Posted by Living in London is going to be interesting. To be frank with you, the discipline and the organised urban lifestyle of London is the thing that attracts almost anybody.
It has been one of the most significant cities in the world. Now, London is even more enjoyable though. You can find out by being a resident of this city. And if you are staying here for travel purposes, make yourself at home by learning a little about the city.
London can be your abode or it can be something more than that. If you are reading this post, then anyone might assume that you are probably shifting to a London residence because you would want to make yourself an office there for your business. That is a good decision too. All you need to do is to learn a little about the city. Stick to this blog for that.
- Register with Your General Practitioner or GP (Doctor)
In London, we like to call the doctors as GP. You must not ignore the health matters when you arrive in London. It can be one of the first emergencies. Take your address proof and your residential proof; research a medical practice near your residence using the National Health System (NHS) index. Then you may register yourself.
You may need emergency money for particular medical reasons. If you do not have money right now, then you can take out unsecured personal loans from a direct lender organisation. They are also known as private lenders. They can help you with money online. Even if your credit score is low, you can get money from a direct lender by sharing your income details and other formal information.
- Be Sure You Are Connected to the Mobile Networks
I mean it is not a huge deal to many people. But they often think wrong. Staying connected matters a lot. You might not get the idea of it now. But the lack of mobile network connectivity will prove its worth when you need it the most deeply but you do not have it.
Therefore, a local connection will work well for you. You can purchase a SIM card. Or you can buy a data plan for you. Keep in mind that local restaurants and other institutions can offer you data in the form of free Wi-Fi. However, not all of them have this facility. Like in Airports, you will be allowed to use data in exchange for your own data.
- Let’s Get Yourself an Oyster Card
It is a version of a travel card. You can also call it a pay-as-you-go travel card. You can buy these Oyster cards and the result is fascinating. It gives you access to all the public transport options in the city. Use it to catch a Tube; maybe a night tube; or get yourself a bus or a taxicab. You can choose the black taxis/ cabs or the Uber cars.
You can also make yourself comfortable with bikes or e-bikes if you like them. You can rent them using a card. They might charge you very minimal values such as 2 pounds.
Now buying a car will require some money. What if you do not have money but you are suffering a poor credit score too? Well, in that case, you may need private lenders again. This time, take out an instalment loan in bad credit. It will help you buy the card but repaying it is easy since you have to make them in comfortable amounts. It is because your lender will divide the full amount of the loan into affordable short instalments.
- Apps Are Your Friend in London (or almost Anywhere)
If you are exploring the city; doing business; or just taking your kid for a walk; you will need to use apps to make your commute much more comfortable. Apart from that, a few apps can make you more ‘aware’ of your surroundings. Here are a few of them for your purpose:
- Use Uber or Hailo for booking cabs online.
- Use Citymapper to plan your journey or map your journey including time; place etc.
- Use Deliveroo for ordering food online.
- Use the Great Little Place City Guide or Dojo to stay updated about the events of the city and other factors.
- Use Met Office for weather forecasts.
- London Is, in Some Ways, Peculiar
You know that sometimes things can get a little odd. That’s the beauty of life though. If everything is in ordinary, then people would not have prospered.
This is however a little odd. We can expect to see stray dogs; birds; squirrels in the parks and other sorts of animals in cities. But you will see red foxes in London. It is pretty common here. Do not be startled. Maintain distance though.
Postcodes in London are used for making or composing the address. Although very common as a factor, London postcodes can sometimes be too complicated that they can appear as symbols from your maths book.
- Paperwork (Physically and Digitally) Matters
Let’s say you are a student and you want to rent a flat. Or you may have faced an emergency, for which you want to take out a loan. In these cases, you will need your documents clearly organised for verification purposes.
- ID photos
- Bank statement
- Printed resume/ CV
- Evidence of present employment (if working)
- Reference from previous employment (if looking for a job or if you had a job)
- Address proof
- Electricity bill or any other utility bill
- Evidence of your position at the University
- Credit Score
- Want to Work in the UK? You May Need Documents
You want to get employed in the UK and that is a fantastic decision you have made. From social to technological jobs, the UK is home to jobs you will love. But, as you know, you will need something called paperwork.
Apply for a National Insurance Number. Doing this makes you a registered candidate to work in the UK. Apply for it with your local government.
- You Need to Stay Prepared for the Weather
Look, in the books and movies, London has been shown as a city where you can expect frequent rains. To tell you the truth, that’s quite right.
That does not mean you will stop having fun here. Take an umbrella with you. Also, London Fashion is famous for making waterproof clothing. Didn’t you read the Sherlock Holmes novels?
With that, you can keep a warm jacket with you all the time. After the Winter or in the Autumn things are going to get chillier. You will need a jacket then. For winters though, you will need more warm clothes because of snowfalling.
To Conclude
Enjoy your stay or your permanent stay in London. As mentioned earlier, the city has many more things than what you have read in books. They will amaze you.