So, our lease renewal came through the post the other day and it sparked a few thoughts about moving to see if I can beat the price increase by finding a private landlord in London. Like I said, I had thoughts but they’re gone now as I have signed the lease agreement for another year and sent it back again.

Moving around in London can be a very stressful experience to go through and one I’d try to avoid as much as possible. It’s first finding a place that is affordable as well as in a good area. Each borough in London have their good side and their bad side, some are actually not as bad as the press makes it out to be. Then it’s the deposit and the estate agent fee’s all over again with their supposedly credit check fees which I think is bogus but you’re at their mercy so you’ll just go with it. If that is not bad enough you will have to make sure you leave the place in a suitable condition and move into the new place and sort out all the bills while you are at it.

People living in house shares have got it a bit easier as you only pack your bags and you’re off to the next best thing you find on Gumtree. So all in all, moving around in London can be a mission but if you plan it right and you’re not on a super tight budget, then it is very do-able.

The Moving Check List:

• Save enough or get a backup plan for the deposit, tenancy admin fee and first 4-6 weeks of rent.
• Change your address with everyone’s who’s got your address such as your bank.
• Move out at least two days before you should be out so that you will have enough time to clean the place properly and not rush into the new place.
• Take meter readings for any dispute that may follow.
• Double check your tenancy agreement to make sure you have complied with everything you signed up for at the beginning or before you enter a new agreement.

Who needs to travel around the world when you can experience a different part of London each weekend? OK, each weekend might be a little much and expensive but it can be done with a little bit of planning and a bit of curiosity. I like to think that I am adventurous, nah, who am I kidding, I stumble across most of these interesting places in London.

London is way too big to experience in one year, there is always something new happening somewhere else. Each borough has their own thing going on, their own feel and their own hidden treasures. You might actually discover something that I’ve never even heard of, so get out there and start to explore.

Take a look at the photos attached at the bottom and you’ll see just how different London can be and what you can experience if you really want to. Remember that all the busses in London are connected so you will find your way home quite quickly if you read the maps properly. Do yourself a favour and get lost in London, it’ll be the best experience ever.

London is days away from a complete booze ban on the entire TFL network as a pledge Boris Johnson made in his mayoral campaign. The booze ban comes into effect on the 1^st of June 2008 where nobody is allowed to carry an open bottle of alcohol on the public transport network.

This is in a bid to tackle the increasing numbers of anti- social behaviour amongst Londoners. Would this be a good move or a bad move for the new mayor of London? In one hand I can see where he is coming from, making the TFL network a safer place for people during all hours of the day. On the other hand I can see a bit of problem enforcing this new ban when it’s 1am in the morning; you have a carriage full of drunken people drinking on their way to the next party. The only man on the platform will not want to stand up to them alone, neither would I.  

What do you think about the booze ban?