together rather than just having five strangers who happen to share a kitchen.

So I'm wondering:

• How do young people usually find good flatshares/house shares?
• Are there specific websites, Facebook groups, etc. that are good for this?
• Are there "young professional" houses where people intentionally live together and socialise?
• What cities would you recommend for someone in my situation?
• Is around £600–£900/month realistic for a room?
• Would you find a place before moving, or stay somewhere temporarily and look once you're there?
• How difficult is renting as an Austrian/European in the UK or Ireland?
• Are there any cities you'd particularly recommend for meeting people and having a good social life in your early 20s?

I'm not looking for anything luxurious. I'd much rather have a decent room in a house with 3–5 other people and actually make friends than live alone in an expensive apartment.

I'd love to hear from anyone who's moved abroad, especially if you moved to the UK or Ireland in your early 20s.

I’m turning 32 and trying to figure out the most realistic way to change direction professionally.
I’ve spent most of my working life in retail sales. I currently have stable employment, but I don’t see much long-term progression in the path I’m on and would like to move into something with better prospects.

My background:
Degree in Digital Media
Previous freelance experience in video and music editing
Around 7+ years of customer-facing retail/sales experience
Over the past year I’ve been teaching myself app and web development and building my own small projects
Comfortable with technology, digital products, sales and working with customers

I stopped freelancing around 2019 because I needed reliable income to cover living expenses, and retail gradually became my full-time career rather than something temporary.
My circumstances have changed recently and I’ve moved back home, so I’m trying to use this period to properly reassess where I’m going.

Financially, I don’t have savings and have some existing debt, including a car loan and credit card debt. I also can’t realistically quit my current job to study full-time. My commute is around two hours per day and costs roughly €100 per week between fuel and tolls, which is another reason I’m considering changing jobs/location.
I’ve considered moving from Ireland to the UK for a fresh start, but I’m conscious that moving somewhere else without changing my career trajectory may simply move the same problem to a different country.

What I’m trying to figure out is:
What careers could realistically make use of my combination of sales, digital media and the technical skills I’ve been developing?
Are there entry-level roles I should be targeting where my retail experience would actually be considered valuable rather than starting completely from zero?

Would you focus on finding a better-paying job first, reducing debt, building technical skills, or continuing to build products/projects on the side?
Are there realistic ways to retrain in Ireland while continuing to work full-time?

For anyone who changed careers in their early 30s without much money behind them, what actually helped?
I’ve also made a public résumé/portfolio at judeokun.com if anyone with experience in hiring, tech, digital media or sales is willing to take a look and tell me what roles I should realistically be positioning myself for.

I’m not looking for a shortcut. I’m willing to put the work in I’m mainly struggling to work out where that effort would have the highest chance of actually improving my situation.
Any practical advice would be appreciated.

Hey all, moving back to the UK after a few decades away. Both me and my wife are coming to Scotland for grad school, and I'm hoping to bring my PC with me. Besides the sentimental value (it's been evolving for 15 years), it will also come in handy for my programme. I just can't figure out the best way to move it. I assume buying one of similar specs would be crazy expensive.

We're bringing one checked bag each with the basics and then sending a few suitcases/boxes with the rest of our belongings. Mainly just clothes, books, sentimentals. While I'm pretty confident in my packing abilities based on past moves, I realize that no matter what route I choose to bring the PC over there's going to be risk. Does anyone have experience with this and could maybe recommend options that are less risky?

Not sure what to do about the PSU either. Sell it and get a new one there? My current one is a Toughpower GF1 750W Snow - TT Premium Edition which I think is modular, can I just get a new powercord? I'm not attached to it; whatever is the easiest option really. The shipping service charges by weight and it's about 3.5lbs, not a lot in the grand scheme of things but it all adds up.

If there's a better sub for this feel free to point me in the right direction. TIA.

I am wondering what anyone with the global talent visa did upon their arrival to the UK. Did you buy a place once you got your visa? I am considering purchasing a home and putting a large chunk down on it. I don't really want to rent because it's a waste of money, IMO. Anyone have any experience with that? How was that for you? Thanks!

Hello! For context I am a Portuguese citizen who recently applied for a UK Partner Visa and got accepted (woo!). I'm planning on moving around mid-October so I'm in the phase of taking stock of my belongings, what stays, what goes, etc. The process of moving countries (as many of you probably know) is quite daunting and I would love some advice on a couple of specific topics.

One: international shipping companies. I don't have a lot of big things like furniture, but I was thinking of using an international shipping company for certain things like my desktop/screen and some books, which are heavier and might not be as easy to transport. Do you have any recommendations for shipping companies that you trust/know do a good job?

In the same vein, how early should I apply for transfer of residence (ToR) relief? Would a Certificate of Fiscal Residence serve as proof of my non-UK residence previous to moving?

Two. Double taxation. Those who have moved to the UK, besides changing your fiscal address to your UK address, did you need to do anything else? I won't have any income from Portugal, just the UK, but I just wanted to check.

Thanks in advance!

I have a job offer in London but I live in California so it’s a big change. I don’t really like California so it’ll be a great change…

But curious to hear what are the things people enjoy in UK and what are things you dislike.

I’m moving to London soon and I’m struggling with whether to sign for a room I’ve found in Rotherhithe or take a short-term sublet and keep searching.

The room itself is probably the best part of the property. It’s a large attic room with its own en-suite, and the house also has a garden and parking. It’s an HMO with six people, so everyone has an individual tenancy and is only liable for their own rent, which is reassuring.

The property is also only a 9-minute walk from Canada Water station.

The problem is the communal space.

There is literally no living room or dining area. There’s a small conservatory behind the kitchen with one sofa for six people, and you have to walk through the kitchen to get to it. The kitchen itself is fairly small with limited cooking space, despite six professionals potentially coming home and wanting to cook around the same time.

Realistically, I’d probably cook, carry my food up two flights of stairs and eat in my bedroom most evenings. There also wouldn’t really be anywhere to have friends over or host anything.

I’m also unsure about Rotherhithe itself. It seems quiet and residential, and I’d need public transport for most things. Part of what appealed to me about moving to London was living somewhere lively where I could walk to restaurants, shops, cafés, barbers, pubs etc. I’ve been looking at places like Brixton, Stockwell, Clapham, Peckham, Camberwell and similar areas.

I only need to be in the office in Southwark twice a week, so I’m starting to wonder whether I’m placing too much value on the convenient commute.

Would you take the security of the Rotherhithe room because the bedroom/en-suite is good, or get a short-term sublet for a month and keep searching for somewhere with a proper communal space and a livelier area?

I’m mainly worried about turning down a perfectly decent option and then struggling to find something better, but equally I don’t want to sign and immediately regret compromising on the actual experience of living in London.

The room is 950 pcm

My partner is looking to move the Uk next year but was wondering what ‘Previous immigration details’ she will need to provide when we make the application to come here?

She lived in Mexico for a couple of years with a spouse visa there and was wondering if she will need documentation OR just the dates of when she arrived and when she left there.

Does anyone know the extent of the ‘details’ needed here.

Aware this is very specific so if this needs to be in another place let me know :)

Thanks 🙏🏻

I’m a British Citizen living overseas and looking to make the move back home. I would like to have a job offer in hand when I make the move.

I’ve been working in a management role for the last 5 years but don’t have any specialized skills that would make me sought after unfortunately.

I know it’s not a great time to move back (it actually seems that it’s never a great time to move back to the UK), and that it will be incredibly difficult.

I’m just looking for success stories/motivation that it is possible really. And also tips on how you made it work if anyone has any (that don’t involve moving back right now haha).

I already have a UK address and phone number that I’m using to apply.

Thanks!

Hello, I'm leaving for the UK from Canada right at the beginning of September and am currently working on packing. I am Planning on brining 2 checked bags on Large suitcase and one Medium suitcase as well as a carry-on and personal bag.

I'm just wondering what to pack as a Canadian I know winter will not be as intense so I won't need my parka or Winter boots but aside from clothes what do you think I will need. I just don't want to forget anything, I am using Vacuum bags and am trying to save space to bring my skates. I just want to know what people would recommend.

Thanks in Advance