Relocating to London: Need your inputs

[Caleb0718]

Hello all,

I am relocating to London next month and I have the following clarifications and I think you guys are the best people to help me.

1. Where is the best place to find a flat if my office is at 103 Wigmore Street
London?
2. How much is the average rent per month for a decent 1 bedroom flat near my work area?
3. How much is the average daily/monthly expense for a single guy?
4. Is GBP 80,000 annual salary enough for me to live and save in London? I am a bit hesitant in getting the new role from my company as I know that London is charging 40% tax, I might not be able to save :(.

Apologies if these questions has been asked previously but I can not find a thread talking about this stuff.

Cheers.

Caleb

[Steve.r]

Can i ask how you got your job for £80000 ? Are you sure it is genuine????

[Terpe]

Hello all,

I am relocating to London next month and I have the following clarifications and I think you guys are the best people to help me.

1. Where is the best place to find a flat if my office is at 103 Wigmore Street
London?
2. How much is the average rent per month for a decent 1 bedroom flat near my work area?
3. How much is the average daily/monthly expense for a single guy?
4. Is GBP 80,000 annual salary enough for me to live and save in London? I am a bit hesitant in getting the new role from my company as I know that London is charging 40% tax, I might not be able to save :(.

Apologies if these questions has been asked previously but I can not find a thread talking about this stuff.

Cheers.

Caleb

Well Caleb, your best bet is to ask your employer either here in UK or wherever you are currently located.

Considering the time and money they already spent in getting you through the Intra-company sponsorship visa they must already have all the details of the package including the 'appropriate salary', allowances and accommodation package.

[grahamw48]

Sorry....don't know why I'm laughing.

[Steve.r]

Isn't your real name Nathan ???????

[Terpe]

Isn't your real name Nathan ???????

Don't know what happened to Caleb/Nathan
He was online for over an hour looking at his posting but didn't find the motivation to provide more information.
Just can't help some people

I hope he returns soon as he may be able to help me.

[Caleb0718]

Hello Peeps, am new in this site,, just got back..

I am working under same company and I am not changing my post, I only requested to relocate due to personal reasons. So I believe that answers your question if my employment for real.

--Someone is laughing, good to know that I am entertaining you, errr apologies for my sarcasm

-- Yeap let me know how I may help you guys, I wont hesitate to extend my hand if I know that I can.

[Caleb0718]

funny, i responded using the other button for "reply" birth pain, it is my first time to access this site.

To Steve and Terpe thanks for responding, to someone who is laughing am sorry but I find you sarcastic and I do not appreciate that.

Steve, I am not changing my company been working with them for 3 years I just need to relocate to London due to personal reasons and project requirement. Yes, my real name is Caleb Nathan.

@Terpe, I am back, been away for a while doing some stuff. With regard to my companies relocating agency, they are actually giving me a month to stay in a hotel and they will help me in finding my flat but still I need to do my homework for me to be equipped, last time in South Africa I have to suffer for a month as I got the not so nice flat.

[Caleb0718]

Lemme know why you find my post funny, I will be happy to answer any clarification from your end.

Sorry....don't know why I'm laughing.

[Caleb0718]

Hello Steve, I am not changing my company nor my post, I am only relocating due to personal reason and project requirement

Can i ask how you got your job for £80000 ? Are you sure it is genuine????

[Terpe]

funny, i responded using the other button for "reply" birth pain, it is my first time to access this site.

To Steve and Terpe thanks for responding, to someone who is laughing am sorry but I find you sarcastic and I do not appreciate that.

Steve, I am not changing my company been working with them for 3 years I just need to relocate to London due to personal reasons and project requirement. Yes, my real name is Caleb Nathan.

@Terpe, I am back, been away for a while doing some stuff. With regard to my companies relocating agency, they are actually giving me a month to stay in a hotel and they will help me in finding my flat but still I need to do my homework for me to be equipped, last time in South Africa I have to suffer for a month as I got the not so nice flat.

Caleb, good to see you back.
As you know, a 1 bed flat in that area of London is rather expensive.
But anyway I hope you can help me.
How did your company secure that Intra-company visa? Did they use a specialist agency or their own HR folks?
How many points did you need to make?

My friend secured 50 pts but still unable to secure the sponsorship.
I would be most interested to learn your experience.

BTW you were lucky to find a reasonable hotel with rooms to spare

[Caleb0718]

Sorry buddy, been out for some weekend stuff, may I know the information that you need from me. Apologies if I am bombarding you guys with repeated response, I think I am experiencing technical problems.

-- For the corporate package, indeed I have, but it is only for a month while our company agent is helping me to find my flat. Still I need to do my own research and I want to hear your thoughts.

Steve,, I am not changing my employment nor my role. I am only relocating due to personal reason and project requirement. I got my job 3 years ago and I was hired directly by my company.

Don't know what happened to Caleb/Nathan
He was online for over an hour looking at his posting but didn't find the motivation to provide more information.
Just can't help some people

I hope he returns soon as he may be able to help me.

[Terpe]

Caleb, what line of business are you in?

Depending on your lifestyle I think you may struggle in London with that compensation package.

Had you considered living within say 1 hour of London by train journey?
That would yield very significant savings in your costs.
Do you prefer ocean side or country side?

[Caleb0718]

Hello Terpe, yeah I am thinking of the same thing as I believe that the 40% tax is unbearable :( the most that my company can do is give me a free accomodation, transpo and meal allowance and they are all in actuals (I have to submit all the receipts every month, such a pain) now I wonder if I will again negotiate for my package. Can you give me the average monthly spending of a single guy in London? covering utility bills, transpo, food and flat rent.

You are very helpful, appreciate your time being spent for me.

Caleb, what line of business are you in?

Depending on your lifestyle I think you may struggle in London with that compensation package.

Had you considered living within say 1 hour of London by train journey?
That would yield very significant savings in your costs.
Do you prefer ocean side or country side?

[Caleb0718]

Sorry i did not answer your question, I am a Geophysicist of a mining company based in London.

[Caleb0718]

sorry am kinda stupid in this site, some of my posts does not go trough, so I keep on repeating myself. Please delete my duplicate posts.

Can you give me the average monthly spending for a single guy, including the utility bills, transpo, meals and flat rent. Now I think I should go back to my company and renegotiate my package as I am afraid I won't even be able to save with the current package they are giving me.

By the way, Steve, I will answer you again as it seems that my posts are not successful earlier, I am not changing my employment, I am only relocating due to personal reason and project requirement. My rate has not been changed as well as I am currently Singapore based and they told me that London has cheaper cost of living compared to Singapore which I doubt.

[CBM]

Dear Caleb,

Let me take a shot at some answers. You don't say so but I am going to assume that you are young and single, because you haven't asked about family issues on relocation.

1. Where is the best place to find a flat if my office is at 103 Wigmore Street London?

London has fairly good public transport; by and large, Londoners do not live near to their placed of work. The nearest Underground (MRT) station to your office is Bond Street which is in easy walking distance and is served by the Central and Jubilee lines. There are a number of attractive suburbs served by the Jubilee Line which stops at Bond Street - Canary Wharf would put you in a sizeable East Asian community in financial services, for example. Alternatively you can look at the Holland Park area on the Central Line to the West.

2. How much is the average rent per month for a decent 1 bedroom flat near my work area?

Don't plan on living near your work area; its in the West End and flats are fearsomely expensive there.

3. How much is the average daily/monthly expense for a single guy?

You will be able to live very comfortably on your salary; its more than most of us here get.

4. Is GBP 80,000 annual salary enough for me to live and save in London? I am a bit hesitant in getting the new role from my company as I know that London is charging 40% tax, I might not be able to save :(.

Yes, but you will need to take some advice on the best way to save - the UK does not have anything like Singapore's excellent CPF, but you may well be able to make Additional Voluntary Contributions into a pension - these are tax free but there may be restrictions on taking the pension out of the country. You should get advice on this.

[Caleb0718]

Hello Terpe, I had my Business Visa in London for 3 years already as I use to have business trips every now and then but longest I stay is just 1 week. This time they changed my VISA status for a permanent employment which made me taxable in UK. We have our own legal department working on our documents, I do not even know the points system, they only asked me to provide my credentials and I signed a 2 year employment bond with my company because they deposit a substantial amount of money under my name or something and it will stay in the bank while I am working in UK.

[Terpe]

Caleb,
You must understand that your compensation package (per visa sponsorship certification) will not support an acceptable lifestyle in central London for you.

You need to also understand that 40% tax rate is applicable nationwide in UK at £80k pa so unavoidable I'm afraid.

Which floor are you working on at Nations House?

You must inform your HR dept about London weighting for salary.

Are you able to help me with the points needed for intra-company transfer?
I really want to get my friend some work here.

According to the points based system he has an appropriate salary and he has shortage emplyment category etc.

I noticed your salary and compensation package is somewhat less than my friend that's why I ask.
Please inform me Caleb

[Caleb0718]

Hello CBM,

This is very helpful, you provided me an answer to every question I asked. Also you guess it right I am single indeed and I am living alone plus my dog that is why I want to gain friends in this site.

It might be too much but can you give me at least 3 options where I can look at in finding my flat. 30 minute train or bus wouldn't hurt as long as I am in a safe community.

If I am going to get a place in Canary Wharf, how much will a one bed room flat cost me per month at an average?

Finally you enlightened me and it seems that there are actually ways for me to increase my base tax exemption, I am thinking now of putting into a pension a material amount so that I won't be absorbing the 40% tax for the rest of my income, I will consult a financial officer for me to avoid paying massive tax in a legal way.

Thank you very much to you CBD, Steve and Terpe. I want to meet you guys once I am settled.

Dear Caleb,

Let me take a shot at some answers. You don't say so but I am going to assume that you are young and single, because you haven't asked about family issues on relocation.

1. Where is the best place to find a flat if my office is at 103 Wigmore Street London?

London has fairly good public transport; by and large, Londoners do not live near to their placed of work. The nearest Underground (MRT) station to your office is Bond Street which is in easy walking distance and is served by the Central and Jubilee lines. There are a number of attractive suburbs served by the Jubilee Line which stops at Bond Street - Canary Wharf would put you in a sizeable East Asian community in financial services, for example. Alternatively you can look at the Holland Park area on the Central Line to the West.

2. How much is the average rent per month for a decent 1 bedroom flat near my work area?

Don't plan on living near your work area; its in the West End and flats are fearsomely expensive there.

3. How much is the average daily/monthly expense for a single guy?

You will be able to live very comfortably on your salary; its more than most of us here get.

4. Is GBP 80,000 annual salary enough for me to live and save in London? I am a bit hesitant in getting the new role from my company as I know that London is charging 40% tax, I might not be able to save :(.

Yes, but you will need to take some advice on the best way to save - the UK does not have anything like Singapore's excellent CPF, but you may well be able to make Additional Voluntary Contributions into a pension - these are tax free but there may be restrictions on taking the pension out of the country. You should get advice on this.

[Caleb0718]

Hello Terpe,

It seems that I am getting different views with regard to monthly spending in Central London, I am thinking of taking advantage of my benefit to reimburse my rent, meals and transpo by taking the best that I can have as my living allowance is not fixed instead it is in actuals. So I am looking at spending only for my personal shopping and clubbin. Though I am a Filipino so I am used to stretch my budget. On the other hand, I believe I should talk to my boss about my package and ask for a little bit more.

Yeah, I am totally clear with the 40% tax but there are non taxable stuff such as contributions which somehow save me a couple of pounds.

For the weighting salary, it will be added on top of my base salary but I am not looking into it as I am doing my budget on a conservative basis for me to move those extra income directly to my savings.

For the points, I do not know if I can help you because I am not really familiar with the application, I just provided all documents that our legal has asked.

Since he has a better compensation package than me then he should get a Visa easily. As my company was able to manage it with ease, I bet his company is far better than mine.

Caleb,
You must understand that your compensation package (per visa sponsorship certification) will not support an acceptable lifestyle in central London for you.

You need to also understand that 40% tax rate is applicable nationwide in UK at £80k pa so unavoidable I'm afraid.

Which floor are you working on at Nations House?

You must inform your HR dept about London weighting for salary.

Are you able to help me with the points needed for intra-company transfer?
I really want to get my friend some work here.

According to the points based system he has an appropriate salary and he has shortage emplyment category etc.

I noticed your salary and compensation package is somewhat less than my friend that's why I ask.
Please inform me Caleb

[grahamw48]

Lemme know why you find my post funny, I will be happy to answer any clarification from your end.

Nothing personal.

I'm just prone to sudden outbursts of spontaneous laughter.

I'm seeking help for my affliction.

[CBM]

Dear Caleb,

As it happens the Chief Accountant at the UK office of my employers, where I work, is Filipino - ex SyCip. If by Monday you have enough posts to have your "newbie" restrictions lifed by the moderators (at the rate you are going, you should do that easily!) I will be able to give you his contacts by PM

[Terpe]

Caleb, I get the feeling you are joshing me

Please inform me which field of geophysics do you specialise in ore detection, hydrocarbon exploration or geotechnical characterization ?

How did you secure a position in that field ? Especially as that is not included in the UK employment shortage listing.

Do you know Graeme, Rachel or Ruffo (Pinoy) at your London Office?

[CBM]

Caleb I think the reason why Terpe and I have given different answers is that we have made different assumptions about your lifestyle.

£80K pa is certainly enough to live on but it won't permit a "Boat Quay lifestyle" - as soon as you want to do that sort of thing, London becomes very, very expensive.

[Caleb0718]

Perfect, appreciate that CBM, You are indeed very kind.

Dear Caleb,

As it happens the Chief Accountant at the UK office of my employers, where I work, is Filipino - ex SyCip. If by Monday you have enough posts to have your "newbie" restrictions lifed by gthe moderators (at the rate you are going, you should do that easily!) I will be able to give you his contacts by PM

[RickyR]

You may also be interested in the Earls Court area, I don't know what property rentals are like, but I guess they are cheaper then some. The area is very popular with Filipinos and there are Filipino restaurants and supermarkets, so at least you can grab some Filipino food on the way home.

[Caleb0718]

Kinda funny Terpe but I do not want to waste my time nor anyone's time in here asking questions which I wont benefit at all.

I have a non-disclosure agreement with regard to the job that I am doing so if you are really interested to know, we can meet when I get there.

As I have mentioned a while ago, I have been in my post for a considerable time and I am relocating only because I want it and the project required it too.

For those guys, they don't ring a belle except for Rachel as it is kinda universal name, I am working with thousands of people and I am just a speck in our organization so there is a small chance for me to know everyone.

Caleb, I get the feeling you are joshing me

Please inform me which field of geophysics do you specialise in ore detection, hydrocarbon exploration or geotechnical characterization ?

How did you secure a position in that field ? Especially as that is not included in the UK employment shortage listing.

Do you know Graeme, Rachel or Ruffo (Pinoy) at your London Office?

[Caleb0718]

You are awesome CBM, you are very familiar with Singapore living I think I should be able to manage the 80K with a weekly clubbin schedule but a little more should be better, wish my boss will grant my request

Caleb I think the reason why Terpe and I have given different answers is that we have made different assumptions about your lifestyle.

£80K pa is certainly enough to live on but it won't permit a "Boat Quay lifestyle" - as soon as you want to do that sort of thing, London becomes very, very expensive.

[Caleb0718]

Thank you very much Ricky, I cook almost everyday so if there are Filipino stores nearby I will surely consider those area.

You may also be interested in the Earls Court area, I don't know what property rentals are like, but I guess they are cheaper then some. The area is very popular with Filipinos and there are Filipino restaurants and supermarkets, so at least you can grab some Filipino food on the way home.