London has a vibrant economy with plenty of job and career prospects for anyone looking for somewhere to make their mark on the business world. The capital is a hotspot of emerging young professionals forging their way into the elite corporate corridors or innovating new trends and opportunities. And as you would expect, everyone who has their sights on London has housing requirements to rest up after a busy week.
Aussie Man & Van is the capital’s ‘can-do’ removals and storage company, and we relocate hundreds of new home buyers every month in London. That’s because we’re a reliable moving company that has a range of services all under one roof, meaning you don’t need to shop around. The Aussie team are always available to discuss an upcoming move, even if you’re getting some quotes for a potential future relocation.
Finding the Perfect Value for Money Home –
We won’t sugar-coat it – getting onto the property ladder is difficult these days. To give yourself the best chance of success, you’ll need to understand the process back-to-front. Mortgages & deposits often have stringent qualifying criteria that price many out of the market. Additionally, an over-bloated rental sector causes further problems for would-be homeowners to navigate around.
That’s the downsides out of the way. And although there are plenty, we’ll look at ways past them. While London is renowned for being expensive, many areas are affordable and below London’s average property prices. It might not be the mansion in Chelsea or the luxury apartment in Mayfair, but it’s all about building upwards. Regeneration areas are continuing in their popularity and are worth further investigation.
Other options are attending auctions to see if it fits your situation and personality. You can work out how much you’d save by doing this and temper with work you would need to put in. There’s also the avenue of leveraging housing schemes to reduce deposit costs, and many developments we note in the following section have them available. Let’s begin by looking at some potential areas in London for young professionals.
Best Places to Live in London for Young Professionals –
Croydon is our top pick for young professionals who want value for money in London. Croydon has been steadily becoming a trendy location, but the house prices remain reasonable. The local amenities are improving all the time, and it’s only fifteen to twenty minutes to reach Central London from here. Croydon has several up-and-coming complexes, and young professionals gravitate towards places like The Quarters, No.26 and Bauhaus.
Bexley is a location that often enters discussions regarding affordable areas in London. It’s incredible that Bexley still commands its place within this category year on year. Bexley is a favourite location for people who want a larger property without breaking the bank. Keep an eye out for the Southmere and Hillcross Place developments.
Havering appeals to young professionals who want a more vibrant place to live. It’s known for its shopping and nightlife, so it may work out for Londoners who want to save and have fun. Havering is also undergoing a twelve-site regeneration programme focusing on inclusivity, affordable housing, and better community conditions.
Barking & Dagenham has the lowest average property prices in our list at £323,199 (January 2022 latest), so B&D is worth further investigation. You’ll have to get in there early to enjoy these prices. Barking and Dagenham is currently undergoing a massive investment and improvement drive. This will see new eateries, shops, an art-house cinema, and the Barking Riverside development arrive. Prices won’t stay low for long.
Enlist an Experienced Estate Agent –
Now that you have a few ideas of places of interest, you’ll need to enlist the services of a seasoned estate agent. It’s necessary to get expert advice before you start arranging viewings. It’s easier to have someone who knows what they’re doing and filter out unsuitable properties before you waste time and energy looking at places that don’t match your requirements.
Speak to a few estate agents and get one on board as early as possible. They can help you calculate your budget and match you with the specific features you want in a home. When you find somewhere that seems like a good fit, they’ll research sales of similar properties in that area as a comparison. From there, an experienced estate agent will arrange viewings for you.
They’ll summarise the current state of each property and if the sellers have up-to-date surveys in place. This point is crucial, and you must be thorough when you view potential houses or apartments. Without proper guidance, you might forget to ask about whether a building has had any major structural issues. Unless you request information about surveys, you’ll have no recourse if problems arise later. That’s why it pays to work with a professional who knows the questions to ask.
Using Self Storage for Smaller Properties –
You might find that size becomes a sticking point when you finally start viewing properties. Many housing developments and complexes from our earlier section are apartments or smaller houses. People will be reluctant to buy a home or flat if they need to get rid of their belongings on mass. However, there’s another potential solution that provides the chance to compromise.
If you rent a self storage unit, it’s possible to consider places on the smaller side of the scale. Storage does come at an additional cost but is much cheaper per square metre. Plus, you won’t have an inflexible contract if you work with Aussie. We have three storage options to choose from: self storage, container storage, and our innovative Ausbox storage packages.
The takeaway is that this isn’t the only or best answer to everyone’s situation. Ultimately, it’s another option in your arsenal when you start scouting for potential locations. You might happen across an area you like, but the property doesn’t quite have enough space. By using storage, you might be able to mitigate this issue and find the ideal home for your current circumstances and budget.
More Information on Housing Schemes –
We briefly mentioned this earlier, but it’s time to get into the details about how you can utilise first-time buyers’ schemes to reduce your costs. They’re specifically here to help people become homeowners, so it’s well worth doing some extra research to see which plan fits your needs the most. You’ll need to read up and check on any changes to regulations or availability. Fortunately, many new developments do the hard work for you and state what available schemes for their properties.
To give you a good starting point, some examples are First Homes, Help to Buy, Shared Ownership, and Right to Buy schemes. It’s worth noting that you’ll have limited choices when enacting one of these programs. And many of the property developers we mention in the previous section state which housing schemes they offer from the outset. But you’ll need to do your homework to check if the terms and conditions work for you.
You can also contact a mortgage advisor or your bank’s home loan manager to see what mortgages you currently qualify for. This could be an eye-opener, as the feedback might be less than favourable. It’s a strange scenario, but young professionals often find that they don’t qualify for a mortgage amount that’s significantly lower than their current rental costs. By leveraging housing schemes, you can avoid this pitfall and move closer to the reality of becoming a homeowner.
Finding the Right Removals Service for You –
The Aussie way of doing things is different from a majority of other removals companies because we’re thorough from the first contact. For us, it’s all about preparation, assessment, and matching the correct removals package with our customer’s needs. This is to make sure that we provide the most efficient and cost-effective removals service for you.
Aussie’s Man & Van service is suitable for relocations with smaller furniture and fewer items, in addition to relocations within London and the nearby areas. This is because the man with a van can change route easily due to their size, should there be unforeseen congestion. It’s also easier to load the man and van vehicles without causing any issues with your neighbours.
Aussie’s Home Removals service utilises medium or larger vans, and we have a fleet of vehicles at our disposal. This service is ideal for the more significant volume of items and bigger pieces of furniture. We usually suggest using this if your new location falls into the long-distance category, such as our National or International Removals services.
Aussie Man & Van – London’s ‘Can-Do’ Removals Company –
Due to our high standards and attention to detail, Aussie is the favourite removals and storage company in London, Bath, Dorset, and Oxford. Similarly, we have associate companies in locations throughout the UK with additional networks available in Europe. This helps us offer a holistic level of service delivery to cover everyone’s requirements.
Customer service is the number one focus for everything we do at Aussie Man & Van. In addition to the standard removals and storage packages, we have specialist services that you won’t find anywhere else. For us, more options equal a better standard of service because we can cater to various people’s individual specifications.
If you’re planning your next relocation in London or a neighbouring county, you should book with a reputable company. Aussie is the ‘can-do’ removals and storage company. We will take on any removal or storage job, delivering the best possible service. We’re here to make your upcoming relocation as enjoyable and stress-free as possible.
To ensure you receive the highest standard of removal service in London, click here, and we’ll begin an assessment. This includes a free quote with no obligation to book with us.
