Clueless students moving to London (Middlesex/Brentford area)

diabolikal

Hi,

I'm a student from the Milton Keynes area, and studying in Coventry, so know nothing of London. Both myself and my girlfriend have got 12 month "industrial placement" jobs in Middlesex - I'm at Stockley Park (here) and my partner is at GSK House, Brenford.

We need to find a 1 or 2 bed flat, with a budget between 600-800 a month. I've been able to use sites like rightmove to see that I'll only manage to get a 1 bed in the area, but we don't know how to work out public transport routes for travelling to where we'll be working.

Can anyone provide any tips on public transport or good areas to look at? Or even some estate agent names - I won't be free from Uni till after exams in May, about 3 weeks before I need to have moved in.

Or better yet, anyone got a flat they want to let out to a young (quiet+clean+nonsmoking! - not normal students) couple for 12 months? :-)

Just struggling with a place to start looking...

mitchellst3ve

Will you need a car to get to your placement?

p00hsticks

no personal experience of the area I'm afriad, but if you can identify some possible locations you could use this to get an idea of what the journeys would be like from them to your individual destinations

http://www.transportdirect.info/Web2/Home.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRORIGINALURL=%2fTransportDirect%2fen%2f&NRNODEGUID=%7b9B2CEBBB-B2D4-4022-A0D1-5B939541864D%7d&NRCACHEHINT=Guest&repeatingloop=Y

sooz

It should be easy for your girlfriend to get to work - I think GSK offer a mini bus shuttle from the nearest tube station, or it's very close to the train station.

It very much depends on how you plan to get to your work. Will you have a car, & is there free parking, or are you having to get there by public transport?

mitchellst3ve

Indeed, the car question is an important one as has a big effect on where you can live.

zaphod_beeblebrox_2

I had an IT Contract with GSK at Brentford, forget using your car as the car park is for the 'elite' only and there is no on-street parking in the area, with the exception of parking meters with a 4 hour max with no return within 2 hours. For a quick 'nip in and out' of GSK house you can park at PCWorld next door, buy an cartridge (et-al) and stay for 2 hours

Stockley Park has ample parking (a lovely place to work) so your issue is that the properties will be cheaper in the Uxbridge area but getting to Brentford isn’t a synch, pity your not both at Stockley Park, easy to get to and out of the smoke

diabolikal

zaphod beeblebrox, thanks.

Personally I'd like to avoid having a car, and don't have my own at the moment.

If I had a car, it sounds like it'd be easier to live near the brentford site to walk in there, and drive to stockley park. As I'm hoping not to have a car (insurance for 20 yr male is extortionate..), is anyone aware of the public transport in the area?

p00hsticks, do you know if GSK do a minibus between their sites? I was aware about the tube station one 'cos I took it when I went for my interview, very handy.

angrypirate

diabolikal wrote: »

Hi,

I'm a student from the Milton Keynes area, and studying in Coventry, so know nothing of London. Both myself and my girlfriend have got 12 month "industrial placement" jobs in Middlesex - I'm at Stockley Park (here) and my partner is at GSK House, Brenford.

We need to find a 1 or 2 bed flat, with a budget between 600-800 a month. I've been able to use sites like rightmove to see that I'll only manage to get a 1 bed in the area, but we don't know how to work out public transport routes for travelling to where we'll be working.

Can anyone provide any tips on public transport or good areas to look at? Or even some estate agent names - I won't be free from Uni till after exams in May, about 3 weeks before I need to have moved in.

Or better yet, anyone got a flat they want to let out to a young (quiet+clean+nonsmoking! - not normal students) couple for 12 months? :-)

Just struggling with a place to start looking...

Im living in Brentford at the moment so I'll give you the lowdown.

There are several buses that run from brentford to tube stations. Unfortunately the buses arent as frequent or reliable as the tube, but they are usually ok. I have only ever waited for a bus for longer than 10 mins once (ended up being 40 mins and that was for the 65 which is more unreliable than the others). The buses are 65 (to south ealing / ealing broadway) 237 / 267 towards gunnersbury tube / chiswick (very nice for eating out / drinks) and E2 / E8 (very reliable) for northfield / boston maner.

There is the overland that goes to waterloo via clapham junction - very handy but slow (30 mins brentford to waterloo). If im meeting someone in the city, regardless if im taking the train or bus/tube i usually have to allow between 45mins and 1hr to get in.

600per month wont get you much more than a studio - maybe a 1 bedder. For a 2 bedder you're looking at 1000pm or over 1100pm in the one of the new developments (ferry quays / holland gardens / brentford lock).

Also (i doubt this will effect you as you are students) but council tax in hounslow is expensive (due to a lot on benefits in the area).
I suggest spending a weekend down in Brentford (treat your partner to a weekend and stay in the kew bridge travellodge / holiday inn / premier inn) and scout the area out. Pre-book appointments with several estate agents but be hard with them
Hope this helps